The Rising Sign

Rating:
Summary: A fun book, if a bit outdated...
Review: A reviewer below has noted that this book is somewhat outdated in its approach. However, after twenty years as a teacher of the psychic crafts at Santa Fe Community College, and a professional astrologer and tarot reader myself, I still find it fun to read and a good answer to the question "What is the rising sign?"

Rating:
Summary: The Intrigue of a Mask
Review: Coming to grips with a good working knowledge of how to interpret the Rising Sign is one of the things my astrology students find the hardest to accomplish smoothly and professionally. I certainly don't mean the formula for interpreting each of the signs at the house cusp. That's child's play. I mean the pyschological function of the Rising Sign as a mask, its pivotal relationship to the 12th, 1st and 7th houses and its capacity to both attract and filter experiences from the outer world. I have always found Jeanne Avery to be a very entertaining writer, but I think the thing I like most about her "Rising Sign" book is that by the time a student finishes it, ifthey read it cover to cover or least sequentially through each chapter of the people they are interestedin, they will have had a good, thorough walkthrough on how to interpret and tie together an entire chart using the house by house by house method that Avery exemplifies. The glaring flaw in this book -- and I always wonder how it could have possibly been justified -- is that not only does it not take into account intercepted signs, it doesn't even mention that there is such a thing and that it could greatly affect a reading you give yourself or someone else using this book.

Rating:
Summary: The Intrigue of a Mask
Review: Coming to grips with a good working knowledge of how to interpret the Rising Sign is one of the things my astrology students find the hardest to accomplish smoothly and professionally. I certainly don't mean the formula for interpreting each of the signs at the house cusp. That's child's play. I mean the pyschological function of the Rising Sign as a mask, its pivotal relationship to the 12th, 1st and 7th houses and its capacity to both attract and filter experiences from the outer world. I have always found Jeanne Avery to be a very entertaining writer, but I think the thing I like most about her "Rising Sign" book is that by the time a student finishes it, ifthey read it cover to cover or least sequentially through each chapter of the people they are interestedin, they will have had a good, thorough walkthrough on how to interpret and tie together an entire chart using the house by house by house method that Avery exemplifies. The glaring flaw in this book -- and I always wonder how it could have possibly been justified -- is that not only does it not take into account intercepted signs, it doesn't even mention that there is such a thing and that it could greatly affect a reading you give yourself or someone else using this book.

Rating:
Summary: Very enlightening and entertaining.
Review: For those who think that astrological readings consist primarily of your sun sign, that is, the sign determined by your date of birth, this book will be a revelation. This book describes the vital importance to your character of your rising sign, which is determined by the time of your birth as it relates to your sun sign.

The rising sign determines your outward makeup, how you look and react to the outside world -- it determines your emotional make-up. Are you stoic, do you express emotion, do you get overwhelmed by little things, do you know what you are feeling at all, that is determined in large part by your rising sign.

Jeanne Avery writes about each rising sign in a clear, easy-to-understand and very interesting manner which does not make the mistake made by many who write about astology of giving lots of information and theory without enough examples of how it impacts real people in the real world. This book is full of real people and how their lives reflect their rising sign.

I highly recommend this book. I plan to buy some more of Jeanne Avery's books because I liked this one so much.

Rating:
Summary: Don't bother
Review: Most reviews of this book are positive, so I went ahead and bought it, ignoring the first review, which is negative. After receiving and reading this book, I *completely* agree with what that first reviewer had to say! Go back and read it before you buy this book; it is very accurate.

The descriptions of the ascendents read just like descriptions for sun signs. Because the author assumes your chart will use an equal house system, all of the the descriptions of the houses for each ascendent are inaccurate if your chart uses another house system, like mine does. If your chart uses an equal house system, you may find some use for this book. Otherwise, don't waste your money.

Rating:
Summary: Don't bother
Review: Most reviews of this book are positive, so I went ahead and bought it, ignoring the first review, which is negative. After receiving and reading this book, I *completely* agree with what that first reviewer had to say! Go back and read it before you buy this book; it is very accurate.

The descriptions of the ascendents read just like descriptions for sun signs. Because the author assumes your chart will use an equal house system, all of the the descriptions of the houses for each ascendent are inaccurate if your chart uses another house system, like mine does. If your chart uses an equal house system, you may find some use for this book. Otherwise, don't waste your money.

Rating:
Summary: Astrology meets Psychology
Review: This is the most thorough book on the subject of one's Ascendent I have ever found. If a skeptic who's simply read one's sun sign description and thought, "that's not me" read this book, they would have to question their skepticism!

Jeanne Avery takes each ascendent through all 12 houses, so we get a thorough picture of how it influences us in all aspects of our life. This is much more fine-tuned and expansive than just the sun sign! Additionally, she uses an ego-centered psychology paradigm (the name of it escapes me at the moment, sorry!) to explain how the ascendent affects our egos. For instance, some houses speak to our adult ego state, while others represent the inner child. She also includes not only the sign on the cusp of the house, but tells you how this sign affects you more particularly based on where the planet it rules is in your natal chart. This is one of the few astrology books that I have read that made me say yes, that's me, and now I know what I have to work on so that these issues affect me constructively and positively, rather than holding me back.

It is best to read this book with your natal chart already completed. The quick-and-easy guide to your ascendent is as accurate as this kind of guide can be (which is shaky at best), but it's more reassuring to come to the book with this information already at hand. Plus you'll want to know where your planets are house wise, to get the full benefit of Avery's information.

Rating:
Summary: Astrology meets Psychology
Review: This is the most thorough book on the subject of one's Ascendent I have ever found. If a skeptic who's simply read one's sun sign description and thought, "that's not me" read this book, they would have to question their skepticism!

Jeanne Avery takes each ascendent through all 12 houses, so we get a thorough picture of how it influences us in all aspects of our life. This is much more fine-tuned and expansive than just the sun sign! Additionally, she uses an ego-centered psychology paradigm (the name of it escapes me at the moment, sorry!) to explain how the ascendent affects our egos. For instance, some houses speak to our adult ego state, while others represent the inner child. She also includes not only the sign on the cusp of the house, but tells you how this sign affects you more particularly based on where the planet it rules is in your natal chart. This is one of the few astrology books that I have read that made me say yes, that's me, and now I know what I have to work on so that these issues affect me constructively and positively, rather than holding me back.

It is best to read this book with your natal chart already completed. The quick-and-easy guide to your ascendent is as accurate as this kind of guide can be (which is shaky at best), but it's more reassuring to come to the book with this information already at hand. Plus you'll want to know where your planets are house wise, to get the full benefit of Avery's information.