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Astrocartography Chart
An astrocartography chart shows where on Earth each planet was rising, setting, overhead or underfoot at the moment you were born, drawn as lines on a world map. Enter your birth date, time and place to see your planetary lines on a world map, along with the cities that lie close to each line.
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What astrocartography is
Astrocartography maps your birth chart onto the globe. At the moment you were born, each planet was rising, culminating, setting or at its lowest point somewhere on Earth. Connecting those places gives you lines across the map, one set for each planet.
The idea behind it is that the themes of a planet are said to become more noticeable when you live or travel near its line. People use astrocartography to think about places they want to visit, places they feel drawn to, or places where something important happened to them.
The four kinds of lines
Each planet has four lines. The AC line marks where the planet was rising on the eastern horizon, and is linked with how you show up and how you feel in your own skin. The MC line marks where the planet was at its highest point, and is linked with public life and direction. The DC line marks where it was setting, and is linked with partnerships and other people. The IC line marks where it was at its lowest point, and is linked with home, roots and private life.
How your chart is calculated
We calculate the real right ascension and declination of the Sun, Moon and planets for your birth moment, using the open-source astronomy-engine library. MC and IC lines run straight from north to south, at the longitudes where each planet was overhead or underfoot. AC and DC lines curve, because where a planet rises and sets depends on latitude. Close to the poles, some planets never rise or set, so their AC and DC lines stop before reaching the top of the map.
Then we check a list of about 3,000 cities and show the larger ones that lie within about 190 miles (300 kilometers) east or west of each line.
How the astrocartography map works: rules and sources
Where astrologers disagree, we pick one rule and say which. These are the rules behind your result:
| Rule | Value we use | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Lines | AC, MC, DC and IC for each planet, calculated in mundo from right ascension and declination | Standard method of astrocartography maps |
| Cities near a line | Larger cities within about 190 miles (300 km) east or west | Our choice |
| Map | Natural Earth 1:110m land outline | Public domain |
| Birth time | Required; four minutes of clock time move a line by about one degree of longitude | Earth turns 360 degrees in 24 hours |
Astrocartography and where to live
Many people come to astrocartography with a practical question: where should I live? The map can give you something to think about, for example whether the cities you love sit near your Venus or Jupiter lines. It cannot tell you where you will be happy, and it should not be the reason for a move. Work, people, cost and everyday life matter far more.
Your free result shows the map, the cities near each of your lines and a description of every line. The personal reading for $29 explains the planets behind the lines in your own chart.
Why the birth time matters
The Earth turns about one degree every four minutes, so a birth time that is off by an hour shifts every line by about 15 degrees of longitude, which can be more than 600 miles. Without an accurate birth time, the lines are not meaningful, so this calculator asks for one.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Where should I live according to astrocartography?
Astrocartography can show which planetary lines run near the places you are considering, and what those lines traditionally stand for. It is a prompt for reflection, not a recommendation. Practical factors should always come first.
What is an astrocartography chart?
It is a world map with lines that show where each planet was rising, culminating, setting or at its lowest point when you were born.
Do I need my exact birth time?
Yes. A one-hour error moves every line by about 15 degrees of longitude. Without an accurate time, the map is not reliable.
What do the AC, MC, DC and IC lines mean?
AC is where a planet was rising, linked with self and presence. MC is where it was highest, linked with public life. DC is where it was setting, linked with relationships. IC is where it was lowest, linked with home and roots.
How close to a line do I need to be?
Astrocartographers usually say the effect is strongest within a few hundred miles. We list cities within about 190 miles (300 kilometers) of each line.
Is a free astrocartography chart accurate?
The math can be. Ours uses real planet positions and has been checked against reference charts. The meaning of the lines is an astrological tradition, not a measurement.
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