Workshop For Beginners: “La Force” – Scorpio Rising, Aries Sun, Gemini Moon

Today’s Key Topic – The Ascendant
Ok, pretend with me for a moment that it’s a long time ago and you are a Shepherd. It is your job to hang out all night with the sheep. So, your shift starts and there’s nothing much exciting going on. So, you pop a squat and look out over the eastern horizon. Hey, there’s a constellation you know. Let’s say it’s Aries. Hi Aries! Well that was fun. You putter around for an hour or two, maybe eat a crust of bread from your pocket, then think, “I wanna look at Aries again.” So, you sit down in the same place looking out across the eastern horizon expecting to see the Ram. WTF?!?! That’s not Aries, that’s Taurus! Yes, it appears that Taurus has popped up above the horizon pushing Aries ahead in line. Tilt your head up, see Aries is still there, just higher. If you keep watching all night you will see Gemini rise, then Cancer rise, then Leo, etc. Every two hours, a different sign will rise above the horizon. This sign is called (see if you can guess) “the rising sign,” also known as the Ascendant. Commonly abbreviated ASC.

Every chart you look at will have a horizontal line on the left side. That line will always be the ascendant. The Ascendant is important because it marks the cusp of the first house, determines the ruler of the chart, and indicates the general appearance/first impression.

Pop Quiz: Look at this illustration of me,

can you tell which sign is “the rising sign?”

Chart III

ASC – 24 degrees Scorpio
That makes this a Pluto ruled chart with Mars as the co-ruler, giving the chart an overall INTENSITY. People are either entranced by this person or completely freaked out. There are no mild reactions to someone with this rising sign. They look good in black and are known for having a piercing stare.

The Sun – Aries in the 5th House
Aries is ruled by Mars giving this chart an extra shot of power. This forceful Sun does not take direction easily. The 5th house provides a playful attitude which supports this sun’s natural impulsivity.

The Moon – Gemini in the 8th House
This is someone who needs to talk it out. In the 8th house the topic often shifts to the dark side of things. This person is not afraid to dig into the depths of the seedy underbelly of existence. This person is quick to point out your hidden motives.

Can you guess who else had this combination of Scorpio Rising, Aries Sun and Gemini Moon?

Critically acclaimed leading lady Bette Davis. Look at those eyes! Check her out here talking with Dick Cavett about “testing 15 men” in one afternoon.

Now, here’s Satori with a closer look at how this all works together.

Here the Sun in Aries squares the Gemini Moon. As a result, the ego drives of individualism, particularly at 0 degrees, The Aries Point, are at cross purpose with the needs of an airy Moon. In the 5th house this Aries Sun expresses itself in forthright creativity while the 8th house Moon yearns to communicate on both deeper and more surface levels.

The resulting effect is one where the expression of ego does not naturally fulfill one’s emotional needs, and getting one’s needs met does not necessarily jibe with the individual’s sense of self. Earlier on in life this can manifest as frustration, both in the ego drive and a lack of emotional satiation. As time goes on and a person becomes more familiar with the limits of this equation they become more adept at managing and balancing these stressors.

I’ve always liked the adage, “if mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” In the chart the moon functions as the archetypal mama and the sun, the papa. You’ve got to keep mama happy without pissing off papa, and while these energies are stressed they do relate and such a thing is possible, with effort. In this case Saturn is in an aspect of opportunity with the sun, in sextile. Saturn is very much a paternal energy and jibes well with the Sun influence here. Working at the Sun’s 5th house matters, creativity, children, will pay off in balancing the equation.

Saturn is in the 7th house, conjunct Mars and the Descendant. Anything that conjuncts the Descendant necessarily opposes the Ascendant. In this case the ASC/DSC axis falls across Scorpio and Taurus. With Scorpio Rising you express Scorpionic traits outwardly while attracting and being attracted to those with Taurus or Taurean energies. With chart co-rulers, Mars and Pluto aspecting both the Sun and the Rising, much energy is available to express and to harness and a powerful presence is gauranteed.

With Scorpio Rising and Mars Saturn in opposition the outer personality can present like a magician, “look here,” while the real thing takes place under the hat in its other hand. “Et voila!”

Finally here’s Dixie with the intuitive wrap.

With your Aries sun, you excel at getting the ball rolling and prefer to remain in control of the game. Because it’s in the 5th house, you’re good at getting creative endeavors underway–this is where you especially shine. Your Scorpio Ascendant infuses your public work with significant energy. So far, so good! You could benefit, though, from developing a higher tolerance for uncertainty–you find the void unnerving–and more consistently sharing leadership responsibilities. Your Gemini moon sometimes feels insecure, so partnering to share the control will bring some relief and provides a gift to others by letting them hitchhike on your creative fire. Your Scorpio instincts are already sharp, so don’t second guess yourself so much.

Now its your turn! Got a question, ask away. Anything in common with this chart? Tell us about it. Itching to show off your skills? Give us your reading. This is your workshop. Have Fun!