Standing in Tucson with my camera, I might snap pictures of golden hills, green Ocotillo with its red flames, and spectacular sunsets. A friend looking at the pictures later might infer certain things from the photo. It's normally hot, dry, and dusty; but it's wet enough for the Ocotillo to bloom. When she visits, she'll need to pack rain gear as well as shorts and sturdy shoes. In the same way, your astrological natal chart captures a moment in time, taking a snapshot of the Universe the moment of your birth, helping you infer certain things about your "visit."Start by generating a free natal chart at www.astro.com . You can register for free, and generate all sorts of free horoscopes based on your chart, plus you can print your chart. You'll need your birth day, time, and place. Most birth certificates will have a birth time. (If you have no way of knowing your birth time, it is common practice to use a 6pm birth time as a default.) From the "free horoscopes" page on www.astro.com, click on AstroClick Portrait. This is an interactive chart that can give you lots of insight, though it is geared towards children and teens. (they also offer an alternative interpretation that is more geared towards adults, but both are helpful)
Once you have your chart in hand, you will see a circle, divided into 12 "houses," some of which contain symbols. This is a snapshot of the sky where you were born, at the moment of your birth. Start by determining the placement of your sun, moon, and ascendant; specifically, in which house they are found and in which sign. (the outer circle on the chart shows you the signs) On your chart, there is a box on the left side that shows you the symbols and what they stand for. Using the clickable chart at astro, or the links at http://www.astrology-numerology.com/astrology.html, you can get a basic picture of who you are, what motivates you, your personality, the types of things you enjoy, your emotional world, etc. Your sun and moon may show up anywhere, but the ascendant is always the horizontal line on the left hand side of the chart, designating the beginning of the first house. It shows you that which was rising in the horizon at the moment of your birth. For example, if you look at my chart, I have the Sun in Leo in the fifth house, the Moon in Scorpio in the sixth house, and my ascendant is Taurus.
From there you can look at the houses that contain planets. Each house rules over a different part of life; for example, finances, relationships, and work. Each planet will be in a certain sign, such as Leo, Scorpio, Taurus, etc. and will give you insight into how important that area of life will be for you, and what it may offer. I find that these basic understandings give a lot of insight into how each of us views our world and how we are shaped by the energies of the Universe. As you get more involved, you may want to explore Aspects. These are based on the geometric relationships of the planets to each other, and are represented by the colored lines, as well as the bottom left box on the astro.com birth chart. These infuse layers and subtleties to give you even more insight.
Many of us read our daily horoscope that is based on our Sun sign. But as you can see, each of us is so much more than that. By gaining a basic understanding of your natal astrological chart, you can gain valuable insights into who you are, the lessons you are here to learn, and why you are the way your are.
Questions about your chart or how to generate one? Feel free to contact me.
Peace,
Laura
