The Ascendant is defined as the intersecting point between the Ecliptic ( Kranti Vritta ) & the Celestial Horizon ( Kshitija ). In Sanskrit it is known as Udaya Lagna. The Ecliptic is the path of the earth round the Sun. The origin of the Celestial Horizon is the Northern Horizon. The Original Point of the Ecliptic is 0 degrees Aries according to Western Astrology and is 0 degrees Beta Arietis ( Ashwini ) according to Hindu Astrology.

  The Ascendant is the most important point in one's horoscope. It represents the Wheel of Destiny. The Ascending Degree is known  as the Lagna Bindu and all calculations are based on it. 180 degrees from it is known as the Descendant ( Astha Lagna ).

 
By Ascendant is meant the Eastern Celestial Horizon. The Descendant is the Western Celestial Horizon.     
In Natal Astrology, only the Ascendant and the Lunar Ascendant figure largely. In Horary Astrology, along with the Ascendant and the Lunar Ascendant, three more Ascendants come into the picture. They are Base Ascendant ( Aroodha ), Veedhi and Chatra.
 
In Horary Astrology, all computations are based on the Base Ascendant ( Aroodha ), similar to the calculations based on the Ascendant in Natal. The curse of reverential, learned people is denoted by Aroodha, the anger of the populace is represented by the Ascendant, trouble from enemies is indicated by the Lunar Ascendant & the anger of deities is indicated by Chatra. These four Ascendants form the pillar of Horary Astrology.
 
The Ascendant is computed using the formula
Tan Q = ( cos w Sin R + Sin w Tan A ) / Cos R
where Q = Ascendant, w = maximum declination of the Sun, R = Right Ascension of the Meridian Cusp & A = latitude of the place
 
Here we give the 12 Ascendants and their characteristics   
 
Ascendant - Aries ( Mesha )
 
Aries rising bestows the native with certain martian  qualities. Courage- sensitive to other's feelings - shorttempered & proud - interested in legal & logical aspects - lover of  scientific thinking - enjoy travel & adventure -hates relatives -  body of medium size  - long face & neck  eyesight  sharp  scar on the  head  or  temples round eyes legs, weak, ambitious, enterprising &  good planning ability. Since Mars is the Ascendant lord they may be under the influence of their partner  &  they have a weakness  for the opposite sex. Mars also  endows  them with good administrative ability.  This ability is  excellent  in business & politics. Have good observational ability. They dislike being guided by others as they maintain an aggressive  independent   attitude. They are down to  earth, practical. They are natural  fighters  who fight for justice.  Mars endows them with rare fortitude &  will to survive in a competitive world.
 
Ascendant - Taurus ( Vrishabha )
 
Taurus rising bestows  the qualities  of  ambition, tolerance & patience.  They are obstinate and proud. Affectionate - loving, willing  to  sacrifice and interested in competitive  games. They will have  beautiful  faces and they are likely  to  be short. They are sometimes  unreasonable.  They are high-principled & they practice what  they preach. They are mentally strong &  their physical stamina  is  excellent. They love pleasure and like  music.  They are  endowed with personal  magnetism. They are imperial in outlook & they feel that they are  born to exercise authority. They will have more daughters than  sons and they may not be very happy as regards happiness from children.  As  they are likely to contract nervous complaints from fiftieth  year, it will be better for them to  consult a medical specialist. They have to learn to incorporate tolerance for the adversary.

Ascendant - Gemini  ( Midhuna )
Gemini ascending  bestows  intellectuality  &  intelligence.  Their minds  may  be wavering & they will  have literary talent. They are quick  witted, restless & inconstant.  They  may  suffer  from nervous  breakdowns  & they are  likely  to  be tall and straight. They may become  experts in the mechanical sciences as Mercury represents computing.  They will have a depression near the chin & their eyes will be attractive.  They have  conversational & literary abilities. They should be careful while moving  with the opposite sex. They are interested in original, artistic works  of any  kind. They are  versatile  by nature & they have intellectual ability. They are enterprising by nature & they have analytical minds. 
 
Ascendant - Cancer ( Kataka )
 
Cancer  rising  gives intuition, sympathy  and  appreciation of the subtle  things  of life. Cancer represents the heart of the Cosmic Man. Cancerians  are  tied  and tuned to the Cosmic world. Most of the  saints &  mystics   are  born in this sign. Its dispositor is the  Moon & the  exaltation  dispositor  is the wisdom planet, Jupiter. They love  the mundane pleasures of life, particularly home & children. They may be disappointed in love as their love is not reciprocated. They are inconstant &  fickleminded as they are ruled  by the Moon.  Their wealth will be  subject to waxing and waning  like the Moon.  They love  the divine  sciences, particulary the science & the wisdom of the heavens. ( Astronomy & Astrology ) They are nervous and restless. At the same time a high degree of adaptability have been bestowed by this sign. They can  adapt  to  any situation. They are interested in Wisdom and the  divine. The occult sciences attract them and they become diviners or mystics.
 
Ascendant - Leo ( Simha )
 
Leo  rising  gives love of Nature & an overactive  & leonine temparament. They are  likely to be ambitious and cheerful. They have a liking  for  Literature & Art. Their ambitions may not be  fulfilled. They are  proud and strong &  the qualities of beauty, nobility & spirituality  will be theirs. They have  tremendous  will  power and determination  and the ability to face upto heavy odds. Physically powerful  with   broad  shoulders, they are  endowed with personal magnetism. They have  to incorporate  patience & perseverance as they are short tempered by nature.  They are also advised to incorporate  tolerance   for  the  adversary. They become the leaders of their family  and care  much  for  their mother's   interest.  They are  of  the forgiving  type  &  they do  not nurse any  illfeeling towards  anyone. There is a  possibility  that  they may  be  misunderstood  by   superiors  and  they are likely  to  have nervous complaints. They are orthodox and highprincipled.
 

Ascendant - Virgo ( Kanni )
Virgo rising gives scholarly qualities and they are lovers of learning. They love music and the arts. Their IQ level is  above  the ordinary. They are diplomatic & shrewd and possess business  insight. They are  emotional and get carried away by sentiments.  They are interested in modern equipments. They love Mathematics & the Wisdom of the Heavens. They are pleasant talkers & they love good principles & philosophy.  They are healthy & wealthy and love good relations. They are generally  under the control of  their partner. They are thrifty and enterprising. They have a natural affinity  to electronics & computers.They are ruled  by the intellectual  planet, Mercury  who is  the  representer of  Maths, computing, music, art & sculpture.They will shine as lecturers / teachers as the  planet of Academic  Education rules them. They will be humourous & witty. They will shine as writers & publishers.
 

Ascendant - Libra ( Thula )
Libra rising creates  an  all rounder, a person who is a generalist and  well  accepted in society. They have domineering personalities &  they are  forceful and given to their ways. They are likely to be
vindictive  &  revengeful. They are well informed and interested in logical &  legal  aspects. They are likely to be of a wavering mind They believe that God is love and their love will embrace all creatures. Their eyes  have a peculiarity of their own. They are lovers of Poetry &  the  fine  arts  as  they are ruled by the poet Venus. They are likely to be disappointed in love as their love  may not be reciprocated. They have a special talent in business dealings. They may have very few sons. They always have an underlying fear in the bottom of their  minds. They are keen observers of human  nature and psychologists. They will be generally known by more than one name. They are interested in entertainments which involve the opposite sex.
 
Ascendant - Vrischika ( Scorpio )
 
Scorpio rising gives  them the qualities of perseverance and fortitude. They appear sarcastic & impulsive. They do not heed other's advice. Their actions and  thoughts are  inexplicable. They become lucky in the second half of their life.  They are quick witted and humourous. They are  good at  correspondence. They are ruled by Mars and hence will have martian temperaments. They are shorttempered and rash at times. They are  advised  to  incorporate  patience and tolerance for the  adversary. They are inconstant and fickle minded. They love  luxury &  excitement.  They are entertaining conversationalists depending on their own intelligence. They can develop into good  musicians if they take  to that art. They are lovers of the fine arts. They are  good   at   administration  &  administration shines   only   when   the  fire  of  Mars is present. The Martian quality  of  fortitude they have  in plenty. Careers indicated - Military & Police.

 
Ascendant - Dhanus ( Sagittarius )
 
Sagittarius rising gives a warrior  like approach to the  problems of life.  They are inclined to Philosophy  and  Religion. They have professional  brilliance and reputation. They are  wealthy and prosperous. They are quite capable of earning  the  good will of all. They possess  good foresight &  they are  intuitive and religious. They have domineering personalities. They are over-anxious, brave & restless. They are orthodox and business like. They are ruled by the  wisdom  planet Jupiter &  they are blessed by  all the Jovian qualities. Wisdom, patience, knowledge of  sciences  & arts are represented  by Jove. They are  capable of influencing people as they are born with  personal magnetism. Despite all their good qualities they are likely  to be misunderstood  by others. They are free from hypocrisy &  they follow   the   principle " Honesty is the best Policy". Their frankness & good nature also can be a drawback in a business world. 

 
Ascendant - Capricorn ( Makara )
 
Capricorn rising gives  strong  will power and determination. They are  philosophers  in their own right. They are likely to be vindictive  &  secretive.  They have strong determination and purposiveness  in  life. They are very cunning & highly  determined. They do not  mind the general feeling of the audience when they talk  about Truth  & Reality. They do not mind  employing  means  that are  not above  board to reach their target. "End justifies the means" seems to be  their principle. They can talk  softly and kindly and  many a man will fall into their trap.
They are  born in a Saturnine sign which gives  them the  qualities of temperance  & fortitude. Great patience & perseverance are imparted  by  Saturn. Capricornians make good sculptors. They are like-
ly  to  be  melancholic in temparament. They make good actors.
 

Ascendant - Aquarius ( Kumbha )
Aquarius  rising gives Saturnine qualities - philosophical  outlook, patience &  perseverance. They will shine as teachers, speakers & writers. They may be tall with good appearance. They are altruists by nature  & they consecrate some of their energies for the service of their  fellow men. They are highly sympathetic and generous. They generate  more  friendliness and compassion. They are dangerous when provoked  but  then they cool off easily. They may be tall & handsome. Their IQ level  &  MQ level are  praiseworthy.  They can shine as authors if  they  so desire. They are shy when it comes to exhibiting their talents  before  people interested  in  their art. They tend to believe that  Astrology  is a science. They are basically humanists & they are likely  to  be  misunderstood. Their love may not be reciprocated &  they are likely  to be disappointed in love. They believe in the essential goodness of humanity.
 

Ascendant - Pisces ( Meena )
Pisces  rising  gives  the  qualities  of  intuition,  benevolence, sympathy  &  fondness for the finer side  of life. They have majestic  personalities  &  impressive  bearing. They are  likely  to be handsome  &  well informed. They also become a target of envy of others. Their wealth  is  related to water as they are  born in  a watery sign.  They are altruists involved in  noble  services  & the  alleviation  of human suffering. They are God fearing and very religious. They are generally  ambitious but giving Philosophy its due place. They are  just  and they are always afraid to go against the Truth.  Because of this  moral  injunction they appear to lack self confidence. They are  born in  a Jupiterian sign  equipped with  the   divine  qualities  of patience  & perseverance.   Their sign dispositor,  Jupiter  endows them with the warmth of human affection & their personal magnetism will be well known and recognised.