(72) Natal Interpretation Guidelines

When one is an experienced astrologer one can jump right into a chart and swim around, going, often by instinct to where one needs to focus. This is more difficult for a beginning student, who often feels more comfortable having a definite agenda to follow. And so I'm presenting you with the one that I follow, sometimes carefully, at other times loosely, depending on the situation.

The first thing to look at in a chart is whether or not there are oppositions. This is covered in blog 9.

Next tabulate which planets are in fire, earth, air, and water, and which are in cardinal, fixed, and mutable signs. Check to see which element and modality predominates. To have predominance there must be at least 4 planets in that element without having an equal number in another element. The same rule of 4 holds true for checking preponderance by modality (blog 49).

Next check to see if there is a sole dispositor to the chart (blog 51).

Check to see if all planets are in the upper half (houses 7 - 12), lower half (houses 1 - 6, on the east side of the chart (houses 10 - 3), or the west side (houses 4 - 9). Check also to see if there is a single planet in any one of these hemispheres. (blog 52).

Look at chart formation. (blogs 53 and 55).

Check to see if there are any squares in the chart (it is extremely rare to find a chart without them), and then find the square that is the closest-to-exact.

Check for major aspects between the four planetary departments: Sun/Moon (Vitality, blog 37), Venus/Mars (Efficiency, blog 44), Jupiter/Saturn (Motivation, blog 48), and Uranus/Neptune (Significance, blog 56).

Next, determine how many of these four departments are activated by aspect. If all, none, one, or three are activated, refer to blog 57. If two are activated, refer to blog 58.

Measure the distance from the Sun to the Moon, and then referring to the table in blog 59 determine which Lunar Mansion the Moon is in. Once you have done this you can then proceed to the corresponding Lunar Mansion interpretation (blogs 60 - 62 and 65 - 70).

Once you have completed all these steps its a matter of synthesizing the information into a coherent whole, which is the art of astrology. You will find that the more familiar you become with the information contained in these blogs and the more charts you do following this method, the easier and clearer it will become to see how all the various parts combine to make the whole. May the planets guide you in clear and right ways as you explore the zodiac!

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