The Natal Chart Dissected

In my last entry, I suggested sites where you could obtain your own natal chart. Chances are that if you are new to astrology (I consider myself fairly new), you took one look at the chart and wondered what it all meant.

I was completely overwhelmed when I first saw my natal chart, the lines, the glyphs, the numbers. It was daunting. So, I thought I might try to demistify it a tad bit.

Take a look at the chart to the right. It contains a wealth of information about the person it's drawn for. Deciphering it may prove challenging, but not impossible.

Today, I just want to discuss the parts of this chart.

• The chart is obviously a circle.
• The circle consists of 360 degrees.
• The circle is divided into 12 EQUAL signs each containing 30 degrees.
• The chart is also divided into 12 unequal houses (other methods of charting use 12 equal houses).
• The chart can be divided into quadrants and hemispheres.
• The chart can be grouped by elements and qualities that were discussed in a previous article.

These divisions all provide insight into a person's natal chart. Each house in the natal chart provides an interpretation to a specific area of a persons life.

The house representations are as follows:

1. Self
2. Possessions
3. Communications
4. Home
5. Creativity
6. Service and Health
7. Marriage and Partnership
8. Death and Regeneration
9. Mental Exploration
10. Career
11. Hopes and Wishes/Friends
12. Self-undoing

Lets take a look at our chart:

Starting at the middle left side (9 o'clock) of the circle note the symbol AC. This represents the ascendant or rising sign. At the moment you were born that is the sign that was rising in the east. The rising sign marks the beginning of the first house and therefore shows information about how we are viewed by others. It shows the way we act. Planets in this house can provide insight into personal appearance, traits and characteristics.

Most planets travel counter clockwise through the houses. There are two exceptions to this rule. Planets which are in retrograde motion appear as if they are traveling through the heavens in backward motion. The north and south nodes (not planets) will travel clockwise all of the time. We will look at the retrograde planets as well as nodes at a later date.

Looking straight across to the other side of the chart (3 o'clock), you will see the DC. This is the Descendant. The descendant points to the sign that was setting in the west at time of birth. The descendant marks the beginning of the 7th house of marriage and partnerships.

The Ascendant/ Descendant line (horizon line) divides the circle into two halves. The bottom half is the northern hemisphere and the top half is the southern hemisphere . Yes this is a tad bit confusing, but as the sun rises in the east (AC) it passes the 12, 11, 10...houses until it sets in the west in the 7th house (DC).

Each hemisphere has a certain influence. The southern hemisphere (houses 7-12) places an emphasis on what can be seen, extroverted. Those individuals with a great number of planets in the southern hemisphere (8 or more) tend to seek achievement through career and social satus.

The northern hemisphere emhasizes what can't be seen, introverted. Those with an emphasis in the northern hemisphere (houses 1-6) tend to focus on the self.

A few points about AC and DC.

• They are exactly 180 degrees apart
• The signs in these houses are opposites.
• The line they share is called the horizon line.

At the bottom of the chart (6 o'clock) you will find the Imum Coeli (IC) or Nadir. This is the North Pole of the zodiac and at the cusp of the 4th house of home. At this point security is of most concern. This point often describes our roots.

At the top of the chart (12 o'clock) the highest point of the chart, is the Medium Coeli (MC) or Midhaven. This is the south pole of the zodiac. This point is at the cusp of the 10th house of career. This point appears at the top of the southern hemisphere (what can be seen ) and therefore this point represents the most exposed position. This point suggest how you present yourself to the outer world. Aspect to MC are said to have insight as to one's true vocational "calling". We will discuss these at a later date.

Ok, so now we have another line, between MC and IC which divides the circle into two different halves-the western hemisphere and the eastern hemisphere.

The western hemisphere is composed of houses 4-9. The focus here is with relationships. Growth comes about through interaction with others. An emphasis of planets here points to a team player.

The eastern hemisphere encompasses houses 10, 11, 12, 1, 2, 3. A strong eastern hemisphere points to a self- reliant person with high personal drive. These individuals tend to be self employed as they value personal freedom.

Recap:

Looking at some one's chart, you can tell the time of their birth. First locate the sun. A person born close to sunrise will have their sun near the Ascendant. A person born during evening (near sunset) hours will have their sun closer to the DC. A person born closer to the noon hour will have Sun near the MC. The sun of someone who was born closer to midnight will be located closer to the IC.

The sign occupied by the Sun is the sign that the Sun was in at the time of birth and the Ascendant was rising in the horizon. There are four points in the chart that could provide insight- AC, MC, DC, IC. These also serve to divide the chart for further analysis.

What is your Sun sign, Rising Sign, and in what signs are your IC and MC located?