Self-Reflection and Personal Development
- Birth charts can serve as a tool for self-reflection and personal growth, aiding in getting to know one’s potential.
How can a map on a piece of paper ever hope to provide insight into how you approach relationships? Or areas of life you may find more challenging than others? Or what choices you are more likely to make about how you might choose the furniture for your home?
A Birth Chart is cast from the following data:
- The time of your birth
- The place of your birth (latitude and longitude measurements of location)
- The date of your birth
A Birth Chart can be cast using a Vedic system or a Tropical system. Vedic Birth Charts are drawn in a box with triangle shapes inside, delineating the Houses of the Chart. Tropical Birth Charts are drawn as a Circle, with lines drawn across it demarcating the Houses, like a cake cut in 12 pieces. Both systems work. This article discusses Tropical Astrology, often referred to as Western Astrology.
Here is an example of the Birth Chart of someone who was born in Sydney, Australia at 2:25pm on 15 June 1976. This is a random birth chart for the purpose of explanation only.
If you know nothing about Astrology yet, then looking at this chart will not mean very much to you. But let’s look a little closer.
A Birth Chart is made up of some very basic ingredients that begin to tell us a great deal about ourselves, as we self-reflect.
We all know people who are stubborn and we all know people who are more easy going, and others who seem to race through life! And of course, in some areas of our lives we might forge ahead very quickly, while in other areas, we may sway and turn and find it more difficult to set course for ourselves.
How do you perceive yourself in this regard? Are there some areas in your life where you feel angry at yourself for not being able to make a decision and move ahead? Maybe you can do this in your career but when it comes to buying things you just can’t make up your mind. Or maybe you just end up buying everything depending upon how well the sales lady does a job on you!
The three Modalities that are discovered in your Birth Chart reveal a lot about these scenarios.
In this chart there is an abundance of Fixed modalities. The Fixed Water of Scorpio. The Fixed Fire of Leo. The Fixed Air of Aquarius and the Fixed Earth of Taurus. The Grand Square red box right in the middle of the circle is perhaps the first thing you notice about this randomly cast chart.
So this Individual has a lot of Fixed energies in their Birth Chart. So if this was your chart the first thing you might want to consider about your own self development, if that’s how you look at it, is how a lot of fixed determination is working for you? Because stubbornness can also be fixed determination. If this Individual was the owner of the company you are considering working for, then you might realize that this Individual has Fixed Leo at the top of their chart in the 10th House of career and public standing. Unless this proud lion is your mother (Cancer on the MC), then chances are they will not be the kind of boss who will let you lead projects, ever, unless you are directly under them and are in agreement with everything they believe works best and carry out your middle management position accordingly. This Individual has fixed ideas about how to run his or her company for sure. They may even be so inspired and committed to their position up there in the 10th House, that they will either be the best boss or the worst boss and this will most likely depend upon how much your ideas align with theirs, because theirs will, ultimately, rule. They may not be a tyrant. Leo’s Fixed modality is the enduring flame that keeps the fire place stoked. But with a Fixed Water Scorpio at their Ascendant then if you don’t agree you may suffer some horrible wrath unless they really feel strongly that you deserve their complete support! Scorpio is Fixed Water, or Fixed Emotion. Uranus in Fixed Scorpio, ruling the Moon in Fixed Air Aquarius, as well as Saturn (Traditional Ruler of Fixed Air Aquarius) in Fixed Leo in the 10th House, support this interpretation of this chart. It will be up to you to discover how this Individual operates across these placements. Which will give you some inroads to working with them if you have decided to do so!
If this was your chart and you were looking to hire someone who you want to put in a position of trust, then an Aries might be a good choice for you, to work with your Mars in Leo, your Mars ruled Ascendant of Scorpio, and your Mars ruled Aries for Employment, Service people.
This chart is not all Fixed Modality although it is significantly Fixed. If this Individual came to me for shop lifting, or an inability to remain interested in a partner, then it might be really interesting to discuss their Birth Chart with them in terms of the Tensions finding ‘release’ through their 2nd House of possessions. Neptune on the cusp in Sagittarius, seeking absolute freedom around possessions could offer this Individual the sense of release from all their Fixed dutiful behaviors, where they simply lash out and enjoy something taboo. Jupiter is in the 7th House of Partnerships ruling this 2nd House. But obviously this would be dreadful for such a Fixed modality Individual to have to deal with an addiction of this kind!
Please don’t think that if you have Neptune in the 2nd House you will be a shop lifter. This position can mean many many things. I only use this example here to reveal some of the ‘tensions’ around the preponderance of Fixed modalities in this Individual’s chart, juxtaposed against Neptune in the expansive sign of Sagittarius, which seeks complete freedom.
Perhaps you can start to notice now how multi-layered our Birth Chart is, and the wealth of information we can glean about ourselves from it! We have only spent a few minutes on this chart so far!
This Individual’s Neptune in Sagittarius in the 2nd House could also be used by them to have a business where they select and buy a lot of Artworks that they then sell! Neptune is prominent in Individuals who may be artistic.
Utilizing birth charts for personal growth encourages Individuals to embrace their unique qualities and work on areas for improvement.
So let’s continue with this random chart. How might this Individual actually use the energies in their Astrology chart to help them live their life to their full potential?
We’ve already noticed that if they use Neptune in their choice of business then this may provide them with the release that their powerfully tense Fixed positions may build up for them in the course of their pursued goals. This chart also has two flowing Trines from their Moon in the 4th House, which is their roots, or base, or home, out to Mercury in their house of partnership and Pluto in the sign of partnership (Libra) in their 12th House.
If this were a man’s chart then his wife, or the women in his home, or his female ancestors, (Moon in the 4th House), in a flowing easy aspect to Mercury in the house of partnerships and marriage, could offer the balanced perspective he can trust (Pluto in the 12th), and so he can draw on these energies to satisfy his need to keep utilizing the fixed energies that keeps him committed to his chosen way of life, while at the same time draw on wisdom from another’s perspective to expand his own growth that otherwise may get stagnant from his propensity otherwise to be quite stubborn. And if this were a woman’s chart then she may have an Aquarian in her life, or she may draw on her own intuition upon which to keep her ideas fresh and unconventional perhaps. There are many ways that energies can play out. But when you begin to read your own chart, or have your birth chart read for you, a dialogue about your own narrative as at the point of the reading, will reveal to you how you are using your own energies there for you to use. And Astrology quickly becomes the detached but meaningful mechanism that offers clients and their counsellors ways of self observation and client observation.
Embracing Individuality
Understanding the significance of birth charts promotes self-acceptance and embracing Individuality.
So we have seen above ever so briefly, that this Individual could be a stubborn, over-bearing, hugely successful and formidable Individual, who unfortunately is a rampant kleptomaniac. Or this Individual could be someone who recognizes great Art and energetically (Mars in Leo in the 10th House) is able to use this in their career (Neptune Trine Mars). This Individual has their North Node Conjunct their Ascendant, which means that this Individual’s goal is to know themselves deeply, since the North Node is in Scorpio, which is the deepest emotional caverns, or our sub-conscious motivations (12th House) concerns.
We can, as we progress with this Birth Chart, write at least one book about this Individual, even without meeting them. And then, upon meeting them, if they existed, we might recognize the energies we discovered in their Birth Chart, coming to Life before our very eyes! And what an amazing encounter this always is!
Your Birth Chart is made up of many layers of Modalities, Elements, Signs, Houses and Aspected points as this Birth Chart is. And there’s more. These are just the basics of Astrological readings. Doesn’t that shed new light on who you are? On the possibilities you have within your own grasp? And can you ever look at everyone you know in the same way you did before, once you start to read your own Birth Chart? And when you really start to have some fun with those configurations and energies across your different Houses, or areas of your Life, you begin to respect that everyone else has their own unique Life. Astrology breeds Confidence, self Love and Compassion. If you don’t want any of these then don’t do Astrology.
Every one of us has every Planet. Every one of us has every House. Every one of us has every Sign. All of these are configured differently for each of us. And then each of us will choose to manifest these energies in different ways, through the challenging, or easy, or even just annoying aspects that can be shown to be present in our Individual Birth Chart.
Personal growth through birth chart analysis empowers Individuals to navigate life challenges with confidence.
When you first begin to get to know your own Birth Chart you cannot help but recognize all the ways the different points in your own chart that usually allow you to move ahead quickly, and those points that always seem to stop you in your tracks! As you gain more and more insight into your own Birth Chart you discover that more avenues open up for you. Sometimes, what you may have thought a flaw in your character, (like our Anonymous chart above getting addicted to shop lifting), suddenly becomes an opportunity to select great Art or Music, when you realize that this Neptunian energy in your 2nd house is present and underlying your unhelpful habit, but can just as easily be used by you to create a behavior that might satisfy your Artistic impulse with great satisfaction! So what you thought was the worst thing about yourself suddenly opens up some wisdom to you and you realize you can choose to use this another way! And maybe if you never experienced this horror about yourself you wouldn’t have come to Astrology to learn the deeper meaning of your more superficial behavior there in the 2nd House!
Life is the most exciting amazing gift each of us has. Astrology can be said to provide us with a discourse that opens up our ability to navigate our Life’s challenges with confidence.
Empowering Self-Discovery
Uncovering Life Patterns
Birth charts aid in uncovering life patterns and understanding recurring themes in one’s experiences.
When we talk about “recurring themes” we are starting to talk about the “timing” of events. I’m guessing our shoplifter wasn’t always a shoplifter. And, since he or she cottoned on to Astrology, they have now replaced shop lifting with an appreciation for Art in a very active and successful manner! We also saw above, in our example, that an underlying ‘theme’ could have been for this Individual the need to find a release from the powerful FIXED tensions that having four FIXED modalities forming a Grand Square will place on anyone born with this Birth Chart!
Most of us have many years of life experiences and most of us grow through different events that take place in our lives.
You may have heard the saying: “Character is Fate”. This means to many people that no matter what challenges present themselves, the character of the Individual is consistent, and their responses to any challenge can be determined by those watching.
The Individual with this Birth Chart will always have this Birth Chart. But what got them from being a kleptomaniac to an Artist? Or and Agent for Artists?
Although your Birth Chart is your Chart for Life, you also have other Charts. These include Transit Charts, Progressed Charts, Solar Charts, Profection Charts, and more. These other Charts can be used by you to steer your course. They will both indicate the oncoming events and challenges, but also provide information about the changing terrain of your Life that can assist you to make new choices, or repeat old choices, as you go through Life!
The Moon is said to be the Trigger of Astrology Charts. The Moon consistently moves the fastest around the Chart. All Planets will transit and affect by Aspects your Birth Chart as they do so. But the Moon holds a very important position in ‘triggering’ events.
Here is an example, again using our Anonymous Birth Chart.
Now, there is a ton of information available to this Individual using the Birth Chart, the Progressed Chart and today’s Transit Chart! But I’ve highlighted just a few examples that stand out.
Today is a Full Moon in Leo at 5 degrees. If you recognize the outer circle in the 4th House at the bottom of this chart you will see the Sun there at 5 degrees of Aquarius. The Moon is opposite in the 10th House. The Full Moon happened a few hours ago today. The Moon moves 1 degree every two hours by Transit. Hence she makes it around the chart every Moon Month. At New Moons we want to instigate something new. At Full Moons we get to see how our project has progressed as it is now ‘visibly manifest’ and often others can now see us with regards to whatever project this is. We are all experiencing the Full Moon in Leo today. For this Individual the Full Moon hit their Natal Saturn and their Progressed Sun in their 10th House of public standing, or career. We can imagine that their career has been affected in some significant way with the timing of some events in their lives currently.
The other big one for all of us right now is the Sun/Pluto Conjunction we just had, and their subsequent movement together into Aquarius. The Full Moon triggered this event and for this Individual because Aquarius is in their 4th house, then the shift in their Career and Home may be linked significantly, not the least of which because their Natal Moon is at 3 degrees of Aquarius in their 4th House of Home in their Birth Chart always! And Conjunct this Full Moon!
Uranus in Taurus is another big event for all of us. Wherever Uranus in Taurus sits in your Birth Chart will have been affected since 2018 and still significant. For this Anonymous Individual their Uranus in Taurus is in their 7th House of partnerships. Interestingly, they had their Uranus Opposition, or Mid Life Crisis, coinciding with when Uranus entered Taurus back in 2018. So our very Fixed modality Individual here has been experiencing some massive changes in their house of Partnership! Given the Moon in the 4th House, squaring the 7th house transiting Uranus heralding change, then this Individual might very well be experiencing massive changes in how he or she relates to their marriage partner, or business partner. And there may even be a change in residence (4th House of home), and a deep change in their psychology also, since their Natal (or Birth Chart) Uranus is at 3 degrees of Scorpio in their 12th House of the Subconscious and Psychic area of themselves.
Now, leading up to this very significant time in this Individual’s life they would have experienced many Transits, especially by the Moon, so that they could gain a great deal of wisdom before these massively awakening, changing years began back in 2018.
The Moon ‘touches’ all our planets by Conjunction through Transit once a month. So we get little insights into the energies of each planet at least once a month.
If she forms a New Moon, or Quarter Moon or Full Moon when she Conjuncts a planet in your Birth Chart then she will give a stronger touch to that planet. And if it is on an Eclipse she may wack that planet so you know what energies have been ignited in your life under the influence of that planet! And there may be lasting effects!
Every planet transits and we also get to know all the energies themselves through these transits.
And there are different ‘angles’ of one planet igniting another. We call these Aspects in Astrology.
Self-discovery through birth chart analysis empowers Individuals to make conscious choices aligned with their life path.
The more we can connect the different aspects that are happening in our lives through the cycles that interact and overlap with each other, the more aware we can be of the energies and recognize how they are manifesting in our lives.
Although it is lovely and important to recognize our Sun Sign, how our Birth Chart is touched by changing conditions is multi-layered and miraculous. But each new insight we discover using Astrology becomes a gift in the web of our Life.
Ask any Astrologer and they will tell you that you can study Astrology for years and still learn and discover more and more that truly amazes you!
Embracing Life’s Journey
Birth charts offer insights into an Individual’s life purpose, empowering them to embrace their life’s journey
With so much going on in your Charts, just like it does in your Life, it is comforting to know that Astrology can be and is used to discover some of the big things that our hearts desire, like what is our Life purpose?
As you will have realized by now, the whole Chart will be used to support this, but the Nodes of Fate are a great start for these big questions.
Our Anonymous Individual has their North Node in Scorpio and their South Node in Taurus.
If the South Node is what we bring in to life with us then this Individual has brought in those wonderful practical Fixed Earthly attributes that Taurus offers. Taurus is Venus ruled and their South Node is on the cusp of their 7th House of Partnerships. So this area would be used for past life readings also. But let’s stay with one Life for now! A popular interpretation for Scorpio North Node would be to accomplish the task of Regeneration, or Transmutation from one thing to another and then share this with others.
If we can perceive that ultimately our Lives are for ourselves to live as Individuals, and then having done the best in this regard, we can then contribute to something greater than ourselves, then the North Node in Scorpio will be able to live through the tensions of this Birth Chart, and grow and regenerate him or her self outward for new Cycles starting at their First House each time. And having achieved these growth cycles, share with others how this can be accomplished. Scorpio is a sign where the depths of things are discovered. Where the South Node of Taurus enjoys sensual pleasures, the North Node of Scorpio must head straight into the depths of emotions that might seem all too much for Taurus, who prefers to languish in their love life and craft their lives accordingly. North Node in Scorpio will encounter many opportunities to go step by step into what at first might seem like an abyss, but eventually, when they succeed, becomes the change they are glad they made, even if they have the ash still burning a little from their journey. For this Individual the journey is playing out in their 1st and 7th houses. Self and partner. If this is you consider what Astrologer Judy Hall says of the Sun in Scorpio to locate some of the attributes you will be working towards if Scorpio is your North Node goal:
“Scorpio is then empowered to bring forth the healing and insight necessary for the regeneration of mankind.”
Scorpio is ruled by Mars (Traditionally) and Pluto (Modernly). For our Individual here Pluto is in the 12th House in their Birth Chart. Pluto is in Libra, which is the Natural sign of the 7th House. Libra is ruled by Venus, who Rules this Individual’s 7th House Taurus sign. Their Venus is Conjunct their Sun in the 8th House, which, as fate would have it, is the natural house of Scorpio, the house of transmutation. When we look at our Birth Chart we often see how every part of our Chart is placed to support our Journey.
Empowering self-discovery through birth charts encourages Individuals to align with their true calling and aspirations.
In Astrology we look for several ‘supporting hits’ before giving interpretations. This Birth Chart’s North Node in Scorpio placement is further enforced by these other placements. As we discussed above, transits to any of these points will produce events in this Individual’s life that will help them with this particular Quest. As each event takes place, if they can take some notice, then they can make their journey more memorable for themselves.
Revealing Destiny
Understanding the significance of birth charts in astrology provides valuable insights into an Individual’s destiny and life path.
Are the Nodes enough to fathom a Life Path? Or is there much more to our lives? Like any subject used to comprehend the Nature of Reality in some respect, there are many perspectives. And Astrology is no different.
You will receive various perspectives from different Astrologers about the importance or otherwise of the Moon’s Nodes. Every planet has nodes by the way. For Vedic and Evolutionary Tropical Astrologers, the Moon’s Nodes are a focal point in determining the Life path or the evolution of any Individual.
For more Humanist Psychological Astrologers, the Nodes are used to open further investigation into the rich tapestry of an Individual’s Birth Chart, along with everything else in the Chart. As you get to know your own Birth Chart you will make up your own Mind about which planets, signs, aspects, Houses and other entity points such as the Nodes, Asteroids, Fixed Stars and actual degree points are highlighted in your Life, and which ones you want to work with. And if you take this voyage you will, I’m sure, find plenty to Amaze and Delight yourself with about that all Interesting and Miraculous character you know of as You!