Master Ubrath’s General Astrology Class, Treeon Temple, Geala. This is an excerpt from my first book in the Quantum Encryption series, Path of the Stray, pg 364-369. Enjoy!
‘Today we are going to discuss the Ascendant or “rising sign” in the natal horoscope. Can anyone tell me how it is calculated?’
No one stood up.
‘Ruby?
All faces turned towards her. Great. She closed her book and rose but Ubrath interrupted her before she could get the first sentence out.
‘Up here,’ he said indicating the podium.
She made the mistake of glancing at Allec who subtly blew her a kiss. The rows behind him giggled. She felt her face heat. ‘The Ascendant is the …’
‘Speak up!’ someone called from the back.
She swallowed. ‘The Ascendant is the point of intersection where the ecliptic meets the eastern horizon at any given time and place coordinates on Ear …’ She coughed. ‘On Gaela.’
Blank stares.
Say it better, she told herself. Quickly! ‘Which is to say, the Ascendant is the sign of the zodiac that is rising at the moment of birth. It is determined by …’ keying the data into a computer and waiting one and a half seconds for the calculations to be rendered on the LCD screen. She clasped her hands behind her back. ‘It is determined by observation and the mathematical calculations based on the daily motions set out in the Table of Houses. Each zodiac sign “rises” about one degree every four minutes, thus all twelve signs cross the eastern horizon every day — every twenty-four hours.’
‘Good.’ There was no sarcasm in Master Ubrath’s voice. ‘Now . . . I’d be most interested to hear your delineation.’
She brushed chalk from her hands. ‘The sign on the horizon of any chart offers valuable information to the star watcher. It can indicate creative and healthy ways to express the person’s natural energy.’
‘Go on.’
The class started taking notes.
‘The Ascendant shows us how best we may advance ourselves in various areas of life.’
‘Explain further?’
‘It suggests authentic needs, talents and aspirations that, once pursued, can bring a sense of wellbeing and fulfilment. This goes for the signs around the horoscope too, as they rule over each house cusp. They are a treasure of counsel, giving inspiration, ideas and encouragement on how we can meet our greatest potential head-on.’
Ubrath was about to comment but Ruby wasn’t through.
‘Honouring the specific needs of the Ascendant is vital for good health, as much so as diet, fresh air,
supportive relationships, productivity and regular exercise. It’s not something to bury or ignore.’
‘Example? Can you go through the modalities perhaps?’
‘Modalities? Oh, the forms of motion? Sure.’ She felt a smile coming on. ‘Each sign has a polarity, a positive or negative charge. They also have an element — Fire, Geala, Air and Water. And they have a form of motion or “modality” — Cardinal, Fixed or Mutable. The modalities have to do with how they “get things done”. Take the Cardinal signs. That form of motion is all about direct action. The Cardinals have a sense of initiation about them. They are assertive!’
‘Assertive? Surely not the Cobra or Balencia?’
‘Even them, Master Ubrath. Definitely them, though they are ‘people pleasers’. Of course the Ram, as the first Cardinal sign, is the most apparent because he is assertive and initiating on a physical level. He gets what he wants with a direct push, and doesn’t mind feeling a push back — wants it, really. Provokes it. This is Cardinal Fire and if it is found on the Ascendant it says the person needs plenty of activity and physical challenge. They don’t mind a good tussle.’ There were giggles in the classroom. She didn’t know most of their rising signs but she had guessed who the Aries were — the Ram, as it was called on Gaela.
Ubrath turned to the class. ‘Focus, please. What about the next Cardinal sign? Ruby suggests it is assertive too. Anyone agree? Disagree?’
Allec stood up. She was surprised. Like her, he usually didn’t offer much in this class unless called upon. ‘The Cobra is a “people pleaser”, as Ruby puts it, but it is also emotionally active. The body may not be moving forwards but the undercurrents are.’
‘Well put,’ Ubrath said. ‘How does that work in a practical sense? Anyone else?’
When no one offered an opinion, Ruby spoke up. ‘Those with the sign of the Cobra rising get what they want through the use of emotional power. This is Cardinal Water, and on the Ascendant it seeks emotional bonds and connections to traverse the world of feelings.’ She looked at Allec and he didn’t look away. ‘Balencia,’ she went on, ‘initiates and processes through the intellect and through verbal communication. It talks and charms its way in, or out, of everything.’ She chuckled, thinking of her sister. ‘Balencia on the Ascendant seeks social interaction and mental stimulation where the Sea-goat, last of the Cardinal signs, initiates tangibly. The Sea-goat is not known for its words but for what it forms or builds in the world. With the Sea-goat on the Ascendant, one seeks access raw materials and the chance to develop and hone skills.’
‘So they can …?’ Ubrath asked.
‘Fashion their empires,’ Allec answered and the whole class clapped.
‘Excellent. I see that keeping company in all hours of the day and night hasn’t distracted either of you from your studies . . .’
Continued tomorrow with the fixed and mutable signs. Comments?
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I just had the pleasure of interviewing Malian, the Heir of Night, a beautiful and intensely focused character from Helen Lowe’s Wall of Night Series. Wow, that was insightful! 
CANCER: 
VIRGO: 
SCORPIO:
SAGITTARIUS:
CAPRICORN: 
AQUARIUS:
