The Ascendant in Locational Astrology

The Ascendant is the area in the astrological birth chart that deals with the all-important SELF.  It is the sign (and degree) that was on the eastern horizon at your birth. 

There are a lot of ideas about the Ascendant. Some say that it represents our physical appearance, our personality, and the first impressions we make—while I believe this to be true—it goes much deeper, to the point of literally how we navigate our lives. One of my teachers describes the Ascendant as being the "choices we make" in life. 

So yes, if you have a Scorpio Rising, you may have more Scorpio-like physical characteristics (and persona), but also how you approach life will be more Scorpio-like too. This is something necessary to understand when looking at locational astrology, so that when you see the sign on the Ascendant change in a relocated chart, or you see an Ascendant planetary line, you can then begin to piece together how such influences can impact YOU personally (Self = Ascendant angle of the chart). 

The Ascendant in a Relocated Chart 

When you move to a new place (depending on the distance), your Ascendant sign can change. This shift adds a new energy to how you approach life and how you come across to others. For example, moving from a natal Cancer Ascendant to a relocated Leo Ascendant could make you more outgoing and confident. It's important to mention that your Cancer Ascendant will never be completely replaced by such a move. You always have your birth energy, but the Leo ascendant (or whichever relocated sign) will add another layer to your reality. In this case, the natal Cancer Ascendant individual may still be nurturing, protective, and crab-like, but also more likely to make oneself seen and noticed with a relocated Leo Rising. It's simply another layer, and this new layer is only available where/when the relocated Ascendant is in such a sign. When you leave that specific location, you won't have access to that added layer of energy any longer, since it is not birth energy. 

Ascendant Lines in Astrocartography

Ascendant lines highlight where a planet’s energy is emphasized. Living near an Ascendant line amplifies that planet’s traits. Considering the Ascendant represents the SELF - living near a Mercury Ascendant line can boost your communication skills and curiosity, but what exactly is being emphasized by being near your personal Mercury AC line? Is Mercury well-aspected in your chart or are there challenging aspects? These are considerations when determining how positively you will experience being near such a line. This is why everyone experiences each line differently. 

This may seem a bit complicated (it's not, though), but there are also different sides of an Ascendant line to consider.  If you are on the west side of the Ascendant line, the planet's influence will be in your 1st house, but if you are on the east side of the line, its influence will be in your 12th house. There will be a difference in how this will impact you. I would cautiously make the claim that it is better to be on the west side of an Ascendant line—IF you prefer to have a better grasp on the planet's energy. If you are looking more for the spiritual side of such planet's energy, the eastern side of the line may be more beneficial. The eastern side of the line can make the energy more confusing and difficult to understand. This can definitely vary from person to person, too, because some people have 12th house placements natally, so it won't be as difficult, especially if it is something they are used to. I hope this makes sense.  However, if a person is born with Mercury in the first house, and they move to a place (the eastern side of the line on the map) that puts it in the 12th house, that might be more noticeable when it comes to Mercury functions such as communication and mental processing. In such a case, this would be a better place for one to go for meditation rather than communciation. Again, everyone is unique, so it really isn't black or white. 

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