Whether you use astrology for fun or for actual spiritual/practical purposes, birth charts and astrology have become quite popular in recent years, especially now with ever-present “WitchTok.” If you know your astrological sign and constantly look up your horoscope, a birth chart might be your next step.
- What is a Birth Chart?
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A birth chart tells you where each planet was the day you were born. In astrology, it can help reveal a lot about yourself, whether it is surface-level or deeper. You can get a birth chart either by an astrologist or a generated one from online. If you are looking for a more personalized experience, an astrologist would be the best option for you. When getting a birth chart, you need to know the time, the day and the place you were born. When looking at a birth chart, it has three main components: the zodiacs, planets and houses. There are 12 houses on every chart. The houses tell you in what area of life the planets and zodiacs rule, specific to you. Houses one to six reference everyday tasks. This is for more menial things. Houses seven to 12 are more philosophical. They refer to your inner self and emotions. There are two kinds of planets, inner and outer. The inner planets are specific to the date and time of your birth since they move more often across the planetary belt. The Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars are a part of the inner planets. The outer planets are more general since they take longer to move across the belt. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto make up the outer planets. The last component of your birth chart are the zodiacs. There are 12 zodiacs. On your chart, you could have repeats of the same zodiac signs in different houses and planets.
- The Planets and Zodiacs
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Each planet will be in a zodiac sign. Together, these two can tell you things about yourself, whether it is at the basic level or at a more personal level. The planets represent an aspect of yourself. The zodiacs detail how we deal with said aspects. There are 10 planets in total. You probably already know your Sun if you have ever looked up your horoscope or your zodiac sign. Your Sun makes up your identity and basic preferences. Your Moon is more personal to you. It is your inner self and has a strong influence on your decision making. Mercury is how logical you are and how you communicate with others. Your Venus can tell you a lot about your interpersonal relationships. It details what you value and who you tend to attract. Mars is mainly physical. It is what you do and how you do it. Your Mars can be violent but is not necessary nor, automatically, a key component. Your Jupiter dictates your fortune/abundance and the expanding of your horizons, or how you grow as a person. Saturn shows where you put effort into things. Such as, if you put more effort into your work than your relationships. Your Uranus will tell you how much you value your individuality and how rebellious you are. It can detail if you are more independent or dependent. Neptune can tell you how realistic you are, whether you are a daydreamer or not. Your last planet, Pluto, shows where you need to change, transform or even eliminate certain aspects of your life.
- Reading Your Birth Chart
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When looking at your birth chart, it is personal to you, and you do not have to feel like everything relates to you. You can take away what resonates with you the most. I will be using my personal birth chart for examples on interpreting your birth chart. I got my birth chart on Cafe Astrology. Cafe Astrology breaks each part of your birth chart into the planet, where the planet is on the zodiacs and the house placement. Cafe Astrology does give you interpretations if you want a guide. It is important to look at every aspect of your chart. You cannot just look at your planet and house placement. Using all of them together gives you a whole, detailed picture. My sun is in Libra and is my eighth house. My sun being in Libra, tells me that I am sociable and enjoy harmony. The fact that the sun is in my eighth house tells me my desires, such as wanting more from life. When looking at my chart, I would interpret that my personality centers around having friends and being around people. I also see my eighth house and understand that I want the most from life, and satisfaction does not come easily.
I am in no way an expert in this matter. I am purely going over the basics from what I have researched. For a more detailed and in-depth explanation of birth charts, here is a podcast. There is also an app, “Time Passages,” that has a learning section for astrology.