What is astrocartography?
Read on to find out:
what astrocartography is
how astrocartography works, and
how you can look at your astrocartography chart/map for free!
Keep in mind these are just the basics—there’s a LOT more to the story!
Astrocartography is a type of locational astrology, the astrology of place.
Locational astrology is one of the oldest forms of astrology and at its most basic form describes with applying astrology to geographical location.
Since antiquity, astrologers have used locational astrology for mundane astrology [dealing with worldly events] and observed how the motion of planetary bodies above them seemed to reflect the themes of society below it—hence the concept of “as above, so below.”
In fact, locational astrology predates personal use with natal charts, especially for the general population!
Before professional mapping software was available, astrologers used relocated charts.
Relocated charts are a core part of relocation astrology and astrocartography.
Relocated charts are cast for the exact moment you were born, but in a different location.
TIP: Because relocated charts must factor in time zones to preserve the exact moment you were born, your relocated chart may display a different date than your original birthday and the displayed birth time will almost always be different.
Relocated charts are still used by many locational astrologers (including myself) as important context for what we see in the astrocartography map.
Jim Lewis refined and popularized his system of locational astrology (Astro*Carto*Graphy™) based on planetary angularity.
While locational astrology is far from new, Jim Lewis built on the emerging theories of Fagan & Bradley that dealt with locality mapping and the concept of planetary angularity* and applying it to individual natal charts.
Lewis worked with software developers to create an astro-mapping program that made the necessary calculations to produce personal natal maps a snap!
He also led a number of workshops teaching his methods and even offered certification in the technique prior to his passing (his organization, Continuum, continues to date).
Because of his important work refining, popularizing, and teaching the method, Jim Lewis is largely credited with creating astrocartography, and I am forever grateful for his work, teachings, and research.
*Planetary angularity refers to the observation that planets are especially active, intense, important, or strong in influence when they are on one of the four angles: the ascendant (ASC) rising (coming up over the horizon line), the descendant (DSC) setting (lowering down under the horizon), the medium coeli (MC) culminating (at the highest point), or the imum coeli (IC) (at the lowest point).
Locational astrology or astrocartography answers the question “what if I had been born somewhere else?”
If you’re attuned to energy or even the remote bit aware of your life experience and surroundings, you’ve probably noticed that life can sometimes feel easier or harder in certain places.
While transits (and progressions)* are always a factor—the heavens didn’t stop moving the moment we were born—we have constant planetary energies in certain areas, and astrocartography helps us visualize these on a world map so we can strategize around them.
In a technical sense, what we’re seeing on an astrocartography map are the actual (angular) paths of each planetary body around the globe at the exact moment we were born.
Because the lines on your astro-map describes the real-time locations of where each planet was rising, setting, culminating, or anticulminating across the globe when you were born, your astrocartography map is the same regardless of which system of astrology you use to support your analysis (Tropical, Sidereal, or Vedic, for example).
*h/t to Jim Lewis for the concept of Cyclo*carto*graphy which combines the progressions of faster planets and the transits of slower planets, which I use in my timing sessions
Can I use astrocartography to change my natal chart?
Yes and no—your actual natal chart will always be your astrological source material; you also can’t run away from the zodiac sign of your Sun or Moon or that challenging square between Mars and Saturn in your birth chart.
However, there are two important (and super-helpful!) factors we can change with astrocartography:
The rotation of your birth chart, meaning you can move a 12th House sun into the 1st House (but your sun sign will stay the same)
The angles: your ASC/DSC and MC/IC can change entirely from place to place and are most likely to do so when moving further distances.
Because your angles can change entirely, this also means that new aspects or relationships between planets/asteroids and angles in your chart can appear or disappear in certain locations, like gaining a supportive trine from Venus to your Ascendant or losing a challenging square from Saturn to your MC.
TIP: If your birth chart doesn’t feel like it fits you, check your birth time! I’ve heard lots of stories of people finding out their birth was hours earlier or later than they were told by parents, so try to get as official a record as possible and/or consider seeking chart rectification.
There are also several different systems of astrology, and you might have more to gain in terms of your personal growth from one than another. If you’ve never looked up your Sidereal birth chart, I recommend it! Lahiri ayanamsa is standard, although I like to use Raman and Galactic Center mid-Mula in my practice.
My personal opinion is that we can benefit from all systems of astrology, like photographs of the earth from different angles. It’s all earth, but you’ll see different things depending on what part you’re looking at (and many similar energies).
How can I use astrocartography?
There are so many things you can do with locational astrology and fun ways to use your natal map, from marketing strategy to sourcing home decor to finding a good local coffee shop to work from (local space lines are great for this!).
The main reasons people seek out astrocartographers for readings include relocation (trying to decide between locations or timing for a move), travel (looking for a nice place/date for vacation), and/or general curiosity about how to improve or emphasize an aspect of their lives (love, career, creativity, health, etc.).
While we’d all love to find The Perfect Place for us, but the truth is that for most of us mere mortals, there simply isn’t one!
We also can’t escape hard transits entirely, so for relocation astrology, the main goal is to find a home that isn’t making life harder, and ideally to find a spot that’s supportive enough it makes even the hardest transits/years more bearable.
There are a many ways to do this with astrocartography, but the first step is to identify 1-2 areas of life or themes that are non-negotiable in your life.
For instance, you might be trying to make big moves in your career (10H, MC, or depending on your specific career), so that’s the most important thing to emphasize.
Or perhaps you’re retired, and want to prioritize community (11H, 3H) and/or feeling at home (4H, IC).
Depending on your natal chart and priorities, you’d want to look to specific planets (more here) and/or specific houses (more here) to begin.
If you’ve got the basics of astrology down, here are a few examples of how to apply priorities to your natal map in order to explore relocation or travel options using astrocartography:
Living (and/or traveling) in a medium-strong range of a supportive planetary line (living directly on top of any planetary line can be quite intense as it will be full throttle on both the positive and negative manifestations of a given planet, but if that’s what you’re after, let ‘er rip!)
Living/traveling within range (70 miles) of a supportive paran (latitude where planetary lines cross)
Living/traveling outside of the range or in low strength of challenging planetary lines/parans
You can also get a bit more strategic with your relocated charts, like:
Rotating your natal chart to place benefics (Venus/Jupiter) in a house that rules an area of life you’d like to emphasize, like 10H for career or 5H for creativity
Rotating your natal chart to move malefics out of angular houses (1/4/7/10) and/or into the 5H or 11H to minimize their power to thwart certain areas of your life and/or into their preferred places (Saturn in 12H; Mars in 6H) so they’re more likely to behave
Rotating your natal chart to move a stellium into a house that rules an area of life you’d like to emphasize (ex: stellium moved from 6H [physical health, daily grind] to 11H [social networks + community])
There are also certain lines that tend to be good for certain themes, like a Moon IC line giving a feeling of being “at home” however, it’s important to note that because the planetary lines are based on your natal chart, they will carry the energy of your natal placements with them.
This means that if you have a planet in fall, such as the Moon in Scorpio or the Sun in Libra, those lines might not deliver as well on the general promises you may have heard on tiktok or elsewhere online.
This also goes the other way—if you have a planet in domicile like the Moon in Cancer or exaltation like Venus in Pisces, those planetary lines will carry that boosted energy as well!
In addition to dignity/debility, strong aspects to the natal planets (like Saturn square Moon or Mars closely conjunct Mercury) can affect the energy of that planetary line. You’ll also notice that planets conjunct each other in the natal chart will have lines together on your map as well.
Along with chart synthesis, planetary lines, and parans, I also factor in your Local Space Lines (from your place of birth), midpoints, and aspect lines, as well as relocated charts for each location in question. It’s a lot, but it really helps to get a more complete picture of the energies awaiting you in specific locations.
This is why thorough chart synthesis is SO important and why booking an astrocartography reading is often more helpful/accurate.
How can I get my astrocartography chart/map for free?
There are two great tools online (linked below) that offer FREE tools for locational astrology!
While I use professional software that offers more detail, I absolutely used these when I first learned about astrocartography (before training in it) and I know that some working astrologers even use AstroClick for paid readings.
I highly encourage you to look up your astrocartography map and see whether the themes there match the experiences you’ve had in places you lived and traveled. Keep in mind that you may have been experiencing a transit!
Option 1: AstroClick Travel’s free online Astrocartography Map with interpretations
Click above to visit AstroClick Travel for your free astrocartography map with interpretations!
You’ll need to make an account, but it’s totally free and I promise it’s worth it. You can save different birth data as well, so it’s easy to flip back and forth between you and your partner/child/bestie if you’re planning a trip or relocating together.
This isn’t a sponsored link and I don’t get any kickbacks, just trying to connect you with a good resource!
I love that you can zoom in or out more easily, that they include interpretations, and that you can look at your aspect lines as well. While they don’t visually show parans, you can see if there’s a “crossing” (although they’re using enormous orbs).
Option 2: Astro-Seek’s Online Astrocartography Map Tool
Click above to visit Astro-Seek for your free astro map with relocated chart when you click!
No account needed—what I love about this tool is the ability to visually see the parans (crossings) in yellow. The zoom feature doesn’t work as well and I don’t think interpretations are included.
If you click on the map, it will redirect you to a page with the relocated chart of that location, which is handly so long as you’re doing it on purpose and not hoping for an interpretation.
I recommend playing around with both and seeing what you learn from each!
Looking to buy the pastries, not become a pastry chef (so to speak)?
Let me handle your astrocartography for you!
