Ascendant

The Ascendant is the sign and degree that were rising over the eastern horizon at the exact moment of birth. It marks the cusp of the first house and describes how the person enters the world: physical presence, style, the way they start things and the first impression they make. It changes sign roughly every two hours, so it can only be calculated with the time and place of birth. The planet that rules the Ascendant's sign is the chart ruler, one of the most important factors in the whole horoscope.