The MC is an abbreviation of the Latin term "Medium Coeli," and translates into English as "middle of the sky. It is an angle in our chart that represents approximate noon; when the Sun is at its highest in the sky and is directly opposite the IC. The MC represents represents the qualities we admire and strive towards, how we come to be known in the world, our status, the things that we accomplish or aspire to accomplish, as well as our life's goal. In house systems where the MC marks the cusp of the 10th House, it is also ascribed to to our standing within established society, our careers, and our attitudes towards authority which includes our parents. The MC is the part of ourselves that is most visible to others and describes the general reputation that we come to acquire over the course of our lives.
The IC is an abbreviation of the Latin term "Imum Coeli" and is translated in English as "bottom of the sky." It is an angle in our chart that represents approximate midnight; when direct sunlight is no longer visible. The IC represents our ancestors and what we inherit from them, our foundations, things that lie beneath the surface, as well as our internal structures including our subconscious mind. In house systems where the IC marks the cusp of the 4th House, it is also ascribed to additional themes relating to our home, family-life, and the influence of our parents. The IC is the part of ourselves that is often hidden from the outside world; only seen when a person spends considerable lengths of time with us in intimate environments, such as our home. Due to its associations with the subconscious mind, it is also a part of ourselves that can be difficult to understand, while at the same time being constantly active and very consequential. The IC can be visualized as the roots of a chart, while the MC is the part that has broken ground and culminated; everything accomplished at our MC is a projection of the IC.
Having your IC in Pisces is a very complex one because your perception of your core inner self is as endless as it is mysterious. A lighter manifestation of this IC placement would be someone who is imaginative, sensitive, creative, whimsical and nebulous. You may spend a lot of your private time listening to music, dancing, watching films, writing poetry, painting or any activity that allows you to just get lost in your own imaginary world. You may even have an interest in occult studies. You are aware of the vastness of the subjective human experience and you are highly empathic towards the struggle of others. A heavier or darker manifestation of this IC placement would be someone who is secretly impractical, emotionally unstable, destructive and prone to escapism and self-delusion. You may feel helpless and unable to affect your own environment in a way that establishes proper foundational structures from which to operate because of the fact that you don’t have a firm grasp on who you are
and what it is that you need in order to be secure. This could result in isolation from others and idealism towards your private spaces. You may resort towards escapist activities to avoid dealing with the lack of structure in your private life, including overeating, substance abuse, or even the habit of moving frequently. This can also result in people who rely on others to provide foundational security for them. Causes of this stemming from childhood may be due to growing up in an environment where you may not have been given the tools you felt you needed to develop a solid foundation on which to know and understand yourself. You may not have been paid much attention or conversely, you may have been provided for so much that you never had a chance to learn how to figure out things for yourself.
Having your MC in Virgo is a completely different story. A lighter manifestation of this would be someone who appears to most people as practical, organized, structured, incisive, responsible and critical. In public you often play the role of the remediator; the person who has their life together and has a logical response towards everything. You are the people turn to for practical advice and constructive criticism. You are able to assimilate even the most complex ideas down to the most minute detail and you are highly skeptical towards anything that is not uncertain and logical. A darker side of this placement may manifest in someone who is excessively critical, seemingly obtuse, and unnervingly restricted in their world view. You make people feel as though they are not good enough or that they could never stand up towards your strict standards. You may be known for attempting to improve things that do not require improvement, creating a bigger mess than there was to begin with. The root causes for the negative manifestation of this placement can be attributed to people who don’t want others to see them for the chaotic mess that they really are. They are critical because it shifts attention away from themselves, and they project into the world an ability to improve and structure everything because it’s easier for them to assist others than it is for them to address the part of themselves that is less than ideal and unstructured. The benefits of this placement, is that once you are able to firmly establish a sense of your own needs and structure your life accordingly, you no longer need to excessively criticize others or improve everything. You lead by example and you understand that critical assessment is subjective and must appreciate the context of the situation and the person.
Author Cameron ©
