If the Moon is in the first house (ascendant), the native will be very handsome looking but unsteady mentally. He will suffer from bodily troubles and will be happy at watery places. He will perform many travels in his 15th year. If the Moon in the Ascendant is in Aries, Taurus or Cancer, the native will be well versed in shastras (Hindu religious scriptures), wealthy, happy and soft spoken. He will have soft skin and strong build but he will not be intelligent. If the Moon is aspected by benefics, the native will be powerful, wise, intelligent, healthy, clever conversationalist and wealthy. If the lord of the ascendant is weak, the native will suffer from ill health. If he is aspected by a benefic the health will be good.
Comments- Moon symbolises beauty. Her placement in the ascendant makes the native very handsome in appearance. Moon is always waning and waxing and represents mind (manaska- raka). The mind of the native will therefore be unsteady. Moon is a watery planet. The native will therefore like watery places.
When the Moon is in Aries in the ascendant, she will be lord of the 4th in the 1st. When she is in Taurus she will be exalted as lord of the 3rd in the 1st. When the Moon is in Cancer she will be in her own sign, in the Ascendant. The effects of these dispositions given are that the native will be versed in shastras, wealthy, happy, a king. He will be soft spoken, will be of strong body but not intelligent. We agree with the author in as far as position of Moon with Aries and Cancer as ascendants but we are not sure that the same will be the case with Taurus as ascendant. The View of Bhavartha Ratnakar in this respect is as under: That is, the Moon in Taurus as ascendant is not particularly good for giving wealth. We also feel that the Moon should be waxing (or full Moon) to give the good results in full.
We also feel that Moon in Scorpio, Libra and Pisces in the Ascendant will also be good because she will be in the ascendant as lord of the 9th, the 10th and the 5th respectively. The reason for the native not being intelligent may be due to the instability of native's mind. If the Moon is aspected by a benefic the native will be powerful, intelligent, wealthy etc. Very good results will accrue when Jupiter is in seventh to Moon (this disposition will give rise to Gajkesari yoga-a very beneficial yoga conferring wealth, name and fame upon the native). For a planet to give good results it is very necessary for the lord of the sign in which it is posited, to be strong and well placed. It is for this reason it is said that if the lord of the ascendant is weak the native will suffer from ill health. He will be quite healthy if the lord of the ascendant gets benefic aspect.
Other Views
Brihat Jatak- The person concerned will be mute, insane, stupid, blind, base or mean, deaf or servile (this does not apply to birth with Moon in Aries, Taurus or Cancer). If the Moon should occupy her own house identical with the Ascendant, the person will be rich. If Aries takes the place of Cancer, the person concerned will have many children. If Taurus be the ascendant, the person will be wealthy.
Phaldeepika- If the Moon of the bright half of the lunar month (Sukla Paksha) is in the ascendant, the native will be fearless, of strong body, wealthy and long lived. Quite opposite will be the results if the Moon is of dark half of the lunar month.
Saravali- If the Moon is in Aries, Taurus or Cancer in the ascendant or if the full Moon is posited in other ascendants, the native will head in handsomeness, generosity, good qualities, wealth and enjoyment.
A waning Moon in the ascendant will make the native mean, deaf, mute and perturbed.
Chamatkar Chintamani- If the Moon be in Aries, Taurus and Cancer in the ascendant, the person concerned will be rich, lustrous and will enjoy all kinds of comforts. If Moon be in Gemini, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces in the ascendant, the native will be poor, weak bodied, stupid and deaf.