How to read your birth chart

Your birth chart describes where the sun, moon, and planets were placed in the sky at the moment you were born. A birth chart could be considered as a snapshot of all the directions your life could take. Within a chart, you can see personality, drives, fears, parental relationships, siblings, children, psychological patterns, and more on one sheet of paper.

Your Sun sign is the first of the "three legs" of the birth chart — the sun, the moon, and the ascendant sign. The sun speaks about our Ego, the 'I Am,' what drives you to be who you are and how you identify yourself. In other words, your sun sign determines your ego, identity and role in life. It is the core of who you are.

The Moon is the second "leg" of your chart, and its placement tells you what your moon sign is. The moon speaks about our emotional self and what you need to feel secure, safe, and nurtured.  Your moon rules your emotions, moods and feelings. This is the sign you most likely think of yourself as because it reflects your personality when you are alone or deeply comfortable. We go to our Moon when we need to restore ourselves. The sign that the moon happened to be in when you were born is the side of you that only a few get to see and it is what guides you when you need direction. For this reason, your moon sign tends to be the ruling force over your decision-making.

Your Ascendant sign, also known as your rising is the final ‘leg’ of your chart. It is based on the constellation that was on the horizon at the exact time of your birth. Your ascendant is the mask you present to people when you first meet. It can be seen in your personal style and how you come off to people initially. Some believe your ascendant becomes less relevant as you get older. The ascendant sign changes every two hours, so try to be as accurate as possible when naming your birth time.

The inner planets include Mercury, Venus, and Mars, in addition to the sun and the moon. Belgrave cautioned that all planets carry slightly different meanings from chart to chart, but "as a rule, the inner planets, or personal planets, can describe core personality traits, needs, and desires."

Mercury rules your mind and communication, Venus rules your love life, and Mars rules your actions and overall energy. (You can read more about the planets and their meanings here.) So, for example, if Venus happened to be in Aries when you were born, that could mean you are playful, flirtatious, and even driven when it comes to love, since those qualities are associated with Aries. Simply put, the key characteristics of the sign that a particular planet is in when you are born will influence a specific aspect of your life.

Meanwhile, the outer planets - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto’s - respective areas of influence are more abstract. They reflect what will make your life special. Jupiter rules luck and progress, Saturn rules your fears and self-discipline, Uranus rules change, Neptune rules your dreams and how you heal, and Pluto rules your power and transformation. The placement of these planets can suggest what you have to look forward to in these areas.

The next step is to understand the significance of your ruling planet, or the planet that is associated with your ascending sign. This planet's qualities can tell you more about yourself, what you value, and what rules your behaviour.

Astrology is for everyone. It can give hope, as well as guidance, and more than anything, reassurance and confirmation that who you are and who you can become is written in the stars.