Astrology guide
What information do you need for a birth chart reading?
The three inputs that make a chart specific.
- Published
- Updated
Short answer
A birth chart reading needs your birth date, birth time, and birthplace. Date sets the planetary sky. Time and place set the horizon, houses, Rising sign, and angles. If the time is unknown, the reading can still use planets and signs, but it should withhold house and Rising claims.
Read one chart fact at a time
Synthetic example: 1 January 2000, 12:00 UTC, London. This is a teaching chart, not a person’s private data.
- Sun
- 10°22′ Capricorn
- Moon
- 13°19′ Scorpio
- Mercury
- 1°53′ Capricorn
Fact: the Sun is in Capricorn in this calculation. The sign is a 30-degree zodiac sector; the degree locates the Sun within it.
Interpretation: an astrologer might read Capricorn as an emphasis on structure and sustained effort. That is a symbolic reading, not a measured personality trait.
Limit: this sign diagram does not show houses. A house claim needs a reliable time, a location, and a stated house method.
Birth date and local clock time
Enter the date and time recorded at the place of birth. Do not first convert the time to UTC yourself. The chart calculation uses the selected location’s time zone to interpret the local clock time.
A time zone is not just a fixed offset: daylight-saving and historical rules can matter. If another calculator differs, compare the actual UTC instant before comparing interpretations.
Choose the correct birthplace
Select the matching city and country from the location results. Coordinates locate the horizon; the time zone determines how a local clock time is interpreted. Two cities with the same name can produce different results.
A place is not a reason to infer personal background. It is a calculation input. Check the selected result rather than accepting the first city with a familiar name.
Exact, approximate, and unknown time
An exact time supports the angle and house calculation. An approximate time creates uncertainty, particularly near a cusp. If the time is unknown, choose the supported unknown-time path rather than entering a plausible guess.
A noon placeholder permits a date-based calculation, but its degrees are not established birth degrees. Withhold time-dependent claims and any sign claim that cannot be resolved without the missing time.
What information you do not need to supply
The free chart and first reading do not require an account or payment card. Saving the full reading uses an email account. Keep those choices distinct from the date, time, and place needed to calculate the chart.
Do not send a full birth record when asking a general question about a guide. Public chart examples use public or synthetic details, not private account charts.
What this can and cannot say
Unknown birth time is not a failed chart. It is a limited chart. The honest approach is to read what the data supports and leave the rest out.
Example
A person born on a day when the Moon changed signs may need an approximate time before the Moon can be read. Without that time, the reading should say the Moon varies by hour.
Sources and method
Linked sources support the factual claims identified in each section. They do not establish or validate the symbolic interpretations, which are presented as reflection. Read our chart calculation method.
- Astral Meridian: chart calculation method
Supports: the calculator’s equal-house method, birth-time handling, and angle limits.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I get a chart reading without a birth time?
- Yes, but Rising sign, houses, angles, and some Moon details should be withheld.
- How exact does my birth time need to be?
- The closer the better. A few minutes can matter for angles and house cusps, especially near sign changes.
- Why does birthplace matter?
- Birthplace sets the local horizon and time zone context used to calculate the chart wheel.