Inaccurate Ascendant?

[earthspirit]

Hey all. I'm wondering if there's an alternative method to finding your ascendant other than the time table most astrologers use. According to that method, I'm a Taurus. I used to think that made sense, but the more I uncover in my chart, the less sense the rest of the signs, houses and planets placements make. Any ideas?

[Claire19]

Originally Posted by earthspirit

Hey all. I'm wondering if there's an alternative method to finding your ascendant other than the time table most astrologers use. According to that method, I'm a Taurus. I used to think that made sense, but the more I uncover in my chart, the less sense the rest of the signs, houses and planets placements make. Any ideas?

Look at what your Venus is doing. that may give a fuller picture. There is such a thing as rectification. Do you think it is Aries or Gemini?
Often we pick up a parental sun sign as ascendant. We can discern perhaps with other ways but it is complex and time consuming. Inaccurate birth times or not knowing them is a problem with astrology and it is so important.

[earthspirit]

Well, my Venus is in Sagittarius and Jupiter in Taurus. My mom is a Gemini and my moon is also in Gemini.

I'm perplexed.

[Judy_AzVirgo]

So your Venus and Jupiter are in mutual reception... maybe the Sagittarius/Jupiter energy sparks your Taurus Ascendant with a little extra "oomph"? I'd certainly read up on Jupiter in Taurus.

Claire is absolutely right that birth times can be "off", and that we often pick up a parent's sign as our own. So maybe your Ascendant isn't correct.

Over time, you can track transits of planets over house cusps, which ought to activate the matters of specific houses ... especially Venus transits, if that is indeed your Ascendant ruler, or Mercury transits if you believe you have Gemini rising. Planets crossing your true Ascendant (or squaring or opposing it) should have some kind of impact.

I find the slower planets to be better indicators of these things: Saturn, Uranus, Neptune or Pluto crossing a house cusp (front or back) usually brings some change that's consistent with the nature of the house. I did this for some years to be sure of the accuracy of my own birth time, and to see which house system best applied to my chart. For instance, when Saturn was just at my 6th house cusp, I got sick with bronchitis! Money came to me when Pluto transited to my 2nd house cusp. And so on.

Saturn will move into Scorpio in October of this year, so maybe that transit will provide an opportunity for you to see what's where.