An astrological chart or, more specifically, a birth chart, is a symbolic representation of the position of the planets, sun and moon at the time of a person's birth. Each planet occupies a particular zodiac sign at a given time, and it is the interpretation of this positioning that allows astrologers to understand a person's personality and behavior. Since a birth chart is based on facts (the actual positions at a given time of the celestial bodies connected to the earth), it is mostly an astronomical and not an astrological study. This article will help you create a chart for yourself or someone else.
Steps
Method 1 of 1: Create an Astrological Chart
Step 1. With a compass, draw three concentric circles on a sheet of paper
The innermost circle should be quite small compared to the outer circles.
Alternatively, get blank templates from an astrologer or an astrological bookstore. It is much easier than drawing circles by hand.
Step 2. Divide the space between the two outer circles into 12 equal sections
Each section symbolizes one of the 12 zodiac signs (Cancer, Libra, etc …)
Step 3. Put the corresponding sign on each section, represented by the glyph (symbol)
If you put the sign Leo in one section, in the next section (see the steps below) you must indicate Virgo, and gradually follow the annual order of the zodiac.
- If you know the time of birth, determine the Ascendant (Rising Sign) before placing the signs in their spaces.
- If the horoscope is for Northern hemisphere, put the Ascendant in the section on the left: this is East when looking south from a location to the North. Then fill in the other spaces of the signs counterclockwise.
- If the horoscope is for Southern Hemisphere, put the Ascendant in the section on the right, and put the rest clockwise.
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To be precise:
if the location is about 27 ½ ° of latitude, the declination of the ascendant should be compared with that latitude, to check if the ascendant is north or south of the place of birth and should be positioned accordingly. However, in practice, this is almost never done and the general procedure described so far should suffice!
Step 4. Divide each section (mark) into equal 30 degrees
The whole circle has 360 degrees, so each of the 12 equal sections will be 30 degrees. Make small notches on the second circle and mark each degree. You can also put the numbers every two degrees if you want, but keep in mind that every angle is crucial in the interpretation of the table, so accuracy is important.
If you use an already "prepared" graphic module, this job may already have been done
Step 5. Find the person's rising sign by looking up their date and time of birth in an ephemeris table
The astral ephemerides are tables that indicate the positions of the celestial bodies at a given moment; you can buy one or you can find it in the library; several are also available on the Internet. The ascendant is the sign of the zodiac that is ascending above the eastern horizon at a precise moment (in this case that of birth), in a given place (the subject's birthplace) on Earth. So, to be able to build a very accurate graph, you need to know the longitude and latitude of the subject's birthplace (do an online search for "longitude of - hometown name -" if you don't have a precise map at hand), as well as the date and time of birth. On the internet you will find free programs that are able to provide you with the ascendant, if you enter the necessary information.
Step 6. Mark the ascendant on the chart
The internet program or the ephemeris you used to determine the ascendant indicate the position (in degrees) within that sign, for example, 12 degrees Virgo. To find the right point, find the sign (in this case Virgo) on your chart and count the number of degrees (in this case 12) from the "starting" edge of the sign. To explain to you another way: if we imagine the circle as a clock, and Virgo occupies the space between 9 and 8, Virgo starts at 9 (not 8), and you should count 12 degrees from 9 to 8. 8 to find 12 degrees of Virgo.
Step 7. Determine the positions of the Moon, Sun and planets and mark them on your chart
Look again at the ephemeris table or the computer to find the positions within the zodiac of the main celestial bodies, always considering the place, time and date of birth. These positions indicate both the sign and the degrees within it. Then, just as you did for the ascendant determination, you must adjust the positions indicated in the ephemeris taking into account the actual time and place of birth of the person. If you use an internet program instead of ephemeris, this count is already done. Mark the positions in the space between the two inner circles of the table. Indicate the positions with glyphs (symbols used to represent each of the celestial bodies), and write the position in degrees after the glyphs.
Step 8. Draw the houses
Houses are imaginary divisions (usually twelve), each one signifying an aspect of the person's life (money, children, family, personality, etc.). These are located in the large space of the table between the inner circle and the second one. The house division criterion is controversial and there are several methods you can choose from. One of them (perhaps the easiest) is the equivalent division method, where each house is 30 degrees wide. The "beginning" edge of the first house is drawn in the ascendant. If the ascendant is 12 degrees Leo, the first house goes from there to 12 degrees Virgo, the second house goes from 12 degrees Virgo to 12 degrees Libra, and so on. The houses are numbered 1-12 counterclockwise.
Step 9. Calculate aspects
One aspect is the angle formed between a pair of celestial bodies, with the earth as the center (or vertex) of the angle. You can estimate aspects simply by looking at the graph. For example, imagine the graph as a clock: if the sun is at the 12 o'clock position and Venus is at 3 o'clock, we can see that the angle between the two is 90 degrees. For more accuracy, you can calculate aspects by reading the degrees recorded on the chart, bearing in mind that the whole circle has 360 degrees, and each sign has 30 degrees. You can draw aspects in the center circle if you want.
Step 10. Consult a book on the interpretation of the planets in each sign and house and make the necessary observations on the personality and behavior of the subject
Advice
- If this all sounds a bit complicated to you, you can make yourself a personalized astrological chart in seconds by entering the necessary information into any free birth chart program on the Internet. If you doubt the accuracy, try a couple for a second opinion. While these are certainly quicker to do on your own, you miss out on learning something about astrology.
- To calculate the ascendant of a subject without the aid of an ascendant chart, find when the sun rose on the day and in the place of birth of the subject (see external links for a tool that can help you). If he was born at dawn, his ascendant is the same as his sign. About every two hours after sunrise (but remember that this concept is different for the different signs), the ascendant proceeds one sign (ie from Leo to Virgo). So if the Leo subject was born at 11:15 on a day and in a place where sunrise was at 6:15, his ascendant is two signs ahead of Leo and therefore will be Libra.
- If the subject was born on the cusp or in the 2-4 days before or after the change of zodiac sign, the traits of his personality can belong to both signs.
- Use a pencil when creating the graph, since there is a risk of making some mistakes. You can draw the final lines later.
- You can build a birth chart without the exact time or position of birth, but it will be incomplete and less precise.
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When consulting the ephemeris, be careful to set the local time correctly. Usually the graph gives you the positions of the celestial bodies at midnight (00:00) in Greenwich, so you not only have to compare the positions for the actual time of birth, but you must also take into account the time zone and daylight saving time.
But Note that what is described above is very approximate and could foresee a margin of error of two or more zodiac signs. The signs do not rise at the same speed, due to the angle of the ecliptic at the equator, and the specific angle also depends on the terrestrial latitude of the location. If you make an estimate of the above, the results must be verified / corrected as soon as possible.
- The time of birth is generally considered to be the time when the baby takes his first breath. The time indicated on birth certificates has often been rounded to the nearest half hour or quarter of an hour, therefore it is not always accurate.
