How Astrocartography Can Help You Make Clear Decisions About Your Life
You’re likely already familiar with astrology. You frequently talk about your sign or others’ signs based on their birthdate. Not only that, but you interpret their personalities based on that sign, and love understanding how you truly match up with what astrologers deem to be your “type.” Are you a Pisces? An Aquarius? A Virgo? Regardless of which you are, your sign has been a guiding force in your life, and now you’re venturing out to learn about astrocartography and how that can now also be applied to your introspection and decisions.
While not as well-known as astrological signs, astrocartography can also be used to map out who you are based on the actual timeframe you were born. We talked to experts to understand more about astrocartography and how to truly apply it in your life.
What is astrocartography?
In the simplest terms, astrocartography is line mapping your astrological chart over the face of the earth, explains Bonita Oliver, an expert astrologer and multidisciplinary artist with 25 years of experience giving readings and practicing western astrology. Instead of what you know as astrology — being based on simply your birthday — astrocartography is based on the locations on the earth and the impact of planets, stars, and other astral bodies. Astrocartography’s premise is all about where then planets are placed at the time you’re born and how that affects your energy, particularly with where you live or visit.
In astrocartography, the natal chart is very important. This chart is basically a "freeze-frame picture of the sky at the time you were born,” Oliver points out.
According to Oliver, “When we take our first breath, we are imprinted with the energies of that moment in time and our whole life trajectory is influenced by it.” While we all have free will and make our own decisions and have our own distinct personalities, astrocartography is all about how we will use those energies we’re given.
In other words, on your birthday, astrocartography looks at the impact of your natal chart’s planetary lines on you and your life. “Astrocartography shows how the placement of the planets affect us in different places,” says Michal Ricardo, an astrocartography expert and Kabbalah advisor who works with spiritual life coach Debbie Jian. “It takes into account the placement of the planets not just at the birthplace but everywhere on the globe.”
When Oliver does astrocartograph readings for others, she considers the way energies are laid out along the earth, as well as location.
What are the four cardinal points in an astrocartography chart, and what can they tell you?
The four cardinal points in an astrocartography chart are energetic archways that can also represent how you interface with life. “They are the bones of your natal chart in a way,” says Oliver. They can help you make clear decisions about your life, career, relationships and more.
In the astrocartography chart, you’ll find four cardinal points:
Ascendant: Ricardo describes this as the point in the horoscope where the sun shone over the horizon when we were born. “It represents who we are, how we are seen by others, including how we physically look and how we behave,” Ricardo explains.
Nadir: The lowest point in the horoscope, which represents the family we are born into and our early years. “It shows what kind of family we were born into and how we experience it,” says Reicardo. “It also represents the mother, though some astrologers say it represents the father.”
Descendant: The opposite of ascendant, which refers to our relationships, like a spouse, lover, or business partner. “It represents both the kind of relationships we form and the type of people we attract,” Ricardo says.
Midheaven: The highest point in the horoscope, according to Ricardo. “[It] shows what we want to be ‘when we grow up.’” Ricardo adds. “It is about what kind of career we want (rather than a job) and our social position and any position of authority or authority figures in our lives.”
How can you make your own astrocartography chart?
Your first step is to find an app or service. Some are free, like Cafe Astrology, while other more sophisticated services, like Birthchart.net, require you to pay.
Once you find a service, you simply input your information. Then, out will come a basic interpretation given along with an automatically generated chart, says Ricardo. “You can consult an expert if you want a synthesis and more in-depth information."
If you’re interpreting the chart yourself, you’ll need to know the following tips, says the astrocartography pros we spoke with:
“When you look at a locational astrology map of your birth chart, it presents a display of the energetic lines from where the celestial bodies and angular houses were placed at the time of your birth,” explains Oliver.
“Moving along these energetic lines will imbue your life with the energy of those celestial bodies and points. So if you move to some place along your Mars planetary line, for example, you could feel very activated and willful,” says Oliver. “This will be a place where you are more inclined to take initiative in your life. If you move somewhere along your Venus line, you will be more inclined to seduction, seducing and being seduced. Negotiations, romance, arts, sensuality will be a more natural part of your expression and experience in such a place.”
“Another way is to create a chart with the same birth information but put on the city, state, and country where you want to be and interpret it as if it were a regular chart,” explains Ricardo. “It would look mostly like your natal chart (the moon may change by a few degrees), but the Ascendant and houses will be different, depending on how far the place is from your birthplace.”
“Exploring the lines of these points as they extend across the earth will generate experiences related to these sectors of your life,” says Oliver.
How to read an astrocartography chart:
When it comes to interpreting what you see, some services will give you more insight while others leave it to you to come up with information based on other references out there on the internet. But if you really want a very special reading, you can talk to an expert who can help you make sense of it all.
After working to understand who you are using an astrocartography chart, you can then take it a step further. “You can investigate which location will help you in a way you want to evolve,” explains Ricardo. “Look for a location with a Jupiter line for a great adventure or for a learning opportunity but don’t stop yourself from visiting the pyramids if the Jupiter line does not cross there in your astrocartography chart.”
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