What is astrocartography: an introduction
Have you ever felt like some places just click with you, while others don’t? That’s where astrocartography, or locational astrology, comes in. It’s a way of using your birth chart to see how different locations in the world can affect your life, from your career to relationships and personal growth. Let’s explore the basics, its history, and how it all works.
Astrocartography 101 — understanding the essence
Before I begin my astro diaries by traveling to and exploring my personal astro lines, I feel like an introductory diary entry is needed first, so you can get the bigger picture. Well, astrocartography, also known as locational astrology, is a fascinating branch of astrology that examines how different geographical locations can influence your life based on the positions of the planets at the time of your birth. The very minute of your birth (when you inhaled your first breath to be precise), as well as the location, are very important to know when doing your Astro map, as five minutes make a major difference. For example, if I put the information when pulling my chart that I was born at 8:00 AM instead of 8:05 AM, my Moon ASC line, which originally goes through Abu Dhabi, moved to Dubai instead. Even though the line impacts both cities as they are approximately 1 hour drive from each other, it can disrupt the flow of the whole map like a domino effect (some lines will go into the ocean if by near the coast and lose impact, etc.) - summa summarum, if you don’t know your exact time of birth (hour, minute and location), doing astrocartography can’t be exactly precise, so keep that in mind from the very beginning.
At its foundation, astrocartography is constructing a detailed map that overlays your natal chart—the astrological snapshot of the sky at the time of your birth—on top of a world map. This map, known as an astrocartography chart, shows lines that depict where each planet was rising (ASC), setting (DSC), at its highest point (Midheaven), or at its lowest point (IC) when you were born. Each of these lines corresponds to specific planetary energies that can affect various aspects of your life in different locations.
For example, the line where your Sun was rising might point to places where you feel a strong sense of self and personal growth, while the line where your Moon was setting could indicate areas that influence your emotional well-being and relationships. It’s also important to keep in mind that each map is unique, just like our planetary positions and degrees, and that many lines intersect each other, as well as aspects. Aspects have, of course, a lesser energetic impact in comparison to a planetary line, and each planetary line brings the energy of its other (birth chart) aspects with its line. With relocation, only the conjunction to ASC, DSC, IC, or MC can change, logically, while other aspects stay the same.
Mini history lesson on astrocartography
Astrocartography was brought back to life by astrologer Jim Lewis in the late 20th century, revolutionizing the way people understood the impact of location on their lives. Although the concept of locational astrology dates back centuries, Lewis ‘‘revived’’ the field by integrating detailed maps and modern software.
In 1979, Lewis released the first edition of his annual "Sourcebook of Mundane Maps," which marked a major advancement in astrocartography. By combining traditional astrological techniques with modern technology, Lewis was able to create detailed maps that illustrated how the positions of the planets at the time of birth affect various locations around the world. Through his work, Lewis provided a practical tool for individuals to understand and harness the unique energies of different places. For his pioneering efforts in developing and promoting astrocartography, Jim Lewis was honored with the Marc Edmund Jones Award in 1978 and the Regulus Award for Discovery, Innovation, and Research at the United Astrology Congress in Washington, DC, in 1992.
How astrocartography reveals the planetary influence of different locations
So let’s go step by step - each planet has its “west, south, east, and north” sides, which are Ascendant (symbolized as AC), Imum Coeli (IC), Descendant (DC), and Midheaven (MC). Why is this like that? You were born under the sky, which makes the placement as they are wherever you go, for example, if you have Moon in Gemini in your birth chart, Moon in Gemini is within your chart no matter if you are in North America and you are moving to Australia, let’s say. What changes is the impact of the side of the planet due to time zone differences. If you are born somewhere in South Carolina for example and you have your Ascendant (rising sign) in Taurus, relocating to Perth in Australia results in a “change’’ of your Ascendant, which would result in a change of house positioning within your birth chart. The line going through Perth just highlights the conjunction with the specific line, near Perth for this imaginary persons chart, that’s Chiron (the little key sign on the map with DC letters underneath) conjunct with Descendant (7th house). To examine the rest of the recolated chart, you can try running a chart via Astro Seek.
Why are angles so important?
Angles are super important because they’re the key points in your chart that bring out the strongest energy. Think of them like hotspots that activate specific areas of your life, like your sense of self, relationships, career, and home. When a planet lines up with one of these angles, its influence gets way stronger in that area of life, which is why moving to a place that aligns with an angle can really make things feel like they’re shifting in a big way.
That said, you don’t have to be in a place with a specific angle line to feel the shift. Even if you’re in a location where no angles are highlighted, you’ll still experience a change because your chart aligns differently with that place. It just might not feel as intense or obvious as when you’re on an angle line. So while moving to a spot with an angle line brings out the biggest changes, any move can still bring a shift.
What do all these lines mean? Which ones are 'good' and which ones are 'bad'?
Oh, I love how people see Astrology in black in white thinking. Nothing is black in white in life, nor it is in astrology!
First of all, we have favorable lines and more challenging ones, yet the challenging ones don’t necessarily mean that they are automatically ‘‘bad’’. Chiron lines, for example, are the ones that are quite bad-mouthed, yet I witnessed a client relocating to a Chiron MC line doing intense healing and taking matters into her own hands within the line. Yet I have seen also people being born on a Chiron line and being deeply traumatized in childhood as well. Even though the Chiron line is definitely not made for a ‘weak stomach’, it is highly beneficial if you decide to dive into intense shadow work. The same ‘rules’ are for other tougher lines, such as Saturn, Pluto, Mars, Uranus, and in some cases Neptune, and Moon (especially if you are not spiritually aware, the line can really be intense and ‘tough’ for individuals).
In some cases, some lines are advised to be avoided. If a planet is in an uncomfortable position in a birth chart, crossing a “challenging’’ line, it’s best to avoid it or move it, but it all depends on your goals in the end. I personally think that acknowledging uncomfortable positions is as equally important because it leads to much stronger personal growth. For example, when you confront your Saturn and begin to work with it, it brings life-long rewards and positive change, even though it can be in some cases extremely painful and heavy.
More beneficial lines are (based on the aspects and signs) Sun, Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Lunar Nodes, Moon, and Neptune (depending on your goals and how much you are in tune with yourself).
For example, Neptune lines can be quite imaginatively rewarding if you are an artist looking for inspiration and ideas. It can also be beneficial to plan to go on a spiritual retreat and acknowledge that you want to work on yourself spiritually. To some places, before even pulling your chart, you were maybe always drawn to a lot. It can be even when you were a child! In my personal case, I was obsessed with Iceland as a child, by only learning what the flag looks like and knowing the capital after 5th-grade geography class. I was obsessed! When I first pulled my astro map, I giggled once I saw this:
My Moon, (which is the ruler of my birth chart), is at its highest point and goes straight through Iceland, crossing my birth chart placement, Neptune conjunct DC.
In very brief translation, this means Iceland is the location where my emotional, intuitive, and spiritual energies converge, and this unique combination offers opportunities for personal growth, creative expression, and meaningful connections (Neptune DC), while also requiring mindfulness (due to the potential for feeling very intense emotions). I am definitely looking forward to fulfilling my childhood ‘pull’ toward Iceland and share it in detail in my astro diary!
Curious how to use your astrocartography map for healing, awakening creativity, relocation or a vacation?
If you have a specific goal in mind or you want to align yourself with locations that can enhance your success, love, and personal growth, exploring your personal astrocartography map can be incredibly transformative. If you're finding it confusing to read on your own and need guidance interpreting the lines and meanings, or if you'd prefer an intuitive astrologer to handle it entirely, I'm here to help. No matter your starting point, I encourage you to book an astrocartography reading with me. Discover how the distinct energy of various locations may support in your travels or relocations and open up new possibilities in your life.
Until the next diary entry,
xx Ang
