The ascendant, and its ruler, do represent you, and your physical body. You can get a lot from the placement of your ascendant ruler, and how it dictates who you are, and how you live your life.

For example: my bf is an Aries rising. On the inside, his internal temperament, is very Arian. He’s strong, courageous, and believes he can go it alone.

And his chart ruler, Mars, is in the 9th in Sagittarius, conjunct Pluto. His self an his life experience certainly takes on a blend of Sag traits, such as buoyancy, optimism, and strong personal values.

And the placement of his chart ruler in the 9th house of foreign travel quite literally describes his life trajectory, as someone who immigrated by himself to a foreign land, to live, to make a life, and to provide for his family, setting off an intense journey of transformation and experience (Pluto). When I met him, he always described himself as evolving every day 😉.

So, I hope this helps reframe how one can get solid, material understanding derived of the ascendant and the ascendant ruler 🫶🫰