The term Midheaven may invoke thoughts of a popular superhero film franchise, but it is, instead, an astrological term used to define the highest point of transit for a celestial body through a sign. It is the zenith, the sign that was in the middle of the skies when you were born. This is a very critical aspect of your natal chart as it hold a lot of influence over some very important parts of your life. The Midheaven affects the outward appearance areas of your life: career, goals, achievements, status and reputation. It helps you understand your dynamics with authority figures from parents to politicians and how you will react to being an authority figure with employees, children or anyone else over whom you have influence.
Planets in Midheaven
While you don’t want to rely solely on the Midheaven when making a decision – you always want to explore all the effects the different signs and planets are having – it is certainly one of the most important. If you have a planet in the Midheaven, instead of a sign, you will want to look at the sign that planet rules over. Planets are twice as effective as the signs when in the Midheaven, but their affects will be the same as those of the sign they rule, just more powerful and intense.
How to find your Midheaven
Determining your Midheaven when looking for guidance in a career move makes having your birth time critical. Timing when to make a change is just as important, if not more important, than deciding to make the change in the first place. You don’t want to pursue a career change out of frustration when things at your office may be changing and about to improve.
Your Midheaven is a crucial component of your chart. It’s not just your career, but your whole public face that can be affected by it. Because your outwards achievements – goals, career, and reputation – are affected by it, it’s not confined to just career goals, but personal goals and even spiritual goals. Furthermore, the Midheaven explains your responses to stressful situations. Ignoring your Midheaven sign and the goals and desires it forms within you can cause you to feel at odds with yourself and as though you aren’t achieving your life’s purpose.
Does it align with your birth sign?
The signs in Midheaven can seem to be somewhat at odds with your birth sign. They may inspire behaviors that seem out of character for your personality. Just remember, the Midheaven signs are your ‘public persona’ signs. The traits of the Midheaven sign are the traits that you show to strangers on the street, your boss and your co-workers; people who don’t have the time, energy or inclination most of the time to get to know you on a deeper and more personal level. Understanding your Midheaven sign and the traits that it will inspire in you is also a good way to know what pitfalls face you in your career. For example, if you know ahead of time that you tend to be shy in new work situations you will be prepared for that and able to work on seeming more open and friendly when you start a new job!
