Introduction to birth chart rectification
Rectifying a birth chart when you don’t have your exact birth time can be challenging, but it is possible with careful observation and testing. Over the years I've had many clients asking me to do a birth chart rectification for them. If you have an approximate birth chart (+/- 1 hour) I can rectify it for you, free of charge, by asking you a few questions and looking for the most likely time. And in this post, I'll try to teach you my personal tips!
But sometimes, we don't even have an approximate time of birth. Sometimes, we're not even sure what your rising sign is!
Story time: The boys I "rectified"
I once had a roommate from Chile. I worked from home and so was he, so we spent a large amount of time together. Naturally, I ask him his time of birth and naturally, he tells me he'll have to ask his mum. He does happen to travel to Chile a couple of months later, so he says he'll figure it out once he's there. Ok. I spend the next couple of months observing him. He's a Scorpio, but I find him to be very direct, assertive, and really eager to take actions. He was really self-motivated and a self-starter, and he happened to be really eager to move his body and go to the gym, just constantly be in movement. He did have Mars in Aries which fits the bill, but this energy of self-motivation and needing to be in movement made me think he had to be Aries rising. This man was just always on the move. Okay so I hand-pick Aries as his rising sign. It happens to put his Scorpio planets in his 7th and 8th house, unless, I picked a time of birth which made him early Aries. In this case, it would put his Venus in his 6th house, and boy did this man LOVE the house tidy. I never had a male roommate being so organized, making his bed every morning religiously. I decided it would make the most sense that his Venus would be in the 6th house, naturally. I chose a time of birth which would reflect these, and I handpicked 3:45pm. A couple of month later, he comes back from his trip to Chile and tells me "Hey, I actually found my birth certificate! What time did you guess?" So I look in my phone, and tell him I chose 3:45pm. Completely mortified, he looks at me with intrigue and genuine fear (lol) and responds "It's 3:36pm" Story #2.
An ex-boyfriend tells me he was born "between 1am and 3am" as per his mum's recollection -an absolutely unreliable tool, by the way, it's usually off by a couple of hours-
I pull his chart and tell him "well it HAS to be after 2:30am to be exact." He is a Gemini and so he was super open-minded to Astrology but also not impressed one bit and eager to challenge me on it. Naturally, he asks me why 2:30 AM specifically. From what I knew of him, he was the most unbothered force I have ever met. I had never met someone who felt so strong and sturdy, like if you punched him in the fact he'd probably not move an inch. As soon as he entered a room, everything felt more grounded. Nothing about him was rash, impatient. He embodied Taurus energy through and through. In order for him to be Taurus rising, he'd have to be born after 2:30pm, or else he'd be Aries rising. I didn't know him well at the time but if I knew one thing, it was that he was NOT Aries rising.
Early Taurus would put my Venus/Jupiter trine to his Ascendant, which I thought would make sense in terms of compatibility (A cheatcode, I know.) It would also put his Jupiter in the 6th house, and as he was another clean-freak (My Virgo Venus appreciates) I thought this would make sense as well as this man's obsession with cleanliness. It would also put his Moon in the 2nd house which made absolute sense for me as he was very attached to his money.
He travels back to his home country and, him too, gets his birth certificate from the family safe. Time of birth: 2:40am.
Step 1 to rectifying your chart: Find your rising sign
Your rising sign (Ascendant) is one of the easiest ways to begin your chart rectification. It affects both your physical appearance and your first impression on others. Below are some common traits for each rising sign:
Aries Rising
Physical traits: Lean, athletic body, often with scars (especially on the face or head), strong brows.
Personality traits: Childlike honesty, direct, energetic, sometimes impulsive. Doesn’t overthink much and tends to take quick action.
Taurus Rising
Physical traits: Strong neck, broad shoulders, full lips, sensual appearance.
Personality traits: Grounded, calm, steady in their approach. Can be slow to change but very reliable.
Gemini Rising
Physical traits: Expressive hands, lively eyes, often youthful-looking regardless of age.
Personality traits: Chatty, quick-witted, easily adaptable. Comes off as curious and mentally agile.
Cancer Rising
Physical traits: Soft facial features, round face, expressive eyes, nurturing aura.
Personality traits: Comes across as warm, sensitive, and protective. Often has a 'motherly' or caring presence.
Leo Rising
Physical traits: Strong hair (often thick or notable), broad forehead, regal posture.
Personality traits: Confident, charismatic, and expressive. Likes to be noticed and has a natural presence that commands attention. Tends to have lots of friends or otherwise feels quite dramatic.
Virgo Rising
Physical traits: Small or delicate features, clear skin, often appears neat and polished.
Personality traits: Comes across as observant, analytical, and intelligent. Can be reserved but is highly detail-oriented. Men with Virgo rising tend to have slouched shoulders (no idea why) Humble and modest.
Libra Rising
Physical traits: Symmetrical face, stylish, often well-dressed, pleasant appearance.
Personality traits: Charming, diplomatic, and socially graceful. Prioritizes relationships and harmony. Very much "nice persona" whether or not it's a deeper truth.
Scorpio Rising
Physical traits: Intense eyes, strong jawline, often darker or more mysterious appearance.
Personality traits: Magnetic, private, and deeply observant. People feel their presence without them saying much. Similarly to Taurus can have a very grounding energy, but with a murky aura around it.
Sagittarius Rising
Physical traits: Athletic, tall, expressive movements, often a wide or open smile. Tend to have alonger face (oval)
Personality traits: Optimistic, adventurous, and free-spirited. Tends to be philosophical and blunt. Usually perceived as very blunt and honest, loud, fun!
Capricorn Rising
Physical traits: High cheekbones, serious or mature-looking, structured face. Women with this rising sign tend to look very "executive" and/or very beautiful (re: bone structure)
Personality traits: Reserved, responsible, and ambitious. Appears serious and put-together.
Aquarius Rising
Physical traits: Unique or unconventional look, strong bone structure, distinct features. Sometimes unusually tall, but not always. Something can be unusual about the appearance, regardless.
Personality traits: Quirky, independent, and friendly. Often appears detached or highly intellectual. To be honest, I find it to be the hardest rising sign to guess.
Pisces Rising
Physical traits: Dreamy eyes, soft features, often an ethereal or delicate appearance. The eyes are often eye light colour, or have a specific "glow", or can be tilted in a soft almond shape.
Personality traits: Comes off as artistic, intuitive, and compassionate. May have an escapist vibe. Usually, even if the rest of their chart is "dry", Pisces rising gives an empathic disposition.
Step 2: Eliminate House placements That don't make sense
Once you have a general idea of your rising sign, you can refine your chart by eliminating house placements that do not match your personality or life experiences.
Example: If you initially place Saturn in the 3rd house, but you are extremely talkative and expressive, Saturn is unlikely to be in the 3rd. Adjust the birth time so that Saturn moves to a different house. If someone is obsessed with health but has zero Virgo, zero 6th house - it's suspicious. See if the rising sign that you chose accomodates for a 6th house placement or a Virgo rising.
Look for planets on the angles: For example, someone with an Aquarius rising and with Venus on the Ascendant would explain why someone is very much so attractive to the opposite gender and is considered beautiful or charming, despite the Aquarius rising which doesn't really fit these descriptions.
Step 3: Use Transits to Angles to refine exact time
After narrowing down your chart, refine the birth time further using major transits.
How to use Transits:
Identify major life events – Look at significant moments such as:
Marriage or serious relationships (often involve transits to the 7th house or Venus)
Career breakthroughs (transits to the 10th house or MC)
Family changes (transits to the 4th house)
Personal identity shifts (transits to the 1st house or Ascendant) If you know of important events such as a death, a divorce, a relocation, something so significant it would be written for sure in transits, you can use these to see if you can refine the time of birth. Ex: The time of birth you chose puts your Midheaven at 18 Capricorn. But you lost your job "out of the blue" when Pluto was at 10 degrees of Capricorn. Change the time of birth to make the Midheaven get closer to 10 degrees, to match the transit. It doesn't have to be exact, but typically, 2 degrees would make sense. So refine the time of birth by aligning the angles with major transits.
Ex: If you experienced a dramatic relationship shift when Saturn opposed your Descendant (DSC), you can refine your birth time accordingly.
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