Natal chart
A natal chart (birth chart, horoscope) is a map of the ecliptic at the exact time and place of birth. It shows where the sun, moon, planets, and chart angles fall in the twelve zodiac-signs and twelve houses, and how those bodies relate through aspects.
Western chart reading treats the natal chart as a symbolic portrait of temperament and life themes, not a fixed prediction. The same birth data can be rendered as a circular natal-wheel or listed in tables; underlying longitudes come from natal-chart (VSOP-based ephemeris).
Four layers
| Layer | Question | Topics |
|---|---|---|
| Planets | What is active? | planets |
| Signs | How is it expressed? | zodiac-signs, elements, modalities |
| Houses | Where does it show up? | houses, house-1 … house-12 |
| Aspects | How do parts interact? | aspects, orbs |
Reading aids
- wheel-reading-order — step-by-step on the wheel
- hemispheres, quadrants, chart-patterns — shape of the chart
- retrogrades, dignities, decanates — refinement
- progressions — inner timing pointer
- synastry — two-chart comparison
Start from overview for the full beginner map.