The first house in astrology rules your appearance. This is not who you are in your core-that is the Sun’s job, how you emotionally respond is the Moons role but your rising sign otherwise known as the 1st house the Ascendant or Ascending sign well now that is how the world sees you combined  with planets in the 1^st house and aspects to the 1^st house.

I have a Gemini friend she says; “when you go on dates don’t send your representative Danielle”. She doesn’t know anything about astrology, but yesterday I started thinking. WOW the ascendant is really our representative.

For instance I have Aquarius rising, Aquarius is an airy ideas oriented sign that rules the 11th house; a humanitarian, emotionally detached, clever, rebellious, innovative and progressive and while I certainly posses a lot of if not most of those characteristics at my core, in my soul I’m a Cancer Sun. I’m possessive and guarded.  I have a strong need for financial and emotional stability and a home base. Cancer rules the home; we are the Mother of the zodiac. I can travel the world but I will always need a safe place to retreat too.

I’m sensitive and I cry, when I go emotionally in with someone I can become entrenched.  I believe in the concept of marriage and traditional relationship roles work best for me.  But no one will ever know these things if they do not get beneath the mask I wear. If a person does not get beyond my rising sign they will always get cold, disinterested and distant Aquarius Rising vibes.

The rising sign or the 1st house is what we use to protect us from the outside world, let’s be honest not everyone is worthy of getting to know our Sun (especially when your Sun is an easily wounded water sign). Though some people do have the same sign as the rising sign which indicates how you appear and who you are match. How nice! Others see you for who you are.

When we go on a job interview, a first date or enter a party we go in with our representative. Planets in the 1st house along with the sign on the cusp of the 1st house indicate how we are seen and how we initiate tasks. So if you have the Sun in the 1st house you may want to be the center of attention or have a very direct personality, if you have the Moon in the 1st house your self-esteem is likely to fluctuate; as will your appearance. With Neptune in the 1st house you can be unsure of who you are and others are likely to attribute traits that you may not even possess in a state of projection. Mars tends to make you appear forceful and others may think you are angry even when you aren’t. Saturn gives an austere and reserved appearance; while Pluto in the 1st is a powerhouse and likely intimidate others you haven’t even spoken a single word to.

The rising sign in the natal chart reminds me of the quote

But people are oceans you cannot know them by the surface  – Beau Taplin