Redefining the Angles Part 3: Understanding the Descendant in Astrology

This is Part 3 of a 4-part series. If you’d like to read the earlier articles, start with Part 1: Understanding the Ascendant in Astrology, then Part 2: Understanding The IC in Astrology.

Examining the Descendant / 7th House Cusp

The Ascendant/Descendant axis is the self/other axis. You cannot have one without the other. Descendant (which is usually the 7th house cusp) is complex. On one hand, it is about meeting another person who is different from us. On the other hand, it reveals how the people who come into our lives reflect something about ourselves. They act as a mirror. Every encounter—easy or difficult, harmonious or hostile—is an opportunity to learn.

This house rules open enemies as well as partners and mates, including both marriage and divorce. It governs cooperation and competition, agreements and contracts, and also lawsuits. It is how we form alliances and agents, those who speak on our behalf.

Why Does It Matter

The essence of the Descendant is not just about “the other,” but about what is created when we partner. It’s about “we.” This is where the tension between independence and dependence emerges. Can we create interdependence without losing individuality? This is why the work of the 1st through 6th Houses matters—so that when we step into relationships, we can engage fully without losing ourselves.

Relationships often seem to just happen to us. But the higher expression of the Descendant is when two autonomous people, each with a positive sense of self, consciously choose to join together for a shared, creative purpose. This is the ground for true collaboration.

"Imagine connecting with another person in the way described above, but now for the purpose of transforming and moving into higher consciousness."

The Spiritual Dimension

This potential can extend into the spiritual realm. Imagine connecting with another person in the way described above, but now for the purpose of transforming and moving into higher consciousness. In this kind of union, both individuals consciously encourage and support each other’s evolution, individually and together. The quality of such a connection can be profound.

"This is where the tension between independence and dependence emerges. Can we create interdependence without losing individuality?"

From Self to Shared Creation

The Descendant reminds us that who we are is shaped and expanded through relationship. These connections are not only reflections of ourselves, but also spaces where something entirely new can be born—something that could not exist without both “I” and “You.”

In the next and final part of this series, we will explore the Midheaven, or 10th House cusp, where our focus shifts from the personal and relational to our public presence and greater life contribution.