Introduction to Natal Charts

The Natal Chart (Birth Chart) is an interpretation of the diagram formed by the Sun, Moon, and planets at the exact time of birth as seen from the place where you were born.

The traditional rulerships of the planets are among the basic building blocks of astrological chart interpretation. These rulerships were originally assigned by the astronomers/astrologers of the ancient world. However, since the 1700s astrologers have had to come to terms with the more recently discovered planets of the solar system, and to integrate them into the existing system, assigning rulers to them on a number of grounds, including the world events that were occurring at the time when each planet was discovered.

The Personal Planets

The the planets referred to as the "personal planets" are the Sun, the Moon, the planet ruling the Ascendant sign (the chart ruler), the planet ruling the Sun sign (the Sun ruler), and the planet ruling the sign occupied by the Moon (the Moon ruler).

Traditional Relationships

Each planet rules one or two signs of the zodiac. These rulerships were decreed in the distant past. Each planet is exalted in a particular sign, from which it works well, and with the characteristics of which it has a sympathetic rapport. When a planet is placed in its sign of exaltation, its importance in an interpretation is marginally increased.

Each planet has a sign of detriment. This is the sign of the zodiac opposite the one it rules (its polar sign). Traditional astrology decrees that the planet works less well from this sign. Each planet has a fall sign. This is the sign directly across the zodiac (again, the polar sign) from that in which it is exalted. Here, again, the planet was once thought to work less well. As with the signs of detriment, this is a factor to be kept in mind when interpreting a chart.

The Modern Planets

Since the discovery of the modern planets - Uranus in 1781, Neptune in 1846 and Pluto in 1930 - there has been much discussion concerning the attribution of their rulerships, and the signs in which they may be exalted or in fall.

The signs of rulership, and therefore detriment, have, apart from the planets of Pluto (see opposite) and Chiron (discovered in 1977), long since been debated and finalized.

The Requirements

The key to getting a useful chart or report is to use your exact birth date, including time and place of birth. This allows us to analyze a multitude of different dimensions of your chart otherwise unavailable. If you do not know the exact time of your birth, you may order a chart and report using an approximate time of birth. Do not let lack of accurate birth time stop you from receiving information that will still be extremely valuable.

If you've ever read horoscopes and thought they were too general, order a Star2Star Natal Chart using your full or approximate birthdate information and you'll be in for a big treat. You can get your birth time off of a copy of your birth certificate. The records department of the city, state or hospital in which you were born are also usually good sources for this information.

One thing to always remember with astrology and other forms of divination is that you are in charge. The stars only show us probabilities of certain outcomes. Astrology shows us how the stage is set, but you are the writer, actor and director of the production.

An astrological report can help validate for you why you find certain things easy and others hard, or why you tend to react a certain way when various situations arise. This is information that you can use to be more effective in meeting life's challenges. As with all things, always use your own judgment when making any important life decisions and listen to your own inner compass.