What exactly does the MC signify?

Conflicting descriptions of the MC:

1) "Career goals, public achievements, as well as your reputation in the eyes of society"
https://www.elitedaily.com/life/part-zodiac-chart-determines-successful-youll-career/2056236



2) "Your life's purpose, if you will. Your highest aspirations in life... your personal and spiritual goals."
https://www.alwaysastrology.com/midheaven-signs.html


My career and public achievements are absolutely not the same as my highest aspirations and spiritual goals, they are totally different.

When it comes to things like those you’ll usually end up looking for more than one thing, especially if it’s complex ideas like highest aspirations and spiritual goals.

In the material sense the 10th h can represent it, but you’ll have to look at other factors for achievements and what the native can accomplish, if they can or not, etc.

AVisitor said:

Conflicting descriptions of the MC:

1) "Career goals, public achievements, as well as your reputation in the eyes of society"
https://www.elitedaily.com/life/part-zodiac-chart-determines-successful-youll-career/2056236



2) "Your life's purpose, if you will. Your highest aspirations in life... your personal and spiritual goals."
https://www.alwaysastrology.com/midheaven-signs.html


My career and public achievements are absolutely not the same as my highest aspirations and spiritual goals, they are totally different.

Click to expand...

The distinction still confuses me as well to some extent.

If you're interested, here's part of a blog post (not mine) that helps clear things up IMO:

https://www.tumblr.com/search/midheaven%20in%20signs

"Your Midheaven is not who you truly are, but rather who you want people to think you are. It’s not your character. It’s your reputation.

Aries: Shows off their confidence and assertiveness; makes their goals known, and more importantly, their accomplishments. When you think of them, you think of what they have achieved.

Taurus: Shows off their stability and security; makes their wealth and material possessions known. When you think of them, you think of what they have.

Gemini: Shows off their adaptability and management skills; makes their busy lives known..."

[deleted quote over 100 words against Forum rules - Moderator]

Houses and angles typically have more than one meaning.

For example, the 5th house rules one's children (if any) but also one's recreational activities. The 7th is the traditional house of marriage but it also rules one's open enemies.

The MC shows your public image plus any honors and awards. This is in contrast to your first house, which is about how you personally present yourself to people whom you encounter.

It also has the meaning of one's career-- but in the sense of vocation or calling. It's not just-a-job.

There is a traditional belief that having a dual sign on one's MC or DC indicates two of something: two vocations, two marriages, or what have you. The dual signs are the mutable signs: Pisces (symbolized by two fishes,) Gemini (the twins,) Sagittarius man + horse, and Virgo (woman + bird.)

I have come to believe in my practice that Ascendant and MC are not very different in meaning. The two of them tend to identify aims in life. MC is more likely to be career or avocation specific, but Ascendant is nearly as likely.

A stellium on the MC almost always affects the appearance of the native.

I think the sign on the Ascendant or the MC is much less specific or helpful as the aspects and midpoint pictures that involve the Mc (or Ascendant).

Neither the Ascendant nor the MC are bluffs or disguises. They are real aspects of your personality, but you are more focused and you are more comfortable revealing that side of your personality.

Aspects to Ascendant or MC are more revealing of prominent elements of the person. They are more revealing of the destiny.

To repeat: the contacts to Mc are more important than the sign of the MC.

One reason why the MC and 10th house planets can affect the ascendant is that oftentimes they are in a square relationship.

Which is why it is hard to identify someone's ascendant from their appearance alone. Planets in aspect to the ascendant or any first house planets will affect her appearance.

Most astrologers work with house cusp rulers. So it is important to look at the planets ruling the signs on the chart angles for information.

All the angles represent ''identity.''

The first angle...cusp of the 1st....signifies the identity of the personality.

The 4th house represents the innermost identity.

The 7th house represents the identity of the ''partner'' you tend to attract and who is attracted to you.

The 10th house cusp or MC represent the most public identity. Not every person has a career but every person wants to be ''seen'' in some way which usually coincides with the energy at the MC.

It is interesting to compare one's 4th house cusp and 10th house cusp. The sign on those cusps...the rulers of those cusps. And any planets or nodes on or near those cusps. If they work together your inner identity should be compatible with your public identity.

I'm lucky. My 4th house cusp is Aquarius. I'm an astrologer. My 10th house is Leo...my sun is in Leo in my 9th house. I know who I am. My Mercury is near my MC in Leo.

And also the 1st-7th polarity....signs, planets, rulers. Not so lucky here. I have Scorpio rising but no planets in that sign. Taurus on the 7th, no planets in Taurus.

I HAVE planets in the 7th ....but in Gemini. So it gets confusing. I project needing the Taurus energy when I am very Gemini in nature.

Studying the polarities of every house is a good idea.

LIN