Ascendant

Let's try to understand the ascendant or the rising sign (1st house of Vedic astrology) in detail:

There are five koshas or five subtle bodies which are layers of a human being described in yogic philosophy. 

Annamaya Kosha-- the physical body made of food (rice is known as Anna) and matter—bones, muscles and organs

Pranamaya Kosha-- the energy body composed of prana or life force, which governs breath and vitality. 

The Manomaya Kosha-- is the mental sheath, governs thoughts, emotions, desires, and sensory processing—essentially the domain of the everyday mind. 

Vijnanamaya Kosha-- the layer of wisdom and discernment, home to intuition and deeper understanding. 

Anandamaya Kosha-- the bliss body, which is the most subtle and represents pure joy, peace and the experience of the true self or the soul beyond ego and thought.

The Moon in Vedic astrology is related to the Manas or Manomaya Kosha-

The astral body corresponds to subtle and energetic counterpart to the physical body. It is closely connected to both the subconscious mind and the Manomaya Kosha in yogic and metaphysical traditions. Astral means 'relating to or resembling the stars'. It corresponds to the Soma mandala or the Mandala of the nakshatras, which help us navigate our life through our subconscious mind 

The subconscious mind, meanwhile, operates below the surface of conscious awareness, storing memories, habits, deep-seated emotions, and impressions (samskaras). 

The astral body acts as a bridge between these realms—it is the vehicle of consciousness during dreams, astral travel, and deep meditation, where subconscious patterns often emerge.

In altered states of awareness, such as during sleep or trance, the astral body can move independently of the physical body-- navigating inner worlds that reflect the content of the subconscious. 

Since the Manomaya Kosha shapes how we interpret experiences and the subconscious mind stores those interpretations, the astral body becomes the experiential space where both layers interact—allowing unresolved thoughts, suppressed emotions, and latent desires to surface and be processed, especially during dreaming or spiritual practices.