Angles Overview

The Four Angles. The angles are the four most sensitive points in a chart, formed where two great circles of the sky cross the zodiac. The horizon gives the Ascendant in the east and the Descendant in the west. The meridian gives the Midheaven at the top and the Imum Coeli at the bottom. Together they form a cross that frames the entire chart. The angles depend completely on the exact time and place of birth, shifting by a full degree every few minutes, which is why a precise birth time matters so much. In quadrant house systems they mark the cusps of the four angular houses, with the Ascendant beginning the first house, the Imum Coeli the fourth, the Descendant the seventh, and the Midheaven the tenth. In whole sign and equal house systems the Ascendant and Descendant still frame the axis of the first and seventh houses, but the Midheaven and Imum Coeli can fall in neighboring houses rather than always landing on the tenth and fourth. The two axes carry different themes. The Ascendant and Descendant form the axis of self and other, running from how we appear to what we seek in relationship. The Midheaven and Imum Coeli form the axis of public and private, running from career and reputation down to home and roots. A planet sitting close to any angle is strongly emphasized in the chart, its themes pushed to the front of a person's life.