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Natal Chart Interpretations For Beginners

A Natal (or Birth) Chart is a snapshot of the what the sky looked like at the exact moment you were born.

Interpreting your Natal Chart is an amazing way to gain deeper insight into your personality, strengths, weaknesses, and what to focus on for growth.

Natal Chart interpretations can get pretty complicated as you delve more and more into all the different areas, but for now you can read on below for a beginner’s step by step:

How To Read A Birth Chart

There are 4 main components to look out for when reading a Natal Chart: the Planets, Zodiac Signs they are in; the Houses they are in; and the aspects the Planets are making to each other.

There are many great free websites where you can get your birth chart done, I personally love the Chani version because she is also a WONDERFUL Traditional Astrologer to learn from, but any is good as long as you input the right birth data!

1. The Zodiac Signs

First up, the Zodiac signs. Most of us are familiar with our Sun (star) Sign and what some basic characteristics are, however you may not know that we actually have all of the twelve Signs somewhere in our Charts, and depending on where they are placed (in which Houses) will mean different things. They will often be represented in your Birth Chart simply with their Astrological symbols and always follow through in the same Zodiacal order.

The Zodiac signs can be categorised into 2 main ways: elements and modes.

The elements are: Fire, Earth, Air and Water.

Fire signs, as you can imagine, are fiery, passionate and action-driven. They include Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius.

Earth signs are grounded, methodical and practical. They include Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn.

Air signs are quick-thinking and communicative with a light-heartened personality. They include Gemini, Libra and Aquarius.

Finally, Water signs are emotionally connected and in touch with their spirituality. They include Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces.

Read more about each Zodiac Sign Characteristic here.

The modes are based on whether the sign falls at the beginning, middle or end of a season, and are either: Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable.

Cardinal Signs are the beginning of a new season and thus are said to be great initiators of change and innovative. They include Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn.

Fixed signs come in the middle of the season and so have great perseverance, determination and stability. They include Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius.

Mutable signs occur at the end of a season and so signify adaptability, flexibility and closure. These are Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces.

Additionally, the signs also have either Nocturnal or Diurnal qualities. Nocturnal energy is more inward-focussed and receptive, whereas Diurnal energy is more outward-focussed and active.

Zodiac Sign Characteristics

ARIES - Occurring at the start of the Vernal Equinox and denoting the start of the Astrological Year, Aries is a Diurnal, Cardinal Fire sign ruled by Mars. Archetypal Aries is bold, forthright, and impulsive.
TAURUS - A Nocturnal, Fixed Earth sign ruled by Venus, Taurus is grounded, practical, sensual, embodied, appreciative of the material, nature, and pleasure.
GEMINI - A Diurnal, Mutable Air signed ruled by Mercury, archetypal Gemini is quick, curious, and interested in the world around it.
CANCER - A Nocturnal, Cardinal Water sign ruled by the Moon, archetypal Cancer is protective, sensitive, emotionally intelligent, and nurturing; the matriarch.
LEO - A Diurnal, Fixed Fire sign ruled by the Sun. Archetypal Leo is regal and authoritative, as well as playful and generative.
VIRGO - A Nocturnal, Mutable Earth sign ruled by Mercury. Archetypal Virgo is meticulous, attentive, detailed, and organised, desiring to be of service and improve.

LIBRA - A Diurnal, Cardinal Air sign ruled by Venus. Archetypal Libra is considerate, just, relational, and aesthetic.
SCORPIO - A Nocturnal, Fixed Water sign ruled by Mars traditionally. Archetypal Scorpio is penetrating, perseverant, determined, private, and deep.
SAGITTARIUS - A Diurnal, Mutable Fire sign ruled by Jupiter. Archetypal Sagittarius is adventurous, optimistic, expansive, and spiritual.
CAPRICORN - A Nocturnal, Cardinal Earth sign ruled by Saturn. Archetypal Capricorn has a strong sense of duty, quality, morals, and responsibility.
AQUARIUS - A Diurnal, Fixed Air sign ruled by Saturn traditionally, archetypal Aquarius is independent and carves out their own path.
PISCES - A Nocturnal, Mutable Water sign ruled by Jupiter traditionally. Archetypal Pisces is empathetic, intuitive, receptive, flexible, and spiritual.

Two Wander - Natal Chart Interpretations For Beginners

2. The Planets

Each of the Planets and celestial bodies have their own characteristics. Again, we each have all of the Planets somewhere in our charts. In which Houses and with which Zodiac Sign will determine how they are characterised for you personally.

For more detail about each of the Planets, check out our post on Planetary Characteristics.

SUN ☉- The Sun is known as our typical star sign (i.e. I’m a Scorpio sun) and represents our main characteristics, essence, and where we can shine. It is the main “luminary” for Day Charts.
MOON ☾ - The Moon represents our emotions, needs, and body. It is the main luminary for Night Charts (so if you were born at night may resonate with it more)!

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MERCURY ☿ - Mercury governs how we take in and process the world and express it in return. It also rules friendship and siblings.
VENUS ♀- Venus represents our tastes, desires, style, money mindset, and relationship dynamics.
MARS ♂️- Mars, the last of the inner Planets, represents our actions, energy, ambition, drive, anger, ego, and sense of agency (or lack thereof).
JUPITER ♃ - Jupiter is a social Planet (moving through one Zodiac Sign per year) and governs our morals, beliefs, and sense of trust, faith, and abundance (or lack thereof).
SATURN ♄ - Another social Planet, Saturn governs hard work, challenge, restraint, lessons, dedication, discipline, duty, and sense of lack.

URANUS ♅ - As a transpersonal Planet, it will only be felt if it is contacting one of your personal Planets. It represents eccentricity, destabilisation, and suddenness.
NEPTUNE ♆ - Another transpersonal Planet, Neptune brings fantasy, illusion, confusion, and spirituality.
PLUTO ♇ - The final of the outer Planets, Pluto governs power dynamics, triggers, intensity, control, and transformation.
To take a deep dive into the world of Astrology, expand your cosmic awareness with our Cosmic Guidance: Traditional Astrology 101 Course!

3. The Houses

If you were to look at the sky like a pie, the Houses are 12 “slices” that represent different areas of life with key focusses. You will need your Natal Chart already done to see which Zodiac Sign is in which of your Houses.

FIRST HOUSE - This represents your relationship to your self and outwardly appearance to the world. It’s your core values and temperament, body, and vitality. This is your Rising Sign (where the exact degree of your Ascendant will fall); the Sign that was Rising on the eastern horizon at your time of birth.

SECOND HOUSE - This House represents our finances, possessions, income, skills, talents, resources, values, and self-worth.
THIRD HOUSE - This represents our siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, local neighbourhood, learning, early childhood education, crafts, and communication.
FOURTH HOUSE - This represents our home, family, ancestry, house, lineage, upbringing, and private life.
FIFTH HOUSE - This represents children, creativity, sex, pleasure, fun, sports, pastimes, hobbies, creations.
SIXTH HOUSE - This represents our health and injuries, acts of service, work environment, pets, and colleagues.
SEVENTH HOUSE - This represents our intimate relationships (spouse, best friend) and open enemies.

EIGHTH HOUSE - This represents our shared resources (our partner’s money, tax, debt) and inheritance, as well as cycles of life, death, and rebirth.
NINTH HOUSE - This represents our beliefs, philosophy, spirituality, religion, Astrology, higher education, institutions, publishing, law, and long-distance travel.
TENTH HOUSE - This represents our career, public image, legacy, vocation, and how we are perceived professionally.
ELEVENTH HOUSE - This represents our friendships, community, network, alliances, and aspirations.
TWELFTH HOUSE - The 12th House represents our place of self-undoing, mental health, spirituality, and subconscious.

Note that you will not have a Planet in every House, for information about an empty House look to its ruler (for example if you are a Sagittarius Rising your 6th House will be in Taurus- look to where Venus is). For more information on the Houses, click here. Looking to your Chart ruler, the Planetary ruler of your Rising Sign, is extremely insightful!m

Image Via Embodied Soul Astrology Academy

4. Aspects

And finally, we have how all these Planets interact with each other based on where they are positioned in the sky in relation to the others. The five below are the major Ptolemaic traditional aspects, there are also 6 other minor modern aspects, such as quincunx and semi-sextile.

Conjunction (0 degrees apart) - When 2 or more Planets are in alignment, their qualities are blended. For example, a Moon-Jupiter conjunction can bring an expansive, generous heart with big feels; but a Moon-Saturn conjunction can bring a sense of emotional distance or lack.
Sextile (60 degrees apart) - A subtly beneficial aspect, when Planets form a sextile, they are in a position to assist each other.
Square (90 degrees apart) - When Planets “square off”, they are harshly contacting one another and can bring friction.
Trine (120 degrees apart) - A positive aspect in which the Planets are beneficially and harmoniously supporting each other. For example, a Moon-Saturn trine can bring emotional maturity.
Opposition (180 degrees apart) - Another challenging aspect, Planets here are head-butting each other and coming to a disagreement in how best to behave.

Putting it all together

After getting your personal Birth Chart, look through each of the Houses and note which Planet is where and in what Zodiac Sign to start piecing a picture together, using your intuition will also be beneficial.

THE PLANET = WHAT

THE SIGN = HOW

THE HOUSE = WHERE

For example, if you have Venus in Taurus in your second House, this could mean that you appreciate tactile pleasure, desire beautiful yet pragmatic possessions, and require financial stability. If Mars is in Aries in your seventh House, you could have fiery relationships!

Next, note if there are any important aspects. For example, if you have the Moon in Cancer in your fourth House, and this is in opposition to Pluto in Capricorn in your tenth House, this could add a level of emotional intensity and invitation to balance a need for home comforts with public power.

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So that’s an overview of Natal Chart interpretations for beginners. I hope you got some useful information out! Don’t forget to check out my Cosmic Guidance: Traditional Astrology 101 Course or my Beginner’s Guide To Astrology for more details.

If you’d like a personalised star map to your cosmic blueprint and uncover the secrets of your destiny, book in a personalised Natal Chart reading with me!

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