What to Expect From Your First Birth Chart Reading
Every year, countless people seek the help of a professional astrologer to interpret their birth chart. The birth chart teaches us about personality, and is a portal to a life well-lived.
A birth chart is also called the horoscope, or natal chart. All you need to look yours up is your birth date, time, and place. If you don’t have a birth time, you can approximate, or a skilled astrologer can work backwards to find the time.
Many people first discover astrology through weekly horoscopes, which are generalized by the 12 sun signs. There’s so much more to astrology than that! Everyone has the moon, plus eight other planets, each in an astrological sign and one of the 12 houses. Even more, the placement of the planets on the circular chart related to one another with geometric angles, adding even more complexity.
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Free birth chart generators, and apps created by astrologers like Lila and Chani, offer interpretations based on the elements of the birth chart, which is a great entry point to understanding your birth chart. But, because facets of the chart often contradict one another, it can be confusing and frustrating to evaluate on your own. Granted, what makes humans so interesting is that we are full of contradictions! That’s where a professional astrologer comes in.
If you’re ready to live with more ease, to work with the flow of life, and do what your soul came here to do, you’re in the right place. Read on to learn what you can expect from a professional birth chart reading.
What a Birth Chart Reading Includes
A birth chart reading can be provided through a video or phone call, a written format, or in person. The most common birth chart reading is a Zoom call, recorded so you can refer back to it later, running around 60-90 minutes.
This provides enough time to explore the key pieces of the birth chart: the sun, moon, and rising signs, the eight planets by sign and house, and aspects, which are the relationships between the planets. Additional points on a chart that may be explored include Chiron, a minor planet, and the north and south nodes, which represent the path of fate.
Some astrologers also look at the progressed moon, which indicates phases of emotional development. And lastly, a reading may include transits, such as the Saturn Return, which are dynamics between the present-day sky contrasted with the sky on the date of your birth.
Types of Birth Chart Readings
Astrology has evolved over thousands of years of study, across cultures, regions, and eras. Yet, despite having no global governing body, astrologers agree on the archetype interpretations of signs and planets, and vary only on more particular details. While there are many (too many to count) subcategories of study, the most popular ones today are Vedic and western astrology. Most astrology apps use western astrology.
Within western astrology, a practitioner may further focus their practice on intuitive, psychological, or evolutionary astrology. Intuitive astrology uses the chart as a gateway for psychic messages that complement the birth chart analysis. Evolutionary astrology delves into past lives, understanding the chart as the instruction manual the soul brought into this lifetime. Psychological astrology leans on discussion and reflection, with the astrologer guiding a person to their birth chart’s practical takeaways.
Birth chart readings can vary even more by house system. The two most frequently used are Placidus and whole sign. Most astrology apps and websites use Placidus. If you plan to explore astrology on your own, you may like to choose an astrologer who uses the same house system you’re familiar with.
When to Get a Birth Chart Reading
The most popular time to get a birth chart reading is your birthday. Sometimes this is called a Solar Return reading, and provides guidance specific to the coming year.
A birth chart reading brings value on other occasions of major life change, such as a new job, moving to a new home or town, or a new relationship. Alternatively, frustration in love, money, family, or home are all great questions to bring to a birth chart reading to find clarity and guide action steps. Most people come to their first birth chart reading with a pain point, if not a full rock bottom, and as they integrate astrology into their life, readings become focused on progressing and moving to the next level.
Some people come for a reading once a year, or each quarter. You’ll learn something new every time, and the planets are always moving, illuminating a different part of your birth chart! Others may choose to get multiple readings from different astrologers, as each astrologer brings a different lens and knowledge base.
Choosing an Astrologer
Because so many birth chart readings are done online, the sky’s the limit in deciding who you would like to work with. It can be overwhelming to search. Here are a few ways to narrow down.
First, consider if there’s an approach you’re most drawn to, between evolutionary, intuitive, or psychological, and then include that term in your search. Personally, I tried readings of all these methods before deciding which to study myself, and I blend evolutionary and intuitive in my practice.
Even though readings are done online, it may be worthwhile to work with an astrologer who lives in your region, in case they offer in-person moon circles or other events to deepen your relationship with the stars.
Prices also vary by depth of education, talent, and region. Most readings by a knowledgeable, trained astrologer fall somewhere between $70-$400. Expensive is not necessarily better. Some astrologers have advanced degrees in spiritual counseling or comparative religion, while others are self-taught and mentored by more seasoned practitioners. What makes a good reading is your fit with the astrologer.
To learn if an astrologer is right for you, explore the free content they make available. This can come in the form of a newsletter, a YouTube channel, Instagram, blog content, or Live moon ceremonies on the Insight Timer app.
Finally, check out an astrologer’s website to see if they specialize in the reading you want. A general birth chart reading is often customized to any burning questions you have at the moment (breakup, family drama, career change). But, some astrologers specialize in relocation, relationships, or career, and will offer a specialized reading on that topic.
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