Physical Appearances

Article: Physical Appearances by Ron Bippus

© 2007 Ron Bippus. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission by the author is strictly prohibited.1

Physical AppearancesBy Ron Bippus

In astrological tradition, the ascendant has been associated with appearancesince the time of Claudius Ptolemy, who defined 10 degree segments of theascendant as "FACES". Yet it seems even well known British astrologer WilliamLilly failed to recognize the importance of decanates. He used them in his horarywork, but failed to see their usefulness in describing physical appearance. Lilly'sdescriptions of rising sign appearances are quite accurate, but his lack ofawareness of decanates limits the usefulness of his work to one decanate perrising sign. The connection between a given rising sign and physical appearanceseems logical, but none of the planetary rulerships are applicable. I becamesufficiently intrigued by the absence of information to begin my own researchproject. While there are several books on the market which profess to giveinsights into physical appearance, the only one of any value in my opinion, is"Man and the Zodiac" by David Anrias. He makes the observation that thephysical appearance varies according to the decanate of the rising sign, (faces),and does NOT remain fixed for the entire sign. Despite some very accurateobservations on his part, he failed to develop a theory which would tie his ownobservations into a logical structure. He dismissed conjunctions as irrelevant,thereby creating a new source of error. He also failed to rectify his charts, andends up describing the wrong decanate on several occasions. It is obvious thatsome of his descriptions are based on the work of William Lilly, author of"Christian Astrology". As well, neither of the above authors took intoconsideration such aspects as oppositions, quincunxes and semi-sextiles, all ofwhich affect appearance. In short, any planet within 30 degrees of the ascendantor descendant will affect or modify the appearance expected from the risingdecanate alone in some way. This is true whether the planet is in a recognizableaspect to the ascendant or not. With some planets the effect is radical, withothers it is barely noticeable. Strangely enough, the major Ptolemaic aspects donot change appearance in the least.

Using the idea of decanates as a basis, I carried on my own research for severalyears. It soon became apparent that one of the main problems was uncertainty ofan accurate time of birth. Since physical appearance can vary drastically fromone decanate to the next, reliance on the birth time alone for chart accuracy issimply not possible. I use True Solar Arc Directions for rectification, which givesme the correct degree and minute of the ascendant, after using a rectificationgraph to get me in the ball park. This results in a birth time accurate to the



nearest second of time. Directions give dates for physical events, and aren'tdependent on psychological experiences. I began to realize that 95% of the chartscalculated on the basis of the client's given birth time were in fact rounded off tothe nearest half hour. Armed with this knowledge, I was soon able to startmaking sense of a very tangled situation.

Decanates rely on a rulership scheme in which the first decanate of the sign isruled by itself. The next two decanates are ruled by the next two signs of thesame element in the sequential zodiacal order. There is no similarity between thephysical appearance of a rising sign and the appearance of the ruling planetconjunct the ascendant, and planets on the MC are equally irrelevant. Theplanetary aspects which had a strong influence were conjunctions andoppositions to the ascendant, and semi-sextiles and quincunxes. As well, planetsin adjacent decanates to the Ascendant/Descendant axis also bring in theappearance characteristics of that decanate, even if they are in another sign, andtoo close for a normal aspect. Plotted on a chart, this means that any planetwithin 30 degrees of the ascendant/descendant axis, whether it is above or belowthe horizon, will affect the appearance. I use an orb of six degrees for semi-sextiles and quincunxes. In most rising sign decanates it is NOT the appearanceof the face that is the key, but the body build, height and weight. This is true evenof non European races, but it is very difficult to find charts that do not have aplanet within a thirty degree arc of the ascendant/descendant axis.

The mutable ascendants are of course the most variable in appearance, and thisis why they are referred to as mutable or changeable. When aspected by planetsin other signs, they take on almost all of the appearance of that other sign. Thecardinal are at least recognizable despite the aspects, and the fixed signs are leastaffected by planetary aspects.

The logical framework that ties together the three signs of the same element isreally quite simple. The first decanate of Aries is the Aries decanate which sharessome appearance characteristics with the Aries decanate of Leo and the Ariesdecanate of Sagittarius. Similarly, the Leo decanate of Aries shares its looks withthe Leo decanate of Leo and the Leo decanate of Sagittarius. The Sagittariusdecanate of Sagittarius shares its appearance with the Sagittarius decanate ofAries and the Sagittarius decanate of Leo. This connection is so strong that theAries decanate of Aries, for example, has more in common with the Ariesdecanate of Sag than with the Leo decanate of Aries.

The same logic holds true for the signs of the other 3 elements. In theory, onecould derive the appearances of all the decanates by knowing only the firstdecanate of each rising sign. However, the characteristics which carry over from



the other signs of the same element do not follow a predictable pattern. Some ofthe expected characteristics show up, but others are unique.ARIES

The Aries decanate of Aries has a short to medium talland slim body. The long slim nose curves smoothly into (often) heavy curvedeyebrows. The overall effect is startlingly like the glyph of Aries stamped ontothe face. The neck is longer than average, with well muscled shoulders and thickhair. The head is often carried forward of the body, and the face may have smallscars, moles, or blemishes due to illness or injury. The shape of the nose andeyebrows is the characteristic carried over into the other Aries decanates of theother fire signs.

The Leo decanate of Aries is medium to tall in height, with aslim build and a slim straight nose. The Aries and the Leo combine to produce anice slim body which looks very much like the Leo decanate of Leo. The womentend to be on the thin side.



The Sagittarius decanate of Aries has a short and stockybuild, and rarely has the height height of Sagittarius. If there is a quincunx fromScorpio or semisextile from Pisces, this person can be very short to outright tiny.The face has distinctively broad and angular planes, which are very attractive,especially in women.

TAURUS

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The Taurus decanate of Taurus is



medium tall to tall, with medium shoulders and bony build. The forehead isbroad, and the eyes are widely spaced. The women tend to be flat chested, andboth genders can be rather thin. Taurus rising women do NOT have large cowlike breasts or eyes. Amelia Earhart is a good example of the body type.

The Virgo decanate of Taurus is obvious by its slimbuild and shortness, making for a tiny person. The face is round and small, andthe nose is soft and broad, just like the Virgo decanate of Virgo. Bill Tierney is awell known astrologer.

The Capricorn decanate of Taurus is small to medium inheight and slim to medium in build. Look for the strong rounded jaw and facewhich is the hallmark of Capricorn. Dionne Warwick is a well known singer.



GEMINI

The Gemini decanate ofGemini is of medium to tall in height and very broad and heavy boned. There isa distinct tendency to plumpness and obesity here. Another prominent feature isa very broad jaw, but not a big chin. The arms are fairly long, with short feetand podgy hands. The nose is often straight and pointed. Alphee Lavoie is a wellknown astrologer.

The Libra decanate of Gemini has a broad build, andis medium tall to tall in height. The eyelids often droop on the outside corners,giving the appearance of pointing up in the middle. The heavy Gemini jaw showsup here as THE BIG CHIN. The eyebrows often move up in the center while theperson is talking. The nose is fairly strong and prominent. Brian Mulroney is theformer Prime Minister of Canada.



The Aquarius decanate of Gemini is short to medium to tallin height, and slim, with the characteristic straight (pointed) Aquarius nose. Theoverall effect is of someone thin and birdlike, who seems smaller than actualheight. Obesity is very common in this decanate with a quincunx from Scorpio.All three decanates are mentally quick, curious, and have a very direct andfearless gaze. Bruce Springsteen is a well known singer.

CANCER

The Cancer decanate of Cancer is usually very tall and robust,with a long straight nose and heavy straight or bushy eyebrows. The overalleffect is of a owlish face with (often) bushy eyebrows accentuating the owlishappearance. If the colouring is light, the brows are light as well. The height formen is 6' to 6'6", and even the women often attain a height of 5'7" to 5'10". NoelTyl is a famous astrologer.



The Scorpio decanate of Cancer is slim to outrightskinny, and medium to tall in height. The eyes seem to be very round and thenose is straight and pointed. The cheeks can be plump, despite the slimnesselsewhere. The body is relatively long as compared to the legs. Bill Gates is theowner of Microsoft.

The Pisces decanate of Cancer carries with it the broadheavy frame of the Pisces, along with a broad face and medium height. Whileplumpness is not mandatory here, it's certainly extremely common. Both genderstend to have round faces and pale complexions, with relatively large eyes.

LEO

The Leo decanate of Leo is medium tall to tall, slim andwiry. A slightly aquiline (hook) nose is common here, and the face is often thin



or narrow. The hair is usually combed back flat at the sides, with a greatherlength at the back. I have rarely seen the big bushy lion mane of hairstyle whichastrological myth attributes to Leo rising. Celine Dion has long hair but brushesit straight back. While a horse mane is the usual style, the bushy lion mane existsonly in myth.

The Sagittarius decanate of Leo is marked by great height (6' andup in men), as well as a very broad body, with a weight well upward of 200 lb.This decanate is impressive for its sheer size and even the women are tall ( 5'7"to 5'10") and husky. The face is often rosy cheeked, and fair hair is common.This gentleman is 6'2'' and weighs 240 lb.

The Aries decanate of Leo has a short and stocky bodyshape, with either an aquiline or button nose. The short body and shape of noseare the key physical elements to look for.



VIRGO

The Virgo decanate of Virgo is very small, and tinymight be a better description. They appear to have a round, small, soft face, anda broad, soft nose.

The Capricorn decanate of Virgo is small tomedium tall with a medium build, with few if any notable peculiarities. The noseis the most obvious characteristic, with a depressed or very low bridge, andsometimes the reverse, with a hawk nose. Sheena Easton is a well known actress.



The Taurus decanate of Virgo is generally medium tall to tall, witha slim build, and a peculiar droop to the outside corner of the eyes. The nose islong, straight, and prominent. George Bush Senior is a good example of the bodytype.

LIBRA

The Libra decanate of Libra is tall to very tall, with afairly robust frame. There is a peculiar almond shape to the eyes with eyelidsthat droop in the corners, and short curved eye brows. The face is generallyround, and plumpness or obesity is common here. Bill Clinton is the formerpresident of the USA.



The Aquarius decanate of Libra has the slim build andstraight nose of Aquarius, combined with a medium to tall body.

The Gemini decanate of Libra is short to medium in height,but slim. There is some evidence of the robust Gemini jaw. A slightly aquilinenose is very common here. Princess Anne of England typifies the appearance..

SCORPIO

The Scorpio decanate of Scorpio is slim of build, andshort to medium in height. The nose is often sharp and pointed, and the gazevery intense. Bruce Jenner was the decathlon champiuon for 1976.



The Pisces decanate of Scorpio has a broad build, and theface is broad and square with large eyes. The neck is fairly thick and long, andthe legs are somewhat bowed. The height is tall to very tall and broad, and theover-all impression is of someone slightly overweight but fairly good looking. Forthose born in the forties and fifties, the Neptune semi-sextile from Libra cancause some confusion in appearance. Erin Sullivan is a famous astrologer.

The Cancer decanate of Scorpio is medium tall, combinedwith the Scorpio slimness. The nose here is often, if not always, aquiline.

SAGITTARIUS

Sagittarius decanate of Sagittarius is usuallymedium tall to tall, (5'10" in men) but appearstaller because of a very slim and wiry body. Thethighs, and sometimes the hips tend to be broad.The bridge of the nose is very narrow, with thesparse eyebrows sometimes slanting up in themiddle. The head appears relatively smallcompared to the body. The men are inclined tobaldness. Lloyd Robertson is a famous Canadiannews anchor.



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The Aries decanate of Sagittarius is really quite peculiar.Here we have the slim Sagittarius body shape, combined with three possiblefacial appearance phases. Phase 1 has the heavy curved and sometimes bushyeyebrows and slim face of the Aries decanate of Aries. Arlene Nimark is a wellknown astrologer.

Phase 2 has a slightly broader face, with a nose which curvessmoothly rather than having a low bridge, and heavier than usual brow ridgestopped by fairly ordinary or even light eyebrows. The women with this decanatevery often lack the heavy brow ridges so common in the men. The curve of thenose makes the low bridge less obvious here. Both phases are medium tall (5'8"-5'10") in men, 5'2" to 5'4" in women. Marion March is a well known astrologer.

Phase 3 has a very low bridge to the nose, and brows thatslant up in the center. As in most cardinal decanates, the nose is the focus andmost variable element in the appearance.



The Leo decanate of Sagittarius is medium tall to tall, witha peculiarly short slim nose. The bridge is almost missing here, but there are noemphasized brow ridges. This decanate is very sensitive to quincunxes fromCancer, which seem to result in obesity, which is very common here. The womenseem to vary from short to medium tall, and are on the whole much smaller thanthe men.

CAPRICORN

The Capricorn decanate of Capricorn is medium in height, and themen can be quite husky, with the women a lot slimmer. The facehas a broad forehead and a rounded chin and nose and the womenare somewhat stocky. The men tend to thin hair and baldness.

. The Taurus decanate of Capricorn is tall and slim but heavy-boned and with a long slim neck. The skin is often dry or blemished, and the faceis lean and slender with a narrow chin and an aquiline or pointed nose.



The Virgo decanate of Capricorn is very small in height andslim in build. The face has the Virgo softness and roundness to it, with a slightnose which broadens at the tip.

AQUARIUS

The Aquarius decanate of Aquarius is tall, with a slim build.The face has a long straight nose, with thin curved eyebrows. The legs andthighs are often heavily muscled. Fair hair is very common here. This decanateis likely to appear very small to tiny if there are any planets in the Geminidecanate, or semi-sextiles from Pisces.



The Gemini decanate of Aquarius is of medium heightand stocky, and can be very broad. A very robust frame can easily acquire excessweight. The long, straight Aquarius nose is much in evidence here.

The Libra decanate of Aquarius is tall to very tall, with aheavy frame. Like the Sagittarius decanate of Leo, these people are impressivefor their sheer size. Six foot to six foot six is expected, with a weight in excess of200 lb or more for the men. The forehead is broad, with the droopy Libraeyelids and eyebrows. The nose is the slim and long one characteristic ofAquarius, and the cheeks are often ruddy. The overall effect is that of a verymassive individual. Even the women can be in 5'10" and 150 lb.



PISCES

The Pisces decanate of Pisces has a broad, stocky bodyand is medium to tall in height. The body weight varies from pleasantly plump togrossly obese. The nose and face are usually broad and rounded, with a palecomplexion and large eyes. Because this is the mutable decanate, it is also themost variable. With oppositions from planets in late Leo, this decanate is oftenvery small instead.

The Cancer decanate of Pisces is tall and slim, with generallystraight and heavy eyebrows, which can be curved as well. Sometimes the heavybuild and weight from the Pisces decanate carry over.

The Scorpio decanate of Pisces is short to medium inheight and weight, and usually slim in youth, but tends toward plumpness in



middle age. The rounded nose and face of the Pisces decanate are retained. Theeyebrows are often short and heavy.

PLANETARY ASPECTS TO THE ASCENDANT

The previous descriptions apply only to those people with an unaspectedascendant. By this I mean no conjunctions or oppositions to the Ascendant andno Semi-sextiles or Quincunxes to the Ascendant-Descendant axis. I have NOTseen any physical correlation with any other aspects, such as sextile, square, andtrine. I must point out that only about 3% of the population has an unaspectedascendant. This makes research into "pure" ascendants very difficult, anddetermining the ascending sign from the appearance impossibly complex.

The twelve rising signs, with three decanates each, account for only thirty-sixbasic appearance types. Obviously, there have to be many more factors in orderto yield the infinity of different faces and bodies. The conjunction of planets withthe ascendant or descendant (opposition) can drastically alter the appearanceone would otherwise predict from the ascending decanate alone.

PLANETS CONJUNCT THE ASCENDANT

Sun conjunctions merely force conformity to the ascendingdecanate, if they occur in the same decanate as the ascendant. They conferenormous vitality, confidence and physical strength. There is also a tendency tophysical action and to give in to physical pleasures. The appearance becomestypical of that decanate, even if there are other aspects to the ascendant. WayneGretzky, with the Sun on his ascendant in Aquarius, is well known for hisphysical energy and achievements as a hockey player.



The Moon brings with it a rounded face, with deep sunkeyes and high, emphasized cheekbones. The cheeks but NOT the body areusually plump, but the extent of this factor depends on the particular decanate inwhich it appears. The hands and fingers are generally short, and this person isnot inclined to physical action.

Mercury conjunctions result in a VERY muchshorter and slimmer body. The face is small and the forehead is high. There is atendency to be very restless and talkative, as if trying to deal with ants in thepants, and hands and fingers are often used when talking. Judy Garland wasonly 4'9', so the most important physical fact is not her facial appearance but hervery small size.

Venus conjunctions cause a soft and almost always a verygood looking face with soft, red, sensuous lips. The lower lip is often fuller and



appears to be pouting. Look for a very pleasant voice and very slow, measuredspeech. There is grace in both speech and movement, and this person loves toflirt. The complexion is often pale, with dimples on the face. The body is wellproportioned and attractive, and this person is fussy about appearance. AngelinaJolie is well known for her acting career, as well as her famous father, JohnVoight.

Mars on the Ascendant results in a decidedly plumpand sturdy body and enormous physical energy and strength. As well, we expectand get the characteristic aggressiveness of Mars expressed loud and clear.Sometimes the eyebrows are extra heavy or bushy, and the eyes have apenetrating gaze. William Lilly refers to this as having a fierce countenance, andthere may be small scars on the face. Both face and body are often, but notnecessarily plump. The hair may be red or auburn if Mars is within 30 degrees ofthe ascendant, so there is good reason for the traditional association of red hairand hot temper. Without mitigating aspects, the voice will be loud and assertive,and the whole personality tends to be impetuous and careless.

J upiter conjunctions result in a broad and roundedface, short and robust body, and very heavy curved eyebrows high on theforehead. This makes it appear that the eyes are much larger than normal. The



nose is rather broad, and men with this placement tend to bald early. Theexpression is very confident, with a distinct touch of arrogance.

Saturn on the ascendant produces a tall, slim andhard body, and a long, bony face. The complexion is often pale, and the lips veryfull. The physical movements are slow and deliberate. Jamie Lee Curtis is a wellknown actress, and from both views provided it is obvious that she fits thedescription very well.

Uranus sometimes reduces body height,where it would be expected to be tall, and gives the eyes a strange electricintensity, or an equally disconcerting calm and detached gaze.



Neptune causes a flare to the nostrils whichvaries from a cute button nose to a wide flare if combined with other aspects.Neptune may also be the only planet whose trines and sextiles to the ascendantare effective in producing appearance changes, and often produce the samebutton nose as Neptune conjunctions. In children, look for the button nose, whichgrows a little longer as puberty is reached, but never looses the soft button end.

Pluto's main effect is to give deepset, brooding eyes, andthe bridge of the nose is very narrow, making the eyes rather close. PrinceCharles is well known for his romantic misadventures and and his overcontrolledchildhood.

OPPOSITIONS

One of my most surprising discoveries was the realization that planets conjunctthe Descendant (Opposite the Ascendant) have an equally powerful effect onappearance. Since the ascendant and descendant are in fact the same axis, itstands to reason that a planet conjoining either end should have a very powerfuleffect. However, planets on the descendant also bring in the appearance of thesign (decanate) of the descendant as well as adding the appearance of the planet.This can make analyzing the appearance very complex.



INCONJUNCTS

This explained a great many correlations between chart and physicalappearance, but left many questions unanswered. There had to be moreinfluences on the ascendant. After accumulating several hundred charts, andporing over them repeatedly, I finally realized that the aspect which I waslooking for is the INCONJUNCT. INCONJUNCTS bring in certain physicalcharacteristics peculiar to the sign rather than the planet aspecting theascendant. The following pages are an attempt to present the many semi-sextilesand quincunxes in an orderly and logical manner. I must point out that some ofthem are derived from my experience with the various rising signs, rather thanhaving all been observed personally. The effect of the quincunxes and semi-sextiles depend on the decanate where they originate, and the decanate of theascending sign. It would be wrong to assume the effect is the same over the wholerising sign. While my knowledge of the appearance characteristics of the manydifferent ( 36 x 4 ) semi-sextiles and quincunxes is still limited, I will attempt tolist them as I know them.

With Aries ascending, the Taurus semi-sextile brings with it the smoother, lessdistinct Taurean features, which include larger size and more weight, dependingon the decanate. The Pisces semi-sextile brings with it the heavy weight/ obesityof that ascending sign. Quincunxes from Scorpio and Virgo both result in a muchsmaller than expected body size and weight, which makes the Aries ascendingrather tiny. Again, look for the size to vary with the decanates. Since both thefirst decanate of Scorpio and Virgo are very small, the first decanate of Aries willbe the smallest under quincunx influence.

Taurus ascending with an Aries semi-sextile is smaller and slimmer thanexpected. With a Gemini semi-sextile, the robust build of Taurus and the stockybuild of Gemini result in a very large body, and obesity may be a problem. TheLibra quincunx brings in the characteristics of tall and broad size, while with theSagittarius quincunx weight is often a problem.

Gemini rising with a Taurus semi-sextile is very much like Taurus rising withGemini semi-sextile. The body is tall and robust, with a distinct tendency forweight problems. The Cancer semi-sextile slims the body a great deal. TheCapricorn quincunx slims the body tremendously, and the result can be quitegood looking. The Scorpio quincunx, especially from the middle or last decanateof Scorpio, can bring weight problems. Obesity is often always the result.

Cancer rising with a Gemini semi-sextile is somewhat heavier and shorter thanexpected. With a Leo semi-sextile, this ascendant becomes even slimmer thannormal. With the Sag quincunx, weight problems and obesity are common. The



Aquarius quincunx only changes the appearance a little bit, adding some weight,especially in the last decanate. Look for the curved eyebrows typical of Aquariusin the first decanate.

Leo rising with a Cancer semi-sextile again has no tremendous changes,depending mainly on the decanate. With a Virgo semisextile, especially from thefirst decanate, the appearance changes drastically. The body is very muchshorter than would otherwise be expected. With a quincunx from Pisces, thebody again becomes very short, and the face has a short, broad nose. The overalleffect is someone tiny. The Capricorn quincunx brings in the very broad frameand face, and heavy bones of that sign, and the eyes are often droopy.

With Virgo rising and a Leo semi-sextile, the body is taller and slimmer,especially in the first decanate. The Libra semi-sextile does a similar job, exceptthat the body is heavier and more robust. With a quincunx from Aries, the bodyis taller and slimmer, whereas the Aquarius quincunx results in a body bothtaller and heavier than the tiny Virgo.

Libra rising with a semi-sextile from Virgo is very much smaller than expected.The Scorpio semi-sextile has much the same effect, but look for the middledecanate of Scorpio to add weight as well as reducing height. The Taurusquincunx doesn't change much, just adding a little bulk and height to the Libraslimness. The Pisces quincunx, however, drastically reduces both height andweight, and the result is a fairly slim and small person.

Scorpio rising with a Libra semi-sextile is usually taller and slimmer than thissign would ordinarily suggest. The Sag semi-sextile has a similar effect. TheGemini quincunx is one of the most powerful of all the rising sign aspects. Thesize and weight of the Gemini are added to the Scorpio, resulting in great heightand weight, with more than a little tendency for obesity. The Aries quincunxworks just the reverse, reducing both height and weight. Since the first decanateof Scorpio is already small, this can make for a very tiny person.

Saggitarius rising with a Scorpio semi-sextile, especially from the seconddecanate, usually has a great deal more weight than otherwise expected. With theCapricorn semi-sextile, there is a greater tendency for stockiness and heavybones. With the Taurus quincunx, the body is much heavier and more robust.With the Cancer quincunx, the face is changed drastically. It becomes softer andbetter looking, and the eyebrows take on the very heavy, curved shape of theCancer, or sometimes straight and bushy.

Capricorn rising with a Sag semi-sextile is slimmer and taller, as is the tendencyfor an Aquarius semi-sextile. The Gemini quincunx brings in the heavy Gemini



jaw, and softens the somewhat harsh Capricorn face. The Leo quincunxincreases the height and width of the otherwise rather short Capricorn.

Aquarius rising with a Capricorn semi-sextile changes the face and bodyaccording to the decanate. As well, often the eyes acquire an almost orientalslant, and the nose is shorter, with a bobbed look to it. The Pisces semi-sextile,especially from the first decanate, brings with it the expected plumpness of thePisces, yet the slim Aquarian build remains. The Virgo quincunx, especially fromthe first decanate, drastically reduces the height, while keeping the slimness. Thisgives a tiny, almost birdlike appearance. The Cancer quincunx appears to add alittle weight, especially to the hips and thighs. The face remains typicallyAquarian, and the body retains its height and slimness.

Pisces rising with an Aquarius semi-sextile makes for a slimmer but still plumpand taller body. The pointed Aquarius nose is carried over. With an Aries semi-sextile, the relative slimness remains, but the height does not increase, since Ariesis not that tall itself. The Leo quincunx makes for a tall and slim body, whichappears much more like a typical Leo than a typical Pisces. The Libra quincunxalso adds height, as well as superimposing the broad Libra build. The broadflared nose of the Pisces ascendant remains, but the plumpness of the Piscesdisappears.

One more peculiarity came to my attention. A planet in the first or twelfth house,but in the previous or following decanate, brings in some of the physicalcharacteristics of that decanate, even though the planet is not close enough byorb for a conjunction, or even in the same sign. This seems to show that anyplanet within 30 degrees of the ascendant or descendant will significantly affectphysical appearance, bringing with it some of the characteristics of thatdecanate, as well as the planetary influence if it is close enough by orb (5 degrees)for a conjunction.

This finally seemed to complete the list of astrological factors affecting physicalappearance. To sum it up, there are 12 signs, each with 3 decanates, which can beaffected by any one or more of 10 planets on the ascendant, and 10 planets on thedescendant with accompanying decanate modifications. There are also 4 possiblesemi- sextiles to the ascendant/descendant which can alter the appearancedrastically. As well, there may be 4 planets in adjacent decanates influencingappearance. This totals 64 different factors, which comes out to a possible 1.27 x10 to the 90th different appearance types. This number is greater than thenumber of atoms in the known Universe, and means for all practical purposesinfinity. Multiply this by the many different racial and ethnic groups, each withtheir own separate baseline of physical appearance, and it becomes obvious thatguessing the rising sign from physical appearance alone is simply not practical.



However, predicting the general appearance from an accurate chart is not onlypossible, but is a great help in determining the correct ascendant. Let me warnyou that blending the many factors mentioned into a correct prediction of thephysical appearance is a very complex task. It takes a great deal of practice tobecome proficient. It is a lot like learning to play the piano, knowing how to readthe sheet music doesn't make you a concert pianist overnight.

The above descriptions apply to people of Northern European origin only, but intheory, the astrological aspects should affect all races equally. However, it isobvious that the different genetic backgrounds necessitate tailoring the abovedata to fit each racial group. There are also families which appear to have theirown genetic baseline, with everyone appearing to be as alike as peas in a pod. Forthis reason, the aforementioned description will work only about 80% of thetime. As well, there is what I call a "Heinz 57", someone with so many aspects tothe ascendant that any attempt to predict appearance becomes hopelesslyimpossible.

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