The axis of your rising sign with the descendant: How to create balance in relationships
- Kalina
- Aug 16, 2023
- 6 min read
Your rising sign, or where your first house starts, is in many ways what others assume is your identity. It is the type of energy you carry yourself with when you walk into a room what others naturally sense about you, and how you maintain impersonal connections.
Your descendant, opposite your rising sign, is the beginning of your seventh house of long-term relationships, partnership, and how you behave in your close circle. Since these two houses are opposing each other, they are always in sister signs. And with sister signs, you might find that they have a common goal but very different ways of getting there.
In this article, you will learn more about sister signs, what their mutual goal is, how to find a balance between them and to be happy in a long-term commitment, and what to look out for when thinking about your chart and love.
What are Sister Signs?
Sister signs are two signs that are at a 180-degree angle from each other. When you look at a natal chart, you will see that there are 6 pairs of them:
All of them have the same modality, so the nature of the sign stays intact, yet they are rather different. Seeing them as the solar opposite of each other would be rather wrong, as they do share a lot of similarities. That is why they are called Sister Signs. I like to imagine them as two siblings in the same family, balancing each other's energy along the way.
These Sister Signs can be seen throughout your chart, each house in your chart has an opposite one with its 180-degree sign. You can imagine your chart like a pie split into 12 pieces, with each of them representing a different area of your life. To balance an issue in one area, you can look at the opposite piece that helps you see what qualities and actions could help you move forward.
Balance in love - the endless battle of compromise
Love, in all its passionate glory and heartache, is a balancing act. It's about understanding one's self and the other person deeply and making choices to harmonize these two distinct universes. Just like Sister Signs, love is about two individual entities coming together and finding a middle ground.
1/Aries as an archetype is bold, self-centered, driven, ambitious, and brutally honest - their sister sign Libra, seeks balance, diplomacy, beauty, compromise, and meaningful connections. When these two signs work together, they can see the value of growing as a separate person in a relationship, but also knowing when it is time to compromise and meet your partner in the middle. They represent the gentle balance of "what I need and what you need so that we can both be happy".
2/Consider, for a moment, a Taurus individual—stubborn, comfort-loving, and grounded. Pair them with a Scorpio—intense, passionate, and transformative. On the surface, these two may seem poles apart. Yet, when we dig deeper, we find that they both seek deep connection, security, and a love that stands the test of time. Here, compromise doesn't mean sacrificing oneself or one’s beliefs. It means understanding, adjusting, and embracing the dance of give and take.
3/A fun and curious pair of energies is the one of Gemini and Sagittarius. While Gemini seeks knowledge and stimulation through conversations, reading, new information, or simply learning - Sagittarius has a different approach. This fire sign prefers to try things out, learn from their experiences, go on an adventure, and share what they have personally learned on it with others. Yet, both of them seek knowledge, truth, stimulation, and diversity - that is why when they come together they complement each other in unexpected ways.
4/Let's think for a moment about the emotional and intuitive Cancer. They are nurturing, deeply rooted in their feelings, and carry a protective shield around those they love. Opposing them is the disciplined Capricorn, who is goal-oriented, practical, and consistently climbs the ladder of success. While the Cancer might seem too sentimental for the stoic Capricorn, both are bound by their shared commitment to tradition, family, and creating lasting legacies. Together, they weave a relationship that celebrates the softness of emotions while valuing the sturdy pillars of responsibility.
5/The radiant Leo thrives in the limelight, exuding warmth, pride, and unmistakable charisma. Then there's Aquarius, the forward-thinker, the innovator, who often challenges traditional norms and dreams of a collective, utopian future. At first glance, Leo's desire for individual praise might seem incompatible with Aquarius's community-driven mindset. Yet, underneath it all, both signs are driven by a desire to inspire, to lead, and to be recognized for their unique contributions. Their union showcases a balance between personal glory and collective vision.
6/Lastly, think of the diligent Virgo, with their analytical mind, meticulous nature, and relentless drive for perfection. Their counterpart, Pisces, swims in the depths of imagination, intuition, and dreams. Virgo's grounded nature might seem to contrast with Pisces' ethereal tendencies starkly. However, both signs are united by their shared desire to serve, to heal, and to make a difference. Their relationship is a testament to the magic that happens when reality intertwines with dreams, where practicality meets intuition.
As we journey through the houses of our chart, we understand that our rising sign may dictate how we present ourselves initially to the world, but our descendant sign shines a light on what we seek in partnerships.
Understanding the first house and your rising sign
The first house in an astrological chart, often termed the 'Ascendant' or 'Rising Sign', is like the opening chapter of your life's story. It represents your outward behavior, your initial impression on others, and the lens through which you view the world. Imagine it as the dawn of a day, marking the beginning, setting the tone, and influencing the events that follow. While the Sun sign provides insight into your core being and essential nature, the Rising Sign embodies how you project yourself and how others perceive you at first glance. It's the main energy you carry when you enter a room.
By understanding the dynamics of your first house and the qualities of your rising sign, you can gain deeper insights into the way you approach new situations, engage with new people, and present yourself to the world at large. Sometimes people don't connect well with an aspect of their chart if you feel like the traits of your rising sign don't really resonate with who you are - try to see it more as the energy you carry with you, ask your closest people if it resonates with their overall impression of your mannerisms and character.
The seventh house of long-term relationships and commitments
The seventh house, directly opposite the first, delves deep into the realm of partnerships and mirrors the essence of our interpersonal connections. If the first house is the 'self', the seventh is the 'other'. It speaks of binding ties, be it marriages, business partnerships, or long-term friendships. This house provides insights into what we seek in our close associations, our approach to commitment, and even the patterns or dynamics we might frequently encounter. It is here we find reflections of ourselves in others, learning about our strengths and vulnerabilities through the lens of partnership.
The seventh house
isn't just about romantic love, but a broader understanding of balance, compromise, and collaboration. The sign and planets housed here shed light on the qualities we value and challenges we might face in lasting commitments. By comprehending the nuances of the seventh house, we can better navigate our relationships, cherishing the joys of union and learning from the dance of duality.
Is that all there is to love?
As we journey through the astrological houses, exploring the interplay between the self and the other, one might wonder: is this the entirety of love's tapestry? The answer is both simple and profound: no. Love, in its boundless expanse, is more than just our rising signs and our seventh-house dynamics. It weaves through every house, every planet, and every aspect in our charts, reflecting the multifaceted nature of the human connection. From the passionate undertones of Mars to the nurturing embrace of the Moon, from the idealistic pursuits of Neptune to the grounded commitments of Saturn, love dances in myriad forms and hues. While astrology provides invaluable tools to understand its patterns and tendencies, the essence of love remains an ever-evolving enigma. It's a force that pushes us to grow, to understand, and ultimately, to transcend our charts, reminding us that while the stars might guide us, it's the heart that truly charts our course.
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