Rising Signs and Midheaven Signs: The Twelve Ascendants and Twelve Midheavens
A Sun sign can be looked up from a birthday alone; the Ascendant and the Midheaven need the hour and minute of birth. The rising sign is the first impression you make and your reflex in a new situation; the Midheaven sign is where you want to stand in the world and how you define achievement. This page first explains how to read the four angles, then lists the twelve rising signs and the twelve Midheaven signs, each with its own detailed page. If you do not know your rising sign yet, work it out first with the rising sign calculator.
The twelve rising signs
| Rising sign | In a phrase | Share in Taipei | Rises each day for about | Chart ruler |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aries Rising | The one who walks in and gets started | 6.3% | 1 h 31 min | Mars |
| Taurus Rising | The unhurried one who puts people at ease | 7.1% | 1 h 42 min | Venus |
| Gemini Rising | The one who can strike up a chat anywhere | 8.5% | 2 h 2 min | Mercury |
| Cancer Rising | The one who checks it’s safe before opening up | 9.4% | 2 h 15 min | Moon |
| Leo Rising | The one people notice the moment they walk in | 9.5% | 2 h 17 min | Sun |
| Virgo Rising | The one who gets the details straight first | 9.3% | 2 h 14 min | Mercury |
| Libra Rising | The one who makes everyone feel comfortable | 9.2% | 2 h 13 min | Venus |
| Scorpio Rising | The quiet one who sees a long way down | 9.5% | 2 h 17 min | Mars |
| Sagittarius Rising | The one who seems to be there for the fun | 9.4% | 2 h 16 min | Jupiter |
| Capricorn Rising | The one who was grown-up from an early age | 8.5% | 2 h 2 min | Saturn |
| Aquarius Rising | The friendly one who goes their own way | 7.1% | 1 h 42 min | Saturn |
| Pisces Rising | The one people want to confide in | 6.2% | 1 h 29 min | Jupiter |
Shares and times are our own calculation from 100,812 random birth moments between 1960 and 2005 (Taipei). “Rises each day for about” is how long the sign stays on the eastern horizon in one day.
Find your own Ascendant and Midheaven first Free birth chart →
The twelve Midheaven signs
| Midheaven sign | In a phrase | Share in Taipei | IC | Ruler |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midheaven in Aries | The trailblazer who cuts a path of your own | 7.7% | Libra | Mars |
| Midheaven in Taurus | The one who builds value slowly | 8.3% | Scorpio | Venus |
| Midheaven in Gemini | Connecting people through words | 9% | Sagittarius | Mercury |
| Midheaven in Cancer | Tending your work like a home | 8.9% | Capricorn | Moon |
| Midheaven in Leo | The lead who shines out front | 8.3% | Aquarius | Sun |
| Midheaven in Virgo | The craftsperson who gets it right | 7.8% | Pisces | Mercury |
| Midheaven in Libra | Finding the balance between people | 7.8% | Aries | Venus |
| Midheaven in Scorpio | The strategist who digs to the bottom | 8.3% | Taurus | Mars |
| Midheaven in Sagittarius | Bringing a wider view to others | 8.9% | Gemini | Jupiter |
| Midheaven in Capricorn | Climbing the mountain step by step | 9% | Cancer | Saturn |
| Midheaven in Aquarius | Finding new answers for the group | 8.3% | Leo | Saturn |
| Midheaven in Pisces | Working with imagination and compassion | 7.8% | Virgo | Jupiter |
The four angles: Ascendant, Descendant, Midheaven and IC
Four points on a chart move with the Earth’s rotation. Together they are called the four angles:
- Ascendant (ASC): the eastern horizon, the start of the 1st house. The outward expression of the self; first impressions.
- Descendant (DSC): the western horizon, directly opposite the Ascendant, the start of the 7th house. Partners, collaborators and the kind of person you tend to be drawn to.
- Midheaven (MC): the highest point of the ecliptic in the sky. Career, role in society, public image.
- IC (Imum Coeli): directly opposite the Midheaven, the start of the 4th house. Home, roots, the private self.
The Ascendant and Descendant are always in opposite signs, and so are the Midheaven and the IC, so once you know the Ascendant you know the Descendant, and once you know the Midheaven you know the IC. Each rising-sign and Midheaven page also discusses the point opposite. A planet close to one of the four angles expresses itself especially visibly; see The Twelve Houses.
How the Ascendant and the Midheaven pair up
The Ascendant and the Midheaven are not independent of each other. At low latitudes a rising sign usually goes with only one or two Midheaven signs. In our calculations for people born in Taipei:
| Rising sign | Midheaven falls in (born in Taipei) |
|---|---|
| Aries Rising | Midheaven in Capricorn (100%) |
| Taurus Rising | Midheaven in Aquarius (61.6%), Midheaven in Capricorn (38.4%) |
| Gemini Rising | Midheaven in Pisces (53.2%), Midheaven in Aquarius (46.8%) |
| Cancer Rising | Midheaven in Aries (65.3%), Midheaven in Pisces (34.7%) |
| Leo Rising | Midheaven in Taurus (84%), Midheaven in Aries (16%) |
| Virgo Rising | Midheaven in Gemini (96.7%), Midheaven in Taurus (3.3%) |
| Libra Rising | Midheaven in Cancer (96.2%), Midheaven in Leo (3.8%) |
| Scorpio Rising | Midheaven in Leo (83.1%), Midheaven in Virgo (16.9%) |
| Sagittarius Rising | Midheaven in Virgo (66.1%), Midheaven in Libra (33.9%) |
| Capricorn Rising | Midheaven in Libra (54.2%), Midheaven in Scorpio (45.8%) |
| Aquarius Rising | Midheaven in Scorpio (61.8%), Midheaven in Sagittarius (38.2%) |
| Pisces Rising | Midheaven in Sagittarius (100%) |
Only pairings with a share of 3% or more are listed. The higher the latitude, the more varied the pairings. In whole sign houses, the Midheaven falls in the 10th house for 76.5% of people born in Taipei; for the rest it falls in the 9th or the 11th.
Why some rising signs are less common
100,812 random birth moments between 1960 and 2005.
The ecliptic crosses the horizon at a slant, so some signs rise quickly and others slowly. In the Northern Hemisphere, Pisces and Aries rise fastest and the half of the zodiac from Cancer to Sagittarius rises slowly, so more people have their Ascendant in those signs. The higher the latitude, the bigger the gap:
| Rising sign | Taipei (25°N) | Tokyo (36°N) | Seoul (38°N) | London (52°N) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | 6.3% | 5.4% | 5.3% | 3.7% |
| Taurus | 7.1% | 6.5% | 6.3% | 4.8% |
| Gemini | 8.5% | 8.2% | 8.1% | 7.4% |
| Cancer | 9.4% | 9.7% | 9.9% | 10.5% |
| Leo | 9.5% | 10.1% | 10.3% | 11.8% |
| Virgo | 9.3% | 10.1% | 10.2% | 11.9% |
| Libra | 9.2% | 10.1% | 10.2% | 11.8% |
| Scorpio | 9.5% | 10.2% | 10.4% | 11.9% |
| Sagittarius | 9.4% | 9.8% | 9.8% | 10.5% |
| Capricorn | 8.5% | 8.2% | 8.1% | 7.4% |
| Aquarius | 7.1% | 6.3% | 6.3% | 4.7% |
| Pisces | 6.2% | 5.5% | 5.3% | 3.6% |
The same set of birth moments calculated for each of the four cities. In London the most common rising sign is Virgo (11.9%) and the least common, Pisces, is only 3.6%, a difference of about 3.3 times; in Taipei it is 1.5 times. In the Southern Hemisphere the pattern is reversed. The Midheaven is spread far more evenly across the twelve signs, between 7.7% and 9% in Taipei.
How accurate the birth time has to be
The four angles are the fastest-moving points in a chart. In our calculations, a birth time 15 minutes later changes the rising sign in 12.4% of charts and the Midheaven sign in 12.5%; an hour later, the figures are 50.2% and 50.1%; two hours later, 93.5% of people already have a different rising sign. If you know only your birthday and not the time, the Ascendant and Midheaven cannot be pinned down; read your Sun and Moon signs first, or see birth time correction and what to do with an unknown birth time.
The order for reading the Ascendant and the Midheaven
Step one: the sign. The rising sign is your interface with the world; the Midheaven sign is the mark you want to leave on it.
Step two: the ruler. The ruler of the rising sign is called the chart ruler, and the sign and house it falls in tell you where this Ascendant puts its energy. The same goes for the ruler of the Midheaven, which often shows where career resources come from. Compare Planets in the Houses.
Step three: planets close to the angles. A planet within a few degrees of the Ascendant or the Midheaven lays its nature directly over that point, and often shows more clearly than the sign itself.
A straight word: the Ascendant and the Midheaven both need an accurate birth time
The rising sign changes about every two hours, and so does the Midheaven. In our calculations, a birth time just 15 minutes later changes the rising sign in 12.4% of charts; an hour later, in 50.2%. So before reading this page, check where your birth time comes from (a birth certificate is more reliable than a relative’s memory), and if you were born close to the boundary between two signs, read both. A birth chart is a language for talking about personality and life themes: the positions of the planets and the angles are astronomical facts, while what they mean is astrological tradition. Everything on this site is for reference and entertainment only; for health, investment or legal matters, please consult a professional.
Find your own Ascendant and Midheaven first
Enter your birth date, birth time and birthplace, and your Ascendant, Midheaven, ten planets and twelve houses are worked out in one go, with a reading for each placement. Everything is calculated in your browser.
Rising and Midheaven signs FAQ
Which is more accurate, the rising sign or the Sun sign?
They describe different things, so neither is more accurate. The Sun sign is your inner motive and who you want to become; the rising sign is your outward manner and the first impression you make. Many people feel their Sun sign description does not sound like them, and often that is because what others see is the rising sign.
What is the Midheaven sign?
The Midheaven (Medium Coeli, MC) is the highest point of the ecliptic at the moment of birth, and in the Placidus house system it is the start of the 10th house. It describes career direction, role in society and public image: in other words, how you hope to be remembered.
How is the rising sign calculated?
You need the birth date, birth time and birthplace. The rising sign changes about every two hours; in our calculations a birth time one hour later changes it in 50.2% of charts, so the more accurate the time, the better. Use the rising sign calculator.
Why do I know so few people with Pisces Rising or Aries Rising?
Because in the Northern Hemisphere these two signs rise the fastest. In our calculations for people born in Taipei, Pisces Rising accounts for only 6.2%, while Leo Rising accounts for 9.5%. The higher the latitude, the bigger the gap.
Do I need to look up the Descendant and the IC separately?
No. The Descendant is always the sign opposite the Ascendant, and the IC is always the sign opposite the Midheaven: with Aries Rising the Descendant is Libra, and with the Midheaven in Capricorn the IC is Cancer. Each rising-sign and Midheaven page covers the opposite point as well.