Birth Chart Breakdown: Understanding the Elements of a Birth Chart

In astrology, the birth chart shows us which sign each planetary body was under at the time of our births. But there's more to your natal chart than just your zodiac signs and the planets. This useful astro tool can tell you a lot about the influence the stars and planets can have, and this simple guide from our experienced Psychics our experienced Astrologers can give you a better understanding of the elements of a birth chart.

Interpreting the Zodiac Signs

The first outer ring of your chart contains the signs of the zodiac, moving clockwise from your ascendant or rising sign around the circle. Each zodiac has its own section, or slice, of the chart where the sun, moon, and other planets appear. For example, if the sun symbol appears next to the sign of Aries, this would mean your sun sign is in Aries.

While the sun, moon, and planets don't dictate what happens in your life, their energies can manifest as possibilities and potential inspiration for cultivating what you want in life. Each sign also has its own energy potential that celestial bodies amplify as they move through the zodiac.

Looking at Your Sun, Moon, and Planets

In the middle spaces of the chart, you'll see the placement of the sun, moon, and planets at the time of your birth. You'll also see other celestial elements, like the asteroids Chiron and Vesta, along with the planets' aspects to one another, forming conjunctions, trines, and so on. [1] Each of these celestial elements has a symbol to represent it on your chart, showing you which signs they transit.

When you read your birth chart, you'll also notice a few non-planetary elements: the ascendant or rising sign, the midheaven, and the descendant. Each of these elements also manifests potential energies within its placement in your chart.

Your Chart and the Houses

The inner-most ring of your natal chart shows the numbers of the houses, which represent various areas of your life. The first house starts with your ascendant sign, going in order from one to 12. As you read your birth chart, you'll also notice that both planets and signs can appear in one or more houses. [2] So if your sun sign is Libra and you see the symbols for the sun and Libra appearing under the section for the 9th house, this would mean your sun and its corresponding placement in Libra are in your 9th house.

When planets and signs show up in the houses of your chart, they'll have some influence in each house. This makes astrology a fun and exciting tool you can use to manifest the things you want in your relationships, career, and other areas of your life.

Learn More With an In-Depth Reading

While your birth chart doesn't outline how your life will manifest, it can give you valuable insight into potential energy you can use as inspiration to attract the things you want. Your birth chart also gives you details that can help you better understand how you approach different aspects of your life. If you've ever been curious about what the stars have to say about you, get in touch with one of our experienced Psychics at PathForward for an in-depth astrological reading today!