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Understanding the Free Natal

Chart Report
Free Natal Chart R epo rt: U nders tan di n g the T ables

The following tutorial aims to demonstrate how to use and understand the
Free Natal Chart report found on Cafe Astrology’s free report section.

Note that you do not need to know the zodiacal, aspect, and planetary
symbols to read your astrology report since the tables spell out the
symbols’ labels and the interpretations spell out the tables’ listings. This
article is here for those who want to explore what the tables in the report
mean and is optional. If you want to learn to read the symbols, then
please refer to them here: Astrology Symbols: Signs and Astrology
Symbols & Glyphs. You might also benefit from learning about the
polarities or opposite signs here: Polarities: Opposite Signs and
Houses. If you need help understanding how the houses are arranged in
the natal chart, see Understanding the Astrological Chart Wheel.

I use various random charts for illustrative purposes, including one with
data: January 1, 2000, at 12:00 PM, in New York, New York. This is the
default chart (although there is no default location) in the Free Report
Section here.
After entering this data in the Free Report Section of the site, you will see a
list or table of planetary positions and house cusps in the report itself,
which I have copied here:

Example Chart: Table from Free Report Section

Elsewhere, I have addressed the issue of duplicated and “missing”
signs as well as planets in signs that don’t match the signs on the
house cusps.

Here, I explain various charts and tables in the report. Please note,
however, that you don’t have to know how to read the tables to understand
the report since each factor listed in the table is listed and interpreted in
the report/analysis.
Above, on the left side of the table, you’ll find the listing of planets in the
natal chart and their positions by sign and degree. Circled in green, for
example, is the position of the Sun. Here we see the Sun is in Capricorn
at 10 degrees and 35 minutes.

On the right side of the table (or directly below if you’re on mobile or a
small screen), you’ll find the positions of the houses in your natal chart.
This does not appear if the unknown birth time option was selected to
create the chart since these positions cannot be determined without a fairly
accurate birth time.

Circled in pink above is an example house cusp position. The Roman

numeral VII represents the 7th house. In this example, the seventh house
of the chart begins at 7 degrees and 39 minutes of Libra. If you don’t see
these house cusp listings, it’s because you selected Unknown Birth Time.

Note: All of the placements in the table above appear in your report. For
example, you’ll see that Jupiter is in Aries listed in the table above, and in
the report below the tables, you’ll find the listing “Jupiter in Aries” along
with an interpretation.
In the table depicted above, you’ll find the list of major aspects found in
my natal chart. Two of the aspects are circled in the pictured aspect table.
The first is Sun conjunct Uranus. The value in the “orb” field next to this
aspect is 0 degrees and 30 minutes which is very small or close.

The orb value reveals how far away an aspect in your chart is from exact.
In the very rare case that an aspect is exact, the orb would be 0 degrees
and 00 minutes. In this example for Sun conjunct Uranus, the orb is less
than one degree– it’s zero degrees and 30 minutes which is one-half of a
degree, and this is considered a very close orb. Any orb that is less than
one degree means that the aspect is very close or tight, and considered
strong. The smaller the orb, the closer and stronger the aspect.

A conjunction aspect by definition occurs when two planets or points are 0

(zero) degrees apart, but we allow some room–or an orb of influence–
under which we consider these planets/points as conjunct. Different
astrologers allow different orbs. If we were to allow a 7-degree orb, for
example, then planets that come within 7 degrees of one another would be
considered to be connected by a conjunction, or we would say that the
planets are conjunct.

In the value field, you’ll see a relatively high number, 494, on the Sun

conjunction Uranus aspect line. This number is a relative weighted
value that is there to help illustrate whether or not an aspect might be
considered strong, and in which direction (negative or positive). Values, in
this case, are subjective, much like bar graph values found on horoscopes.
They are not hard-and-fast rules but can be useful to quickly sum up the
strength of a particular influence in a chart.
This value can be positive or negative, reflecting the nature of the influence
(whether it’s generally considered positive/harmonious or
negative/challenging). It’s meant to show how strong the aspect might be,
and is based on:

 the planets or points involved (inner planets are more personal, for

example, and would receive a higher score, while outer planets are
less so and are more generational in influence, and thus their aspects
may not score as highly)
 as well as the closeness of the aspect to exact (the smaller the orb,
the tighter the aspect, and the stronger it’s expected to be).

The second aspect circled above is  Sun sextile Neptune. Since it involves
the Sun and is thus highly personal, it receives a higher value straight
away. However, the aspect is a sextile and is not especially close in orb, so
its weighted value is less than the Sun-conjunction-Uranus aspect,
weighing in at 112 instead of 492. If the aspect were a conjunction or
square, or even a trine, the weighted value would be higher. It would also
be higher if the orb were lower, which would mean the aspect was closer to
exact and thus stronger.

So, the Sun sextile Neptune remains an important aspect but it may be
more subtle than the Sun’s conjunction to Uranus in this particular chart.

While the orb is a mathematical value, the value score is a subjective

one. Not any one particular aspect can be considered wholly “bad” or
“good” since a person can work with its energies in constructive or
destructive ways. Some aspects are typically easier to manage and others
present a challenge or struggle.

Astrologers use many different methods of determining the overall weight

of an aspect that are not factored into these weighted values. For example,
the planet that’s often considered the chart ruler (the one that rules the
sign of the Ascendant) may be given more weight than another planet, and
this wouldn’t be factored in here. A computerized reading can never replace
an astrologer’s assessment of your chart. Side note: that is one of the
reasons why I refuse to call computerized reports “readings” on my site.
Even so, these weights can help us quickly home in on aspects that are
likely to have more strength than others and can be quite useful as long as
we keep our minds open.
 
In the above example, final values are circled at the bottom of the table.
These are totals of the positive values in the aspect chart, totals of the
negative values in the aspect table, and then a sum of the two. In the
example above of my chart’s aspects, you’ll see that there are more
positive influences than negative, and with the total values guide, we get a
general sense of how much so. There isn’t any particular number or score
that suggests a “good” or “bad” chart, but these values can be useful for
comparison purposes.
In the example above of a different chart altogether, you’ll see higher
values although the distribution is similar (the final value is about 70% of
the total number while in the example above this one, it was closer to
60%). This generally means there is more planetary aspect activity or
stronger, closer aspects.

In the above example table, you’ll see the counts of the major luminaries
and planets in signs for this particular chart that are masculine and
feminine, as well as the distributions of signs in the elements (fire, earth,
air, and water), and in the modes (cardinal, fixed, and mutable).

   

Masculine signs Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius

Feminine signs Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces

Cardinal signs Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn

   

Fixed signs Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius

Mutable signs Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces

Fire signs Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius

Earth signs Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn

Air signs Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius

Water signs Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces

In the example here, there are considerably more feminine than masculine

signs represented. There is also a preponderance of Earth signs.

Please note that the above counts include the signs of the Sun, Moon,
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto only.
There are of course many other bodies that can be analyzed in a chart, but
it’s not worthwhile to tally up counts for all of the asteroids, centaurs,
mathematical points, parts, and so forth, as they can skew things
unnecessarily and detract from your analysis.

Planets and Points in Houses Table

Pictured above is a table of the house positions of planets or planets in
houses. For example, circled above is Mars in VIII which means that, in
this chart, Mars is in the 8th house. This factor is listed and interpreted in
the interpretive report on the same page, as are all other factors listed in
this table.

Note that “Asc node” is the Ascending Node or the North Node of the Moon.
I have since changed the notation for the Ascending Node from “Asc node”
to “N Node” since it was brought to my attention that there were many
people reading the Ascending Node sign as their Ascendant and claiming
that the calculator was wrong or unstable, which of course is not true. I am
hoping this new notation will clear up misconceptions. The North Node and
Ascending Node are the same things with slightly different names. Note
that the calculations have not changed. The Ascendant remains as the start
of the first house in the Placidus house system and the North or Ascending
Node position remain the same. This is simply a label change on the table.
Although the Ascending Node is an accurate name for the North Node, the
North Node has since become the more popular label.
In the above example, you can find this person’s retrograde planets by
identifying the R next to the planet. Above, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are
retrograde. Note that these bodies spend many months each year in
retrograde motion, so finding the outer planets retrograde in a chart is very
common.
In the above, Jupiter and Saturn are retrograde. The other listed points, up
until Pluto, are NOT retrograde if there is no “R” next to them. Note that
the Sun, Moon, and Ascendant cannot be (never are) retrograde. Black
Moon Lilith is the Mean value of the point (there are multiple bodies called
Lilith in astrology). The True North Node is frequently retrograde but its
retrograde is not useful to note so it’s not listed here.

A note about the included planets and points: Because many people

learn astrology (and many other subjects such as nutrition and psychology)
in unconventional ways these days, they may not have a good grasp of the
basics before studying additional points and topics. There are people who
learn about an obscure asteroid before they learn about the basic planetary
positions, and wonder why it’s not included in the list.

This kind of learning is not necessarily wrong or ineffective–and it’s

something we have to get used to–but it certainly helps to recognize the
value of learning the basics before moving onto specialized topics. There
are people whose interest in astrology is sparked by an article about the
Black Moon, for example, and this is great since it drew them in to look a
little further, but they may not yet grasp that the Sun, Moon, Mercury, and
so forth are far more important than the Black Moon. In truth, people can
learn astrology in a far less chaotic manner if they take things one step at a
time and try not to skip too far ahead. It’s much like if someone were to
begin a math book at chapter 22 and then skip back to earlier chapters
later – they can learn in this manner, and in fact they may not have taken
interest in the subject if it weren’t for that chapter 22 topic, but it makes
sense to check out the first chapters at some (hopefully early) point so that
they can understand and appreciate later chapters more fully.
For these reasons, it’s important to first understand the positions of the
basic planets and points listed in the tables above before considering the
additional points. These are things you should learn first and well before
moving on. I love additional points, parts, and so forth, and have had a lot
of fun with them and gained insight from them over the years, but I
suggest getting a strong understanding of the basics before adding the
asteroids, hypotheticals, and other points to your analysis. It may be best
to keep in mind that additional points give you additional information but
they don’t provide you with the basics or core factors of the chart.

Appen di x to thi s arti c le: R o man Nu merals

The following are Roman Numeral equivalents for the labels used to identify
the houses of a chart:

Roman Numeral House

I First house

II Second house

III Third house

IV Fourth house

V Fifth house

VI Sixth house
Roman Numeral House

VII Seventh house

VIII Eighth house

IX Ninth house

X Tenth house

XI Eleventh house

XII Twelfth house

Free Reports: Compatibility

Report Scores
 

HOW TO INTERPRET THE SCORES IN THE  FREE

COMPATIBILITY REPORT WITH BIRTH TIMES.
Nu m be rs ove r 1 2 0 0 , in any of t he t hre e colu m ns ,
are cons ide re d ve ry high and s ignif icant .
I’ve had the free compatibility report section on my site since 2002,
and it’s only now, in 2019, that I am writing about the compatibility scores!
There is a reason for this–it’s because scoring systems have a lot of
caveats. People love scores, but they don’t always read the fine print about
them. The scores are in place as relative guidelines to help make a quick
judgment of whether or not a particular aspect is strong (close in orb and
between significant planets/points) and either challenging (represented by
a negative value) or flowing (represented by a positive value).
 Compatibility Aspect Chart

For example, an aspect that has a value of 168 is a relatively high positive
number, and is this way because the aspect is between significant planets,
is relatively close in orb, and is generally considered a strengthening, easy,
or flowing aspect. An aspect with a value of 52 is also considered an easy
aspect but may not be as close in orb or between inner, personal planets
such as the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars. An aspect with a value
of -651 is one that’s considered quite difficult in nature and is likely
between significant inner planets as well as very close in orb.

In the Compatibility Report with Birth Times, you’ll see a list of the

planetary aspects between the two charts in a table.

Look to the totals at the end of the table, and note the highest values you
see, whether negative or positive. Generally speaking, we want to see
synastries that have a lot of interaction, so high values can point to a
significant bond, although they don’t necessarily speak to the quality of the
bond. Numbers over 1200 would be considered high values and a stronger
bond. Celebrity examples of especially high total activity values are
Beyonce and Jay-Z (although their times are under question), Goldie Hawn
and Kurt Russell, and Ashton and Demi.

For example:

Beyonce and Jay-Z have the following values at the end of their table:

1963 -1207 756

The highest value is 1963, which is unusually high. This means there are
many close aspects between key planets/luminaries. The positive value is
1963 and the negative value is 1207 with a sum of 756. The final value of
756 is also unusually high.
Another example:

Angelina and Brad

730 -1092 -362

The highest value whether negative or positive is 1092. It happens to be a

negative value so that the sum or final score is also negative (-362). This
doesn’t mean their relationship is negative but that there are more close
challenging aspects than positive ones. Their total activity is rather high,
which creates a bond.

An example of a celebrity couple who’ve been together for decades but that
also have a final score in the negatives are Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell.
Their final score is -275. However, their bond is strong since the highest
value is 1393 and this value is very high (over 1200).

A final positive score of 200 or more is

above average.

To sum, it’s nice to have a final positive score, and the higher the better. A
final positive score of 200 or more is above average. However, people can
bond strongly with high activity values since they seem to bring out
stronger reactions in one another, and this means that the bottom line
is not always truly the final sum.

In truth, while it’s not extremely difficult to rate astrological aspects

between charts, it is difficult to make a definite statement about whether
two people are good together. Some people are drawn to challenging
relationships, while others pass them by. A relationship can be filled with
easy, flowing aspects but it may not stick. It’s also difficult to make a
blanket statement about a couple, whether celebrity or not, that defines the
relationship as good or challenging. People can stay together for years for
many reasons, and it’s not always about love or the strength of a bond, for
example, so longevity is not necessarily a reliable factor. For these reasons,
I feel that the total activity rather than final sum is the most telling value,
and even with that in mind, shouldn’t be the final judgment of something
as complex as a relationship.