10 Top Tips for Reading Astrology Charts

Author: Alison Price   –   Published: October 2025

Introduction

Five-a-Side

This time we’re giving you are top ten tips about astrology and astrology readings. Five tips are from me, Alison, and the other five tips are from Arwynne.

5 Top Tips for Aspiring Astrologers

Your Path

Learning astrology is an exciting journey which helps you understand yourself, your relationships, and the cycles of life on a deeper level.

Everyone comes to astrology through their own path.

• You have read different books to me.
• You have a different birth chart to me.
• You have had different life experiences to me.

But here we are, at the start of learning astrology and it is so exciting!

If you are just getting started as a hobbyist or student astrologer, or you have been curious about astrology for a while, these tips will help you build a strong foundation and help you stay motivated as you learn. If you don’t know where you are astrologer wise, then check out this article on the 5 Levels of Astrologer, Even if you are pretty new to the art of astrology, there will be something that you can choose to do first.

Overwhelm

Don’t get overwhelmed trying to do everything right now, but rather pick one tip, lean in and do it well.

Podcast Episode

Listen to our Ten Top Tips podcast episode below.

Alison’s Five Top Tips

Steps

Here are my five top tips that I want to share with you for learning astrology and on how to read a birth chart. These activities will give you much pleasure when you explore your chart and those of your family and friends. To be honest, I really could have gone on a written many more tips than the five here, but I thought that when you start it’s best to keep things simple.

Start with the Basics


Cornerstones

Begin by learning the core building blocks of astrology, the cornerstones. The four cornerstones of astrology are the planets, signs, houses and aspects.

Glyphs

These four are like the “alphabet” of astrology where the glyphs are the letters. A particular planet in a specific sign, in a precise house, that forms an aspect to another planet has its own storyline.

Synthesis

Once you know what each symbol and piece represents in a chart, you can start to weave them together to create meaningful chart interpretations. A solid foundation makes everything else much easier.

Work with Real Charts


Your Birth Chart

Astrology is best learned by doing. Start with your own birth chart, then branch out to charts of friends, family, or even famous people. Her are some examples of the charts you will read.

Other People’s Charts

Observing how astrological placements show up in real lives will make the symbolism more tangible and memorable.

Keep a Journal

Observations

Track your observations and personal experiences in an astrology journal. Record transits, lunations, and other celestial events along with how they play out in your life.

Cycles

Over time, you’ll begin to notice patterns and deepen your understanding of planetary and solar cycles.

Learn Step by Step

Natal

It’s tempting to jump straight into forecasting or relationship compatibility, but natal chart interpretation is the heart of astrology. Focus on mastering natal charts first.

Forecasting

Once you feel confident reading a birth chart, the more advanced techniques will come naturally.

• The Aspiring Astrologer: 52 Self-paced Astrology Lessons by Alison Price

Learn with Others

Community

Learning astrology is richer when you share it. Find a community where you can ask questions, swap charts and get gentle feedback.

Teach What You Know

Teaching a friend or offering short readings will sharpen your skills and build confidence faster than studying alone.

Group Work

Join online groups, attend workshops or look for a mentor who can guide you along the way.

Watch the Outer Planets

Historical Shifts

Knowing when ​Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto​ change signs and importantly, when they changed signs historically throughout the last say hundred years, can give you a deep understanding of generational differences.

Define Generations

We all know what Millennials, Gen X, Gen Z and Baby Boomers are in our culture, but understanding how the generations are defined by the three outer planets can give you an incredibly rich vocabulary for comparing the differences between not only the big generational changes, symbolized by Pluto, but also the generational shifts that occur every 12 years with Neptune and every 7 years with Uranus.

Think Elementally

Don’t just focus on planets in signs or Sun signs

The great ​Steven Arroyo’s book​ about elements was a foundational work in my understanding of astrology and I highly recommend if you’re just getting into studying people’s charts.

Informed Understanding

The four elements contain so much character and personality that can inform your understanding of a chart without even focusing on that signs and houses.

Elements give an overall flavor and sensory understanding that can underpin all the other astrological learning that comes later.

Keep a Transit Journal

Watch It Happen

Don’t just study “what Mars in Gemini means”—watch it happen.

Keep a ​transit diary​: note when planets change signs, make aspects, or station retrograde, and record what’s happening in your life.

Patterns

Over months, you’ll see patterns that stick far better than memorization.

Start with the Sun, Moon, and Rising Sign

Three Main Characters

Think of these three as characters in your life story, or the major components in for personality.

• In the Freudian sense, the ID, Ego and Superego.
• In the neuroscience, the amygdala, the limbic system and the cerebral cortex.

Interactive Components

These three components work equally and interactively to create the core of your personality.

Studying ​these three bodies​ in your chart, you’ll easily see which are stronger, how they interact, which may be hidden or less active, and which are more integrated with the rest of the planets in your chart.

Read, Research and Reflect

Find Your People

Find bloggers or podcasters who match your personal tastes and interests, and follow them down the rabbit hole. There is already an astrologer, or probably many, with a body of work out there just waiting to be devoured obsessively.

Your Interests

If you’re interested in the stock market, psychology, history, whatever the case may be, find the astrologers who are writing or blogging or podcasting about what interests you and follow them, go down the rabbit hole and read everything they’ve written.

Read, Read, Read

If you’re interested in generational studies, the cycles of history, relationships, self-actualizations, natural disasters, serial killers… find your obsession and read voraciously about it.

Overarch

Lifelong Learning

Astrology is a lifelong study, and no two astrologers practice exactly the same way. Read widely, explore different techniques and stay curious. As you grow, you’ll develop your own unique approach which will feel authentic to you.

More Resources

Learning astrology takes time, but with patience and practice, you’ll become more confident in your skills and more insightful in your readings. If you’d like more guidance, sign up for my free weekly newsletter where I share insights, tips, forecasts and inspiration to support your astrology journey.

Astrology Business

Here are some more podcast episodes about running an astrology business and being able to read charts for clients which you may enjoy.

Author Bio

Alison Price: Professional Astrologer

Alison helps you uncover your individual creativity and lead a fulfilling life using your own astrology. She shares her wisdom from the heart with a touch of humor. She offers Consultations for everyone and Coaching for Aspiring Astrologers.

If you’d like to get in touch with Alison, you can reach out to her via email at starzology@gmail.com.

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