Getting your natal chart read by a professional astrologer is certainly an experience to add to your bucket list if it is not already there. A comprehensive chart reading can provide a wealth of insights that can last a lifetime.
Your natal chart is a static snapshot of the moment you took your first breath on earth (again). It is a soul tattoo that travels with you permanently, impacting all aspects of your life: family, work, romance, and personal development.
While a natal chart reading is the first place to begin, it is just a beginning. Revisiting your chart regularly can prove to be one of the best decisions you make to help you navigate life successfully. This article will make suggestions about how often and when you should visit a professional after you have had your natal chart interpreted.
Having your chart done by a professional astrologer will take you so far beyond your Sun sign astrology that the comparison is the difference between a tricycle as a mode of transportation and a Tesla. When I do charts for people I look at:
A chart reading is a one-hour session, including an hour of preparation time before we meet. You receive three charts: your natal/birth chart (which looks at your core energy), a declination chart (which looks at your highest values), and a timing chart (which looks at the past two years and the upcoming two years). Sessions are recorded and you get copies of the charts with my handwritten notes around the wheel.
Getting a professional chart done, in person, over the phone, or via a conference web service like Zoom can be one of the most enriching experiences in your life. As a standalone experience, it is something you can enjoy and return to over and over throughout your life. However, as is often the case, clients will ask, “what next? …when should I check my astrology again?”
Beyond the core reading, I recommend having your chart read once a year at the time of your Solar Return, which occurs when the Sun returns to the EXACT degree of your birth, which may or may not fall at the same time on the same day (but never more than one day before or after). My birthday is April 12, 1968, at 9:39 pm and my Sun was at 23 degrees and 14 minutes.
My most recent Solar Return in 2019 was on April 13 at 6:57 am and my Solar Return for this year will be on April 12 at 12:51 pm. The chart cast each year, when the Sun is back at 23d14m, is the chart astrologer’s use to peer into the year ahead and see which themes will dominate the upcoming year. In my current return, identity work (Sun in the 1st House), parenting (Moon in the 5th House), and career (Saturn and Pluto in the 10th House) will and have been the focus of my time.
Next year the focus will be even greater on my career, with my Sun in the 10th House, my Moon in my 6th House, and Jupiter and Pluto in my 7th House (but in Capricorn, the natural ruler of the 10th House). This past year and the upcoming year will be focused on what I need to achieve at the highest level of my career development.
Your Solar Return may indicate a year focused on personal finances, study, and learning, spirituality, love, and romance, or your community. Checking in each year is the best way to work with a professional and get something valuable you can use as a guide from year-to-year.
Some clients prefer to be more aggressive and want to know their cosmic flow as the Sun moves in and out of a sign each month around the 20th and 21st. I recommend allowing a month to pass to be able to see larger patterns and let them unfold. Know that different points move at different speeds, so not much is going to change day-to-day with regard to Pluto, which takes between 17 and 31 years to move through a sign versus the Moon, which takes a little under 2 and 1/2 days.
Checking in month-to-month can be helpful if you want to gauge where some of the faster points are crossing in your chart, like Venus or Mars. Venus is about to cross over my Sun and Mars is moving through 3rd House (of Communication), which admittedly, is making me a bit aggressive when talking with people … at least until the end of March. Any time the Sun moves into a new sign it is worth noting where it will “shine” for the next 30 days in our chart.
You should look at your chart with a professional when you have a new relationship or a significant event coming up. At the minimum, it is worth doing your yearly Solar Return. Some months may prove to be rather “quiet”, but when you have a new relationship or want to take a certain important action (like planning a wedding or taking a vacation), then it can certainly be worth your time to consult with a professional.
Like any support or tool, you do not want to over or underuse it, but I would suggest forming an ongoing relationship with a professional since your core chart, while “fixed”, is constantly being impacted by the continual motion of the solar system. Regular reviews can give you much more of the value of astrology since our lives are constantly changing even if our core chart energy does not.
