While astrology as we generally know it consists of lukewarm predictions of your sun sign, the astrological birth chart and its study can be more useful in painting a complete picture of your life, characteristics, and traits. 

What is the birth chart and how can you use it? 

Think of the birth chart as a snapshot of the sky when you were born. Everyone’s birth chart is just a little different even if you’re born on the same day. That’s because the birth chart takes into consideration your date, time, and location of birth. Thus, if you and someone else were born on the same day and time, you can have slightly different charts based on where in the world you popped out. Consider looking at your birth chart as a more thorough approach to understanding yourself in comparison to only being familiar with your sun sign. 

If you feel like you don’t identify fully with your sun sign, the sign you probably know yourself as, the birth chart can help you discover why. Your birth chart consists of planets and specific positions; each of those planets and where they are placed are distinguished by different zodiac signs—depending on your individual chart. Thus, your birth chart can paint you a more complete picture of some of your characteristics and traits. 

The birth chart and its readings date back to a long time ago, so if you feel awkward because it’s “new age”, calm down. There’s nothing new under the sun. We can get into the nitty gritty of the birth chart and its history another time. 

If you don’t have your birth chart, you can generate yours from Cafe Astrology or Astro Seek. These sites work well for beginners because they calculate your chart and give decent interpretations for most of its components. As you become more familiar with your chart, you’ll grow to develop your own personal understanding and interpretations. 

You need to know the date, time, and location of your birth. There are tons of resources out there on what the chart is and how to dig deep into it. As time allows, we’ll cover that too but in the meantime I’d like to discuss key parts of the birth chart that are sure to be felt in your life.

Disclaimer: The following information is for entertainment and fun purposes only. The birth chart should not be used in place of professional assistance of any sort, including therapist and medical doctor attention. Have fun! 🙂 

Last thing! Key words! (because I don’t want to leave you hanging)

Planets – used loosely in astrology to represent planets or planetary bodies in our solar system (sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto). Some parts of the chart (like the north node) are not planets but are calculations based on planets. 

Placements – where planets and birth chart elements are placed within your birth chart.

House – an area of your birth chart; there are 12 houses in the birth chart representing 12 areas of life.

Important planets and elements in your birth chart:

1. Sun, moon, and ascendant

The most popular planets and signs that people are familiar with in their birth chart  are the big three: the sun, moon and rising sign. You probably already know your sun sign–it’s the sign you consider yourself as and what’s in the horoscopes of magazines and newspapers. If you’re born in September you’re a virgo or libra, if you’re born in October you’re a libra or scorpio, and so on. Your sun sign is only a part of your astrological book.

The sun is an important part of birth chart—consider it as the base of your identity, who you are at your best when around others. 

You also have a moon. The moon represents more of our sensitive side, as it can have influences on our emotions, intimacy, and who we are when we’re alone. Your moon’s sign and placement is an important feature in your birth chart. 

The rising sign or ascendant is the sign that your 1st house starts in. Your rising sign is said to be who you are upon first encounter, or who you portray yourself as when people first meet you. You could call it a mask, but it’s definitely part of who you are and people likely feel this when first getting to know you. People may notice your other sign tendencies upon getting to know you better.  

2. Mars

Mars is an important planet in your birth chart. Representing energy, action, and aggression, Mars is what gets you out of bed in the morning and how you handle yourself when in trouble. Mars is really important because it can help you understand your general disposition toward doing anything really and how you approach picking yourself up in hard times. 

3. North node

Your north node is an important placement in the birth chart. The north node is a calculated element of the chart, not a planet. The sign of the north node changes every 18 months, meaning you and people born within that time frame will share the same sign. It’s placement in specific houses will vary. Your north node is said to represent your soul’s desire and direction. Your south node, which lies opposite of your north node, represents the themes you accomplished in a previous time. If you check your north node sign and placement, you’ll probably come to find that you are currently living out its themes or have a strong desire to! 

Important houses in the birth chart:

1. 1st house

The 1st house of your birth chart represents your appearance, personality, and general identity. The sign that your first house is in (your rising sign) and any planets in this house will be important in understanding who you are at the core. 

2. 6th house

The 6th house of your birth chart represents daily tasks, daily service, and health. This house is important because it can help you understand your general disposition to the things you do everyday, from caring for yourself (health) and your work (daily tasks). Check to see what sign your 6th house is in as well as any planets that might be placed here.

3. Any houses that contain your sun, moon, mars, and north node. 

Beyond your 1st and 6th house, any houses that contain your sun, moon, mars, and north node will be super important to be familiar with! 

The bottom line: Your birth chart can be useful in understanding things you already knew about yourself. It might even help you articulate some of your feelings and tendencies better! Never let it define you completely but instead serve as a vehicle for self-discovery. The birth chart can be quite complex (it took me a year to digest everything!), and there’s much to it that we didn’t cover here. Let this serve as a little fuel of info that can help you on your birth chart journey. You might find aspects that you think are more important than those that have been listed here—that’s fantastic! Come to your own realizations with the chart and, most importantly, have fun with it!