What is a birth chart?
A birth chart, also called a natal chart, is a snapshot of the sky at the moment you were born. Your date, time and place are used together to find which sign, which degree and which house the Sun, Moon and each planet occupied. Two people born on the same day can still have quite different charts because of the time and city.
A horoscope column only looks at your Sun sign. A birth chart shows ten planets, twelve signs and twelve houses at once. If you want to learn to read one from scratch, the lesson what is a birth chart is a good place to start.
Sun, Moon and rising sign
Three points come first. Your Sun sign describes your identity, vitality and how you show yourself. Your Moon sign shows your emotional needs and what helps you feel safe. Your rising sign, or ascendant, is the sign that was coming up over the eastern horizon when you were born. It colors first impressions and the way you step into new situations.
The Sun spends about a month in each sign, while the Moon moves to a new sign roughly every two and a half days. The rising sign changes about every two hours, which is why you need a birth time to find it.
Houses and why birth time matters
The chart is divided into twelve houses, and each one stands for an area of life: the 1st house for self and first impressions, the 7th for partnerships, the 10th for career and public life. The house a planet falls in shows where in your life you feel that planet most. The houses lesson walks through all twelve.
House cusps are very sensitive to time. A few minutes can move a planet from one house to the next. If you don't know your birth time, the calculator uses 12:00 noon and leaves out the houses and rising sign. Working out an unknown birth time from life events is called rectification.
How this calculator works
Charts use the tropical zodiac, the standard in Western astrology, and the Placidus house system. You can compare the options on the house systems page. When you pick your birthplace from the list, its latitude, longitude and time zone are filled in for you, and historical clock changes such as daylight saving time are applied for your birth date.
Your birth details are used only to calculate the chart and are not saved. If you type your name, it stays on your screen and is never sent to our server.
Where to start reading your chart
Start with your Sun, Moon and rising sign. Then look at the element balance: how many planets sit in fire, earth, air and water signs shows which energy leads (see elements and modalities). After that, move on to the houses and the aspects between planets. Three or more planets in one sign make that sign's themes stand out in your life.
If a term trips you up, the astrology glossary explains it in plain words. For a step-by-step path, the free astrology course takes you lesson by lesson.
Frequently asked questions
Is the birth chart calculator free?
Yes. You can calculate your birth chart here for free, with no account and no email address.
Can I calculate my chart without a birth time?
Yes. Without a time, 12:00 noon is used. You'll see the signs of the Sun and planets, but not the rising sign or houses, because those depend on the exact time.
Which zodiac and house system does it use?
It uses the tropical zodiac and the Placidus house system, the most common setup in Western astrology.
Are my birth details stored?
No. Your date, time and place are used only for the calculation and are not saved. Your name is never sent to the server.
Why is my Sun sign different from what I expected?
The dates when the Sun changes signs shift by a few hours from year to year. If you were born on a changeover day, your Sun sign can be the sign before or after, depending on your birth time and place. The calculator shows the actual position.
How do I find my rising sign?
Enter your birth date, time and place. The rising sign changes about every two hours, so the more accurate your birth time, the more accurate the result.
Your full chart reading, daily transits and chats with Selene are in the app. If you don't know your birth time, the app helps you find it.