One of the most important aspects of astrology that often gets overlooked is the Midheaven or Medium Coeli, shorthanded as MC in natal charts. This blog post explores the Midheaven and how you can use it in magic.
This one causes a lot of grief and arguments. Most North Americans (even astrologers!) mispronounce it as “COE-uh-lie” or “COE-lie”. I heard a Greek astrologer say it is “CHAY-lee”.
I used to disagree with all of these and went with how we pronounced a rediscovered prehistoric fish with a similar spelling: the Coelacanth, which is pronounced “SEE-luh-CANTH”. If scientists all say that COE is pronounced SEE and “i” is “ee”, then we should assume that Coeli is “SEE-lee.”
Not so fast. The Oxford University Press has a short guide to pronouncing Church Latin and they agree with our Greek astrologer. Somewhat. According to Oxford:
c before e, i, y, ae, oe is pronounced ch: coelo (cheh-loh); in all other cases, c is pronounced k: cantus (kahn-toos).
This gives us the pronunciation CHEH-lee. I leave it up to you to pick, but it sounds like the correct ones are CHEH-lee (Church Latin) or SEE-lee (Science Latin). Your move.
The Midheaven is one of the four significant points in your birth chart. It represents the highest point in the sky at the time and location of your birth. The Midheaven is the cusp of your tenth house, the house of honor, achievement, and career. It represents your public life, your career path, your aspirations, and how the world perceives you.
The Midheaven is instrumental in determining your life’s purpose and the significant challenges and opportunities you may encounter. It helps you understand your potential and guides you on your path to fulfillment and accomplishment.
The Midheaven plays a crucial role in magic, particularly in spells that are career-oriented or aimed at public recognition. By harnessing the power of your Midheaven, you can perform spells that align with your life's purpose, thereby increasing their effectiveness.
Your Midheaven sign can guide you in choosing the right spells, materials, and timing for your magic. For instance, if your Midheaven is in Capricorn, you may find that your spells are most effective when performed with discipline, patience, and a focus on long-term goals.
One main reason to know your Midheaven is so you can know what career path you would excel at and likely be happiest in as well as where your reputation may be most affected. This is by no means an exhaustive list; merely a sampler.
Here are three quick spells that you can perform using your Midheaven:
Materia:
Instructions:
Materia:
Instructions:
Materia:
Instructions:
The Midheaven is a powerful tool in astrology-based magic. By understanding its significance and harnessing its power, you can perform spells that resonate with your life's purpose and goals. So go ahead, explore your Midheaven, but please — pronounce it correctly. 😉
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Dave's been slinging tarot cards since landline phones were still a thing—1979, to be exact. As a fully initiated Olocha, Ngangalero, Wiccan, animist, and Chaos Magician, he’s basically got the metaphysical equivalent of a black belt in spiritual badassery.
Dave is the author and artist behind the Tarot of the Unexplained (Weiser Books, 2024), and the Magical AI Grimoire (Weiser Books, 2025).