Creating a Natal Chart by Hand

Have you ever wanted to learn the basics of creating a natal chart by hand? It's an interesting and rewarding activity that can help you gain insight into your life and the world around you. Natal charts are essentially a snapshot of the sky at the moment of your birth, which can be used to gain insight into your personality, life patterns, and relationships with others. In this article, we'll walk you through the basics of creating a natal chart by hand, so that you can begin to explore the fascinating world of astrology. Creating a natal chart by hand is a great way to explore astrology, discover the energies influencing your life and gain insight into yourself. It can be a little daunting to look at all the different elements that go into a natal chart, but this step-by-step guide will help you get started.

To create a natal chart, you’ll need to know the exact time and place of your birth. This information is necessary to accurately determine the position of the planets in the sky at the time of your birth. You’ll also need an ephemeris, which is a table that lists the positions of the planets throughout a specific year, and an atlas with maps of the world that indicate the different time zones. Once you have all this information, you’ll need to calculate the Ascendant, which is the sign of the zodiac that was rising on the eastern horizon at the time of your birth.

To do this, you’ll use the ephemeris and your birth time to determine what sign was rising at your location on the date of your birth. Next, you’ll use the ephemeris to determine the positions of all the planets in each sign at the exact moment of your birth. This information will be used to draw up your natal chart. Most people draw their natal chart on paper or in an online program like Solar Fire or Astrolabe.

You’ll also need to know how to interpret your chart, which can be done through books, classes, or online resources. When you’ve finished creating and interpreting your natal chart, you can begin to explore the aspects between all the planets in your chart. The aspects reveal how the planets interact with each other and can provide insight into your personality, relationships and life path. Each aspect represents a different kind of energy and has its own meaning. For example, a trine between two planets is considered harmonious and indicates that both planets are working together towards a common goal.

On the other hand, a square aspect between two planets indicates tension and conflict that must be resolved in order for growth to occur. By studying the aspects between different planets in your chart, you can gain insight into how these energies interact with one another and how they affect your life. Creating a natal chart by hand is a great way to explore astrology and gain insight into yourself. With some time and effort, you can learn how to interpret your chart and gain greater understanding of yourself and those around you. Remember that it takes practice and patience to truly understand astrology, so don’t be discouraged if it takes some time before you start seeing results.

Interpret Your Chart

The final step in creating a natal chart is to interpret it.

To interpret your chart, you can use books, classes, or online resources. These resources can help you to understand the different symbols and symbols in the chart, as well as the relationships between them. They can also provide insight into the energies that are influencing your life. By exploring the different aspects of your chart, you can gain a deeper understanding of yourself.

You can find out which planets are influencing your life, what kind of energies are present in your chart and how they interact with each other. This knowledge can provide guidance and insight into the different areas of your life. To get the most out of your natal chart interpretation, it is important to approach it with an open mind and be willing to consider all the possibilities. With enough practice and dedication, you will be able to gain a better understanding of yourself and your life.

Explore Aspects Between Planets

Exploring the aspects between planets in your natal chart is a great way to gain a deeper understanding of the energies that are influencing your life.

Aspects are formed when two planets are a certain distance apart in the sky, and these patterns can reveal how these energies interact and manifest in your life. The most common aspects are the conjunction, sextile, square, trine, and opposition. When two planets form a conjunction, they are very close to each other in the sky, and their energies will blend together. Sextiles, squares, trines, and oppositions occur when planets are further apart and create different patterns of energy flow.

By looking at the aspects between the planets in your chart, you can get an idea of how their energies will interact. For example, if two planets form a square, it can indicate that there is tension between them. However, by understanding this tension, you can work to use it in a beneficial way. When you look at your chart, think about how each aspect influences the energy of the planets involved.

By doing this, you can gain insight into how these energies manifest in your life and how you can best work with them.

Gather Your Information

Before creating a natal chart by hand, you’ll need to collect important information about yourself and your birth. This includes your date of birth, time of birth, place of birth, and longitude and latitude coordinates. All of this information is necessary to accurately create your natal chart. Your date of birth should include the month, day, and year. Make sure to double check the exact date and time you were born, as even small errors can lead to an inaccurate chart. You’ll also need to know the exact location you were born.

Make sure to get the city and state (or country) of birth. If you don’t know the exact location you were born, you can use the location of the nearest major city. Finally, you’ll need to find out the longitude and latitude coordinates of your place of birth. This helps to accurately map out your natal chart. You can look up these coordinates online.

Calculate Your Ascendant

Your Ascendant is a critical component of your natal chart, so it’s important to be precise when calculating it.

The Ascendant is the degree of the zodiac that was rising on the horizon at the exact time and place of your birth. To calculate it, you’ll need to know your exact birth time (to the minute) and the longitude and latitude of your birth place. You can use an online tool such as Astro.com to help you with this. Once you have your birth time and coordinates, you can use a chart calculation software, such as Solar Fire or Kepler, to generate your chart. Alternatively, you can use an ephemeris and calculate your Ascendant manually.

An ephemeris is a table of planetary positions for each day of the year, which you can find online or purchase in book form. When using an ephemeris, you’ll need to find the longitude and declination of the planets at the exact time and location of your birth. To do this, you’ll need to look up the right ascension and declination of the Sun on the day of your birth. Then, you’ll need to add the longitude and declination of the other planets at the same time. Finally, you’ll need to subtract the longitude of the Sun from the other planets’ longitudes, and then add the declination of the Sun to all other planets’ declinations. Once you’ve calculated all these values, you’ll be able to determine your Ascendant by finding the degree in the zodiac that corresponds to the sum of all these values.

This will be your Ascendant, and it will serve as the starting point for interpreting your natal chart.

Draw Your Natal Chart

Once you have all the information you need, it’s time to draw up your natal chart. This is where the astrological symbols, planets and zodiac signs come together to form a map of your energy and potential. Drawing a natal chart by hand is an incredibly empowering experience, and it doesn’t need to be intimidating. It’s actually easier than it looks. Start by printing out a blank chart wheel from an online source such as Astro.com or Astrodienst.com.

On the wheel, note your exact time of birth, date and location. Then, plot out each of the astrological symbols in the appropriate places on the wheel. This will include the planets, the Sun, Moon and other points such as the ascendant and midheaven. Once you have all the symbols placed in the correct locations, you can begin to interpret the chart and make connections between the different elements. This is where you can really tap into your intuition and let your creativity take over.

You may also want to refer to books or online resources to help you understand what each symbol represents and how they interact with each other. Creating your own natal chart by hand can be a great way to gain insight into yourself and explore astrology in a deeper way. It’s also a great opportunity to practice your skills as an astrologer, and you can use it as a starting point for further exploration. Creating a natal chart by hand can be an intimidating and complex process, but with the right preparation and knowledge it doesn't have to be.

By following this step-by-step guide, you can learn how to read your own natal chart in no time and gain insight into the energies that are influencing your life. With a little bit of practice, you'll be able to explore the fascinating world of astrology and gain a deeper understanding of yourself.