An astrologer I met back in Ubud had this great analogy of your rising sign being your boat and the ruler of your rising sign being the captain of this boat. It spoke to me in a funny way.
So I created a little story of my own, I am a Virgo rising with my chart ruler being Mercury. My natal Mercury is in Leo in the 12th house.
My Virgo rising is the boat, the vessel, how I move through the world, how others see me, and how my soul begins the journey on sea (Earth).
I would describe a Virgo boat as precise and humble. Focused on service, discernment, and observation. Designed for efficiency, often underestimating how beautiful and helpful it really is. Wants to understand its surroundings and bring order to the waters
This boat is clean, minimal, and likes maps and tools to navigate. It might look understated on the outside, but it’s deeply intentional and built for healing journeys.
The ruler of this Virgo rising = the Captain: which is my Mercury in Leo in the 12th house.
Now showing my captain, the one steering the boat and choosing direction.
My Mercury is in Leo → which is expressive, bold, heart-centered, radiant. But in the 12th house → hidden, spiritual, intuitive, non-linear, connected to the collective unconscious.
This captain is not shouting orders. She’s in the cabin, dreaming, feeling the wind, listening to sea spirit whispers, connecting to the animals and mermaids, and steering not from logic but from intuition and heart.
The challenge of this combination is that sometimes the Virgo boat wants facts and clear instructions… but the Leo-12th house captain leads through feeling, creativity, and soul whispers.
Which can create an inner tension between wanting clarity/control and needing to surrender to what can’t be understood mentally.
The beauty of this is when these work together, you become a divine vessel for healing: A body that moves intentionally through the world, guided by a soul captain who listens to the unseen.
My daily actions may look humble and grounded but the guiding voice comes from the dream realm, ancestral memory, and inner light.
The map and tools become the inner wisdom and listening to the signs all around.
miracles of the moon ☽ 