The Ascendant Defines How Well You Are Anchored

As far as the eye can see, no water in sight. Half-tipped fishing boats lying in the middle of the sand, with anchors partly buried at a distance nearby. As a little boy, it was a strange sight for me.

We were on vacation in Brittany. In the Black Forest, where I grew up, there were no tides, no fishing boats, and the only anchor I knew was a guesthouse named Anchor serving large schnitzels.

During this vacation, I learned that Brittany offers the largest tidal range in Europe, and what seemed like a collection of broken fishing boats to me was an everyday scene when the ebb replaced the tide.

If I were a boat owner, I'd probably prefer to moor my vessel in a Mediterranean harbor rather than subject it to the daily forces of the tides. But the fishermen in Brittany have no choice and must adapt to the local conditions.

How are you anchored?

In Jyotisha (Indian astrology), for every horoscope, the Ascendant is like a safe harbor and a good anchorage. In Jyotisha, it is referred to as Lagna, which actually means "to anchor, to moor."

The better a horoscope is anchored, the more solid and stable a person can face the challenges in their life. Let's take a closer look at:

• What the Lagna is all about
• Why it is so crucial in Jyotisha, and
• What exactly is being anchored.

Ready? Let's get started!

Why Lagna (Ascendant) is crucial in Jyotisha

You're probably familiar with the classic question: "What is your zodiac sign?" For the questioners, the answer serves as an astrological entry point to a person's life. From the perspective of Indian astrology, this approach has a significant flaw.

The zodiac sign being referred to indicates where the Sun is located in the sky at the time of a person's birth. In Western astrology, the Sun's annual path, as observed from Earth, is divided into 12 equal segments.

The first segment begins at the spring equinox on March 21 and ends on April 20, known as the Aries period. All individuals born during this time are assigned the attributes of the Aries zodiac sign.

The same principle applies to the next segment between April 21 and May 20, known as the Taurus period. This pattern continues with each subsequent segment representing a different zodiac sign, culminating with Pisces for those born between February 21 and March 20.

While this is a simple and clear system, here's the flaw: How can we differentiate between people born within the same month if we put them all into the same category? Only to reopen that same category a year later to include newborns?

In Jyotisha, the aim is to provide individualized statements for a person or situation. The monthly grid, as described earlier, is unsuitable for this purpose. Jyotisha demands the highest level of differentiation, which the Ascendant precisely offers.

Individuality begins with the Lagna

The term Ascendant is Latin, describing something that rises. Unbeknownst to us, our blue planet revolves rapidly on its axis daily, turning towards the east.

If we observe the eastern horizon for a while, we don't see ourselves hurtling down like on a rollercoaster. Instead, it appears as though the Sun, Moon, and stars (including the 12 zodiac signs) are rising/ascending right there.

When a person is born, we record the zodiac sign ascending on the eastern horizon. We base this on the point of sunrise. The zodiac sign ascending at that moment becomes the Lagna (Ascendant).

In 24 hours, the Earth completes one rotation on its axis. This means that 24 hours later, the same zodiac sign will reappear on the eastern horizon. During this time, each of the other zodiac signs also ascends as the Lagna. Since there are a total of 12 signs, the Lagna changes, on average, every two hours.

With the Lagna, the entire horoscope changes. More on that in the next paragraph. For now, know that the potential for differentiation through the Lagna is 360 times greater than the commonly used Sun-sign system in Western astrology.

The Lagna pinpoints your life

Your life is undoubtedly unique. You look different from others, think differently, possess distinct abilities, and face different challenges. The Lagna is the crucial distinguishing factor in the horoscope for capturing this uniqueness.

However, if we were to reduce the Lagna's interpretation merely to the zodiac sign ascending on the eastern horizon, we would fall back into the 12-fold typology of compartments. The necessary and meaningful differentiation reflecting your uniqueness cannot be confined to zodiac signs. The Lagna operates on a completely different level! It determines the entire structure of the horoscope.

Depending on the Lagna, all 9 planets and all 12 zodiac signs are distributed across the horoscope. When the Lagna changes (approximately every two hours), the arrangement of all zodiac signs in the horoscope, and thus the position of all planets, also changes.

• Each planet rules specific areas of the horoscope
• Which areas a planet rules is determined by the distribution of zodiac signs
• Each of these areas represents certain themes (relationships, career, health, etc.)
• Therefore, as the arrangement of zodiac signs changes, the way these themes manifest also changes.

The Lagna genuinely anchors your life. Whether it's relationships, career, finances, family, health, or any other aspect, the Lagna determines how your life unfolds. But there's more...

Knowing your anchorage allows you to harness the tides

The Lagna not only gives us insight into what we can expect but also reveals how we can shape what lies ahead. It shows us which strategy best suits you to seize opportunities and cushion challenges as effectively as possible.

• Do you have the power to organize and lead your environment, thus realizing your goals?
• Or do you excel at adapting and using the flow of events to your advantage while avoiding unfavorable circumstances?

These are just two of many options, each requiring entirely different strategies.

It's like the fishermen in Brittany. If you only learn how to steer a cutter and set and retrieve nets, it won't help you much in Brittany. Here, you must understand how to handle the tides, ensuring that your boat doesn't suffer too much and that you can return to the harbor with your catch.

In my consultations, coaching, and seminars, we follow the fishermen's approach in Brittany. We don't settle for merely observing what lies ahead (though that's already pretty cool!). Instead, we use the individual insights into your life, especially to define how you can utilize your unique potential to shape what awaits you.

Conclusion

In Jyotisha, the Ascendant is referred to as Lagna, which translates to to anchor, to moor. The Lagna allows for a high degree of differentiation, capturing an individual's uniqueness, something impossible with the typical zodiac sign we associate ourselves with (or not).