Astrology basics
Natal chart
Also known as: birth chart
A natal chart (birth chart) is a map of the sky at the exact moment and place of your birth, showing the positions of the planets, signs, and astrological houses.
It's the core tool of personal astrology, far more precise than a general sun-sign horoscope — it factors in your exact birth time and place, so two people born on the same day can end up with very different charts.
From a natal chart astrologers read the ascendant, the distribution of planets across signs and houses, and the aspects between planets. It's the reference point every other technique builds on: transits, progressions, synastry.
Frequently asked questions
What is a natal chart in astrology?
A natal chart, also called a birth chart, is a calculated map of the sky at the moment and place you were born. It shows the signs and houses of the Sun, Moon and planets, the Ascendant and the aspects between planets. Astrologers use it as the foundation for describing personality themes and for later techniques such as transits.
Do I need my exact birth time for a natal chart?
The more exact, the better. The planets' signs can be found from the date alone, but the Ascendant and house positions shift roughly every two hours on average and depend on the precise time. Without it, the chart loses its houses and angles, and the Moon's degree may also be uncertain, so an astrologer reads it more cautiously.
What is the difference between a natal chart and a horoscope?
In everyday use a horoscope often means a short daily or weekly text for a Sun sign, shared by everyone born in that sign. A natal chart is individual: it is calculated from your own date, time and place of birth. In the older sense the word horoscope also referred to the chart itself, which is why both terms are sometimes used interchangeably.
Is a Vedic birth chart different from a Western one?
Yes. Vedic astrology uses the sidereal zodiac, which today sits about 24 degrees behind the tropical zodiac used in most Western astrology, so many planets fall in the previous sign. The Vedic rasi chart is often drawn as a square, is usually read with whole sign houses, and is combined with nakshatras and dasha periods.