Astrology is a powerful tool that can be helpful across so many parts of our lives. While stars can be blamed for our feelings, did you know that they also impact us depending on our location? Known as astrocartography, this niche practice within astrology can help you understand how certain locations impact your birth chart, which in turn affects how you navigate the world.
Astrocartography can be used to identify places where you'll be most successful or even find true love. It sounds fun, but astrocartography is a complex field that requires a lot of analysis and planning. POPSUGAR turned to astrologers Aliza Kelly and Ivana Naskova to learn more about astrocartography and how to incorporate it into your life.
What Is Astrocartography?
"Astrocartography takes astrology one step further by mapping the position of the stars and planets from the moment you were born," Naskova explains. "So, for example, the sun might have been setting at the time of your birth, but it was rising someplace else. This has a completely different influence on your life depending on where you are physically in the world, and that is the whole idea of astrocartography."
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So, while you have your birth chart, the energies of the planets may affect you differently when you travel on vacation or move to a new city. "Astrocartography can show how an environment is going to reflect different attributes of self that might be baked into the birth chart," Kelly tells POPSUGAR. "Different dimensions of a person are going to be amplified, while other aspects are going to be quieted as that person moves around the world."
How to Make Your Own Astrocartography Map
In order to make your own astrocartography map, you need the same information that's on your birth chart, as well as internet access. Since astrocartography charts also take new locations into mind, you'll want to know which places you want to explore. You can then go to astro.com's AstroClick Travel tab or AstroSeek to input your birth information and get your own astrocartography map.
Once you enter your birth-chart information, you'll see a world map covered in many colorful intersecting and wavy lines. Be warned: the map looks a little overwhelming at first. However, through time and practice, interpreting it will become less elusive. The websites are interactive and can also help explain what all the different lines mean just by clicking on them.
The lines each correspond to the planets and four other astrological markers: the ascendent, descendant, imuni coeli, and medi coeli, which all represent different locations on the chart. The lines show where the energy of those astrological aspects is most powerful for you.
What Each Line on an Astrocartography Map Means
Depending on which lines you end up on in your astrocartography map, you could be in an area where you're likely to find more success in work (if you're in an advantageous spot on your Jupiter line, for example) or somewhere challenges are likely to pop up (if you're near the difficult Pluto line). Here's what each line means in astrocartography, according to Naskova.
Ascendant: Your ascendent line reveals your personality, individuality, and self-expression. It can help you discover what all these things are with more clarity. Descendant: Your descendant line deals with your surroundings and how you interact with those around you. It will help clear up your relationships with others. Imuni coeli: Your imuni-coeli line shows how you connect with the world. It helps with internal reflection and finding a greater sense of belonging. Medi coeli: Your medi-coeli line represents your perception of the world. It helps you envision your future. Sun: Your sun line deals with confidence. It shows you where you'll feel the most comfortable and good about yourself. Moon: Your moon line amplifies your emotions. It might make you feel a bit more sensitive and vulnerable. Mercury: Your Mercury line brings out your creative side. Traveling along this line will help you think, communicate, and find inspiration. Venus: Your Venus line makes you more charming and attractive. It's also where you may be likelier to find love. Mars: Your Mars line gives you the ability to tap into your bravery and courage. However, it might also bring out your impulsivity and short-temperedness. Jupiter: Jupiter is considered your lucky line. It can bring you fortune, abundance, and positive energy. Saturn: Your Saturn line helps you find security and balance. It can also bring you stability. Uranus: The Uranus line shakes things up. The rebellious and unpredictable planet could influence significant life changes. Neptune: Your Neptune line guides your dreams, hopes, and fantasies. It's a great place to escape reality. Pluto: Your Pluto line represents rebirth and regeneration. If you're looking for a fresh start, this is the line to aim for. Chiron: Your chiron line deals with pain. However, it can also help you heal yourself and those around you. North and south nodes: Your north and south nodes reveal your destiny and karma. Being near them can help you make sense of your past and lessons you learned.As much as astrocartography can give us insight into how different locations may affect us, these locations cannot override our birth charts. "It's not as easy as following your Jupiter line for fortune or following your Venus line for love," Kelly explains. "At the end of the day, you're still working off of your natal chart, which is your primary astrological document."
How to Make the Most of Your Astrocartography Map
If you're hoping to use astrocartography to maximize your luck, love life, or career, you may want to work with an astrocartographer due to the complexities behind this practice. When an astrocartographer is looking at a map, they're not just looking at a single line; rather, they're looking at a much larger picture.
Kelly explains that you need to consider the relationships between the many lines to find the most advantageous spots. "It's a really amazing visual tool for deepening your astrological practice," Kelly tells POPSUGAR. "But unless you are feeling really saucy, I would leave any huge decisions to a professional."
While you can use astrocartography to find new places to go, Kelly adds that pulling up your astrocartography map after you travel is a good way to strengthen your understanding of astrology, too. By locating our charts on the map and reflecting on where we just went, we can investigate the impacts of traveling near certain lines.
Astrocartography is not all about moving to another place, especially when that isn't always a possibility. You don't need to travel to use astrocartography to your advantage. Like all other types of astrology, astrocartography is a reflection tool that gives us celestial information to help us understand ourselves and make sense of our circumstances.
"Just as you check the weather forecast when you decide to travel, you can count on your astrocartography chart to help you decide whether you should move and live in a different city or to help you understand why you feel unsatisfied with life's current events and what can you do to change that," Naskova says. "The bottom line is that you can use the wisdom you gather from it to help you live your best life and find your own happiness."
