Your Guide to Astrology: The Angles ASC, MC, DC, and IC
Part of The Alignment Archive
What the four corners of your chart reveal about identity, relationships, career, and home.
The Foundation of Your Chart
If your birth chart is a map, the angles are its compass. Known as the Ascendant, Descendant, Midheaven, and Imum Coeli, these four points don’t describe planets or signs—they describe you, in motion. Where you begin, who you meet, what you’re growing toward, and where you come from.
Each angle marks the starting point of one of the cardinal houses (1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th), anchoring your chart into lived experience. They’re not just technical details—they’re personal landmarks. Together, they form a cross: self and other, inner world and outer path.
If you’re just starting your astrology journey, this is a beautiful place to begin. If you’ve been studying for a while, the angles offer a chance to re-ground your understanding.
The Ascendant (ASC): The Threshold of You
The Ascendant—often called your rising sign—is the zodiac sign that was rising on the eastern horizon at the exact moment you were born. It’s the entry point of your chart and shapes the way the rest of your birth chart is laid out.
This angle speaks to:
How you enter new situations
The energy you radiate outward
The first impressions you tend to give
How your body, style, and spirit move through the world
The Ascendant isn’t just a mask—it’s a filter, a rhythm, a way of moving. It doesn’t define your inner self, but it colors how the world experiences you. It’s your chart’s starting line.
The Descendant (DC): The Mirror
Directly across from your Ascendant sits the Descendant—the point that opens the 7th house of relationships. If the Ascendant is how you show up, the Descendant is who you’re drawn toward. It reflects the qualities you often seek in close partnerships, and sometimes the ones you’re still learning to claim for yourself.
This angle speaks to:
Romantic or long-term partnerships
What you find attractive or compelling in others
The dynamics you play out in relationships
Patterns of projection or complementarity
The Descendant is your mirror. Sometimes what we see in others—especially in moments of tension or fascination—tells us something essential about ourselves.
The Midheaven (MC): Your Outer Path
At the very top of the chart is the Midheaven, or Medium Coeli. It opens the 10th house of career, reputation, and long-term direction. This angle reflects how you engage with the wider world—your goals, your ambitions, and the kind of legacy you’re here to create.
This angle speaks to:
Career and public roles
The mark you want to leave
Your evolving sense of purpose
How others perceive you in professional or visible spaces
The MC isn’t always about your job title. It’s about your outward path—how your inner essence begins to shape the world around you.
The Imum Coeli (IC): Your Roots
Beneath it all lies the Imum Coeli—Latin for “bottom of the sky.” Also known as the IC, this angle sits at the base of your chart and opens the 4th house of home, memory, and emotional foundation. It’s your inner ground—quiet, private, often unseen.
This angle speaks to:
Family history and ancestral influence
Your relationship to home and place
Emotional safety and comfort
What helps you feel rooted and restored
The IC is your origin point. It’s where you go to remember who you are when no one else is looking.
Reflection Prompt
Which of your angles feels most active right now?
Which one is asking for more attention, curiosity, or care?
You can find your angles by using a free birth chart calculator—just make sure you have your exact birth time.
Keep Exploring
Next → Your Guide to Astrology: The Planet Who Leads You, and the Energies That Dance Within
← Previous: Your Guide to Astrology: The 12 Houses and How They Shape Your Life
Welcome to The Alignment Archive
This space is your invitation to explore the sacred systems that help you return to yourself.
Each week, we’ll offer you soulful tools, playful insights, and practical pathways for living in tune with your unique rhythm.
If today’s article sparked curiosity, stay close.
There’s so much more to uncover—one layer, one revelation, one breath at a time.
Subscribe to Rhythm & Ritual to receive cosmic insights, curated playlists, and embodiment practices every Sunday.
Follow along on Instagram, @eve_rites, for real-time rituals, reflections, and energy guidance.
You’re not here to become someone else.