Calculated Points
The astrology chart’s axes and calculated points can give us information about the person’s personality, love life, and other areas of their world. They are also used for prediction.
Ascendant
The Ascendant is the degree of the sign that was on the horizon at the time and place a person was born. Calculations are laborious for determining the exact degree, because both time and place have to be taken into consideration. But, one of the reasons that we are all individuals is that no two people were born at the exact same moment at the exact same place, so all of our very first perspectives of the world are unique. The sign on your Ascendant is called your Rising Sign – It was the sign that was rising at the level of the horizon when you were born. The Rising Sign protects our privacy – our inner identity – our Sun Sign – from exposure to the world. It shows how we present ourselves. For example, if a man has Libra Rising, others will perceive him as someone who is approachable, friendly, and sociable. But, if his Sun Sign is Capricorn, he may be someone who wants to be left alone to get his work done. Rising signs not only show personality, but there are instances when we can tell what Rising Sign a person has just by looking for them.
Descendant
The point directly opposite the Ascendant is the Descendant. It is the degree of the sign that was setting from your perspective when you were born; it is exactly opposite the Ascendant. Where the Ascendant shows how you present yourself to the world, the Descendant shows how you present yourself through your partners. It also shows the personality that attracts you to people who may become potential partners.
Midheaven
The apex of the chart, which is the topmost overhead point when you were born, is called the Medium Coeli, or Midheaven (MC). It shows your outermost means of expression. For most people it is the career point. This point is strong in that it also shows the character of person who may have been the one who gave you the most guidance as a child about how to make your way in the world.
Nadir
The Nadir (pronounced: nay-DEER) is the lowest point on the chart circle (also called, in Latin, Imum Coeli, abbreviated IC). It represents your innermost self, and usually manifests as a description of your home or roots. The person you relate to most, with reference to this position, is the one who offered you the most nurturing as a child. His or her personality is indicated by the sign on the Nadir.
Part of Fortune
The Part of Fortune is not necessarily the point at which a person gains wealth. It is the calculated point in the chart that people feel good about themselves. The Part of Fortune’s sign is an indicator of what satisfies a person the most. It is the point that is as far away from the Ascendant as the Moon is from the Sun. To calculate it add the degrees of your Ascendant plus the degree of your Moon and then subtract the degree of your Sun.