Before we start, what is Astrology? It is the study of the movement of the planets, sun, moon, asteroids, and celestial bodies in general, from a geocentric perspective and its correlation with the aspects of human personalities and natural events. Its origin dates to Mesopotamia (c. 3rd millennium b.C.), and it has evolved since then along with humanity.
Most people who have heard about astrology, know their astrological (sun) sign, but have no idea what they really mean, aside from the memes that have been successfully spread on social media.
Although memes can be entertaining, they couldn’t be further from what astrology truly is. And my goal here is to shed light on how astrology can help you on your self-development path.
Find below the 5 steps on how to start your journey with astrology.
Step 1 – Look for your birth date, time, and place.
You can find this information on your birth certificate. It is good to double check with your mom and, if necessary (and feasible), contact the hospital/birth center where you were born. 😊
The exact date, time, and location of your birth are the information required for astrological software to point out the exact position of the planets, satellites, asteroids, and stars in the sky at the moment you were born. This “screenshot” of the sky is what we can call one’s astrological birth chart.
The information on your birth chart – the position of all planets, sun, and moon, from the earth’s perspective, can explain how you naturally feel, process information (think), what fulfills you, your approach to finances, relationships, family, friendships, careers, spirituality, and so much more. It’s a literal map to unravel your life’s process.
Step 2 – Go to astro.com to generate your free birth chart.
There are some astrology websites where you can generate your birth chart for free and have a first look at your own birth chart. The one I recommend is astro.com. It has been around for decades and is one of the best and most complete websites on the topic.
Step 2.1. – Click on the menu in the top left corner of the website.
Step 2.2. – Click on the “Free Horoscope” section. Then click on the drop-down menu “Horoscope Drawings & Data”, and finally on “Chart Drawing, Ascendant”.
Step 2.3. – Click on the button “Enter your birth data”.
Step. 2.4. – Insert your birth data and click on the “Continue” button.
Step 2.5. – Voilà! Now you have your astrological birth chart.
Step 3 – Learn how to interpret your own chart.
“Wow, Sofia, now you went too far.” – you might be thinking. But no, it can be simpler than it looks. Astrology divides the sky into 12 “pieces”, where the zodiac signs (constellations) are located. Each zodiac sign is responsible for one (or two) of those “pieces” or areas of your life – those are called astrological houses. The numbers inside the chart label the territory of each “house”, and the zodiac symbol “outside” of each house indicates which zodiac sign rules this house.
So, when you hear “Oh, that’s typical Capricorn”. Just know that everyone in the world has Capricorn in their chart, because the sky has all constellations, and, as a “screenshot” of the sky, your (or anyone’s) birth chart will have it too.
A more accurate statement would be to say “Oh, it’s typical Capricorn sun/rising sign or moon”. 😊. Those placements emphasize Capricorn’s energy in someone’s personality.
In any case, if you’re new to all of this, I’ve made your life easier by putting a description of the main symbols/elements of a birth chart.
Zodiac signs:
Sun, Moon, and Planets:
In the example presented in Step 2.5., the person has her Sun in Aries territory. Her rising sign (that corresponds to the first house) is in Scorpio and her Moon is in Libra.
The sun corresponds to one’s potential, someone’s essence. A person who has an Aries Sun finds fulfillment in leading, starting, in movement, action. The rising sign represents the patterns of how the person initiates anything, their physical traits, and how others perceive them. In that example, having a Scorpio rising sign indicates that this person is perceived by others as intense, profound, and passionate, as those are Scorpio characteristics. Finally, the Moon represents someone’s emotions, past experiences, relationship with their mother, and their home. Someone with Libra Moon finds emotional security in harmony, justice, and beauty. As a diplomatic sign, Libra is more of a peacemaker. This person might have perceived their mother as dependent on external approval / outside appearances, so that’s how they deal with their emotions in the outside world.
The astrological signs point to behaviors patterns, the planets show the dynamics of the personality – how a person showcases their behavior, and the astrological houses are areas of one’s life.
So, as soon as you generate your own chart, try to spot each sign, and then locate the sun, moon, and the planets. Do research for each of the signs’ meanings. Do the same to the planets. That’s how you start the scavenger hunt, and the goal is to gain more clarity about who should be the most important person in the world for you: yourself.
Step 4 – Journal about what you learned from your astrological birth chart.
Different from what many people believe, astrology is not a self-development tool that aims to guess or predict someone’s future. Even though, you might agree that, if someone isn’t aware of their own patterns and continues making the same “mistakes” over and over, it won’t be hard to guess what will happen in their future.
So, to evolve, one should look at what they can improve in their lives and their own behavior. As one cannot change what they cannot see, journal about what resonated with you from what you found by learning more from your own birth chart.
It’s also important to know that the astrological birth chart showcases your true nature. To find fulfillment, you should look for what’s natural for you. Life shouldn’t have to be a struggle, so your birth chart can present how you are naturally, so you can adjust your life in a way that better serves your essence.
Step 5 – Continue observing yourself and coming back to your birth chart.
Self-awareness is a process, and the more you find about yourself, the more information you can extract from your own birth chart (and vice-versa). And I can tell you that from my own experience: when I first found out about astrology I was blown away. I kept asking myself how “no one” was talking about this. That’s when I started studying it professionally – out of pure and genuine curiosity.
But then I learned too that each person has their own path to create, based on who they can potentially be, and that’s all in their chart.
So, I encourage you to have your own journal, learn every day a bit more about astrological symbols, and reflect on your own process.
If you are excited to know more about your own birth chart and would like help from a professional astrologer, I’ll be happy to assist you on your journey.
Send an e-mail to contato@astroser.com.br and I can send you the details on how I do my chart reading sessions.
Hope to have you again here soon,
Ana Sofia Barros.