The ascendant of the birthchart is the cusp of the first house which describes our personality. You will often read that the ascendant describes the personal appearance, but that is not always true although it certainly can affect the appearance. But the ascendant does describe the way we experience our world and the way we face all of our experiences.

I read something interesting in a book by astrologer Melanie Reinhart the other day: that the ascendant describes the way we approach the beginning of a new day. This makes a lot of sense, because the ascendant is the sign that was rising on the horizon at the time we were born (hence the term “rising sign”). I thought about that for myself: I have Gemini rising, the sign of communication, and the first thing that I do when I get up is brew my cup of decaf and sit down to write. My husband Rich has Virgo rising, the sign of routine and order, and he has a set pattern that he follows each morning as he gets ready to leave the house before the crack of dawn.

So here’s an experiment – let me know how this works for you:

Aries rising: Rise and shine: I’m ready to face the world and the exciting adventures of a new day.

Taurus rising: It’s hard to leave those luxurious bed linens behind but the thought of a delicious breakfast will get me out of bed.

Gemini rising: The mind is already alert before the eyes open, then it’s time to see what happened on Facebook while I was asleep.

Cancer rising: As soon as I wake up I check on the family to be sure everyone is ok.

Leo rising: What wonderful thing can I do today that will make me feel even better than I did yesterday?

Virgo rising: Someone moved my favorite coffee cup! How can I start my morning properly?

Libra rising: I like to start my day in my best dressing gown with beautiful music to surround me with peaceful melodies.

Scorpio rising: Let’s see, what do I need to do today to take care of those problems from yesterday that still bug me.

Sagittarius rising: I think I’ll call in sick to work and head to the beach today! I know that things will take care of themselves while I’m gone.

Capricorn rising: Before I’m out of bed I’ve already crafted an extensive to do list so that I can face the day as efficiently as possible.

Aquarius rising: I had an incredible dream last night that was straight out of a science fiction story.

Pisces rising: I prefer the peace of slumber to the harsh reality of the waking world. Turn off the alarm.