
Taking that a step further, every planet occupies a zodiac sign, so - in a birth chart - different symbols are often stacked next to each other. Every planet and celestial body measured in astrology has a symbol (also referred to as a “glyph”), along with each of the 12 zodiac signs. Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with the landscape of the birth chart, the next step is learning about the symbols. Okay, what are all these symbols, and what do they mean? So, if your fifth house of creativity or seventh house of partnership is “empty,” please don’t panic. In fact, every house plays a vital role in our birth chart regardless of whether a planet occupies that domain. If you don’t have a planet in a house, it does not mean that the keywords of that house won’t appear in your life. Some houses in your birth chart will have “things” inside of them (in just a moment, we’ll identify those “things” as planets), and other houses will not. 12th House: Intuition, secrets, spirituality.11th House: Activism, technology, humanitarianism.9th House: Philosophy, travel, higher education.8th House: Inheritances, sex, transformation.
7th House: Partnership, contracts, marriage. 5th House: Creativity, romance, children. 3rd House: Peers, communication, siblings. 2nd House: Material possessions, money, values. 1st House: Self, identity, physical appearance. Below are a few keywords for each house to help you familiarize yourself with the regions of the birth chart. As you move across the wheel, from left to right, the houses transition from more personal and tangible to interpersonal and abstract. What’s more, each house represents a different area of your life. The houses are a visual expression of Earth’s 24-hour rotation around its axis, which means that each House represents approximately two hours of time. These pie slices are referred to as “houses.” Avoid the common misstep of conflating houses with zodiac signs (yes, there are 12, but it’s not the same thing). This placement establishes the architecture for your entire birth chart - when reading a birth chart, we begin at that exact point and move counterclockwise around the circle.Īs your eyes move across the diagram, you may notice that the chart is divided into different sections - 12, to be exact. The ascendant represents your perception of reality, along with the recurring patterns, themes, and cycles you encounter throughout your life. Though the visual location of the ascendant will vary based on astrology software, it’s usually located on or around the nine o’clock position, and is often symbolized by a circle with a horizontal line in the middle. Quite literally, the ascendant refers to the zodiac sign ascending over the eastern horizon at your exact moment of birth. Start with the ascendant (also known as the rising sign). Accordingly, it requires practice (and patience) to understand this intricate symbolic diagram. And, in a way, it sort of is: Astrology is a complex visual language that’s been around for thousands of years. Filled with unfamiliar symbols, strange numbers, and a whole complicated assortment of shapes and lines, making sense of a birth chart can feel like deciphering ancient hieroglyphics. Seeing your birth chart for the first time is … overwhelming. So, when in doubt, it’s best to verify the information with a birth certificate, baby book, or parent before calculating. In fact, the birth chart shifts radically every four minutes (more on that later), which is why it’s critical to have a precise time of birth - approximates or estimates can (and will) skew the results. But keep in mind that the birth chart is an extremely sensitive diagram that requires accurate data. To pull up a birth chart (whether it be yours or someone else’s), you’ll need the date, time, and location of birth. To that end, TimePassages is my favorite app (available on both iOS and Android) for rendering birth charts, along with the website. #Timepassages by astrograph software software
Read on to explore the fundamentals of the birth chart.įirst, where do I even find my birth chart?īack in the day, the only way to calculate a birth chart was by hand, using a protractor and a table known as an “ephemeris.” Thankfully, we have astrology software now, making it possible to calculate a complete birth chart in less than a second. Already confused? Well, it’s a lot! But fear not, my friend.
Within the folds of this circular map, you’ll find all the planets and celestial objects tracked in astrology, along with the zodiac signs they were occupying. An astrological birth chart - also referred to as the “natal chart” - uses the exact date, time, and location of your birth to re-create a snapshot of the sky at your precise moment of arrival.
If you’ve been asked “what time were you born?” and didn’t understand why, this is for you. Photo-Illustration: by Preeti Kinha Photos: Getty Images