What Is A Birth Chart? Astrologer, Susan Taylor Explains Its Use

Many of us read our daily horoscopes every morning in order to get ahead. If horoscopes are everywhere in our favorite magazines and even on the radio, the workings of astrology remain rather unknown. Which is a pity because it is a rich mine of information for those who want to know the future, to know themselves better and to improve their relationships.

What is a birth chart?

A birth chart is the study of the position of the planets in the sky at the time you were born. In other words, it is a photograph, a map of the sky at the time of birth. The natal chart represents the state of the sky at the precise moment of your birth, and according to the place where you were born. (Longitude and latitude of the place of birth.) A very accurate natal chart can be established if you have the exact time of birth and the longitude and latitude of the place of birth. If you don’t have this information, you can still make a natal chart with an approximate time (but to the nearest quarter-hour) or a more approximate place of birth, such as the nearest large city to the birthplace. The ideal scenario is to have the birth certificate of the native where all this information is precise, especially nowadays.

• Example of precise data: Maria, was born on September 27, 1972, in New York City, USA at 3:42 PM.
• Example of acceptable data to establish a natal chart: Maria, born on September 27, 1972, in Manhattan (the nearest big city) between 3:30 and 3:45 PM.

In the past, a birth chart was calculated and drawn by hand. This can take two hours in total! These complex calculations require the possession of the Ephemeris book (which presents day by day the longitudes and declinations of the planets, with the Lunar Nodes, Black Moons which come from NASA planetary calculations) as well as the House Tables (these House Tables include the summer times of several countries as well as the latitudes and longitudes of the major cities of the world).

These calculations require a thorough course in astrology and are made easier with the use of a computer, here, they take barely a minute! If you have astrology software or if you find a site that offers you your free natal chart (there are plenty of them) you just have to indicate your first name (optional), your date of birth, your place, and your time of birth.

You get this kind of sky map (the graphics sometimes vary a little, depending on the sites, software...):

Let’s take the example of Maria, born on September 27, 1972, in New York City, USA at 3:42 PM. On the map, you have to locate this symbol first: ☉ It is the Sun. Once spotted, look at which sign it is, it is your zodiac sign.

In this example, the Sun is in Libra, so the native is the sign of Libra. For this, it is necessary to know the astrological symbols but sometimes by clicking on the symbol of the star, the software indicates how many degrees away from which sign it is. (Here: Sun ☉ at 4°35 in Libra).

Now locate the arrow (AC) on the left of the chart: this represents your ascendant. In the example, the ascendant is at 20 degrees of Capricorn.

Then look at where your Moon is located to find your Moon sign, symbolized by ☽: in which sign is it? In the example, the Moon is at 5°44 of the sign Gemini.

Finally, locate the vertical line whose vertex is a circle or arc, this is your midheaven. Find out in which sign it is located, and you will have information about your destiny in general, but especially your professional destiny. In this example, the midheaven is at 21°28 of the sign Scorpio.

Of course, there is much more to develop, and we could write a whole chapter on each star and each planet, but in order not to lose yourself in the explanations, note the basics:

• The Sun and the Ascendant give the first outline of your personality.
• The Moon represents your inner world, your sensitivity, and the way you express this sensitivity, but also the woman you are and the feminine part you have if you are a man.
• Mercury represents your intellect, your way of thinking...
• Venus represents your relationship to love, your way of loving...
• Mars represents your way of acting.
• Jupiter is your luck, your optimistic part, or your excesses...
• Saturn represents the structure, the responsibilities, the discipline, the brakes, the patience...
• Uranus represents your audacity, your notion of freedom, and your originality...
• Neptune represents your ideals, your beliefs, your philosophies of life, your inspiration, imagination but also your misguidance...
• Pluto represents your unconscious, your taboos, your instincts, your fears, your power, your magnetism, and your sexuality...

Once you have located these planets in your birth chart, look at which signs they are in and see the interpretation in the existing texts...

Note that a natal chart is divided into 12 parts: the astrological houses, which each represent a sector of life. So a planet is interpreted as a sign but also in House! In the example chart, Venus, the star of love, is at 21°14 of the sign of Leo in the 7th House. You will therefore interpret Venus in Leo, but also Venus in the 7th house.

But that’s not all! You must also take into account the astrological aspects (e.g.: conjunction, square, opposition, trine, sextile ...) between the planets. Here Venus in Leo and in House 7 is Sextile (thus well-connected) to Saturn in Gemini, which brings emotional stability to Venus in Leo already generous, rather demonstrative, and which has a great need for relational because in house 7.

You have understood that it is not easy to decipher your natal chart, and even less to interpret it. But the few keys that we have just given you will already help you to understand how it works.

What is the ruling planet in my birth chart?

To find your ruling planet, the methods are numerous and differ a little according to the astrologers. As far as I am concerned, I look at :

• 1/ Who is the ruler of the Ascendant? See in which sign the ascendant is located, and therefore which is its ruling planet.
• 2/ The planets at the angles. On the horizontal axis: Ascendant/Descendant: are there one or more conjoined planets, i.e. close to each other (10 degrees of the orb are accepted)? On the vertical axis: Midheaven/Bottom of the Sky: are there one or more conjoined planets?
• 3/ Are there any planets in the 1st astrological house?  
• 4/ Are there one or more planets conjoined (next to) or Opposed (opposite) to the Master Ascendant (with 10 degrees of orb)?
• 5/ Are there one or more planets Conjunct (next to) or Opposite (opposite) the Sun (with 10 degrees of orb)?
  
• 6/ Are there one or more planets Conjoined (next to) or Opposed (opposite) to the Moon? (with 10 degrees of orb.)
• 7/ In the planets already selected, if some are equal, see which are in fall/ exile, which weakens their influence, or in exaltation/ domicile, which strengthens their influence. (See table of masters, debilities, exaltation, falls of planets in signs)

You should be able to remove only one dominant planet and thus see which planetary type you belong to.

Why is my birth chart useful?

The natal chart is on the basis of any astrological study and its uses are numerous because everything is inscribed in a natal chart. It indicates the main trends of the one’s personality, the possibilities of success and the areas of predilection.

It also indicates the predispositions of each person in the different areas including love, money and work. Obviously, a chart does not show everything, because it simply reflects the influence of the planets. The astrologer must also take into account the sex of the person, their backgrounds and their education.

One should not constantly try to anticipate the future at the risk of "ruining the magic of the moment". Astrology makes it possible to anticipate events and determine the most favorable moments for such and such an activity. In short, astrology allows us to choose the right moments and to behave better in front of situations.

In what situations can analyzing a birth chart be helpful?

When dealing with relationship problems

If a person encounters emotional problems, relational difficulties or repeated love failures, the position of Venus in a natal chart explains the person’s way of loving and certain blockages.

For example, people who are born with a Venus-Neptune Conjunction are people who will fall in love more easily than others. They idealize love far too much and often fall into toxic relationships. They often fall for people who are not free, platonic loves or even sacrificial loves... Knowing this, we can overcome our problems thanks to a psychological work on ourselves.

When faced with professional issues

Are you fed up with your current job? Wondering when you’re going to find something better? Looking for a job, wondering when you’re going to get a permanent contract? Ditto! Thanks to your natal chart, the astrologer will look at the transits and see if it’s the right time or not... And this works every time.

When you’re going through personal problems

By studying your natal chart, an astrologer can see where you are at psychologically and in terms of the events of your life, and thus help you move in the right direction.

We think you might also enjoy these articles:

• What the midheaven in your birth chart means for you.
• How to calculate your rising sign.
• Read about the modalities in astrology.