A natal chart is another name for the astrological birth chart -- it is the unique astrological chart specific to an individual's birth that shows the positions of the Sun, Moon, lunar nodes, Ascendant, and all of the other planets in our solar system as viewed from our geocentric position here on Earth. Other commonly used names for the natal chart in English include horoscope, natus, birth chart, astrological chart, celestial map, sky-map, nativity, cosmogram, Vitasphere, soulprint, radix, or simply chart, among others.
In addition to the date of birth, an accurate birth time (the first breath is generally agreed upon as the exact time when the chart should be calculated) is very important when setting up a natal chart, in order that the primary angles of the chart may be calculated with extreme accuracy -- these include the Ascendant (or Rising Sign ), along with the Midheaven (or MC). In addition to an accurate birth time, the astrologer must also have the place of birth as well, for the latitude and longitude of the location of the birth is necessary in order to set up a fully accurate natal chart.
The natal/astrological chart is the basis of legitimate astrology, and that is why many serious, professional astrologers have such a problem accepting the mass-market, overly-simplified, and "dumbed down" 12 Sun-sign system found in many newspapers and magazines across the globe. Professional astrologers tend to dislike Sun-sign astrology because it creates a misconception of the "science" of the stars (i.e., the misconception that astrology is entirely about sun signs) and because its inaccuracy leads most nonastrologers to reject all legitimate forms of astrology as untrue.
The picture above and to the right is a standard example of a natal chart as the typical, modern, fully-professional, and licensed Western astrologer would most likely view it -- this particular chart is calculated for a male that was born on June 21st, 1982, at 11:03:00 PM EDT in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. (Lon:080W50'36" -- Lat:035N13'37")
The time of birth can always be found on the birth certificate because it is now required by law that the time be recorded (in the USA). In many instances, however, the birth times are rounded off by the nurse or doctor that is present to the nearest half or quarter-hour -- because of this fairly common practice, the parents should always remember to note the exact time of the child's first breath in this world and not rely on the time given on the birth certificate in case they ever plan on having a fully accurate birth chart calculated for their newborn(s).
Everyone's natal chart is different and unique, depending on the date, exact time, and precise location of the birth -- the image above and to the right is intended as an example only. Even a pair of twins birth charts are sometimes slightly different because one of the twins is usually born a few minutes or even more before the other one. Because the planets & primary angles in the sky are moving every second relative to Earth, as each second passes the astrological chart is changing/shifting very slightly no matter where you are on the planet.
See Also
External Links