Author: Alison Price   –   Updated: January 2025

Example Chart Reading

I have so many requests from my readers for example chart readings and wanting more about how to get going with chart readings, where to start, what to look at first and what’s important. There are also many questions about what to ignore and move forward. I do think because there are so many moving parts with chart reading that it can be overwhelming to start with.

This week I’m going to go over again the basic approach I take to natal chart reading. I’m going to show what I pull forward initially and what I consider to be important in the natal chart and also how I would approach a 12-month forecast for an individual chart.

Information Overload

As I can only spend so much time doing this reading for our listener Maxie, in some instances I’ve just listed highlights about what I would be looking for, but without filling all the details out. But then further down I have explained in more detail about the two questions she had really, which were about forecasting in 2025 for love and career. While the natal chart is not fully fleshed out in this chart, I would normally explore all the full natal chart if she was an actual client.

Podcast Episode

You can listen to the podcast that Arwynne and I did on our example chart for Maxie who has given permission to have her chart shown publicly.

Natal Chart

When I’m looking at a natal chart, there are 5 main points that I pull out to start with, and they are in order.

• Balances
• The Ascendant
• The chart ruler
• Luminaries
• Major aspect patterns

Let’s have a look at these 5 main chart points in greater detail.

Strong Balances

With balances. I’m looking for a broad overview of the chart before I get into the nitty gritty of the planets. Also note, when I’m considering balances, I’m only looking at the visible planets. The seven visible planets are the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.

Balances Overview

Polarity: Balanced.

Element: Water.

Mode: Mutable.

Hemisphere: Southern and the Moon rules.

Quadrants: Balanced.

Triple Division: 3rd, ruler is the Sun.

Emphasis: Sign – none.

Emphasis: House – none

Unaspected Planets: none.

Intercepted Signs: Aries and Libra.

Chinese: Yin – Water Ram.

Part 2: Ascendant Complex

With the ascendant complex I’m looking at. The sign of the ascendant, the ascendant degree, any aspects to the ascendant degree, and any first house tenants.

Ascendant Sign: Capricorn.

Ascendant Degree: 07°29′.

1st House Tenants: Chiron

Ascendant Aspects Neutral: Ascendant conjoined Chiron.

Ascendant Aspects Hard: Ascendant opposition Saturn.

Ascendant Aspects Soft: Ascendant trine Jupiter.

Part 3: Chart Ruler Complex

With the chart ruler complex, I’m looking to find the ruler of the Ascendant, the specific planet. I want to know which sign is it in, which house is it in and what is its condition by the aspects it has flowing towards it and whether or not it has position within the chart. If there are two chart rulers, each one has its own sheet.

Planet: Saturn

Direction: Retrograde

Sign: Cancer

Essential Dignity: Detriment

House: 3rd, cadent.

Rules: Chart, Northern hemisphere, 1st quadrant, 1st triple division, and 1st, 2nd and 3rd houses.

Position in Dispositor Tree: Gateway planet.

Hard Aspects

Saturn opposition Chiron.

Saturn opposition Ascendant.

Saturn square Pluto.

Saturn sesquiquadrate Mercury.

Saturn sesquiquadrate Uranus.

Soft Aspects

Saturn trine the Sun.

Saturn trine Mars.

Saturn sextile Jupiter.

Flex Aspects

Saturn quincunx Venus.

Major Aspect Patterns

Saturn in Mystic rectangle with Mars, Jupiter and Chiron.

Saturn in a water Grand Trine with the Sun and Mars.

Saturn in Finger of the World (or Thor’s Hammer) as the focal planet with Mercury and Uranus.

Part 4: Luminaries: The Sun

The luminaries are the Sun and the Moon. With the Sun, I want to know what sign is it in, what house is it in, what aspects it has and whether or not it has positioned within the chart.

Sign: Scorpio.

House: 11th house succedent. Has accidental detriment.

Rules: 9th house.

Sun Aspects

Neutral Aspects

List all conjunctions to the Sun and what that means.

Hard

No hard aspects.

Soft

Sun trine Mars (Grand Trine).

Sun trine Saturn (Grand Trine).

Flex

Sun semi-sextile Pluto (minor).

Pre-Natal Eclipse

Her prenatal solar eclipse was on the 31st, May 2003 at 9°19′ Gemini in her 6th house.

Major Aspect Pattern

The Sun is in a water grand trine with Mars and Saturn. Note Mars disposes the Sun.

Part 4: The Luminaries: The Moon

Turning our attention now to the Moon, I’m looking at the sign the moon is in, the house the moon is in, whether or not it has positioned within the chart. I want to know what aspects the Moon has. At this point I will also be considering the lunar phase. Depending on the chart, I may at this point look into the lunar nodes as well.

Sign: Gemini.

House: 6th, cadent.

Rules: Southern hemisphere, 3rd quadrant and the 7th house.

Speed: Slow.

Declination: Out of bounds at N26°15′.

Lunar phase: Full Moon Phase.

Aspects Neutral: None

Aspects Hard

Moon opposition Pluto.

Moon square Midheaven.

Aspects Soft

Moon trine Uranus.

Major aspect pattern: None.

Major Aspect Patterns

Next, I turn my attention to any major aspect patterns within the chart. So that would include stelliums grand crosses, grand trines, T-squares and the like. I would consider the major aspect patterns in sequence of important as well. I’m also paying attention to whether or not the chart ruler, or the Sun, or the Moon is part of these major aspect patterns.

Maxie has an astonishing five major aspect patterns, a mystic rectangle, a water grand trine, a Venus mutable T-square, a Pluto mutable T-square and a Saturn Thor’s Hammer or Finger of the World.

Mystic Rectangle

The passive Mystic Rectangle is between Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Chiron.

Water Grand Trine

The water grand trine is between the Sun, Mars and Saturn (chart ruler).

Venus Mutable T-square

Her mutable Venus T-square has Venus square Mars and Jupiter and Jupiter and Mars are in opposition.

Note that Venus and Pluto are conjoined, so really these two T-squares could be interpreted as one.

Pluto T square

Her mutable Pluto T square has Pluto square Mars and Jupiter, and Mars and Jupiter are in opposition.

Saturn Thors Hammer or Finger of the World

Her Saturn Thor’s Hammer has Saturn sesquiquadrate to Mercury and Uranus, and Mercury and Uranus are square each other.

Committee Dispositor Tree

She has a 3-planet committee dispositor tree Mercury, Jupiter and Mars in the committee. Also note that Saturn, which is the chart ruler, is actually gateway planet above Chiron, Neptune and Uranus.

Maxie’s Forecasting 2025

Special Focus

Maxie’s special focus request was “Romantic relationships and Work within the next year.”

Career

Regarding her first question about career, I looked at the 10th, 6th, and 2nd house and I considered Saturn and Mercury as the ruler of the Midheaven.

The solar return chart contains a very obvious pointer towards her career this year.

There were quite a few transits that will influence her career this year and I don’t want to go into them in great detail in this newsletter, but you can read full story on the main blog post.

Romance

The other part of her question was about romantic relationships. For her love life I looked at her 5th and 7th houses and Venus in greater detail. There are several significant transits coming up for her this year. Additionally, her progressed Venus has made a recent shift that is significant too. Furthermore, I picked up on things such as her Part of Marriage position and considered some aspects to the vertex.

Career

For career related questions we look at the 10th, 6th and 2nd houses and at Saturn’s complex.

10th House

10th Cusp Virgo ruled by Mercury

6th House

6th Cusp Gemini ruled by Mercury

Moon in 6th

Transiting Jupiter 6th

Transiting Jupiter in 6th until July 13th.

2nd House

2nd Cusp Aquarius ruled by Saturn (chart ruler) and Uranus

Neptune in 2nd

Transiting Pluto

Pluto just entered 2nd house

Saturn Complex

Saturn in 7th, chart ruler, retrograde and in detriment in Cancer.

Affairs of the Heart

5th House

Romance (5th)

For romance and love life questions we look at the 5th house complex.

5th cusp is Taurus so Venus rules 5th house.

The 5th house is where love blossoms. The 5th house represents dating, romances, flirting and looking for romantic partner. It is where you can fall in love.

North Node in 5th

Destiny is in your love life. Anytime a transiting planet conjoins your north node in the 5th house, you’re likely to feel that you are destined to love this person and they were destined to love you. Make sure that you have engage your mind as well, and I’m not just following your heart.

Vertex in 5th

The Vertex in the 5th house is a classic indicator of where people come and go within your life. This natal placement typically suggests that you cycle back around to people you knew and loved before. The Vertex in the 5th house is often an indication that people whom you knew in your past will remain in your heart, often for the rest of your life.

When any transiting planet conjoins your natal Vertex, at 16° Taurus, you are likely to feel the urge to rekindle an old flame. Additionally, any person who has their natal Sun conjoined your Vertex is likely to be seen as a romantic interest for you. These would be people whose birthday is on the 7th, 8th, or 9th of May of any year.

Committed Partnerships (7th)

7th house complex

7th house tenants: Saturn.

The 7th house ruler is the Moon in Gemini in the 6th.

Part of Marriage is at 3° 21′ Leo.

Intimacy (8th)

8th house ruler is the Sun.

Consider Mars for the chase and intimacy.

Consider Pluto for intimacy.

Venus

Venus for love. Veuns is in Sagittarius in the 12th house. Venus is the focal plant of one T-square.

2025 Inner Transits

The Sun, Mercury and Venus, travel close together and will bring their energies to bear on your romance for a varied time this year.

Transiting Sun

The transiting Sun will stimulate your love life from April 21st until May 26th. If you are single, this is a great time to meet somebody who touches your heart. If you are in a relationship, you may find that it becomes more significant the longer you spend the time with them.

Transiting Mercury

Mercury enters your 5th house on May the 10th until. May the 26th. For a short two weeks planet Mercury will stimulate your romantic sector as well. But this energy is more likely to be expressed through communications, new contacts you meet and anyone you meet face-to-face, or you exchange emails with or phone numbers who may be more important for you later on. In general, this is a great time to connect with people who you really enjoy being with, but not necessarily romantically although they certainly can be.

Transiting Venus

Transiting Venus when enter your 5th house on June the 7th until July 8th. As Venus passes through your 5th House of romance and love affairs, it is an ideal time to fall in love. Although you have to realize that Venus does this every single year of your life and it’s not every year you’re falling in love. However, if you are open to it, you are likely to meet somebody whom you find valuable, someone who you find worthwhile, and someone who you can appreciate on a deeper level, when Venus transits your 5th house.

7th House

7th cusp is Cancer so the Moon rules 7th

The 7th house represents all serious relationships such as marriage and long-term common-law relationships. In includes commitments like betrothals, engagements, dowries and prenuptial contracts. With Cancer on the cusp of 7th house and therefore the Moon ruling is likely that you will find your life-partner through family connections or via someone within your heritage.

Natal Saturn in 7th

Saturn is the chart ruler and retrograde and in detriment. Saturn in the 7th house typically indicates that you will marry an older, more established person or someone with a solid reputation. This placement suggests that you will marry later in life and usually after age 30 past your first Saturn return. Saturn in the 7th house (as the ruler of time) also indicates longevity and staying power with people who are in it for the long haul, in all your committed relationships.

2025 Superior Transits

Transiting Mars

Transiting Mars is currently in your 7th house retrograding back. It will go direct on February the 24th (this is a turning point) and then Mars will continue through the rest of your 7th house until it finally leaves on April the 20th.

So between now and mid-April there is likely to be a lot of activity in your relationship area. Mars is the planet that creates heat, friction and get you off the couch and urges you towards activities that help you seek out a partner.

While Mars is still retrograding, so up until February the 24th, things will not be clear.

It is only from February 25th onwards to April 20th, that you are likely to be able to clearly see a viable guy who can be a partner for you.

Remember too that Mars will come through your 7th house every two years. While you are not likely to get married every two years, nobody does, you are likely to have a more active partnership where you do things together. Perhaps you get outside, maybe with a sport activity or you both go hiking or something like that where you’re actually spending time together, doing something, with somebody.

Even people who’ve been married for 20 years will decide to do something with their spouse during the time that Mars stimulates their 7th house.

Transiting Jupiter

Jupiter enters your 7th house for almost a year from July 13th, 2025, until June 2026. 

When Jupiter enters your 7th house, there is likely to be opportunity for a serious relationship. What once started out as fun and laughter may finally expand into a partnership where you feel you could go far in life with the person. You are likely to have known someone for a while (since Jupiter was in your 5th) and then suddenly you see them with fresh eyes. 

The only downside to this transit is that you may be presented with more than one opportunity to cinch the deal. The danger here is that you may let someone special slip away while you’re off dallying elsewhere.

The Graphic Ephemeris

Forecast Time Frame

I’ve created a graphic ephemeris spanning two years beginning six months ago in July 2024. This graphic ephemeris only shows the aspects of the 8th harmonic, the conjunctions, oppositions, squares, semi-squares and sesquiquadrates.

I’m also only displaying the planets from Jupiter outwards.

Y-axis

Maxie’s natal positions are on the far-right column going down and each of her natal planets has a horizontal dotted line going across the page. As the transiting planets make aspects to the natal planets, the aspect glyph is placed at the intersection.

You can note that not every aspect is as relevant as others.

Transiting Jupiter in the GE

Jupiter opposition Venus and Jupiter square Mars

Because Max is Venus and Mars are in a tight square, anytime when a transiting planet makes an aspect to either one, they will also make the aspect to the other. When back in July 2024, as Jupiter came by, it made the opposition to Venus and then the square to Mars. That was the first pass.

Jupiter then continued on direct and eventually retrograded back.

We see that now during January, February and March, Jupiter is peaking at the top in going to be making its station as well. This gives an extended period of January, February and half of March where Jupiter is is opposition her Venus and Jupiter is square Mars at the same time.

Both of these planets have to do with relationships, so we would be interested to looking at that as well.

Jupiter enters 7th House

Moving on to July 2025, you can clearly see where Jupiter is opposing the Ascendant, which really means that it’s entering the 7th House of serious partnerships.

Saturn Opposition Midheaven

During April 2025, Saturn will opposer Midheaven. That is the first pass. It then retrogrades back and once again opposes her Midheaven, retrograde,  in October 2025, and then finally makes the final and 3rd pass in January 2026 when Saturn once more opposes her Midheaven.

1st Pass

Typically, with a three hit transit. The first connection. Opens up the situation. So what happens in April career wise for her will be important to pay attention to. It could be people she meets or contacts you mates. Or even some training that she does.

2nd Pass

The second pass. Which in this case will be in October. Will bring more focus to. The situation that began to unfold during April and things can get firmed up at this point. However, because it is retrograde, she will still not have all the full details of how things are going to unfold. This could be a time of scrambling too. Established parameters or perhaps? Decide which company she might want to work with, or with bosses you may want to work with. But at this point, the fight nothing has been finalized. It is still under discussion during the retrograde.

3rd Pass

At the 3rd and final, direct part of Saturn opposing her Midheaven that’s occurs in January 2026, this is likely to be the month where things are finalized. Where perhaps she gets a job in the company she wants to work for, or perhaps she creates her own business that she’s been working on for over 8 months. As always at the third pass, it shows the finality of the situation which Saturn has created, established and maintained for her which began back in April 2025.

These three contact points where Saturn opposes the Midheaven on the three separate months will be highlighted. These are months where a lot more activity and achievements can be made career wise, but it is only as Saturn finally clears the last opposition that we will be able to see the outcome of her plans that have unfolded.

Interpretation

Saturn is the chart ruler, so any transits from Saturn are always important for her.

As Saturn moves into the 4th house and opposes her Midheaven is suggests there will be challenges with logistics to do with the home life and the career. Saturn in the 4th house is a very patriotic placement where people like to stay close to home.

However, it can also be a time when she establish a firm base from which to launch her life, because the IC see indicates the foundations of your life. She will want to create this firm base (perhaps buy a home) where she can launch her career from as she ventures out in the public domain.

It will be important for Maxie to make sure her home base is secure as she lines up career prospects that are calling her in her work life.

Transiting Uranus in the Graphic Ephemeris

Transiting Uranus will oppose Mercury during 2025 / 2026. The first pass will occur towards the last week at the end of June into July. The second pass will be at the early weeks of November and the third pass will be the last half of April 2026 moving into May.

Interpretation.

In Maxie’s natal chart, Mercury rules the Midheaven, so anytime planets contact Mercury, it will have a knock-on effect towards her career.

1st Pass

The first pass in June / July 2025 will set the stage and open up negotiations. Uranus opposing Mercury is likely to bring her unexpected connections and contacts that will benefit her later. This really means that she might be meeting people who can be influential in her future.

2nd Pass

Moving on to the second retrograde pass in November 2025. Again, this is likely to be a time where she continues to find new and innovative ways of communication or language skills or even considers doing more writing.

The second pass is always where you’re still in the midst of the situation, you are still in the weeds wading through. At this point you have to remember that you still do not have all the information, but you have enough to go on to start making plans.

3rd Pass

The 3rd and final pass of Uranus opposing Mercury will be in April and May 2026.

For example, this could be a time where she changes of designation in her career or where she perhaps does some writing, language, communication or editing or reviewing because it’s Mercury as the MC ruler it can be anything that has to do with her career.

One other thing that comes to mind is that her resume, CV or even her LinkedIn profile at this point will be established in the world the exact way she wants it to be.

From this point onwards, she could reflect back to June 2025 to how she thought things were going to unfold in her future (because the future is represented by Uranus).

Alternatively, it can be that she embraces new technology or something modern and fashionable which then becomes the main thing that she is talking about and thinking about in her day-to-day career.

Transiting Chiron semisquare Venus in the GE

Transiting Chiron on will make a semi-square to her Venus for an extended period from June to September 2025. It will then reappear in April 2026.

Interpretation

During this time, she could anticipate that Chiron and her love life represented by Venus will be a focus for her. Chiron is the gift in your chart, and it brings potential for good things once you have overcome any wounds you may have. Because it is opposing Venus, we would look to this as affairs of the heart and the love life where perhaps past hurts can finally be healed.

Clearly, everyone’s love life is a complex thing, but during the mid-year of 2025, Maxie will need to give herself some time to work through and heal any issues that there may be in her, in her love life. This may not be easy. 

For example, if she has been hurt romantically, this will need to be worked through before she can start another romantic relationship and not take the baggage (Chiron) with her into her new love life. Chiron will make the final opposition to Venus in April 2026, when once more these issues could come forward.

This Chiron opposition is unlikely to supersede the Jupiter going through her 7th house, bringing optimism and luck in serious and meaningful partnerships.

Venus

Progressed Venus enters your 1st house

On September the 8th, 2024 (basically four months ago) her progressed Venus crossed the Ascendant and entered your 1st house for personality.

Venus is likely to stay in your first house for around 30 years, although the main potency of this energy shift will only last until September 2025, whilst Venus is in orb of the conjunction to the Ascendant. Symbolically, this is Venus coming out of the darkness and entering the light. It can be an indication that love, and finances become more clear to you at this time and that the focus is on what youwant, rather than what you feel society is imposing on you.

The reason that we are looking at Venus, not only because Venus is the planet of love, but also because Venus rules your 5th house for romance. Your progressed Venus entering the 1st house, brings a sharp focus to you as a person. It lets you show your femininity, who you are as a young woman and what you would like to attract and what are looking for in love.

Progressed Sun conjoined Venus

In October 2025, your progressed Sun will exactly conjoin your natal Venus in the 12th house. This will be a highly auspicious time and even the two months leading up to it (before and after when the Sun is in orb of Venus) will be times that vibrate with this positive energy. Anytime the Sun comes through, it’s usually a good thing.

Solar Return

Solar Return November 2024

Your solar return chart is calculated every year at your birthday in November and will last for 12 months until your next birthday in November 2025. In this particular solar return chart for 2024, the Sun is in your 10th house.

This is a dynamic position bringing a bright spotlight onto your career. If you were thinking of moving up the corporate ladder or if you were thinking of opening your own business, this would be a brilliant time to do so, before November this year.

Solar Return: Sun Aspect Pattern

Sun Yod

Your current solar return’s Sun is at is the focal point in a yod pattern. This is highly significant. The Sun is both quincunx to Jupiter and Chiron. Jupiter and Chiron are sextile to each other this creates the yod major aspect pattern.

Yods are typically spiritual in nature and the planet that is being pointed at, and in this case, it is the Sun in the 10th house, is the main feature for the pattern. This yod in your solar return chart is the main indicator.

Interpretation

This Sun yod shows that your growth potential and optimism (Jupiter) and your teaching or healing powers (Chiron), are flowing towards you, yourself, personally, (the Sun). It is a period when you have to step into the limelight. Remember, the Sun is your identity, it is who you are, your beating heart and life force. The Sun in a chart shows where you can stand up authentically as yourself without bending to the whims of others.

More Example Chart Interpretations

Below are a few more of our example chart interpretations. Each one explains the process of interpretation and of filtering out what is important in each individual chart.

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.

More Articles

If you enjoyed this post, you may like some more astrology related articles from our blog.