It started with an innocent text (by someone I won’t identify,) but it went, “so and so wants to know what a rising sign means.”
How can an astrologer resist?
I replied:
The rising sign is the zodiac sign that was on the horizon at the time of your birth. The rising sign is the first impression that people have of you and is supposed to be qualities you need to incorporate into your personality.
The rising sign is one of the first indicators of the appearance of your body and depending on aspects with the other planets how you feel about your body image.
The rising sign can also indicate certain physical ailments. For instance, someone with Saturn on the ASC often have severe back and or bone problems.
Also, the planet that rules the zodiac sign of your ASC can be your chart ruler.
So, of course the next question is, “What is her rising sign?”
Now it gets interesting, and since my astrology program is perpetually open, I ran the chart with the information my correspondent gave me. And this is the chart I got.
Now wait. See that Sagittarius ascendant? That wasn’t right. Sagittarian ascendants are usually tall, act socially extroverted, and mostly, (but not always) are fair-haired. The individual is short, has dark hair, and has a very reserved demeanor in public.
So nope. This birth time is flat out wrong. Which I announced. They gave me another time, forty minutes later. In the PM.
Still not right. Plus, now this chart insists the subject would be in the legal, teaching or publishing professions. Nope. Wrong. She’s training in a specialty in the medical profession.
So I announced the birth time was not correct, again, and she went off and asked her father. Turns out the birth time was 2:40 AM, not PM. So this is the third chard.
Perfect. A Cancer ascendant, plus all those planets below the horizon demonstrates her reserved personality so much better. The Virgo sun explains the dark hair and shorter stature. And see that Sun in Virgo in the second house (how she earns money) sextile Jupiter and trine the sixth house? Yes! Explains her interest in the medical field, and shows when she’s done, she’ll earn a good amount of money for her work.
And that’s what a professional astrologer can do. Had I accepted her first birth time, she would have read about a Sagittarius ascendant and said, “this astrology stuff is bunk.” But it’s not. Just as I’ve shown you. 