You want to see someone’s astrology chart. If your victim is just an ordinary schmoe, there are three ways to get hold of it: cast it yourself, phone it in, or run it through a software program. (By the way, the chart of a person at his/her birth is referred to as a “natal chart.”)
Major stipulation: YOU MUST KNOW THE TIME OF BIRTH EXACTLY. You may content yourself with a list of planets in signs, and that’s perfectly appropriate for a beginner. However, if you want to see the whole shebang, there’s no fudging it. You have to have the birth time and place. Okay, here we go.
Old-timers may argue that learning to cast a chart yourself is invaluable, comparable to learning arithmetic before you start relying on a calculator. It is true that the experience of casting, or erecting, a chart provides a familiarity with the underpinnings of charts in general, and a basic grok of what it’s all about. You can’t get this without ever erecting a chart.
Having said this, let me tell you that, for us right-brained types, casting a chart sucks. It is at best an annoying series of math steps requiring arcane reference books, and at worst a process laced with a half dozen miniscule potential missteps that can cause your niece’s chart to come out looking like that of Newt Gingrich. You won’t know that the chart is wrong however; you’ll simply conclude that this astrology stuff just doesn’t seem to pan out. If you’re hell-bent on trying this yourself, buy The Only Way to Learn About Astrology, Volume II: Math and Interpretation Techniques, by Marion March and Joan McEvers.
My advice is that, if you find yourself becoming a serious student of astrology, you commit to casting a couple of them at some point, watch your self-esteem ratchet up a notch or two afterward, and then never do it again. And that leads me to your other two options.
Oh wait – first, what if your victim is famous? Studying the charts of famous people is a great learning tool. The best source for birth data is Lois Rodden’s Astrodatabank. You can get both the data and the charts for an astonishing array of famous historical characters and contemporary figures by plugging the name of your victim into the search window on the left.
Now, back to the ordinary schmoe. For those not yet ready to commit to purchasing astrological software, try Astro-Computing Services. It was founded by Neil Michelson, to whom all seasoned astrologers are forever grateful. He loved the technical side of astrology so much that he made everyone else’s life beautiful and easy with his books and computer services. Phone in your order for a chart or enter it online, and for five bucks, you’ll get a fast, professional chart.
Finally, if you decide you’d like to own an astrology software program, I highly recommend Time Cycles Research’s Graphic Astrology, formerly called Io. It rocks the house. It is so full-featured and so intuitive that it has revolutionized the way I work. Super knowledgeable folks are available for support on the first ring all day long. However, it’s only for the Mac, and it is one pricey little devil. (I own it because my family pulled together one year to make it my only Christmas present.)
My aunt, a diehard PC-user, recommends the dirt-cheap AstrolDeluxe ReportWriter from Halloran. They offer a limited free shareware version as well as a full version for a tiny fraction of what Io costs. Although I haven’t tried it, I know my aunt’s a real techie (with both computers and astrology) and I suspect the program is less intuitive, requiring more knowledge. (Could just be my Mac bias showing up). If you spend any money on any piece of software, make sure you know what it does, and does not do, up front.
Whatever your time frame turns out to be, if you dig below the surface of astrology, you’ll soon find yourself wanting a quick and easy way to view charts in some volume. Kudos to those who go it alone, but in this digital age, there’s no shame in going for product vs. process. Good luck!
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