The Ascendant & Angles
The four angles—Ascendant (ASC), Descendant (DSC), Midheaven (MC), and Imum Coeli (IC)—are the pillars of a chart. They tie celestial positions to your local horizon and meridian at the moment of birth (or event), adding concrete context for personality expression, relationships, public life, and foundations.
How the angles are computed
- Ascendant (ASC): the ecliptic degree rising at the eastern horizon at the given time/place. It depends on local sidereal time, latitude, and the obliquity between the celestial equator and ecliptic.
- Descendant (DSC): the point setting at the western horizon—180° from the Ascendant along the ecliptic.
- Midheaven (MC): the ecliptic intersection near the local upper meridian (culmination). In quadrant systems it’s often the 10th cusp; in whole‑sign, MC can fall in 9th–11th and acts as an added career/visibility point.
- Imum Coeli (IC): opposite the MC—lower culmination—speaking to origin, home, and roots.
What each angle signifies
- ASC: how you interface with the world (style, first impressions, instinctive approach).
- DSC: partnerships, cooperation, projection—how you meet “the other.”
- MC: vocation, reputation, direction—where you’re visible in the wider world.
- IC: family, inner life, foundations—what sustains you at the core.
Angles across house systems
The ASC/DSC axis is identical across systems; the MC/IC can shift relative to house cusps depending on whether you use Placidus, Equal, or Whole Sign. Try switching house systems in the app to see how topics move while the angles (as points) remain astronomically anchored.