Clairvision Virtual Astrologer offers the option to display or hide the aspects to the Ascendant and Midheaven. This option is selected by default, meaning that if you do nothing, the aspects to these angles will be displayed.
The general rule is that aspects to the angles emphasize and strengthen the significance of planets and other objects in the chart. However there are times when it can be useful hide these aspects, for example when the angles are aspected to a minor object (such as an asteroid, or the Part of Fortune), and not much else.
You may also want to hide the aspects to angles if the time of birth is not known precisely. This allows you to keep the houses while de-emphasizing the birth time itself.
In Clairvision Virtual Astrologer, the option to hide aspects to angles for the current chart is in 'Configure Chart Drawing'. To set the default for all charts, go to 'Preferences.'
The Midheaven is also called the MC.
Suppose, on a particular day, the Sun rises at 5:30 AM, and sets at 7:30 PM. Just halfway between the two, at 12:30 PM, the Sun reaches its highest point. At that particular time, the Sun is exactly on the Midheaven.
Hence the term 'Mid-heaven', meaning half way along the visible part of the ecliptic.
Before reading this section, make sure you have understood Midheaven and local meridian (MC).
Imagine you are watching the sunrise. As we saw before, the Midheaven is related to the point just above your head. The Ascendant is the projection onto the zodiac of the point where you see the Sun rise.
Imagine you are watching the sunset. The Descendant is the projection of the point where you see the Sun set onto the zodiac.
So the Ascendant is on the eastern side of the horizon, and the Descendant is on the western side of the horizon.
At any time of the day or night, some stars are rising, others are setting. The projection onto the zodiac of the point where stars are rising is the Ascendant. That of the point where stars are setting is the Descendant.
In astrology, the Ascendant marks the beginning of the 1st house. The Descendant marks the beginning of the 7th house.
copyright © 2008 Samuel Sagan, Ruth Helen Camden.