Ascendant or Lagna: The first term that you need to know before you consult your astrologer is the term “Ascendant” or “Lagnam” or “Lagna”. Most often you will be familiar with your star (nakshatram) and your rasi (which is your moon sign) which is also useful.
In your chart, if you find a sign crossed and Asc. or Lag. mentioned in it, that is the first house. This can fall in any of the 12 signs in the Zodiac. The Asc. is the first house, and you can count from the 2nd house to the 12th house in the clockwise direction (in a south Indian chart). In the below example, the first house falls in Taurus (Rishabham), and will be referred as “Taurus Ascendant” (Rishabha Lagnam). Astrologers (astrology software) use three data points to calculate the Ascendant.
A chart or horoscope preparation is complete only after we determine the Ascendant. And in simple language, this Ascendant is you in this celestial map, and therefore, predications can be relevant for you. Without plotting you (the Ascendant/Lagna), the horoscope is only a map of planetary positions over the fixed stars.
Ascendant or Ascendant sign should not be confused with the Sun Sign or Moon Sign. The Ascendant sign, the Sun sign, and the Moon signs are three different data points.
However, for some, based on the date, place and, time of birth more than two of these points can fall into the same sign and astrologers will recognize them separately and use all the three data points irrespective of where it falls within the Zodiac.
