"How to read a natal chart: where to start"

A chart is full of detail, and the urge is to read everything at once. It works better to go from big to small: a few main factors first, refinements afterwards. Below is an order you can repeat with any chart. All sections sit under the wheel; click a heading to expand it.

If you do not have a chart yet, start with Your first chart.

1. Sun, Moon, Ascendant

These are the “big three”. Open the “Planets” section and find three rows: Sun, Moon and ASC (Ascendant). Note the sign and house for each (Planets, houses, aspects).

• Sun: the sign shows how a person expresses themselves and what they strive for; the house shows where that happens.
• Moon: sign and house describe emotional habits and what feels safe.
• Ascendant: the sign on the horizon sets the style of first contact with the world.

Do not rush to merge the three signs into one sentence. Jot a couple of words for each and come back later.

2. The chart ruler

The chart ruler is the planet that rules the Ascendant sign. For example, with Virgo rising the ruler is Mercury. Find it in “Planets”: its sign, house and aspects show where the whole chart is pointed. For the planet's strength see the “Dignities and sect” section (Dignities).

3. Angles and planets near them

The four angles are ASC, DSC, MC and IC. The ASC and MC degrees are in the “Planets” section; DSC and IC are the opposite points (plus 180°). House cusps in the “Houses” section match the angles only in some house systems: with whole signs, for example, the first house starts at 0° of the Ascendant’s sign. A planet within a few degrees of an angle, on either side, stands out in the character more than the others. If there is one, read it right after the big three.

4. Emphasis: houses, elements, modalities

See where planets cluster. The “Element balance” section counts fire, earth, air and water, plus cardinal, fixed and mutable signs (Element balance); hemispheres and quadrants are there too. A strong lean in one direction shows the general tone of the chart. The “House” column in “Planets” shows which life areas are crowded and which are empty. An empty house is not a flaw; it is read through its ruler.

5. Tightest aspects and configurations

In the “Aspects” section look at the orb: the smaller it is, the stronger the aspect. Five to seven aspects within 2–3° are enough to begin. The “Aspect grid” gives an overview (Aspect grid). The “Aspect patterns” section shows figures made of several planets (T-square, grand trine and others). If a figure is present, read it as a single storyline, not as separate aspects.

6. Retrograde planets and nodes

In “Planets” a retrograde planet is marked with the letter R. This is not “bad”: such planets often describe the inner, less visible side of a theme. Then find the lunar nodes: the axis of signs and houses points to a direction of growth and a familiar comfort zone (Planetary nodes and apsides).

7. Next: forecasting

Once the natal chart makes sense, move on to timing: Transits, Progressions and Solar returns. Transits show where the planets are in the sky now; progressions are the chart’s symbolic movement (one day after birth for each year of life); a solar return is the chart for the moment the Sun returns to its natal degree. All of them are read against the natal chart, so they are hard to follow without it.

If the birth time is unknown

Part of the chart stays reliable.

• Usually reliable: the signs of the Sun and planets except the Moon (the Moon covers about 13° a day and may change sign), aspects between slow planets, retrogrades, nodes. The exception is a day when a planet changes sign or direction: then the result depends on the hour of birth, so check the chart for the start and end of the day.
• Unreliable: the Ascendant, MC, houses and everything built on them, plus the Moon's exact degree.

In that case follow steps 1 (without the Ascendant), 5 and 6, and skip houses. How to enter such a chart is described in Your first chart, section “If you don't know the birth time”.

Help from the assistant

At any step you can ask the assistant: it explains a term, factor or aspect using your own chart. A connected text for the whole chart is in the “Interpretation” section (Chart interpretation); a single planet's reading opens when you tap it on the wheel (The chart wheel).

Interpretations describe tendencies and themes; they do not predict events. Decisions are yours.