All about the Ascendant and 1st house in Astrology

Where were you born and what time?

Finding out the time and place of birth of someone that you are not reading for can be a bit of a challenge.

How do you slip it in the conversation without appearing too nosy?

It's not something you can naturally ask straight away when meeting someone,  unless they're obsessed with astrology like you.

There is a bit of an art to obtaining this data point without appearing too full on, patience is key - after building some rapport and casually mentioning your obsession with astrology it will be  easier to ask ;)

Along with date of birth, time and place of birth is the key to thoroughly understanding someone's natal chart.

That information tells us what sign was on the eastern horizon the time they took their first breath in this world, at that point a snapshot of the heavens is taken and that is your star map for this life time.

Note the time of birth can also be inaccurate because it really depends on how precise the procedure for capturing that information was by the people assisting the birthing process. I was born at 5:11 pm - I like the sound of that time because it's an odd number - it gives me comfort that the person capturing the time was precise. That is something to bear in mind when a rising sign doesn't quite match the person you are interpreting for.

The Ascendant - The cusp of the 1st house

The natural house of Aries which is ruled by Mars

Angular or Cardinal house

Crystal associated with the 1st house - Clear Quartz (carry clear quartz if you want to enhance the expression of this part of your chart)

The ascendant is known as the gateway into the chart, it is the house of self; the interface;  the persona of the individual.

The sign of the ascendant will have a huge bearing on how you interact with the world on a personal level. 

Planets conjunct the ascendant or in the 1st house, will also have a strong impact on how the native interfaces with the world.

 Planets conjunct the ascendant but sitting in the 12th house will be less in your face, but will still be present in the persona. 

People with a 1st house stellium will experience the planets in their persona. They will find that they naturally attract signs that those planet's rule into their life.

For example in my own personal chart I have a Libra rising, Mars conjunct ascendant, Saturn, Pluto and Jupiter in the 1st house (placidus). 

Although I have that pleasing Libra rising, I have Mars there making my assertiveness and sometimes aggressiveness present in the persona, Saturn has given me a lot of inhibitions, Pluto has given my huge amounts of transformation and life experiences that sometimes I feel like I have lived several distinct lifetimes where the persona had died in each one, Jupiter has provided me jovialness and a sense of humor. 

I must emphasize  all 1st house placements/ aspects etc are filtered through the sign of the ascendant.

I have noticed a theme where I attract Aries, Capricorn, Scorpio and Libra placements (Sun/ Moon/ Risings) in my life more than other signs. The way I interact probably makes them resonate with me.

The ruler of the ascendant, and aspects made to the ruler will help interpret how the 1st house energy plays out in the individual's life. My ruler is Venus in Aquarius 6th house. Venus in Aquarius is cool, rebellious and is attracted to the weirdos and oddballs, she is progressive and beats to her own drum. She can be aloof and cold at times - she is attracted to groups activities and causes - she appears to not need anyone and is free spirited.  Her style is unique. This is definitely me, I also have Uranus sextile my Ascendant that boosts this aspect.

Venus is located in the part of daily habits, routines, work life and dealings with colleagues etc. My daily work life and routines are a source of pleasure for me, I enjoy the grind and the social aspect of work life - this supports my persona. Because of all that air, I do love communicating and socialising with my work colleagues, a lot of my friendships have been formed through work.

You can then interpret the aspects to the ascendant and the chart ruler. 

The 1st house warrants a deep interpretation and can really help you understand how the native deals with the world on an everyday level, how they're perceived and will help you understand how others respond to them.

Being conscious of your 1st house can really help you bring your strengths forward and work on strategies to overcome your weaknesses.

What's going on in your 1st house? How do you get birth time from others?