Can someone explain the DC?

I've been reading as much as I can about the DC lately (I have an embarrassment of transits rolling over mine at the moment) but no matter how much I read and meditate on what I've read, I still can't get a really instinctive grasp on what transits to this angle really mean.

I know it's the start of the 7th house and so involved in relationship issues (of which I have none to speak of right now), that it's something to do with the inner self, being opposite the ascendant (id vs ego??) - but I still seem to have something of a blind spot in truly understanding what it's all about.

Can anyone explain - in the simplest terms for the terminally stupid - how to read the DC in general, and how to interpret transits to it? Many many thanks, in advance, to anyone who can help.

(Ftr, my DC is 4 degrees Capricorn, conjunct natal Mars.)

I guess the point about the descendent is that it indicates the sign that rules the 7th house. E.g. if your 7th house begins at 15Libra and ends at 15Scorpio, you have both those signs in it but libra (and therefore venus) rules it.

Your sign on the descendent is supposed to describe how you are in intimate relationships, the side of you that only the closest people see.

In synastry terms, if you can meet someone with sun on your descendent it should be a great match.

Panik said:

I know it's the start of the 7th house and so involved in relationship issues (of which I have none to speak of right now), that it's something to do with the inner self, being opposite the ascendant (id vs ego??) -

(Ftr, my DC is 4 degrees Capricorn, conjunct natal Mars.)

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The first house represents how you appear to others and the seventh house represents how others appear to you. It shows what you expect from a relationship (7th) and what your partners are likely to expect from you (1st).

Every axis on the zodiac is looking for balance. A simplistic interpretation, without seeing the rest of your chart, would be that Moonlike Cancer motivates and nourishes Capricorn, and Saturian Capricorn supports and protects Cancer. (when in perfect balance)

In the 7th, you're balancing your personality and experiences with "others" and finding what you can be "in partnership" with, and learning how to handle those partnerships.

In the cycle of the wheel chart, the 7th house is the point where we leave me, and start developing us (it's the function of the whole 3rd quadrant, 7th, 8th,& 9th houses.) The DC is a big shift in perspective. When a major planet transits the DC it's kind of like opening the door of your house and stepping out into the rest of the world.

Romance, in the 5th is all about your growth and expression.. Work, in the 6th is all about building structure for your survival in the world. In the 7th, you experience the power of being part of something greater than yourself.

So hard to keep it simple.

Thank you both - but thanks Betty, especially, I feel I have a much better grasp on things now. I have a lot of planets in Capricorn, and Mars right on the DC. I felt I was lacking the essence of the DC and how I should be interpreting all the action happening there at the moment.

Thank you for your insight and wisdom, that's helped a lot.

Betty F said:

In the cycle of the wheel chart, the 7th house is the point where we leave me, and start developing us (it's the function of the whole 3rd quadrant, 7th, 8th,& 9th houses.) The DC is a big shift in perspective. When a major planet transits the DC it's kind of like opening the door of your house and stepping out into the rest of the world.

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This is a great point by Betty ... Houses 1-6 are all about me, me, me ... learning to express oneself, finding out one's values, find a base etc, etc.

Everything 7th - 12th is the outside world. The descendent is the entry on the stage. When you find out how all the building and understanding of yourself in the first six houses is able to cope.

From my own experience, when Saturn crossed the DC, I felt a burst of energy, flowing from me, outward into the world, as if I'd been deeply introverted without realizing it but suddenly some switch in my head got flipped to extroversion. Looking back, the same thing happened in reverse when Saturn crossed my ASC, leading to the period of introversion that crossing the DC brought me back out of.

Panik said:

I've been reading as much as I can about the DC lately (I have an embarrassment of transits rolling over mine at the moment) but no matter how much I read and meditate on what I've read, I still can't get a really instinctive grasp on what transits to this angle really mean.

I know it's the start of the 7th house and so involved in relationship issues (of which I have none to speak of right now), that it's something to do with the inner self, being opposite the ascendant (id vs ego??) - but I still seem to have something of a blind spot in truly understanding what it's all about.

Can anyone explain - in the simplest terms for the terminally stupid - how to read the DC in general, and how to interpret transits to it? Many many thanks, in advance, to anyone who can help.

(Ftr, my DC is 4 degrees Capricorn, conjunct natal Mars.)

Click to expand...

we are all visual people and need to see charts pls?

Welcome to the World of Astrology!
http://www.astrologyweekly.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14561

Re: Need some education: Which charts to use when?
http://www.astrologyweekly.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17514

Beginning to Study Astrology
http://www.astrologyweekly.com/forum/showpost.php?p=154469&postcount=10
http://www.soulhealing.com/tutorialwest.htm
http://www.astrologyweekly.com/learn-astrology/astrology-glyphs.php

How to attach a chart as thumbnail
http://www.astrologyweekly.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12126

what members like to see in a thread – help forum
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Transits
I use--- 1° approaching, 1° exact and 1° departing. If you click on the link listed below for the online ephemeris it will list all planets at any given time. Learning astrology is like learning a new ‘language’ and obviously the more effort you put into something the more your knowledge and understanding will increase. All transits act as ‘background’ influences through a house, until it makes a mathematical aspect to a planet inside or an Angle.

For 'timings' I would look to the retrograde hit as the most important trigger, then look to see what the quicker planets are doing especially mars & mercury --

astro.com has fee six month transit forecast plus when you get into Extended chart selection, look at the three tabs after calculating a chart under ‘method’ default is circular wheels (on left), middle is special charts and in their you get graphic ephemeris 1yr (or 5years) with natal = transits for 1yr and lots more. BUT you first must learn or memorise the 'glyphs' ie: shorthand for recognising what these maps/graphics mean.

For example when you post or reply to a chart the 'smilies' to the right and just under them [more] if you click on there it will bring up a whole loads of 'glyphs' Mercury Uranus conjunction (+or - 8') trine aspect 120' Libra
http://cafeastrology.com/transits.html
http://cafeastrology.com/transits_2.html
http://www.bobmarksastrologer.com/transits18.0.htm
http://www.astro.com/faq/fq_fh_transits_e.htm
http://www.astro.com/astrology/in_transits_e.htm
http://www.astro.com/swisseph/ae/2000/ae_2009.pdf
http://www.khaldea.com/ephemcenter.shtml
http://www.astrologyweekly.com/learn-astrology/astrology-glyphs.php
http://www.dkfoundation.co.uk/dkfoundation/BookTransitsAndProgressions.htm

Now it's more important to focus on transits from Jupiter to Pluto (poss mars as this is the ignition key)and these planets when aspecting something in your natal chart 'set off' the difficult or nice 'aspects - potential - problems' that your chart expresses. By that I mean if a benefic planet like Jupiter hits/touches/transits your venus, mars or uranus these could be experienced very pleasantly. BUT if your natal venus is afflicted, or badly aspected say conj saturn then jupiter will not has such a good effect. It all depends on how the natal planet is 'aspected'

For me I would say external 'events' must be seen by transits, progressions or Solar arcs to Angles ie: Asc/Desc & MC/IC most other times these events are 'internal, psychological matters as in between the ears'

Now astro.com uses a much wider orb, possibly something like 5° or even 10° that’s why when you use the free transit forecast service a transit goes on for months and months. BUT common sense should tell you when the transit is ‘exact’ then it’s at the strongest. Some astrologers swear by 1° approaching produces ‘events’ some say the 1° exact, some say 1° off for triggering events. I personally look to the exact and 1° off for ‘timings’ especially the retrograde hit (backwards hit)

This last website link is rather nice because it gives interpretations of what the ‘Lord’ of the house cusp ruler means ie: T Jupiter sextiles natal sun, so wherever Leo rules in your chart is connected to the area this transit will be affecting –
http://www.astrology-x-files.com/transits/

@astrologer50. Well, thanks for all that, it was kind of you to go to such trouble, but I'm actually very familiar with transits in astrology in general - I've been studying astrology off and on for 25 years - it was just people's thoughts and opinions on the significance of transits to the DC I was particularly interested in as it's been very active on my chart all year.

Here's my chart + current transits, if you still want to see it (I use Koch) .

DC or descendant is the cusp of the 7th of partners, all one to one encounters, legalities, mediation, how we deal with the general public
and long term friends. It is what we attract in relationships and how we handle them.

The chart is very skewed with the houses and I prefer Equal or whole sign. However with Pluto conjunct Saturn in Capricorn there
it can mean a committed relationship that may be going under some transformation, and with the trine to natal Pluto in the 4th, it will be quite life changing and although difficult at times, will give you enormous survival skills and you may renovate, refurbish where you live
and your domestic life will undergo major change in general I would suggest. Plumbing for instance and the removal of any toxic agents, both in the 4th and the 7th.....

These are the death aspects but it can mean death of the old order, rising from the ashes......

Coyote said:

From my own experience, when Saturn crossed the DC, I felt a burst of energy, flowing from me, outward into the world, as if I'd been deeply introverted without realizing it but suddenly some switch in my head got flipped to extroversion. Looking back, the same thing happened in reverse when Saturn crossed my ASC, leading to the period of introversion that crossing the DC brought me back out of.

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I would say that other aspects would have given you the energy. Saturn is by nature cautious, restrictive and disciplined. Across the DC would have meant leaving a partnership or committing to one meant to endure but based on reality. Maturing in that way. Sometimes we can attract older or more established person into our lives who can be our best friends.Dealing with legal issues and any one to one problems in a wise way. Sometimes there are working partnerships with Saturn across the DC.

Claire19 said:

I would say that other aspects would have given you the energy. Saturn is by nature cautious, restrictive and disciplined. Across the DC would have meant leaving a partnership or committing to one meant to endure but based on realitiy. Maturing in that way. Sometimes we can attract older or more established person into our lives who can be our best friends or deal with legal issues and any one to one problems in a wise way.

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No question it was Saturn. I believe he functions in my chart in a similar fashion to Mars. Saturn may be cautious, but he's got plenty of "fix-it" energy, which I'm very sensitive to. Maybe it's my 6th house Virgo Sun and 10th House Cap moon, but I do very well with Saturn transits. They get me out of my head, and get me taking action in the world.

Coyote said:

No question it was Saturn. I believe he functions in my chart in a similar fashion to Mars. Saturn may be cautious, but he's got plenty of "fix-it" energy, which I'm very sensitive to. Maybe it's my 6th house Virgo Sun and 10th House Cap moon, but I do very well with Saturn transits. They get me out of my head, and get me taking action in the world.

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That is right, with strong earth houses or signs it would be easier for you to get real, get down and get it fixed.......it is the reality bite, constructive and
practical.