Q&A for How to Read an Astrology Chart

A common mistake of reading an astrology chart is calling an aspect grid a birth chart. A lot of apps and websites show your aspect grid and not your circular birth chart. An aspect is an angle the planets make to each other in your horoscope, which shows the timing of transitions and changes. A birth chart, or natal chart, is what the sky looked like at the moment of your birth.

Most experienced astrologers tend to shy from making concrete predictions about the future, primarily because it's almost impossible to predict the exact circumstances being represented in one's personal natal transits. Personalities are far easier to read accurately from a natal chart, since there are far fewer potential factors to take into consideration. In either case, an astrologer can't tell you anything from your sun sign alone. If the astrologer who counselled you only asked for your date of birth, it's a safe bet he or she had no idea what astrology actually is. Your individual natal chart is far more involved than just "a sign." The article above may grant you some notion.

True node is seen as your karma for this life (things you have to learn), chiron is your wounds and how you heal them, vertex is usually a "fate" position. It is triggered when you meet your soul mate, when someone dies or is born, or when you break up important relationships. Typically ascendant is what first impression you give people, and how you view the world and midheaven is your reputation/public image, or your career.

Almost inevitably, unless you can't find someone who's attracted to you for one reason or another. I think the more worthwhile question is, "When will I meet a partner with whom I have more than sex?" But sex is mundane. Romance is the wave of the future! That would still require referencing your natal chart, however. I'd suggest Googling "astrological synastry" or "astrological love predictions" and read on whatever you can scrounge up.

For the total astrological novice, I'd recommend The Complete Idiot's Guide to Astrology, 4th edition. It should be available on Amazon for a reasonable price. I also suggest Aspects in Astrology: A Guide to Understanding Planetary Relationships in the Horoscope by Sue Thompkins. That one is for slightly more advanced practitioners, but if you've read the first and are hungry for more, the latter is the one I'd recommend.

The best way for a novice to interpret there chart is to take it to an expert. Another way is to use theastrocodex.com. I have found it to be very accurate, and it give you the meanings for everything. I used it in conjunction with this article, and it was clear and understandable.

The numbers are minutes, a sub-measurement of degrees. There are 60 minutes for every degree. So 360 degrees comes out to 21,600 minutes. Since every sign is comprised of 30 degrees, that would be 1,800 minutes per sign.

Interpreting a natal chart requires certain cognitive abilities. Don't feel bad if it's not something you ever get the hang of. If you study astrology and it never clicks, have an astrologer do it for you.

Yes and no. They are both fixed signs, so they have that in common. But this also makes them somewhat stubborn and "fixed in their ways", which can make getting along difficult.

The sort of pre-canned explanation that you might find online is that your ideal partner is someone with a bright, shiny personality. Someone whose personality projects well. Since the sun rules the sign of Leo, this person might have a lot of planets in Leo in his or her natal chart or else the person's sun may be aspected by many other natal planets. More significantly, however, the sun tends to represent a focal point in your natal chart, indicating an area of particular importance in your life. In your case, close partnerships are important to you. They are something for which you probably expend a lot of personal energy, which is nice to see in an age where so many are giving up.

You need to be aware of the astrological aspects of the month for that. Depending on the energy available, you can track whether the energy will boost your chances according to your solar and ascendant sign. Your natal chart only gives hints of which job situations you'll feel most comfortable with, what kind of leadership you are most likely to develop, etc.

There are many software programs available to do the complex calculations for you. One that I am familiar with is called WinStar. It is available in three levels of complexity, depending upon what factors you may want to be included in the calculations. The more complex, the higher the price.

An astrologer normally color codes the aspect made between two planets or points, using the same color for the same aspect on the chart. There may be one color used for a trine (120 degrees), another for a square (90 degrees), a sextile (60 degrees), an opposition (180 degrees), and so on to make it easier to see the relationship between the two points. As far as what they mean, it's determined by the aspect, the planets involved, the house and sign that they are in and if there are also receiving aspects from other points or planets.

Study the symbols for the planets and what they mean. The house they fall in will be the focus, and the planet will be the intention or importance it serves.

Houses without planets in them are de-emphasized, but not without value. The cusp, or starting point, of any given house is still used in calculating aspects, and even takes on the characteristics of the sign in which it sits.

The zodiac is based on math as opposed to proven science. You likely have been conditioned by your childhood to suppress your specific and potentially extreme traits. Instead of looking at surface action, think about your motivations and opinions.

Never, if you simply wait for it to happen. Astrology requires you to be proactive. Also, be careful; don't try to predict your entire life with an astrology chart. Try to decide your own fate instead.