How to Delineate a Natal Chart Part 1

Let me begin this post by stating that, just like other processes such as cooking, drawing, or skinning cats, there is more than one way to delineate a chart. What follows is what I have developed through my own course of study and what works for me. 

To delineate a chart, means to describe or portray it in a precise manner. So what I am going to show you is the process by which I describe a person based on their natal chart. First we begin with the chart itself. In order to obtain a natal chart you will need to know the date, time and place of birth for the individual concern. Once you have this information, you can plug the data into a free online program such as astro.com Again, each astrologer has their own preferences, I use the whole house system.   

Here is our sample chart before hand. 

Diagraming the Chart 

Once I have the chart in hand, I start the process of diagramming it, that is, setting up the chart in order to write in all my notes. I usually start in the center of the chart and work my way outwards. You can do this in any order that you like and skip any steps that don't speak to you. I, myself, do not always include each step listed below but am including them here for the beginner. 

1. Start by coloring in the signs with their corresponding elemental color (red for fire signs, green for earth signs, yellow for air signs, and blue for water signs). This is helpful when interpreting placements (planets in signs and houses) 
2. Write in the quality for each sign (cardinal, fixed, mutable) 
3. Draw the symbol for the planetary ruler of each sign next to each sign. This helps you to recognize when a planet is in a sign that it rules, or is in mutual reception. 
4. Draw a small circle divided into 4 sections in the top right portion of the page. Make a note of how the planets are dispersed in the chart. 
5. On the lower right side there is a small chart showing the number of planets in the elements and qualities. I usually write the correct number over the planetary symbols and add up the rows and columns. I usually only count the planets and only consider the AC and MC when I need to "break a tie" or shift the balance between plants when they are too even. 
6. In the column listing the planets and signs, determine the essential dignity of each planet. 
7. Divide the front of the page into 11 sections as equally as possible. You will want one section across the top of the page, five sections on the left side of the page and another five on the right side of the page. These sections are for writing your notes about the Ascendant and Chart Ruler (top section) and the ten planets in the signs and houses. 
8. List the planets in the signs and houses in the sections and then write up your initial notes in these spaces. These are just notes and initial impressions that you will expand on when you start to write your delineation. 
9. Flip the page over and then divide it into six sections: 1) Hemispheres and Quadrants 2) Elements and Qualities 3) Chiron 4) the Angular Houses 5) Tightest Aspects* and 6) the North and South Nodes. 
10. When you are done, write your notes about these placements in the spaces that you have created. 

Other things you will want to take into account include empty houses (look to the sign on the house), the Oriental Planet, the Succedent and Cadent Houses, and the Rulers of the Houses as well. When you are done, your pages should look something like this. 

Front View 

Rear View 

Beginning Your Interpretation 

As you write your initial notes your subconscious is already looking for patterns among the data that you are collecting and recording. This information will filter through your subconscious into your consciousness and you will begin to form your own impression about the nature and character of the person who's chart you are interpreting.  

The next step, however, is beginning the process of organizing and refining the data that we have collected. To do this, you will want to divide each piece of data into one of seven sections. They are:

1. Personality and Character 
2. Emotions 
3. Love & Relationships 
4. Home & Childhood 
5. Travel & Higher Ideals 
6. Sex & Sexuality 
7. Work & Career 

You may find it helpful to assign a different color to each of the seven categories and use a highlighter or colored pencil to highlight each individual piece of data with its corresponding color.  Then you will group all the data corresponding to each category/color together in one paragraph.  Finally, you will edit and refine the information that you have collected and gathered together and blend it into a clear, concise astrological interpretation. This process is called astrological synthesis.  

In part two of this subject, I will share with you my final delineation of the chart used in this example. 

Carolina Dean 

* To help determine the tightest aspect at astro.com, go down to the section titled Display and Calculation Options and set the orb to 10 percent. Record the tightest hard aspect and the tightest soft aspect. 

Understanding & Interpreting Aspects

What Are Aspects?

aspect lines 

An aspect is a term that refers to the relationships between planets or how two planets (or points) interact with one another. They are formed between points and planets in a chart according to the distance between them. While there are many types of aspects, this article will focus on only five of them. They are conjunctions, sextiles, squares, trines, and oppositions. 

Identifying Aspects 

Aspects are divided into two types. They are hard, or difficult aspects, and soft, or easy aspects. Hard aspects are represented on most charts with red lines while easy ones are represented by blue lines. In addition to the red and blue lines, you will often see a green dotted line. These lines represent minor aspects such as quincunx and semisextiles.  (see image at top left). 

The red and blue aspect lines help you to quickly recognize aspects between planets. Depending on the program you are using to generate your charts, there is also usually an aspect grid detailing the aspects between planets in a chart. If you are unsure if two planets form an aspect, you can double check the aspect grid (see image below under Orbs) 

Trines and Sextiles are soft, while conjunctions, oppositions, and squares are hard.  Soft aspects typically occur quickly and easily with little effort. Hard aspects bring challenges that help push us past our own personal boundaries and give us the impetus to achieve our goals. 

Understanding  Aspects 

• Conjunctions- A conjunction occurs when two planets are 0 degrees apart (i.e. in the same degree). For this reason, two planets that are in conjunction will be in the same sign and elements. The keyword for conjunction is blends, that is, the energies of the planets are fused together and it may be difficult to tell them apart.
  
• Sextiles- A sextile occurs when two planets are 60 degrees, or 2 signs apart. Planets that are sextile are usually in supportive elements (fire with air; earth with water). The keyword for sextiles are coaxes, and this type of aspect is thought to bring opportunities. 
  
• Squares- A square occurs when two planets are 90 degrees, or 3 signs apart. Planets that are square are usually in opposite elements (fire and water; earth and air). They keyword for squares is strains. When two planets are square each other, tensions form. 
  
• Trines- A trine occurs when two planets are 120 degrees, or 4 signs apart. Planets that are trine one another are usually in the same elements. The keyword for trines is supports. 
  
• Oppositions- An opposition occurs when two planets are 180 degrees or 6 signs apart. Planets that are in opposition to on another are usually in support elements (fire with air; earth witih water).  They keyword for oppositions is divides. When two planets are in opposition their energies are divided. You may feel that someone is doing something to you or something is happening to you and you can't do anything about it. 

A Note About Orbs 

Aspect Grid 

Aspects can be applying (approaching exact), exact, or separating (moving away from exact). These are often noted on Aspect Grids as A, E, and S.  An aspect builds strength when it is applying, strongest at exact, and weakens as they separate.  For example, if you look at the aspect grid above, you'll see that Mercury is Conjunct Pluto (applying), meaning it is getting stronger. 

The Orb of an aspect is a term that refers to the degree of exactness. For example, two planets can be 123 degrees apart and still be considered trine. If these planets are getting closer the aspect is applying; if they are moving apart, it is separating.  

Astrologers disagree on what they consider to be the orb of any given aspect. As you study and practice you will  figure out what works best for you. Personally, I use an orb of 8 degrees in Natal Charts and 2 degrees in Transit Charts. 

Interpreting Aspects: A Step-By-Step Guide 

Your first consideration when it comes to interpreting an aspect is to determine the meaning of the aspect being formed itself.  For example, squares often introduce tension to a situation and represent obstacles to be overcome or opportunities for growth. 

The next thing you'll want to contemplate is the meaning of the two planets which are forming the aspect. This might be easier if you make a list of the keywords of the planets concerned and place them side by side. For example. let's look at Mars Square Jupiter 

                                                      Mars                           Jupiter 

                                                      Action                         Expansion

                                                      Aggression                  Optimism  

                                                      Passion                        Growth 

                                                      Energy                        Success 

                                                      Drive                           Generous

                                                      Will Power                  Luck  

Looking over these keywords you might surmise that the combined meaning of these planets could mean bold and aggressive speculation or passionately optimistic. This aspect could point to someone taking a huge risk desite overwhelming odds against him or her. 

Next you will want to look at the signs that each planet occupies and this will color how the energy of the planet expresses itself. Again, you might want to use your keywords to better understand the meaning of the aspect. Let us extend our previous example and suppose that Mars is in Gemini and Jupiter is in Virgo (4 signs apart). A square between Gemini and Virgo can point to distracted thoughts disrupting your health or routine. 

Then you will look at the houses occupied by the planets. Again, let us suppose that Mars is in the 5th house and Jupiter is in the 9th house. A square between the 5th house and the 9th house can be an indication of creativity and pleasure conflicting with your higher ideals. 

Finally we will put all that we have surmised together and form a cohesive interpretation of the aspects

• bold and aggressive speculation 
• distracted thoughts disrupting health or routine 
• creativity and pleasure conflict with higher ideals. 

Interpretation # 1 

You may be feeling somewhat distracted now and unable to focus on the details of any matter leading you to stray from your usual routine. This can have a negative affect of your physical or mental health. You have more energy now and need to have some type of creative outlet. You may be used to playing it safe, but now you are more likely to throw caution to the wind and take big chances despite that odds being against you. 

Another way would be to write out the aspect and then list all your keywords out in order like so... 

Mars in Gemini and the 5th House Square Jupiter in Virgo and the 9th House  

Mars             Gemini         5th House     Jupiter           Virgo      9th House 

Action           Versatile        Creativity       Expansion     helpful     higher mind

Aggression    Adaptable      Pleasure         Optimism      humble    ethics 

Passion          Curious          Hobbies         Growth          detailed    foreign

Energy           Restless         Talent             Success         critical      philosophy 

Drive              Indecisive                            Generous      practical

Will Power    Talkative                               Luck             worrier

You can then string together your keywords to create a sentence such as 

Restless (gemini) action (mars) in the area of creativity and pleasure (5th house) conflicts (square) with practical (virgo) expansion (Jupiter) of the higher mind (9th house) 

Interpretation # 2 

For the short period that Mars is squaring Jupiter, you may experience a sense of restlessness and indecisiveness along with an abundance of energy. You are driven to start many creative tasks or projects and yet accomplish little to nothing because you jump from one project or idea to another and fail to complete anything.  Such restlessness and inattention to details creates a certain tension in any efforts to grow and expand the higher mind in any type of practical or useful way.  In short you are allowing your passions to override your better senses and so fail to find any satifaction from your efforts.  

The interpretation of aspects is an art and a science in and of itself which often confuses the student of astrology. However, once you collect your keywords and learn to disect them in an organized manner all it takes is a little practice to master the art of interpreting them. 

Carolina Dean