The 1st House in Cancer Personality (All About the Cancer Ascendant, a.k.a. Cancer Rising)

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Is Meghan Markle a manipulative narcissist? Find out – down below!

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Table of contents:
The Meaning of the Rising Sign
The Cancer Rising Sign Personality
The Typical Cancer Rising Woman Personality
The 1st House in Cancer Man
The Typical Cancer in First House Physical Appearance
The Best Cancer Rising Compatibility
The 1st House in Cancer in Karmic Astrology
Popular Cancer Rising Celebrities
Recommended Books and Must-Reads

The Meaning of the Rising Sign

I have covered this information in the previous articles on the rising signs. However, for the sake of clarity I will briefly mention what the significance of the 1st house cusp is and which areas of our lives it governs.

The Ascendant or the cusp of the first house signifies:

• The personality traits that we show to the world – our “mask” in front of people, especially those who are not close to us;
• How other people perceive us and how we want to be perceived as – how we “market” ourselves;
• Our physical appearance and our dress code – this is one of the major parts of the physical appearance analysis. However, keep in mind that there are many other aspects to it;
• How we start every new endeavor;
• Our early childhood years;
• Our overall wellbeing (along with the 5^th and the 8^th houses).

Which are the Cancer rising dates?

I get this question from time to time, so I will get as clear as possible. The rising sign changes rather quickly – roughly about 1 astrological sign every 2 hours, and that’s 1 degree every 4 minutes. So, the more accurate question would be “Which are the Cancer rising hours?”. And the answer will depend on many factors, such as the birth date, the birth place, and the accurate birth time. So, the best way to be sure about your Ascendant sign is to use a natal chart calculator and input all this precise information in it. At the very Eastern part of the birth chart you will see the sign which was at the horizon during the time of your birth, and that’s your Ascendant, also known as the cusp of the 1^st house (usually marked as ASC).

If Cancer is not your rising sign, sign up for our newsletter to get notified when the remaining Ascendants will be covered!

The Cancer Rising Sign Personality

To get a full understanding of the first house in Cancer personality first we need to take a deeper look at the fourth sign in astrology!

Cancer (also known as the Crab) is the second cardinal and the first watery sign in the zodiac. It is the natural ruler of the fourth house in the natal chart which is associated with the mother, the homeland, and your home. The ruling celestial body of the Crab is the Moon – the luminary connected to the mother and all women in general, as well as our emotionality.

The main keyword we can attribute to the 4^th astrological sign is “devotion”.  

Now let’s see what typical and archetypal characteristics can be seen in anyone who has a strong Cancer energy in their chart (including a Cancer Ascendant).

On the bright side of the sign we can say that these people are mostly extremely caring and empathic, patriots who honor their traditions, intuitive, persistent, helpful, and they are usually great homemakers with an excellent memory.

On the more negative side of the sign (every sign has a shadow!), they can be quite brooding, gloomy, and moody, too sensitive and touchy, manipulative, too cautious, egotistical, prone to self-pity with victim mentality, and even lazy.

So, what do we do with all this information? We need to unpack the meaning of the first house in Cancer placement by translating these characteristics to the area of the 1^st house. This is the part of our persona that we show to the world and how we want to be perceived as.

This means that people with their rising Cancer come off as very caring and protective of the people close to them. You can see many folks with this Ascendant who often behave in a very caring and motherly fashion not just towards their own kids, but even to their friends, colleagues, parents, and even strangers. They might often go to great lengths to help others in every way they can, because this is ingrained in their character, and this is how they want to be seen as.

I would just like to point out an extremely important side to this behavior. If it is applied to the extreme, a Cancer rising person might become so overprotective of their loved ones to the point of smothering them and a total control over their lives. This is something to be mindful of. After all, the 4^th sign is a cardinal one and they do love their boss energy! :- )

What I find fascinating about people with this placement is how in touch they can be with their emotions! This is something that we can all learn from them since we as a society are coming to the realization that emotions are here to be expressed in a constructive way. And that’s even more important for the male representatives of this Ascendant since boys are often taught that emotions are signs of weakness.

However, there is always a dark side to every aspect if we take it to the extreme. People with their 1^st house in Cancer might often come off as too sensitive and even touchy to the point of people having to walk on shells around them to protect their feelings. If this is the case with you, please know that other people usually do not have the ill intentions to hurt you.

On the bright side, the natural sensitivity of the Cancer rising is their acute skill of being very observant and intuitive of others. This can make them extremely good judges of character. Folks with their 1^st house in Cancer can pick up on much more red flags that most people do not even register. Again, this is their own natural protective mechanism to try to predict the human behavior so that their feelings are guarded and protected.  They also use this skill to shield their closest people from harm. However, if this tendency gets out of hand, they may also become too manipulative. They may use their observation and intuitive abilities to sense other people’s insecurities and soft spots and utilize them for personal protection. As the saying goes “The best defense is a good offense”. If that’s the case, I would recommend reminding yourself that showing a little vulnerability in front of trusted people is OK. Not everyone is always trying to get you and use your insecurities to hurt your feelings. There is a great TED talk by Brené Brown on “The power of vulnerability” I think it might be extremely helpful!

The Typical Cancer Rising Woman Personality

If you are looking for a gal to start a family with, this might be your top choice! When we talk about the typical archetypal roles of men and women, the Cancer-Capricorn axis is definitely the perfect example. If the Carb signifies the feminine and motherhood, and everything about caring for the home and children, Capricorn is the father figure who brings the necessary resources through his ambition, career, and social status. So, what we can draw from this example is that the typical Cancer Ascendant woman might be perceived as the ideal female archetype – a gal who is deeply interested in finding the man of her dreams to start a family with. She might also be a wonderful housewife with an uncanny knack for creating a cozy home environment, preparing tasty heartwarming meals, following family traditions to a tee, raising children, etc. Well, on the more negative side, the Crab Ascendant female might also be prone to mothering people around her (even to the point of smothering them), being too controlling, moody, and even manipulative. However, this greatly depends on the whole chart, as well as other important factors (such as how we were raised, specifics of our culture, generational trauma, etc. I will get to this in a bit more details down below where I will touch on the natal chart of Meghan Markle). Another important thing to remember for the Cancer rising woman is that she definitely looks for stability in her life, and that also includes financial and material resources. No family unit or tribe can survive and thrive without the necessary material foundation. And that’s something females with their first house in the Crab understand quite well with every fiber of their being. So, it is no surprise that many of these caring creatures look for men who exhibit the typical Capricorn traits – ambition, stability, a strong work ethic, responsibility, and a drive for a better social status. But more about that – in the section on compatibility.

The 1^st House in Cancer Man

The Cancer Ascendant man may not look like the typical macho guy – the archetype of the male energy. If you are looking for a loyal confidant who can take care of your emotional needs, this might be your top choice! But don’t let the deep emotionality of the Cancer rising man fool you! The 4^th astrological sign is a cardinal one, and they do possess quite the strength, resilience, and a great deal of ambition. The great challenge for these men, though, is getting out of their comfort zone once in a while. Once they can do that, they might exhibit great talents in the business and financial worlds! This is especially true if they become open to the opportunities of attracting ambitious and industrious partners with their Descendant in Capricorn (more about that – in the section on synastry). One of the main characteristics of these men is their strong attachment (to the point of clinging) to people, things, places, and habits. They can be extremely fearful of getting rid of stuff, and making all sorts of changes in their lifestyle, no matter how minuscule they seem. One of the big and hard lessons for these powerful males is to learn to let go of what no longer serves them – clutter, unfulfilling jobs, toxic relationships, etc. So, I would definitely recommend them to take time every now and then, and make inventory of their life to check if they tend to cling to something that’s unhealthy for them. And yes, as all people with a strong Crab in their chart, there is always the possibility of moodiness from time to time. Don’t try to force a smile on your face (or their faces), and accept these periods of time as a part of the natural cycles of ups and downs in life. “This too shall pass!” would be a great motto to remind yourself often. You can place this phrase somewhere you can see it every day. And lastly, something to always keep in mind with the Cancer ascendant man (especially if you are in any kind of relationship with them) – their mother usually plays a huge role, and it is a strong influence in their life. They may be extremely close with their moms till the very end due to their sense of duty, attachment, and probably guilt.

The Typical Cancer in First House Physical Appearance

First off, let’s just clarify that there are a lot of aspects to the area of determining the probable physical appearance according to the natal chart. The Ascendant definitely plays a huge role, but there are also several more things to look at, such as the placement of the first house ruler (in this case this is the Moon), the aspects of the Moon, the planets in the first house (if any), the Sun sign, the dominants, the fifth house, stelliums in the chart, etc.

However, for the sake of this article here, I will mention some of the physical traits which can be attributed to the 4^th sign in astrology – the Crab.

The main thing about the Cancer rising appearance is the oval shapes in their bodies. This could mean an oval-shaped face, eyes, chest, and generally the whole torso. In some cases this can be combined with a few extra pounds, especially if the Moon is in the first house or has challenging aspects. This is also connected to the powerful emotionality of the people with a Cancer Ascendant who may use comfort food to sooth themselves in troubling times. Moreover, the ruling celestial body, the Moon, governs the flow of liquids in our bodies, and people with a strong Crab in their chart may have some challenges with retaining water and bloating.

Another intriguing aspect of this astrological placement is the chest area. Most of us know that the Moon is connected to our breasts, and even men with this rising sign may have well-developed chests, as well as well-rounded bellies, especially if they often turn to sweets, and trans-fats to calm their nerves.

Since the Moon is also a cosmic body which only reflects sunlight, many people with this Ascendant may have slightly paler skin tones as compared to other representatives of their genetic background (genetics should always be taken into account when making such assumptions).

Finally, what might stand out in people with the Cancer rising sign is their sensual and at the same time loving and caring vibe that they exude. Angelina Jolie is one of the best examples – being both a huge heartthrob and a mother figure.

I remind you that the rising sign is just one aspect of the physical appearance analysis. There are a ton more details to look at, and if you are interested in this topic, feel free to become a subscriber to get all the fresh new updates!

The Best Cancer Rising Compatibility

If we need to take a peek at the Cancer ascendant love life, we need to dive into the branch of Astrology which deals with compatibility and relationships called Synastry. It is an extremely complex discipline which encompasses a lot of important details of the so called composite charts. However, solely based on the Ascendant we can still make some valuable assumptions that can give you a better idea of the type of partners that might be beneficial to you – both intimate and business ones. Let’s get to it!

So, in terms of compatibility, the Ascendant can give us some important information about the personality of the person as well as the area of relationships in the natal chart which is the Descendant (the cusp of the seventh house). In this case this is the opposite sign of Cancer – Capricorn.

What that means is that people with a Cancer rising might look for partners who exhibit the typical traits of the Goat – ambition, a strong work ethic, responsibility, security, etc. Logically, people with a lot of planets, especially the personal planets, in the sign of Capricorn might be excellent matches for the Crab Ascendant. The personal planets are the Sun, the Moon, Venus, Mercury, and Mars. I do wish to point out here that the signs and the houses usually do not match, and there might be folks with planets in Aquarius which might also be located in your 7^th house of relationships. This also applies to planets in your sixth house that conjunct with the 7^th house cusp. These aspects might also be extremely beneficial in terms of compatibility.

The same goes with people with a lot of activations in their 10^th house (the native house of the Goat). These folks might also exhibit these Capricorn traits that the Cancer Ascendant is looking for.

This brings me to the other major aspect of Synastry – compatibility based on similarities. Many astrologers argue that this approach yields much better results and long-lasting relationships. What this means is having a partner with similar character traits like the Cancer rising person. This might manifest as planets in the fourth house (the native house of the Crab), as well as people with a Cancer dominance – multiple personal planets in the sign of the Crab. This creates that feeling of mutual understanding that could be a wonderful basis for fruitful and sustaining relationships! However, I do wish to remind you to check whether the other person has any planets in your 12^th house – this might be a source of pain and discomfort or your greatest inner strength. It all depends on your level of awareness and your personal power and willingness to face your fears and past traumas (the domain of the 12^th house).

And finally, it is also beneficial to check the position of the Medium Coelis of both partners. If one of them is placed in the other person’s 12^th house that might create some issues. The MC is our ego and this placement can bring a great deal of pain and hurt feelings. The person with their MC in their partner’s 12ht house might feel they are in the shadow of their partner or worse – to feel like or be treated like a side chick/dude. Ouch!

The 1^st House in Cancer in Karmic Astrology

The Ascendant is one of the major parts of the natal chart which can also be interpreted through the lenses of karmic Astrology. One of the esteemed authors in this area Martin Schulman calls it “the karmic gate” – the connecting bridge between our inner potential (displayed in the birth chart) and reality (what actually manifested in our lives). So, it is extremely important to understand this aspect in our charts quite well since according to Schulman – this is the lenses through which we experience reality and through which we can have access to our absolute potential – access to everything we have encoded in the chart.

So, let me share with you a little bit what another karmic astrology author points out about the Cancer Ascendant in terms of past life baggage and lessons. I am talking about one of my favorite astrologers in this area – Dorothée Koechlin de Bizemont. In her book “L’astrologie karmique” she argues that the Cancer rising people may potentially exhibit some strong Mercurial traits such as sharp-mindedness, a sense of humor, adaptability and a tendency to change in every area of their life, inclinations, hobbies, and even a profession in the Gemini-dominated fields like writing, communication, marketing, publishing, etc. As you can see these tendencies are quite different from the typical Crab characteristics of clinging, traditionalism, and aversion towards any kind of change. If that’s the case with you or a close one, this could be a direct remnant of past lives under the influence of Gemini. This may be especially true if the 12^th house cusp is in the third astrological sign since it is considered the major house related to our karmic debt (positive or negative). In this case it is possible that you have chosen this time of birth and this particular Ascendant to learn some new skills, to exhibit new characteristics and move towards more stability and security in your life.

Stay tuned because later on we will take a deeper look at the 12^th house itself!

Popular Cancer Rising Celebrities

Actors – Angelina Jolie, Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ben Affleck, Robert De Niro, Margot Robbie, John Travolta, etc.

Musicians – The Weeknd, Cher, George Michael, Fergie, Travis Barker, Iggy Pop, Joni Mitchell, Marvin Gaye, Karen Carpenter, etc. Without getting into great details on the individual charts, we can safely say that a strong water element in the horoscope is a great basis for any type of career related to music. The deep emotionality that moves up and down like waves can be perfectly expressed through melodies and sound waves that follow a similar flow and have the power to touch our soul.

Painters and artists – Vincent van Gogh, Salvador Dalí, Marina Abramovic, etc. Speaking of expressing our emotionality, art can be another great outlet for the highest highs and the lowest lows of our soul. And these three main examples perfectly illustrate how unconventional self-expression can really stir the pot, touch our soul and bring forth some controversial topics of the human psyche.

Fashion models – Tyra Banks, Cindy Crawford, Milla Jovovich, etc. Did I mention in the section of physical appearance how the Cancer Ascendant people can truly have some of the most sensual looks, like sirens alluring people with their mesmerizing gaze?

Scientists – Albert Einstein, Hedy Lamarr, etc.

Other interesting 1^st house in Cancer Celebrities

Bill Gates, Michael Jordan, Stephen King, Pope Francis, Steven Spielberg, John Cena, etc.

Meghan Markle

Oh, my goodness, the controversy around this girl! I was asked by a reader to take a look at her chart and share what I see in it. And before I do that, I wish to take the opportunity to use Meghan as an example of my personal thoughts and views on Astrology in general. To me, our natal chart is a tool for self-development, self-reflection, and self-awareness. It is not a crystal ball, nor something etched in stone that we simply have to accept. “If I could only find out what the stars had planned for me, I would know what my life is going to be!”. To me, that’s not what Astrology is. This deterministic and fatalistic view might had been appropriate or applicable in ancient times, but now it could be detrimental to our spiritual evolution, expansion of awareness, and healing.

So, how do I use the natal chart and what does it represent to me? I strongly believe that our birth chart can show us our greatest potential, our potential skills, as well as pitfalls and shortcomings. However, these are aspects that we can actively work on our entire life, not something to use as an excuse to justify our toxic behavior. This way it actually becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. Even the most challenging aspects in our charts can be transformed and worked on, if we choose to – if we have that level of self-awareness and inner spiritual strength to face our fears (this is something I will talk in great length in the posts on the 12^th house, so stay tuned by becoming a member of our email list and receive all updates on fresh new articles!). If we use our natal chart as a tool for self-reflection to reveal our potential flaws and traumas, these “difficult” and challenging aspects in our chart become stepping stones – the ultimate pathway towards unfolding our potential in every area of the horoscope – the achievements in the MC, our ability to gather assets in the 2^nd house, building meaningful relationships in the 7^th, etc.

Back to Meghan Markle. What we can see at a very first glance in her chart is that the majority of her planets are located below the horizon which can signify a strong inclination to being introverted, but also it can hold the potential of being secretive, manipulative, and generally – to love working behind the scenes. The same goes with her Cancer Ascendant. As I mentioned previously, one of the negative characteristics of the Crab is manipulation, the type of manipulation which some women (especially mothers) do sometimes. And this comes from the inherent role of the female to be dependent on her husband in terms access to resources. As the quote from one of my most favorite movies “My big fat Greek wedding” goes: “The man may be the head of the family, but I am the neck!”.

So, is Meghan manipulative, as many of her critics suggest? My answer is “I don’t know.” And the reason for this is because every single element of our chart can manifest in a wide variety of ways depending on many factors – how we were raised, the culture we were born into, the belief system and the behavior of our parents, childhood traumas, significant events in our childhood, etc. And here is another example! Many people also speculate that Meghan Markle is a narcissist who constantly looks for outer validation and attention. Well, narcissism is the result of childhood trauma as a form of self-protection when our egos are most sensitive to attacks from the outer world. And Meghan did indeed suffer a great deal of hardship and probably a lot of emotional pain in her early years. Being a mixed race child is enough for some people to feel deeply insecure their whole lives. To me, her quote “I wasn’t black enough for the black roles and I wasn’t white enough for the white ones.” is a powerful telltale sign that she might really struggle with her own identity. Remember that Cancer is a deeply emotional sign that has a completely different level of sensitivity that unconsciously seeks ways to protect itself from the harsh outer world. Moreover, the ruler of her 1^st house, the Moon, is placed in the 3^rd  house (the native house of the Twins) and in Libra – another “double” sign that often struggles with indecisiveness. Children with separated parents early on in their life have a really hard time, because internally they are torn apart between choosing mom or dad. And when mom and dad are from different races, this can truly be an impossible challenge. The good news is that if Meghan confronts these inner insecurities and heals these traumas (the family constellations method is a wonderful tool for this purpose), these aspects of her chart can be completely transformed into something much more wholesome and positive. Completely accepting who she is as a whole can also lead her to stop experiencing racism or to stop perceiving other people’s behavior as an attack on her identity.

Moreover, these traumatic events could have caused her Leo Sun in the first house to manifest as narcissism, as opposed to the more positive version of this aspect – being loving, caring, generous, and driven. Or as in most cases, it could manifest in a mixture of the both ends of the spectrum. The same goes for her Cancer Ascendant and the planets below the horizon. All of these can manifest as manipulation on one hand, or sensitivity and introversion on the other hand. It greatly depends on how hurt she was as a child or what behavioral models she picked up from her parents (especially the mother). And that’s something only she can become aware of for herself. We, as outside observers, can only speculate what she feels and experiences in her soul.

And by the way, I wish to add something important that I think is applicable here. I see many celebrities who have multiple planets below the horizon who have a truly terrible time in the public eye. One of the most prominent examples is Britney Spears. Britney has her 10^th house ruler in her 5th house (the native house of Leo), while Meghan has her Sun in the Lion. This may create such a tug of war between the powerful inner push for creative self-expression and seeking to be the center of attention while not dealing well with the fame as a result. Something to be mindful about and avoid judging people too harshly.

And, of course, all of my thoughts here are merely speculations based on my assumption that Meghan was deeply traumatized as a kid. That is why I believe that the natal chart is a personal intimate tool for each one of us to work with for our own spiritual growth – to see the positive and negative potentials and see what actually manifested in our lives, and what resonates and what doesn’t.

So, the good news is, and that’s something I wish anyone who is interested in Astrology to take away home from this example – all of this can change. Every aspect of our chart can be transformed. We can transform and bring forth the more positive and constructive versions of these aspects by actively working on ourselves – by becoming more self-aware of our unconscious behavioral patterns, our fears, our beliefs, our traumas, etc. This goes right in the ally of what Karl Jung and other esteemed psychologists and therapists point towards – the moment the unconscious becomes conscious, we gain agency over it and it can be changed.

I hope that was helpful, and I hope I didn’t disappoint all the people who expected some spicy trash talk against Meghan. 😀

Recommended Books and Must-Reads

Affiliate disclosure: the following links to the Amazon store are affiliate links and commissions are earned.

The Only Way to Learn Astrology volume 2

Those of you who are regular readers of this blog probably noticed that I am a huge fan of this Astrology series. And I think that these are not just interesting books – they are textbooks on learning the basic principles of this ancient system. So, for the sake of today’s topic – the 1^st house in Cancer personality – the second installment of this series is a wonderful guide into the vast world of the rising signs and their meaning. And that’s just a small fraction of what’s packed inside this volume! The book contains a ton of information and guidance about some of the more advanced parts of the natal chart analysis, such as exceptions (like planets without any aspects in the chart), large significant aspects (like Yods and T-squares), retrograde planets, interception, mutual reception, decans and dudads, Lunar nodes, Arabic parts, critical degrees, and more. However, what might really interest you in this volume is the indispensable interpretation of the house cusps. And that of course includes the 1^st house cups in the sign of the Crab. So, if you want to learn more about your Ascendant (or that of a loved one), this book is a must-have!

GET THE VOLUME

The Only Way to Learn Astrology volume 3

Volume 3 of this book series is just as valuable and intriguing as the first three installments! The majority of the content is dedicated to the rulers of the 12^th houses placed in the other houses of the natal chart. This is some extremely vital information to take into account when analyzing your potential encoded in your horoscope. This of course includes the ruler of your first house which in that case is the Moon. The position of the Moon will give you even more details about your potential personality traits, physical appearance, how other people perceive you and how you wish to be perceived, and how you view the outer world and reality. And you can do this with every house ruler you wish to get more information about. For instance, the placement of the 2^nd house ruler will give you more vital details on your best ways to gather tangible and intangible assets and how you can work on your self-esteem and value system! At the end of the volume you can find some super interesting analysis on the potentials for your wellbeing, positive relationships, career advancement and fields, physical appearance, and more!

GRAB THE BOOK

Linda Goodman’s Relationship Signs

This is one of my most favorite books on Synastry – the branch of Astrology that deals with relationships. But why do I include it here in this article? As you could see previously, the Ascendant can give us some extremely valuable information on our compatibility with other people – intimate relationships, business partnerships, family bonds, etc. And here in this book you can start your journey into this intriguing area of Astrology! However, I do wish to make an important disclaimer! The author did not make a very good job at the accurate calculation of the aspects. So, I highly recommend you get a precise composite chart of you and your (potential) partner and go back to this book as a reference for the analysis of the aspects. I think that the interpretations are spot on and very well written in a positive, constructive, and actionable way (definitely not fatalistic or deterministic!). Moreover, there is a special section on the all 12 Ascendants divided by genders, so you can learn more about yourself and your loved ones!

BUY THE BOOK

Linda Goodman’s Sun Signs

Finally, another great classic by my beloved Linda Goodman! I think this is a must-have for every Astrology fanatic out there! And yes, I know, Linda Goodman is not your typical textbook astrologer, and she sure has many critics in this field. However, I do think that she is a must-read author for her unique and groundbreaking approach to Astrology! I think she is among the first stargazers who stressed heavily on our free will and the spiritual forces greater than the planets in the Solar system – things like karma, unconditional love, and expansion of awareness. Her perspective on this ancient knowledge perfectly aligns with how I view and use this self-awareness system, and how I was taught by my teachers! In my opinion, Linda Goodman has perfectly described the archetypal traits of the 12 zodiac signs, and we can apply these characteristics when analyzing any part of our birth chart. So, for instance, diving deep into the section on the Cancer sign can give you some powerful insights about your own rising sign and how you wish to be perceived by other people. Moreover, every sign has a specific description for males, females, and children, so you can get a better understanding of the nuances in the gender differences. Happy reading!

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RELATED: Most people with a Cancer Ascendant usually have their Medium Coeli in Aries which can give you some awesome ideas about your career potential, best achievements in life, and improved social status! Check it out! If that’s not your MC sign, feel free to take a look at the other 11 positions of the Midheaven point!