1.  The Midheaven is the first point in the chart to be calculated. The Midheaven is the part of the zodiac that is the highest (most elevated) visible point in the sky at the time you are born. If you ask the question, “How long has it been since zero degrees of Aries was at the Midheaven?” the answer tells you what degree of the zodiac is there in terms of time. If the Sun is at zero degrees of Aries, the Sun will be at the Midheaven at noon. Noon in this case is based on Local Time. Standard and daylight time can affect the zero Aries Sun’s position, placing it to one side or the other of the Midheaven point.

The Midheaven reflects what you know—or can know—about yourself. It represents ego-consciousness. Infants have little or no boundary between Self and Other. As children grow and learn, they come to understand themselves as separate beings, and they learn to depend on their own intelligence, emotions and skills. In short, they learn about themselves as they learn about the world. The Midheaven reflects this self awareness.

Psychologically healthy adults have a clear sense of Self, distinguished from Other. They know what their core motivations are, and they know what skills they have to achieve their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual goals. The sign the Midheaven occupies indicates the nature of self-understanding, and provides the springboard from which you can dive into the process of gaining ego consciousness—understanding of what moves you on a deep personal level.

The Midheaven offers a way to understand yourself better, and is key to developing a flexible ego. We all know people who seem brittle and inflexible. We sense that they might “break” if they are pushed too hard in certain areas. Flexibility means developing an ego structure that can withstand the onslaught of life experiences and adapt or adjust to them. Astrology points out one path toward the development of broad-based ego skills, and it describes both the limitations of your ego and the positive potential of self awareness.