Secret 2nd Midheaven

Yes, it’s true - there is more than one way to calculate the Midheaven and most astrology programs only show you one. I wasn’t even aware of the other Midheaven until I went to a lecture by Demetria George at NORWAC last year. It blew my mind and I started incorporating this into my practice with clients and have seen more lightbulbs go off during sessions as something finally clicks into place for folks who have felt torn between their callings. 

For those who don’t know: the Midheaven (sometimes abbreviated as MC) is one of the birth chart’s four angles (the Ascendant or rising, Descendant, and IC being the other angles) and it is the one at the “top” of the chart. It is the angle that is highest in the sky and therefore the most visible part of the chart. So it became associated with the native’s reputation, what other people see and know about you. It can be about career, but it can also be about your other passions that may or may not be paid work. Think of it as the answer to the question, “What do you do?"

So what is this 2nd Midheaven and how do you find it?

It’s formal name is the “nonagesimal” Midheaven (a fancy word that means 90th) and it is very easy to calculate once you know the degree of the Ascendant. It’s 90 degrees away from the Ascendant at the top of the chart - that’s it! If your Ascendant is 10 degrees Aries, then the nonagesimal Midheaven will be at 10 degrees Capricorn. 

I made you a nifty chart to make it even easier to figure out!

Ok so you’ve figured out where it is, but what does it mean?

Bear with me, in order to understand the meaning, I have to dive into some celestial mechanics first. The conventional Midheaven that is displayed in most charts is calculated based on the ecliptic plane aka Earth’s orbit around the Sun. The ecliptic is oriented to the “heavens” says Demetra George and therefore speaks more to one’s soul purpose or spiritual calling. 

The nonagesimal Midheaven is calculated simply based on what the highest point in the sky is relative to the horizon (the ascending or rising sign is always on the horizon). Therefore, the nonagemismal Midheaven is oriented to the Earth and represents one’s Earthly purpose or what will bring the native Earthly success. 

Image from this website that goes into much more detail on the celestial mechanics if you want to really geek out on that.

Now, for many folks, these two Midheavens may be in the same sign or very close to one another and sometimes even at the same degree! That means that your Earthly and soul purpose will likely be aligned - what you feel called to do at a soul level can also bring you Earthly success and meet your material needs. 

Pay close attention though to see if there are any planets that are closer to one or both of these Midheavens because that will have a significant influence over how you relate to that Midheaven and how it manifests throughout your life. For example, if you have Mercury conjunct your ecliptic Midheaven and Mars conjunct your nonagesimal Midheaven both in the sign of Cancer - you may work as a chef  wielding sharp knives and feeding people but you also have a passion for writing poetry that is nostalgic or emotive. 

And then there are the folks whose Midheavens are in completely different signs! For example: If you look at your chart in whole sign houses and your MC is not in the 10th house - then your two Midheavens are in different signs. This means that you may feel pulled between two different callings - one that feeds your soul and feels like a spiritual calling, and one that you are really successful at but it just feels like a job at the end of the day.  

Time for an example! Here is the chart of my teenage idol, Bono, the lead singer of Irish rock band U2 and philanthropist/spokesman for various organizations aimed at fighting extreme poverty and HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Birth chart for Bono: May 10th, 1960 at 2:00am in Dublin Ireland

As you can see, Bono has a Capricorn Ascendant at 23 degrees so his nonagesimal Midheaven would be 90 degrees away at 23 degrees Libra. That means we would expect his Earthly calling to be Libran in nature - oriented towards, beauty, arts, relationship. The ruler of this Earthly Midheaven is Venus, which is in its home sign of Taurus in the 5th house next to Mercury and opposing Neptune. 

Wherever the nonagesimal Midheaven ruler is located, the themes of that house will show up in that person’s work and reputation and the 5th house is associated with creativity and sexuality. So Bono has his Midheaven ruler Venus, the planet of beauty, conjunct Mercury, the planet of expression, in Taurus and he is definitely someone who uses his voice creatively to explore 5th house topics. His stage name Bono is shortened from his teenage nickname “Bonovox” which was the name of a hearing aid store in his hometown of Dublin that means “good voice” in Latin. 

Venus’ opposition to Neptune brings in a glamorous, shapeshifting, and spiritual tone to Venus’ expression as seen in his many different stage personas, lyrics that could be about a beloved and/or the Divine, and literally wearing rose colored glasses. All of this has brought Bono, and the rest of U2, a LOT of Earthly success and they are collectively with a net worth of almost $2 billion USD. 

Bono’s displayed Midheaven (MC), the one based on the ecliptic that denotes his soul purpose or calling, is at 28 degrees Scorpio in the 11th house of groups, friends, and audience. This Midheaven is ruled by Mars, the planet of action and fighting, which is located in Pisces in the 3rd house near the South Node. Mars also happens to trine the Midheaven, creating an even stronger connection between Bono’s spiritual calling and his need to take action. A Scorpio Midheaven in the 11th house denotes someone who works with groups to bring attention to topics that are taboo or difficult for many people to address such as sex, death, and the shadowy parts of human existence. Since the ruler of his Scorpio Midheaven is in Pisces in the 3rd house, this adds a more empathic, global desire to alleviate the suffering of others through 3rd house means such as education, communication, and working on the local level. 

Bono first visited Ethiopia in 1986 with World Vision International where he he developed an education initiative consisting of one-act plays and songs to spread information on health, hygiene and other issues. Since then, he has used his celebrity and audience (11th house) to promote various causes aimed at alleviating poverty and the spread of HIV. In 2006 he started the (RED) campaign which collaborated with businesses to sell red products and donate the proceeds to the Global Fund which fights against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria through grants. While the color red has long been associated with HIV/AIDS because it is a blood borne illness, it also is the color associated with Mars, the red planet. 

Hopefully this example illustrates how someone with the nonagesimal and ecliptic Midheavens in two different signs can pursue multiple callings that may at times seem at odds with one another.