how to find your midheaven

What Is Your Midheaven in Astrology?

You've finished your education, have a job, and are making money. Yet, you still aren't satisfied. Almost every adult struggles with questions such as: "What can I do with my life that's meaningful?" or "What am I passionate about?" and "How can I make my mark on the world?" Your astrological Midheaven answers these questions.

What Is the Midheaven?

The Midheaven (MC), or Medium Coeli, is one of four angles in a natal chart. These four angles create what's called the "Cross of Matter." The qualities of signs on these angles reveal how a person is most likely to deal with their physical world. Along with the Ascendant, Descendant, and Imum Coeli (IC), your MC is one of the most personal points in your birth chart, because it's calculated based on the exact date, time, and location of birth. The Midheaven is located at the top of your birth chart and is usually on the cusp of your Tenth house.

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The Midheaven and Tenth House

The Midheaven and Tenth house can be, but are not necessarily, how you earn your living. The sign on the MC is the role you play to become prominent on the world stage. However, you can also be a big fish in a small pond, and MC can be the role you play to gain prominence in your community, in social situations, or your chosen career field. The MC is hard won and realized over time. What your Midheaven represents:

Your highest aspirations in life
Your calling
Your professional reputation and how you earn it
Your professional goals
How you can gain mastery and authority
How you can best make your mark in the world

To find the astrological sign on your Midheaven, you'll need a birth chart calculated using your complete birth data. You can have one quickly calculated at AstroSeek.

The Sign on Your Midheaven

The sign on your MC gives insight into how you can realize your life's calling. Of course, the ruler of your MC, planets in the Tenth house, and your entire natal chart must be taken into account to understand your Midheaven fully. But understanding the sign on your MC is a good start.

Aries Midheaven

If you have an Aries MC, you should aspire to be an independent self-starter, go-getter, and competitor.

Taurus Midheaven

If you have a Taurus MC, you should aspire to create a stable, predictable, profitable, and pleasurable environment.

Gemini Midheaven

If you have a Gemini MC, you should aspire to influence the public with the spoken or written word.

Cancer Midheaven

If you have a Cancer MC, you should aspire to nurture, comfort, and mentor the young.

Leo Midheaven

If you have a Leo MC, you should aspire to be a leader who stands in the spotlight.

Virgo Midheaven

If you have Virgo MC, you should aspire to put your perfectionist tendencies toward bettering society.

Libra Midheaven

If you have a Libra MC, you should aspire to seek justice, fairness, and equality.

Scorpio Midheaven

If you have a Scorpio MC, you should aspire to investigate, discover the mysteries of life, and transform society.

Sagittarius Midheaven

If you have a Sagittarius MC, you should aspire to wander and wonder and share what you learn with others.

Capricorn Midheaven

If you have a Capricorn MC, you should aspire to be a hard-working and respected leader.

Aquarius Midheaven

If you have an Aquarius MC, you should aspire to be innovative and find new ways of doing and thinking about things.

Pisces Midheaven

If you have a Pisces MC, you should aspire to explore boundaries and shape collective messages, through song, story, nurturing, or spiritual teachings.

Cancer Midheaven Example

Suppose a person with a Cancer MC has a Sagittarius Sun in the second house and Jupiter, the ruler of Sagittarius in the ninth house. This is a person who would be drawn to become a lawyer, and because of the high pay (second house Sun) might choose to be a trial lawyer. But after a few years, he or she wants to do something more personally meaningful with their life and feels a call to segue into the practice of family law and child advocacy (Cancer MC).

Meaningful Work

The MC transcends your day-to-day job and your need for a steady income; it's your calling. A "calling" is the idea that you're summoned to meaningful, socially valued work. The qualities of astrological sign on your MC can provide the foundation for you to develop a sense of meaning and purpose in life. If you're young and haven't felt the calling yet, study your MC and don't worry. Time and transits will take care of that!