[Diary Notes] The Zodiac -The Angles and Quadrants:

The chart wheel can be divided up into four hemispheres -- northern and southern, eastern and western -- and four quadrants -- the first, second, third and fourth. Each quadrant is bound by two of the four angles of the horoscopes -- the Ascendant, Imum Coeli (I.C.), Descendant and the Medium Coeli (M.C. or Midheaven). These four angles are also called Cardinal points, as they lie on the cusps of the houses that rule the Cardinal Signs. This text is taken from Astrology.Com

The Ascendant is the first point on the chart wheel and is located on the cusp of the First House (9 o'clock position). Directly opposite the Ascendant lies the Descendant, which is located on the cusp of the Seventh House (3 o'clock position). This opposition creates an axis that divides the chart wheel in half, creating the northern and southern hemispheres. The I.C. sits on the cusp of the Fourth House (6 o'clock position), while opposite it on the cusp of the Tenth House (12 o'clock position) is the M.C. The I.C. and M.C. create a second axis, dividing the chart further into eastern and western hemispheres. Thus the four quadrants are delineated. Each quadrant can be seen as a step in self-development.

In the northern hemisphere lie First through the Sixth Houses, in the southern the Seventh through the Twelfth. The eastern hemisphere includes the Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth, First, Second and Third Houses, while the western consists of the Fourth through the Ninth Houses.

The First Quadrant, containing the First, Second and Third Houses of the Zodiac, falls in the northern and eastern hemispheres of the chart and is bound on either side by the Ascendant and the I.C. The First House focuses attention on the self, the Second on possessions and Third on communication and self-expression. Therefore, a convergence of planets within this quadrant would concentrate an individual's focus on personal growth, identity and self-enrichment.

The next three houses, the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth comprise the Second Quadrant, falling in the northern and western hemispheres. The Fourth House emphasizes the extension beyond self into concern for loved ones, especially family and home. The Fifth House deals with pleasure, with love affairs and creative expression and children, while the Sixth House relates to our forays into occupations and interactions with coworkers. Therefore, a convergence of planets within this quadrant would concentrate an individual's focus on an outward development, the moving out from oneself to integrate with the world through family, romantic and career relationships.

As we enter the Third Quadrant, containing the Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Houses, we move farther away from the individual's concerns and closer to the higher realms of being, to the more abstract human goals. Falling in the southern and western hemispheres, and beginning at the Descendent, the Seventh House deals with our partnerships and interpersonal contracts, things like marriages and business agreements. The Eighth House is occupied by the concepts of transformation, rebirth and sexuality, of the occult and of death, while the Ninth describes our relationship to higher learning, philosophy and travel. Therefore, a convergence of planets within this quadrant would concentrate an individual's focus on the way their actions and beliefs impact the world as well as their most intimate relationships.

The Fourth Quadrant, comprised of the Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Houses, pulls us back around to our innermost selves. The Tenth House trades in social status and in our dealings with authority, and the Eleventh in our social obligations and group associations. The Twelfth House is where our dreams and secrets lurk, as it's the House of the Subconscious. It butts itself right up against the First Quadrant and our First House sense of ourselves. Therefore, a convergence of planets within this quadrant would make for an individual who channels much energy into their relationship with a larger social group, an individual who finds their satisfaction in their public status. Also, some emotions may be suppressed if planets lie in the Twelfth House.

The Rising Sign: Technically speaking, your rising sign -- or ascendant -- reflects the zodiac sign that was ascending on the Eastern horizon at the moment you took your first breath in this world. This is why an exact birth time is so vital to finding your accurate rising sign. Located on the cusp of the first house of your astrological chart -- or at the nine o'clock position -- the rising sign can exert an influence almost as powerful as your Sun and Moon signs.

If you were to think of your Sun sign as your soul -- your inner personality and potential -- and your Moon sign as your heart -- your emotional core -- then you could say that your rising sign is your physical self or the face you present to the world. For example, though your Sun sign might be Taurus, your rising sign could very well be Gemini. While you're feeling laid-back, others will tend to see you as a ball of nervous energy and cerebral wit.

At times, your rising sign may act as a mask, hiding some aspect of your inner self you don't feel like revealing. What's your mask? How do others see you? Find out with your rising sign.

Imum Coeli: Situated on the cusp of the Fourth House (6 o'clock position), the House of Home and Family, the Imum Coeli (or I.C. for short) is the point of the Zodiac at which issues of security and foundation converge. The Sign that rests at the Imum Coeli in your astrological chart, then, reflects your approach to attaining security. If planets come near this angle in an astrological chart, efforts of those planets are concentrated on sustenance and comfort. A very private point in a chart, the efforts made on behalf of the planets near the I.C. may be unfairly ignored. For example, if the Moon falls near the I.C. in someone's chart, they seek emotional connections through their family relationships.

Descendant: At the cusp of the Seventh House, House of Interpersonal Relationships, sits the Descendant. Whereas the Ascendant represents the way we appear to the world, the Descendant reflects our relationships with those around us and what we project onto others: what we need from them, want from them, what we are willing to take from them. The Sign that rests on the Descendant, then, reflects the character of our connections with those around us, that Sign's characteristics being aspects we may feel are lacking in our own personalities. For example, if Sagittarius is at the Descendant, the individual seeks a wise, intellectual partner, one perhaps involved in education, philosophy or religion, while someone with Aries at the Descendant seeks relationships with very adventurous and restless types, like artists or athletes.

Medium Coeli: At the cusp of the Tenth House sits the Medium Coeli (M.C.), which is sometimes called the Midheaven. This point represents your public persona, different from your Ascendant in that it's not exactly about the way you are initially perceived, but more about how your career and social standing reflect upon your place in the world. The Sign that rests at the Medium Coeli in your astrological chart, then, reflects your perceived public persona. Just the opposite of the I.C., efforts of the planets situated near the M.C. may receive a great deal of attention -- sometimes undue and negative attention. For example, Venus falls very near the Midheaven in the chart of actress Meg Ryan, Hollywood's most popular romantic actress. The actress is also admired as something like America's sweetheart, and the press can't help themselves when it comes to her love life: They cover its ups and downs very closely.

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