Have you heard the term natal chart or birth chart being thrown around lately? What’s your initial reaction to this word?

　　Perhaps you’re whispering— “Birth chart! What on Earth is that?”

　　(or)

　　Maybe you’re an astrology pro who is super excited to be reading this article because you know exactly how to read a birth chart.

　　Whoever you are, wherever you are with your knowledge of astrology, today, we’re here to decipher this astrological jargon so it won’t seem like a mystery to you any longer.

　　Who’s ready to look at themselves with a fresh pair of eyes? Raise your hand if you say yes!

　　Consider this an invitation from the heavens for you to take a deep dive into understanding both astrology and yourself.

　　Let’s get started.

　　

What is an Astrological Birth Chart?

Your birth chart or natal chart is a snapshot of the sky at the exact moment you were born. To generate one, you’ll need details of your date, time, and place of birth as accurately as possible.

　　Visually, the sky in a birth chart is depicted as a circle with 360 degrees. This circle is divided into 12 zodiac constellations, divided into 30 degrees each. Degrees are used as x,y, and z coordinates to map out the precise planetary location within each zodiac constellation.

　　Together, these elements form the meat of a natal chart:

　　12 zodiac signsYour Rising sign, also called your Ascendant signAstrological housesPrecise planetary placementsPlanetary aspects to each otherIs all of this beginning to make more sense? Hurray! if you said yes!

　　

Why is Reading Your Birth Chart Helpful?

How can knowing and understanding your birth chart apply to daily life? Reading your birth chart can help you:

　　Become a fortune tellerTransform your lifeHelps you better connect with your higher self and with othersHelp you find or maintain a romantic connectionGain a deeper understanding of yourselfReveals hidden ways of your thinking you never knew existedReveals your soul purpose – “What are you here to do in this life?”

How to Read a Birth Chart

Starting with the basics, your Primal Triad is made up of your Sun sign, Rising sign, and Moon sign. Also known as the “Big Three,” these three are the most crucial elements in your chart.

　　Need to catch up? Check out: Your Ultimate Guide to Understanding “The Big 3” in Astrology

　　

Sun Sign

In astrology, the Sun represents vitality, the ego, healing energy, and self-identity. Learning about your Sun sign gives a sneak peek into this aspect of your personality.

　　But wait! There’s more!

　　

Rising Sign

The Ascendant or Rising sign shows how others relate to us. It is the point from which the 1st astrological house in a birth chart begins. It refers to where the horizon was at the time of your birth.

　　

Moon Sign

The Moon represents our inner world, deepest emotions, instincts, and motherly nurturing. Your Moon sign paints a picture of how introspective you are and how peaceful/turbulent your inner world is.

　　

Venus Sign

Your Venus placement in the natal chart tells a story of your relationships. How fulfilled are you in your relationships? How do you value money and power? And how are your values, in turn, driving your relationships? How well do you relate to and connect to others is all seen from your Venus sign?

　　

Saturn Sign

Saturn, the strict taskmaster of the zodiac, and his sign placement show us our soul lessons. Which area of our life needs discipline?

　　

Other Placements

Pluto placements show us the area that requires the deepest transformation in our lives. Understanding Pluto in our chart shows us how deep transformation can impact other areas of life.

　　Uranus placement shows which area of life you think out of the box and question the status quo of society.

　　Neptune placement in your chart shows where your creativity and imagination are stored.

　　Mercury in your chart shows your communicative abilities. Are you able to effectively speak your mind? Or do you hold back?

　　Mars points to your aggression and willpower to chase after your goals.

　　Chiron shows your wounds and areas of healing required for your soul to evolve in this lifetime.

　　

Planetary Aspects

Here’s the thing! In a birth chart, planets are not stand-alone entities. They communicate with each other, which makes our life stories interesting and unique.

　　Planetary aspects (sextiles, trines, conjunction, opposition, squares) are how planets talk to each other. Understanding these will help us decipher their language.

　　Want to learn more about planetary aspects? Check out: Why You Need to Know About Sextiles, Trines, & Squares

　　

Your 10-Step Guide to Reading a Birth Chart

Identify your Ascendant or Rising sign in your chart.Write down personality traits that are shown by your Rising sign.Repeat steps 1 and 2 for your Sun and Moon sign.Repeat steps 1 and 2 for all other planets in your chart.Keep in mind the qualities of each planet and overlay this with the zodiac sign and astrological house they are present in.Write down what your Chiron placement has to say about your core wounds.Identify which house your Rahu (North node) and Ketu (South node) are located in.What does your Rahu-Ketu axis say about your soul purpose?Planetary aspects – Identify trines, sextiles, oppositions, squares, and conjunctions between planets.Tying it all together: What information have you deciphered about your:Relationships?Family values?Finances?Career?Soul lessonsSoul purpose?Path of your soulExample:

　　Jupiter is placed in Cancer for a Cancer Ascendant in the 1st house and is in opposition to Saturn in Capricorn. This person’s north node Rahu is in the 3rd house of Virgo, and the south node is in the 9th house of Pisces.

　　So, let’s talk about the personality of this person— What’s their soul purpose? How will they fulfill it?

　　Using the above steps, let’s write down the traits for the placements in this chart.

　　Jupiter – Teacher, guru, luck, abundance, spirituality, higher learning, philosophy

　　1st house – Physical body, energy, vitality, ego

　　Cancer – Motherly, emotional, nurturing, home-bound, and fiercely protective

　　Rising sign – How you relate to others and your outward style

　　Jupiter opposition Saturn – The disciplinarian effect of Saturn introduces hurdles for the flow of Jupitarian luck, abundance, and teachings

　　North node – Soul expansion, the area with no expertise or experience, fear, soul purpose

　　3rd house – social media, digital marketing, writing, communication, siblings, and neighbors

　　Virgo – methodical, organized, service-oriented, planning and execution, writing, detail-oriented

　　South node – past life expertise brought over into this life, inherent talents which remain dormant until worked on, childhood talents, comfort zone, the area where we fall back on during a crisis

　　9th house – higher learning, philosophy, and adventure

　　Pisces – creativity, spirituality, higher consciousness, psychic

　　Now, let’s put it all together –

　　This birth chart shows a person who is deeply spiritual and has enormous psychic prowess coupled with a strong ability to nurture and tap into the emotions of people.

　　All things spiritual and metaphysical come naturally to them due to their past life deeds. In this life, this person is meant to share their spiritual message with the world in a nurturing creative way using digital marketing and social media.

　　Their path will be challenging and will be filled with hurdles until they learn to introduce structure and discipline into their creative endeavors.

　　Did you start getting a hang of birth chart analysis?

　　

Understand Your Soul Through Your Birth Chart

Wrapping things up, we’ve now seen the key components of a birth chart. Hopefully, reading a birth chart will not seem so scary now! While this article won’t make you a professional astrologer, these basics will take you on a long way in your astrological journey, wherever it may lead you.

　　At the very least, reading your birth chart will help you deepen your understanding of your own self!

　　Write to us and share what your birth chart has revealed about you that took you by surprise!

　　Related article: The Ultimate Guide to Birth Charts