The Oracle’s Library presents the initiation of a basic introductory course into natal charts. The natal wheel or birth chart of modern astrology reflects the planetary positions on the background of zodiac belt upon birth. Each natal chart is unique to location, date and time down to the last second. The natal chart displays what is called ‘nativity’ used to track daily transits and synastry aspects.

The Invisible Aspects

Natal charts also draw each planetary position within the twelve astrological houses identified at the ascendant—the point of the ancient horoscope—to assess an individual’s life path. This branch of astrology is called natal astrology and interprets the progression of the individual soul through each stage in the greater journey of life. At the ascendant or 0° degrees, the first astrological house starts with the zodiac sign that is rising above the horizon in the east—this is why the ascendant is also sometimes named the ‘rising sign’. Another notable invisible feature of the standard natal chart is the midheaven or zenith, where the Sun reaches its peak at the highest point in the sky on any given day. Planetary aspects are most powerful when reaching the zenith. Much of natal astrology was constructed in ancient Greece by Ptolemy, who developed many aspects of the system that we continue to use today.

Sacred Geometry in Astrology

Besides the astrological houses, aspects drawn with symmetrical geometric shapes create harmony or strife between the planets involved. The harmonious aspects of natal astrology are often considered conjunctions, trine and sextiles, while the challenging aspects are traditionally oppositions, squares and inconjuncts. But, the effects of both benefic and malefic aspects rely heavily upon the nature of the planets involved.

The aspects that form between two or more planets refer to the shape the planetary positions reflect by the angle between them. These angles originate with those present in sacred geometry such as the trine—triangle when joined by three sides or the sextile—hexagon when joined by six sides are pieces of the shapes that form the Platonic Solids.

The Planets and Zodiac Signs

In natal astrology, the planets can be considered personifications of prominent extensions of conscious thought. That is why Venus is associated with love and Mercury with communication, since the planet is a representation of our conscious filters for each type of thought. When we add the zodiac signs to the background of the planets, we begin constructing the personality. Instincts and patterns of behavior for each filter of conscious thought are defined by the zodiac signs. When Venus—the planet of love—falls in the zodiac sign Pisces, we can expect this individual to remain rather reserved and self-restricted when it comes to matters of the heart. We can read this by integrating the attributes of the zodiac sign to the planet that occupies it.

One of the best ways for a beginner to learn how to read a natal chart is by starting with your own birth moment. Get acquainted with the the zodiac signs and interpret these as archetypes for each form of consciousness represented by the planets, Sun and Moon. After you have created a point of reference, try to read the charts of close friends and family to place certain astrological aspects into context. This not only helps memorize the functions of each planet and zodiac sign but also serves as a tool to build a foundation of aspects to compare with future readings. To pull up your own natal chart, check out Free Online Divination Tools.

Thank you for reading at the Oracle’s Library! Please comment and share your thoughts on natal charts!

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