Your Astrological Chart Explained: Part I

This article is going to teach you how to read your astrological chart. However, this is only Part I, so make sure to check back in with us again in a few weeks for Part II as, once the basics are sorted, there is a lot more information to come. 

So, probably the first thing you want to know is…

What exactly is an astrological chart?

An astrological chart, also commonly known as a birth chart or an astrology natal chart, is essentially a map showing where all the planets were at the moment you were born. This is entirely unique to the vast majority of individuals and can reveal a lot of important information about you as a person.

For example, your personality, strengths and weaknesses, and even things like when it’s most important for you to make certain moves in your relationship or career can be said to be attributed to your astrological chart and the alignment of certain planets at your time of birth. 

As you can imagine, this is extremely intriguing, and many people have benefited greatly from having their astrology birth chart calculated and relayed to them. Much like a horoscope or astrological reading can offer monthly, weekly or daily life advice, an astrological chart presents what might be considered a life forecast. 

How to calculate your astrological chart

Calculating your astrological chart is probably the simplest part of the process. All you need is your time, date and place of birth. Without an accurate time of birth, you won’t be able to fully benefit from an accurate astrology chart, and your rising sign (otherwise known as the ascendant sign) won’t be as precise as you’d ideally hope. So, make sure you know the exact time of your birth before calculating your birth chart.  

Once you have the key information, head over to a trusted website (like us!) so your chart can be calculated. After your astrological chart has been created, it’s time for you to work out how to read it and what it means for you. 

How to read your astrological chart

Before you learn how to read the specifics of your astrological chart, you need to make sure you know what the different symbols and signs mean and how to recognise them. You can find a handy infographic showing the planet symbols and names here. 

Sun sign

The sun sign refers to your personality and how you identify yourself. This is what regular horoscopes are based on, and it is calculated using your date of birth.

Moon sign 

Moon signs reference your emotional state and are often known as a ruling force when it comes to emotions. This is based on the location of the moon at your time of birth. 

Ascendant/rising sign

This sign represents where the stars were positioned at your time of birth and is regularly cited as the hardest to read, simply because the time of birth needs to be very precise in order to achieve an accurate reading. 

Inner planets 

The inner planets are Venus, Mercury, Mars, the Sun and the Moon. They refer to your core personality and each planet performs a different function in determining specific parts of your character. For example, Mercury controls your mind, Venus rules love, and Mars refers to energy and your actions. 

Outer planets 

The outer planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. They refer to more abstract factors that are important in making your life feel special. For example, Uranus is said to be in charge of change, whilst Neptune deals with dreams and healing. 

Ruling planet 

Every planet has one sign that it rules - this sign might be your sun sign or rising sign, respectively. So, all you need to do is take your sun sign or rising sign and match it with a list of which planet rules that sign. A couple of examples: the Sun rules Leo and the Moon rules Cancer. 

Part II of this blog series will go more into depth about which planets rule each rising sign, and how this helps you to read and make your way through your astrological chart a little bit easier. For now, we’re going to briefly cover: 

What a psychic or astrologer looks for in a birth chart

An experienced and gifted reader will balance your chart through a process known as Astro-Ayurveda. Essentially, they will add up the various elements and ‘score’ the chart. They will look for the following: 

The zodiac sign and which of the 12 houses each planet in the chart is in 

Venus, Mars and the moon’s zodiac sign and house for love

The angles formed between any two planets

If there are three or more planets in one sign that creates a lot of any specific energy for the person

The balance of elements and qualities in the chart 

The pattern formed by the planets (there are seven traditional chart shapes)

Saturn for where you may need to work harder

Jupiter for where you might be lucky 

There are certain aspects that might be present in your birth chart that would indicate a predisposition towards psychic abilities yourself - in particular, when it comes to Mercury placements – because Mercury is known as the planet of communication. 

If your natal Mercury is in Cancer or Pisces, it’s likely that you are very in tune with your own intuition. Because Cancer and Pisces are particularly feeling-based signs, they increase the ability to ascertain the thoughts and energy of other people. 

Similarly, despite which sign your Mercury is in, if your natal Mercury happens to form what’s known as a conjunction, it is probable that you’re able to receive messages based more on energy and feeling alone, rather than relying on the physical.   

Hopefully, this article has answered some of your more pressing questions about astrological charts and how they work. Don’t forget to come back for Part II! Or, if you don’t think you can wait that long (we are excited too!), get a personal telephone psychic reading from Psychic Sofa today for insights into what the stars have in store for you in the here and now.