How Do I Read This Chart? (Step by Step)
Let's bring together what you have learned: read your own chart in six steps, just as a master would — all of it right there on the screen.
1 · Is the chart speaking?
Begin with validity: is the Ascendant very early (0–3°) or very late (27–30°), and is the Moon void of course (making no fresh connection for a while)? The screen tells you this with a badge. If there is a caution, the answer may be blurred.
2 · Assign the question to the correct house
Every question belongs to a "house": love and the other party → 7, money and lost property → 2, work → 10, home and the end of the matter → 4. Finding the right house is half the answer.
3 · Identify the two principal actors
You = the ruler of the 1st house (the Ascendant) + always the Moon. The other party, or the thing you are asking about, = the ruler of that house. These two significators are the principal actors on the stage.
4 · Examine the line between them
Do the two significators form an aspect with each other? A good applying (approaching) aspect is a positive sign. Blue = easy or harmonious, orange-red = hard or tense.
5 · What condition are the significators in, and who is willing?
Is the significator strong? A planet in its own sign (domicile) or in exaltation (a sign of special honor) is strong and in good condition. A retrograde (backward-moving) planet is unwilling and withdraws; a planet very close to the Sun, "combust", is weak and cannot see the situation clearly. Who is inclined toward whom is shown by reception; reception can rescue even a weak chart.
6 · Combine answer and timing
An applying favorable aspect + reception + a strong significator = the tendency is yes. No line, a separating line, or a void of course Moon = the tendency is no. Even if the two significators do not aspect each other directly, the Moon may still connect them through an intermediary planet (translation or collection of light); if that is missing too, the tendency is no. Timing: one unit for each degree remaining until the aspect (cardinal signs and angular houses are faster, fixed signs slower). These show the tendency of the moment, not an unchangeable outcome.
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