Without a birthtime there’s no way to cast a chart with an accurate ascendant. Because of that there’s also no way to know where the house cusps are. The other consideration is the placement of the Moon. Since the Moon moves about 13 degrees in a day it can happen that you’re faced with two possibilities for the Moon sign. Because of this I first cast the chart with a birthtime of midnight on the morning of birth. That way I know where the possibilities start.
If the midnight chart shows the Moon in early to mid degrees there’s no need to look further, you have the Moon sign. If, however, it’s mid to late degrees I cast a chart for 11:59 of the day and see if it changes signs. In any case you can see the span of where it might be. At that point you can switch to a chart for “unknown birthtime,” so as not to be distracted by elements that are not known, such as an arbitrary rising sign, angles, house system, vertex or part of fortune. I tend to look at the midnight on the morning of chart and just ignore the arbitrary bits as it’s actually less visually distracting to me.
When I analyze the aspects the moon may make I take into account that loose 13 degree movement and adjust accordingly. If the Moon changes signs during the day it can be helpful, if you know the person involved, to try to rule out one or the other Moon sign. For instance, there’s a distinct difference between a Sagittarius Moon (Jupiter-ruled) and a Capricorn Moon (Saturn-ruled). Are they generally cheerful or stoic? Do they love adventure or security? One thing to keep in mind is the possible aspects to the Moon that might affect this judgement. If the Moon set in Sagittarius aspects Saturn or the Moon set in Capricorn aspects Jupiter, that could throw the analysis off. I find it most helpful to take a best chance stance and keep an open mind.
In any case, it’s a fun astrological puzzle that can help you stretch your analytical muscles.
How do you approach charts without birthtimes?
I have this very problem with the Aussie’s chart. He doesn’t know his birth time and has no way of ever finding out. And to make it worse, the moon moves from Cap to Aqua on the day of his birth. My early thoughts are that he has a Cap Moon but I could also see a bit of Aqua in him.
It’s fun up to a point to do the analysis, but I do wish I could “solve” the puzzle.
If I’m sure of the Moon like you explained, I will try to narrow further by looking at the way they dress or enter a room for ascendant clues.
I pull a noon chart and think in terms of a +/- 6.5 degree bracket around the moon. I do the math in my head and then say “hmmmmmn, do you think we can call your mom?”
I focus on the planets that don’t move quick and I don’t worry too much about houses etc. That’s for people I’m not intimately familiar with. It gives me a funny feeling otherwise.
I’ve been trying to guess my Dad’s and based on what I know about his life (a lot) I am close to feeling confident about his rectified chart.
If I don’t have a birthtime, I give them an arbitrary sun-sign rising and discount the houses — at least any transit info will be as accurate as a newspaper horoscope. 🙂 If the moon changes signs that day and I do know them somewhat well, I try to narrow it down. Sometimes, though, I’m working on second-hand knowledge (friends of friends) and can’t do that.
satori, I just want to reiterate how very much I enjoy your quote selections.
I set the chart for noon and set the ASC at 0 or at the degree of the Sun. I adjust orbs so that the lowest aspect orb is at least 4., to cover midpoints between the Moon at midnight and the moon at noon. This way, I can look at the chart at midnight, noon, and near midnight to get an idea of what possible aspects that have on their moon.
thanks, Charlotte! and SaD, that’s a great idea, sun sign rising!
Well, I played with the other methods and it just seemed to make the most sense to me. 🙂 Thanks, satori!
I just guess.
Without an accurate birthtime I would usually use a Sunrise chart. If I know an approximate time and it fits, vedic astrology-wise I use the Moon as Asc.
I do it exactly the same way, except for setting the chart for noon, not midnight.
Thanks satori, this was an excellent article that I am sure anyone just starting out will benefit from greatly!
There are quite a few of us on the boards who are adopted, and most of us have ‘rectified’ our own charts using a variety of methods, inc much use of the emphemeris for Pluto and Saturn related events.
I’ve also enjoyed ‘rectifying’ ie making educated guesses at the tob of a few celebs or people we/I know or are otherwise interesting to me/us, with a few people from the boards (off-forum). It’s surprising how far you can get…
I’m very confident I have my chart fairly accurate now, and as time goes by and transits seem to be working spot on, with how my chart is curretnly configured, I’m more and more sure of its [near-] accuracy.
I would never attempt to read a chart of anyone I knew nothing about without a birth time though, esp if the Moon was ‘between signs’. Having said which, you can tell a hell of a lot just from planets in signs and the aspects between them, if you do have the correct Moon sign
PS If forced to cast a chart with no tob, I use sunrise for the Asc, since there’s a higher % of births at that time (or shortly before) than any other.
I need to do a chart for someone close to me and she is adopted and an only child. She choosed not to discover her real parents. She moved in my nieborhood when she was 9. we are now 55. I have been sent to this web page by the comp. I read what ppl had to say about no TOB. I will try to do it, but if anyone has the expierence to help me I’d really appreciate it. I’d like to frame the chart for her. She just lost her Mom, and is alone. I’d thought it would make her smile.Her DOB is 1/3/56.EST Allentown,PA. Thanks ppl.
Hi halfempty just by her BD the outer planet placements of our generation she probably has this saturn opp uranus with pluto at the apex of this t-square, she was born with energy that currently has ruled the sky of late. It was activated strongly around the late 60’s and again in the early 80’s. It seems to be a strong under current running through our age group.
OH never mind halfempty was looking at the wrong chart, sorry. But yes on the saturn square pluto aspect, but uranus trine saturn.