The first article in my Cross of Matter series.

The four angles in your birth chart—the ascendant (ASC), immum coeli (IC), descendant (DESC), and midheaven (MC)—make up the Cross of Matter. It’s called this because these four angles, and the cross they form, are the foundation of our physical lives. The ASC represents our body, the DESC is where we meet others, the IC connects us to our home, family, and roots, and the MC points to our public image, career, and in today’s world, our personal brand.

It’s like a cocktail party resume. This is my name (ASC), this is where I am from (IC), this is my significant other (DESC) and this is what I do for a living (MC). A very neat, concise way to exchange the basics of our lives in a social setting.

But each of these points mean so much more than who we present ourselves as, where we live, who we share our life with and what we do for work. I intend to do an article on each of the angles viewed through an evolutionary lens, and instead of beginning at the obvious point (the ASC), I’ve opted to go straight to the top. The zenith. The tenth house. I am a Capricorn after all. What else did you expect me to do?

The Foundations of the Tenth House

Imagine the birth chart as a journey through the signs, starting with Aries at the Ascendant. By the time we reach Capricorn, the tenth house, or the MC, we’ve got a good sense of who we are, how to take care of ourselves, what we think, how we feel, how to shine, how to be humble, how to connect with others, how to be intimate with others, and how to look beyond our comfort zone to find meaning in the wider world. The tenth house is where we step out of the big picture and actually get involved. We meet society, cultural norms, governments, and bosses. We need to figure out where we fit in and how we can contribute, function, and thrive within those structures.

Going back to the cocktail party analogy, when you meet someone and they tell you what they do, you automatically form an opinion of them, and begin to build an image in your mind, based on the cultural stereotypes of the time. They’re a lawyer? You assume they drive a European car and would sell their mother down the river to win a case. They’re a surgeon? You assume they have a fleet of European cars and are pleasant if not somewhat emotionally detached. They’re an Instagram influencer? You roll your eyes and head for the buffet. Maybe that’s just me. But you get the idea.

When I was in my mid-30s I was at a dinner party with my then-husband. When the host asked me what I did for work, I told him I was an astrologer. He was momentarily stunned, then replied, “Well, can’t say I’ve ever had an astrologer in my house before. But given you’re otherwise a very level-headed, intelligent girl, I’ll assume there’s something to it. Tell me more.”

I could totally picture my host’s initial idea of an astrologer – a frizzy-haired woman with way too much kohl eyeliner, wearing jingling tie-dyed scarves, luring unsuspecting people into their tent for a crystal ball gazing session. But luckily, my Capricorn ASC was shining bright that night (as it always does), and I came across as a sensible, level-headed, grounded, and even intelligent person.

So even though our MC is only one facet of our physical life, it is a facet that others can polish up and gaze at in order to obtain a more intricate picture of who we really are.

The Soul Level of the Midheaven

A calling is literally work you are called to do. It is work that you feel irresistibly drawn to do, where you feel like your work and purpose are bigger than you and where you care more about the journey than the outcomes.

The concept of a calling is traditionally associated with the religious life. If you are “called to God” you head off as if you have no choice but to answer. You enter the clergy, become a nun or otherwise give up your life in service of God. If He’s called you there must be a reason, right? And who are you to refuse God’s request?

I have no doubt that some people are “called to God”. My doubt is around why we believe we are only called to God and not to anything else.

Enter evolutionary astrology.

Evolutionary astrology is based on the concept that we are animated by a soul with its own agenda. And that agenda is reflected in the birth chart. Once you start asking yourself, “why was I born with a Capricorn Sun?” rather than simply asking, “what does it mean that I was born with a Capricorn Sun?” you begin to experience understand the profound power of evolutionary astrology.

This also goes for transits, particularly the slower, more powerful outer planet transits. Instead of bracing for the sudden upheaval of a hard Uranus transit, you can ask yourself, “what change does my soul need me to make in order for it to move further along its evolutionary path?”

As a side note, the soul always seeks to evolve. It always seeks to move from the lower expression of any planet, sign or aspect to a higher expression of that planet, sign, or placement. So the Uranus transit isn’t a time to cling to things and attempt to rebuild your life exactly as it was before the earthquake. It’s a time to review what you had, what you have left, and how you can mindfully move forward in a more individuated way.

So when it come to the angles, and we ask, “why do I have a Leo midheaven?” the answer becomes clear: “because you are called to do work that is the highest expression of the Leo archetype”.

Simple.

But not always easy.

You see, the other angles, not to mention the planets and their relationships to each other, all want to have their say in what work you do. And they can have their say. But they need to stay in their lane.

In the same way the MC sign and aspects serve the remainder of the chart, and life, the other angles and aspects can be viewed as assistants to the calling of the MC. If this sounds complex, it is, and only a full chart reading can tease out the precise nuances.

For the purpose of this article, I’m sticking to a “cookbook” description of each of the MC signs. If you’re familiar with astrology, you can extend this by looking to the planet ruling the MC for a broader and deeper picture.

What follows is the essence of what each sign on the MC is called to do, or bring to their worthy work. This is not a list of jobs, roles or careers. It’s not “Libra should be a mediator”, or “Leo should be an actor”, or “Capricorn should be a CEO”. It’s the highest expression of the energy of each sign, distilled down into an essence of what you are called to express in your career or worthy work.

Your Calling By Midheaven Sign

Aries on the MC – you are called to courageously assert yourself and be prepared to fight for your freedom; work at something you are prepared to die for. You are called by passion to be bold, pioneering, independent, assertive and to push boundaries.

Taurus on the MC – you are called to simplify and beautify, to honour nature in all its silent beauty, to return to nature, preserve it, get your hands dirty and rely on your five physical senses. You are called to be sensual, calm, keep things simple, natural, honest, and to trust your instincts and your first impressions.

Gemini on the MC – you are called to follow your curiosity wherever it leads, to learn, to talk, to listen, to write, to read and ultimately to deliver your message to the world. You are a natural storyteller and are called to communicate in whatever ways feel authentic to you. 

Cancer on the MC – you are called to be the heartbeat of a venture, place or home, the heart and soul, the one committed to keeping everyone together and committed. You are called to bring kindness, sweetness and self-care to your work, along with gentleness, nurturance and a tolerance and understanding of moods.

Leo on the MC – you are called to be creative, to play, to step into the spotlight, attract attention and to shine with your full star power. Your calling involves confidently expressing yourself in a vulnerable way that elicits applause from others. You are called to be front and centre and to leave your mark on the world.

Virgo on the MC – you are called to wherever you are of use, to analyse, improve, perfect, to polish skills and ultimately to mentor others. You are called do worthy work, where service, precision, analysis, detail and craft are the order of the day.

Libra on the MC – you are called to make the world a more beautiful and loving place. You are called to beauty, art, creativity, connection, peace, paradox, aesthetics. You are called to connect people with themselves or with each other and you are also called to establish peace and restore equilibrium

Scorpio on the MC – you are called to bring depth, passion, intensity and insight to your work, to be brutally honest, break taboos, to look into others as deeply as you look within yourself, and to venture to the shadow side of human nature. You go where you are obsessed, where truth and honesty is valued and where your special brand of magic is lauded.

Sagittarius on the MC – you are called to an eternal quest for the the meaning of life, where novel experiences expand your life beyond its known boundaries and where you can have mind-stretching experiences. You are called by transcendence, by belief, optimism, faith, hope, adventure and meaning.

Capricorn on the MC – you are called to build something solid and lasting, to scale mountains, to undertake a great work, to leave a legacy that reflects your wisdom and integrity. You are called to be patient, disciplined, to work where accomplishment is measured objectively and where there is a focus on results.

Aquarius on the MC – you are called to think outside the box, and create something that the world has never before seen or experienced. You are called to work that questions authority and refuses to accept “that’s just how things are”. You are called to where you can be independent, visionary, original, authentic, eccentric and non-conformist.

Pisces on the MC – you are called to mystical experiences, creative and artistic endeavours as spiritual paths, and psychic phenomena. You are called to where you can surrender yourself to something larger than yourself, and where the work is lead by compassion, grace, dreams, spirituality, mysticism, and inspiration.

What is your Midheaven sign? Did the description of your calling resonate with you? If not, sit with it for a bit and reconsider. It was while working on this article that I realised that I’d heard the call of my own MC years ago and not answered it!

Send me an email or drop your experience in the comments. I’d love to hear how this landed with you.