Where to Get A Natal Chart: Step-By-Steps + Hella Cute Worksheet 📝
Okay, true confession. I did not realize that astrologers were referring to charts when they were writing horoscopes. 😳😅
Turns out, a natal chart is a map of where the planets were at the moment and location you were born. “Natal” means “birth,” so this is basically a planetary imprint of your primordial psyche, a god’s eye view on your existential precepts, an index on your karma, personality, and life trajectory. 👐🏻✨
This post shows you my three favorite chart generators for scoring a free copy of a natal chart. 🌟
NOTE > Throughout this website, I use and reference Astro-Seek for all my astrology tutorials, where you can get free astrology charts for your Progressed Moon, a personal transit calculator, and a chart showing where the new and full moons of the year will land in your stars (just to name a few)!
For me, Astro-Seek has been the best (free) option for learning to read actual astrology charts, and creating my own horoscopes based on first-hand analysis (instead of relying on other astrologers to filter the info for me 😜).
HOWEVER, when first learning how to read my chart, Astro-Seek was… a bit extra.
Tho a bit unwieldy to set up, the “extended chart” calculator at Astro.com was more useful for exploring my chart itself, based on the feature that you can plug in codes for any astronomical object you want to see in your chart, including goddess, muse, or centaur asteroids, ALL your midpoints, and even alternative versions of the chart itself cast in different House Systems! 🤩✨
THUS, I shall point you towards a couple other free options (Astro-Charts + Cafe Astrology), and then provide step-by-steps for scoring a free natal chart through Astro.com! 🙌🏻
BONUS > I’ve also included a cute printable worksheet to help you record and memorize your 10 “most important” planetary placements, to be utilized in my next post, How to Read a Natal Chart. ☺️
BTW, if you just need a copy of your natal chart right freaking now, you can use the Astro Charts widget on this specific post to get one (under option #1)…
…but ultimately, by the end of this tutorial, you’ll know how to use (and master) the chart calculator at Astro.com. ✨
Okay, ready to score a legit copy of your natal chart?
Let’s roll. 😎
MY TOP THREE FAVORITE (+ TOTALLY FREE) ASTROLOGY CHART GENERATORS 🤩 🙌🏻 >
Here are three different places to grab a version of your chart, all totally free. ✨
IN ORDER TO DO THIS, you’ll need your birth data: the date, place, and time you were born.
Supplying all your birth data gives the most accurate version of your chart, but you can still get one without knowing your exact birth time. Try to ball park it, or for accuracy, look it up on your birth certificate.
FOR NERDS 🤓 > Score a version of your chart from all three sites, plus the ones I link to at the bottom! Each version will look the same or similar, but each offers something extra in terms of summaries, point of view, or resources, which is invaluable if you’re interested in really learning to read your chart. 👍🏻
At the bottom, I’ll have an opportunity for you to grab a printable worksheet to help you start analyzing what’s on your chart, and then link you to my next tutorial, How to Read a Natal Chart: An Extra-Chill Primer on Natal Astrology. 🌟
⭐️ option ONE. get a free chart using THE ASTRO-CHARTS widget.
Need a copy of your birth chart? …like, right now?
Use this widget and score a totally cute version of your chart! 🤩🥰
You can totally hit up my tutorial on reading a natal chart (here’s the link again), or this one from the Astro-Charts blog: How to Read Your Astrology Chart, along with these other Astro-Seek articles! ✨
⭐️ Option #2. get a free natal chart report from Cafe Astrology.
Cafe Astrology generates an entire report for your chart, including tables for everything: your planets in their signs and houses, your elements, your Chiron, and the major goddess asteroids.
Also, you get a table for all your planetary aspects with summaries, which are trickiest to parse out when you’re just learning, so that’s invaluable! 👍🏻
If you want CafeAstrology to save your chart, you’ll have to write down the profile number and PIN assigned to you, especially if you want to clear your cookies or access your report from a different device (your iPhone vs. your laptop, or wherever you first created the account). Cafe Astrology also lets you generate and store up to 10 other natal chart reports as well. 😳😬
HOWEVER, one drawback with CafeAstrology is that you don’t get to select the House System, so your report might read different from what you see in others… for instance, your Mercury might jump from your Fourth to your Fifth House, so the CafeAstrology report might read different from other reports (especially if you continue your astrology studies and try getting free reports from other online calculators).
But, similar to Astro.com, you do get the option of casting transit charts, so, that’s cool!
(Don’t see an image of your chart itself? Scroll all the way to the bottom. 👍🏻)
⭐️ Option #3. USE THE EXTENDED CHART GENERATOR AT ASTRO.COM.
Astro.com has lots of cool features, and similar to CafeAstrology, you can create a free account that lets you cast your birth chart over and over again without re-entering all your birth data.
You can experiment with different House Systems, produce a transit chart right over your natal chart, and pick ‘n choose different asteroids, fixed stars, and other arcane markers, as your astro-curiosity broadens. 🤩
You can also generate and store many other charts as well!
HOWEVER, unlike CafeAstrology, Astro.com doesn’t offer summaries or descriptions of your placements. You just get the straight up chart, albeit with plenty of options to experiment.
Also, just FYI: Astro.com is one of the most venerated, most linked to chart generators on the Internet, and has a bottomless blog of info and resources!
They also feature special computerized reports informed by the work of legendary astrologers from all over the world (Liz Greene and Bernadette Brady, for example 😍🤤), based on all kinds of special topics, so you will literally never run out of astrological schools and perspectives to explore your chart through (until you go bankrupt or blind, I guess 😳😵💫).
HOWEVER, Astro.com is kind of tricky getting set up, so that’s what I’m going to walk you through it!
HOW TO CREATE AN ACCOUNT AT ASTRO DIENST, OR ASTRO.COM
#1 Type astro.com into your browser.
#2 Hover your cursor over "Free Horoscopes."
In the drop down menu, on the far right column, click "Extended Chart Selection."
Why "extended"?
Options, baby. 😸
#3 Proceed as either a guest user, OR, if you already have an account, login.
Even if you proceed as a guest, it will save your chart, & you can create your login info at the end.
#4 Enter your birth data: the date, time, & location you were born.
If you wanted to do a synastry reading (combining your chart with your BFF's or your momma's or your flavor of the week), this is where you'd select for that & then enter their birth data.
Double-check your birth hours. Be advised that it uses military hours, so if you were born at 9 o’clock at night, you want to click 2100 hours.
When ready, press ‘continue.’
#5 CHOOSE OPTIONS FROM THE “EXTENDED CHART SELECTION” PAGE
This is where the options are.
Press “Click here to show the chart” to proceed straightaway to your chart…
OR, you can change your House System, or select additional objects.
If you want to select a specific House System, press “Options for zodiac and houses.” Changing the House System changes the layout of your natal chart, sometimes scooting planets into different signs and houses altogether. Aeolian Heart Astrology suggests total newbies use the Whole House System, just until you understand the “delineations,” or how everything on the chart works together.
I use the Placidus House System.
If you choose "default," the software generates your chart in the Placidus House System.
(So, I'm basic.)
#6 When you’ve selected for all your desired options, press “Click here to show the chart.”
REMEMBER, press "Additional Objects” to select for Chiron, Black Moon Lilith, Goddess Asteroids, fixed stars.... all the secret goodies a natal chart can offer!
(Never heard of any of those? I link to all that info down below.)
Pro tip: hold the “shift” key to click + select multiple “objects” from the drop down menu.
Et voilá! Your chart will display on the following page!
OTHER PLACES TO SCORE FREE NATAL CHARTS 🌟 >
Alongside Astro-Charts, CafeAstrology, and Astro.com, I recommend…
The Astro Twins free chart generator ✨ For birth charts on the fly, try the CoStar, Time Nomad, and the Time Passages apps (Co-Star will also email you free horoscopes!)✨ ALSO, for $5 a month, you can subscribe to Luna Cloud astrology, and store hella birth charts, track transits, plus create synastry and composite charts! ✨ And as mentioned in the intro, my go-to and personal fav is the free Astro-Seek birth chart calculator, scroll down for interpretations for all your planets, including your aspects!
OKAY, I have my charts! So much info! 🙀 What do I do with it all?
FIRST, right-click and save each version to desktop.
THEN, upload each version into a special folder in Google Drive where you can also store quotes and links to free articles you dig up all about your natal placements!
For sure, it’s going to be a lot of information. The more info you gather, the clearer and faster your chart starts making sense. 👌🏻
Basically, what I’m telling you to do is to decipher your chart through self-directed research! Yayyy!
IF YOU’RE READY TO BEGIN, check out this post: How to Read a Natal Chart. ✨
Of course—there are pro astrologers out there to read the whole thing for you! This post also links to all my favorite online astrologers for astrology self-study. Some astrologers are poets or essayists, others are educators or researchers. Many offer horoscope newsletters, virtual classes, and personal readings. ✌🏻
And if you want to close the learning gap, this post has my guidelines for selecting an astrologer and preparing for your first astrology reading. ✌🏻
But, because you have your chart(s), let me help you get organized, so you know what to start researching…
I’VE CREATED A HANDY, PRINTABLE WORKSHEET TO HELP YOU START THE PROCESS AND JOURNEY OF LEARNING TO READ YOUR OWN NATAL CHART… 🤩🥰
In my next post, I’ll walk you through the basics and best practices for DIY’ing a natal chart analysis (just using Google 🪄), plus link you to all my favorite astrology resources to help you get started! ✨
P.S. And if you want to get buck wild on your astrological research binge, check out this post, Are You a Star Witch? 🌟🔮
Subscribe to the newsletter on that page to access a secret resource page where I itemize what you can use to not only 10x your astrology learning, but also experiment with its effects! 🤩🥰