The First 4 Questions To Ask When You Look At A Natal Chart

Source: Unsplash/Ana Municio

If you’re on my site, I’m guessing you’re interested enough in the subject of astrology to want to know a little more than your daily horoscope or whether you’re compatible with this sign or that one. My goal is to provide education about astrology to help demystify the topic and help you apply some this information in your own lives.

I should preface this with this is how I learned how to read a natal chart by studing under an astrologer who practices what’s called the Morin method of interpretation, named after French mathematician and astrologer Jean-Baptise Morin. It’s a very Saturnine method that prioritizes the Ascendant and relies heavily on rules and methodical thinking. There are a variety of styles used by other astrologers that may work just as well, but I’m less familiar with them.

These are the 4 questions that must be asked whenever you begin looking at a chart. My teacher repeated them in all my foundational lessons and to this day still will make me recite them every once in a while. The answers will help you not only determine accuracy of the information, but help guide interpretation of planetary positions and aspects.

Is the chart of a male or a female? All conversations about gender identity aside, this question helps you get a feel for the polarity of the chart and can bring clarity to potential problems as you begin your analysis. Polarity has to do with how active or reactive a chart is, and you can learn more about the importance of Polarity in this post. For example, if you have a woman’s chart, what happens when the planets and Ascendant are all in male signs? What about a male with a heavy emphasis on feminine signs? How will that play out in their responses to their environment?

Is the birth time credible? Exactness matters because of it will determine the position of everything in the chart, including, most importantly, the sign and degree of the Ascendant. Most people are not born exactly on the hour or in 15 minute incriments, and even the difference of a few minutes can result in a planet or house in a different sign. Someone with an Ascendant at 27 degrees Pisces, for example, will act very differently from someone born at 2 degrees Aries.

What is the age of the person? This is important because different outcomes are possible at different stages in life and will influence your interpretation. For example, does the chart show illness? How quickly someone will recuperate can be very differerent at 15 vs. 50 years old. Or, is someone on the verge of retirement or at the apex of their career? The condition of the 10th house will be interpreted differently depending on the case.

What is the socio-cultural background of the person? This has to do with our conditioned responses to our environment. Imagine you have the chart of a strong Aries female born into an orthodox religious community. How will they react to their environment vs. a strong Capricorn who values tradition and structure?

These are the questions that will help ground you when you look at chart, whether it’s your own or of someone close to you.