The ascendant is the cusp, or beginning borderline, of the zodiac’s first house. It’s always denoted by a dark line at what would be 9:00 on a clock. From the first house’s cusp, we travel around the zodiac wheel in a counterclockwise direction. Fun fact: If you were born at sunrise (or within two hours of it), your ascendant will be the same sign as your Sun sign (e.g., Taurus with a Taurus rising—or a “double Taurus”). Someone born at the exact same time as you, but in another time zone, may have an entirely different birth chart because the planets will be in different houses. It’s like the difference between Bradley Cooper appearing in The Hangover II (which could be a raucous Aries rising) versus a serious drama such as Silver Linings Playbook (a sensitive Cancer rising, perhaps). You can do a free chart here to discover your rising sign—and what it means. If you want more insight into how your zodiac sign can affect your life, read your love horoscope and then check out what to expect from the week with the Astrotwins’ weekly predictions.
