Let’s Begin: Ascendant and the First House
The best way to understand how and why astrology works, for me, was through internalizing the concept of synchronicity. There weren’t, as most of us think at the beginning, powerful planets inflicting effects on our lives, instead, the planets and us were in a synchronous relationship. In terms of natal astrology, this meant I was comprised of the heavens (of the time of my birth) – a microcosm if you will.
According to this view, a snapshot of the heavens at the time of our birth serves as a picture of our make-up. Without the frame the ascendant and the houses provide, this snapshot is a picture of different parts of a machine not yet assembled. I know this machine (I) has an engine (Sun) and other parts that have function (planets) but without the ascendant and the houses, I don’t know what this machine does. So, an almost identical make-up (same sun sign, same moon sign etc.) with a different sign of the zodiac as the ascendant, creates a completely different life purpose.
The degree of the zodiac that was rising over the eastern horizon at the moment of our birth is synchronous to our first breath. This is the unique “I”, and the manual for how these parts of the machine are assembled. In other words, this is the moment of incarnation, a soul becoming a separate body having left the mother’s womb. My function is dependent on the smooth operation of this machine (This is why I named my natal reading session “Modus Operandi”).
This is our ascendant, and the start of our first house. With regards to the question of how I operate, the ascendant and the first house serve as the goggles one is born with. This is how one filters the world, what one sees. To utilize, once more, the machine analogy, let’s think of an air purifier for example, which detects dust and/or other pollutants. What it’s supposed to be doing (purifying the air) depends on this specific and unique type of detection.
Among the factors that inform us about how one filters the world are the degree of the sign on the ascendant, the sign, the planet that rules this sign, planets near the degree and planets in the first house.
The planet ruling the rising sign is of most importance in most cases if not all. This is the planet that this sign would utilize the most (we have determined that planets are functional parts of the machine) therefore its placement in terms of sign, house and the aspects it’s receiving all color the filtering process of the person. A Virgo rising person with their Mercury (Virgo’s ruling planet) in Leo and another with their Mercury in Pisces would have quite different modes of filtering and ways of meeting their environment than one another. And this is even before talking about houses they are in, and before we look at how they are aspected by other planets.
Let me try to put it in a more concise manner: There are 12 goggles (rising sign) through which one can filter their experience (with one or more planets potentially occupying it that color this filter), each goggle has a specific tool (ruling planet) it uses to filter, and this tool (planet) could be working in one of 12 ways (different signs) and in one of 12 areas (12 houses), and could be working with (aspects) one or more planets that are in other signs and houses. And this manual is shown to us by our exact time of birth. This is just the beginning of our uniqueness from an astrological lens.
The houses are areas of experiences. Different areas of life that we all have to participate in to function as human beings. And the first house is the one that starts it all, it’s the one that colors our initial experience on earth and all the ones following that moment. It is the only way of looking we know and for anyone who has started to ask questions about their purpose, and their life, it is one of the best places to start.
Over the course of this year, every month I will introduce one house and illustrate, to the best of my ability, the different experiences of life from the astrological lens.
If you want to learn more about your ascendant, your first house and/or the rest of your chart, I recommend my Modus Operandi reading. I designed it as an easy to digest entry into your chart focusing on one or two areas of your life. Click here to book a session.
Here are what some of my clients said of this reading:
Uğur interpreted my shortcomings and fears that I had always noticed but escaped from or overlooked in such a great way. Years later, he gave me the power to work on them. Plus, he helped me explore some of my intuitive abilities. Thanks wouldn’t be enough.
— Ş. T.
In our session with Uğur, I faced my qualities that I had explored or known about but weren’t able to identify. In addition to reading my birth chart, his meditative approach allowed me to stay in the session with a holistic view. I keep his realistic advice with me during the day.
— U. Y.
It was an experience that I had never had before. Most of our session was in the form of a conversation. Of course, he had such a command of his reading that I didn’t realize how the hours passed by. Thank you Uğur for helping me make sense of myself, my environment, the universe, my life and how these are interconnected; and for opening this path for me. I can’t wait for our next session.
— Y. Y. K.
I really enjoyed my reading with Uğur. He gave me so much insight into the meaning, history and different theories of astrology. It was a pleasure to discuss such an interesting topic with someone so passionate. Learning about my chart, in a way that I can understand, and without the frills of “fortune telling” was very refreshing. It definitely aligned with and supported the wellbeing practices I am using in my life. I felt energized and empowered after our session. I highly recommend Uğur if you’re looking to get an elevated astrology reading. Thank you Uğur!
— S. Ş.
My session was excellent! Uğur was thoroughly prepared, conveyed information with precision, empathy and humor, and was responsive to questions. This was my second official reading with Uğur and I will certainly arrange a third.
— C. G.