As a professional astrologer, people often ask me how they can generate their natal chart without knowing their exact birth time. In modern times, this seemingly insignificant detail is often left off our records and fades from memories, and yet, without it, it seems impossible to generate an accurate natal chart.
I understand how frustrating it can be to feel like you can't fully access the wisdom of your chart because of this missing detail. But don't worry! Your birth chart reveals fascinating insights about your personality, strengths, and life path, and while complete accuracy hinges on knowing your exact birth time, there are still practical steps you can take to unlock its mysteries.
The first step is doing all you can to try and find your birth time. If this fails, then don't despair! You can usually get a close-enough time, which enables you to find your rising and moon sign, but even if you cannot get an approximate time, there are still techniques you can use. In this post, I will take you through these steps and offer practical tips for what to do in each scenario.
If you have questions or comments, please leave them below, and I will get back to you.
Step 1: Finding Your Exact Birth Time — Common Tips and Challenges
If you're reading this post, you've probably already tried a few things to find your exact birth time but without success. Here are a few commonly recommended steps to try (just in case you haven't done these yet):
Check Your Birth Certificate:
Your birth certificate is often the most reliable source for your birth time. If you don't have a copy, consider contacting your birthplace/state's Department of Vital Records or equivalent office to request one.
Ask Family Members:
Reach out to your parents, relatives, or anyone who might remember the approximate time you were born. Even a rough estimate can significantly improve the accuracy of your chart (see Step 2 for more on this).
Call the Hospital (If You Were Born in One):
Some hospitals keep records of birth times. However, many only maintain these records for a certain period, so this may not always yield results.
Despite these methods, many people struggle to find their birth time due to unavailable records or passed-away relatives. In which case, the following sections of this post may be helpful.
Step 2: Using Astrology Techniques with Approximate Birth Times
Even if you don't have an exact birth time, a close-enough estimate can help you get a decent idea of your chart. For most people, being a few hours out will have minimal impact on the majority of the planetary placements in your chart. It is only really the moon and the rising sign/ascendant that may need to be played around with to find the correct match for you:
Narrow Down Your Birth Time to Discover Your Rising Sign:
If you know you were born "in the morning" or "during a hockey game," this clue can narrow things down to a reasonable time window, enabling you to find your rising sign. If you're very close to a cusp, the ascendant sign may not be a given, but you can often read descriptions of the alternatives and see which one feels right. People often recognize themselves in their rising sign descriptions. TL;DR: If the rising sign you've landed on feels off, try reading descriptions for the sign before or after and adjust.
Check Your Moon Sign with Midday-Midnight Technique:
To check your moon sign, create two charts for your birth date—one at midnight and one at noon—to see if the Moon sign changed during that day. If it didn't, you can be confident in your Moon sign just from your date of birth; you don't need to worry about the time. If the Moon sign did change, then use the same technique of reading descriptions for the possible Moon signs and see which is the best fit. This can also give you an additional clue about your rising sign if you're still not sure. If you are stuck between two possible rising signs, but you're confident that you have the correct Moon sign, you can work backward from there to get the rising sign.
Professional Rectification:
If all the above sounds too confusing, you may want to look into professional rectification. Birth time rectification involves syncing life events with your chart to estimate your birth time more accurately and is offered by some astrologers. It can be expensive as it is a complex process. I am not currently offering rectification. I would recommend listening to the Astrology Podcast episode about this technique for more information. It also has links to two reputable astrologers who offer this service.
Step 3: Use Alternative Techniques That Do Not Require a Birth Time
So, perhaps you have tried the options above but are still drawing a blank. I know, it's frustrating. However, even if you can't get close to your birth time, there are still ways to access the wisdom in your natal chart:
Derivative Houses:
Use your Sun or Moon sign as the first house. For instance, if you're a Leo Sun, consider it your 1st House and interpret the remaining planets accordingly. Usually, the Sun is strong for people born during the daylight hours, and the Moon is stronger for night babies. So, if you know you're born in the day, use the Sun, or at night, use the Moon.
Focus on Planets and Aspects:
Interpret planets in their zodiac signs and aspects, as these remain stable even without knowing the exact birth time.
Planetary Transits:
Look at planetary transits in relation to the planets in your chart to understand upcoming influences and potential life changes.
Online Tools and Resources
There are online resources that can help you generate your natal chart even if you don't know your exact birth time. It won't be a horoscope as such because that needs the ascendant, but it can still offer lots of potential for interpretation and learning. For example:
- Cafe Astrology: Generate a partial chart without houses. It allows you to select "birth time unknown" and gives lots of information about the planetary placements unaffected by the birth time.
While it's ideal to have your exact birth time for an accurate natal astrology chart, you can still gain valuable insights through alternative methods and expert help. Whether you're using a solar chart, rectification, or family memories, your astrological journey doesn't have to be limited by missing information. Dive in with what you know now, and as you progress in your journey learning about astrology, you will likely find that your ascendant will reveal itself to you even if you never find out the exact time of birth.
I hope this post is helpful, and I wish you all the best with your astrological explorations!
If you have any questions or comments, please drop them below. If you'd like me to take a look at your birth chart you can book an astrology consultation with me here.
Warmest Blessings,
Jessica
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