The Angular Houses: 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th are “homes” for our primary concerns – identity, family, relationships, and prosperity. The Sign ruling the 1st House is also known as the Ascendant and Rising Sign, and you can read about the sign meanings when they rule this house, in full detail, in the askAstrology Ascendant section of the website. In most House systems, and there are over ten different ones, the cusp of each of the Angular houses is designated by the angles of the Sun’s movement on the day of birth.
The exceptions among the systems are the Whole Sign and Equal House systems. They place the angles of the Sun’s movement inside the house instead of on the cusp. In every system, the first angle, the Ascendant, marks the 1st House, making the Descendant the cusp of the 7th House or a point in the 7th House. The Medium Coeli (Midheaven) can range from the 9th to the 11th House. This means the Imum Coeli can range from the 3rd to the 5th House, instead of being limited to the 10th and 4th Houses.
The Cardinal Signs and the Angles of the Sun’s Movement Each Day
Based on four key positions of the Sun on a given day, the Cardinal signs rule the four angles of the Zodiac. When the Sun rises and crosses the horizon, the point where it does so is called the Ascendant (ASC), which is ruled by Aries. Once the Sun reaches its highest point in the sky on any given day, that location is known as the Medium Coeli (MC or Midheaven), ruled by Capricorn. When the Sun sets for the day, that moment is defined as the Descendant (DSC), ruled by Libra. And when the Sun is at its lowest point in relation to the horizon, in the middle of the night, that location is known as the Imum Coeli (IC), ruled by Cancer.
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Below are two charts, cast on the same day, but at different times, to help understand how the signs change the rulership of the houses throughout any given day.
