Birthtime Unknown

 

May 6, 2005

 

http://cainer.com/ericfrancis/may6.html

 

Hello Eric:

 

I really enjoy reading your writing. The responses you send people are so filled with compassion and awareness. I don't have my time of birth. My mother doesn't remember nor does anyone else. My hospital closed but even before it did the county did not keep records of the time of birth. I want to have an accurate chart done. My birthday is April 17, 1961. I have heard it can be done, or that it can't, depending on who I ask. What advise would you give me?

 

Thanks, Sat Nam,

Kate

 

 

Dear Kate,

 

It's fairly common for people not to know the time of their birth, and astrology has many techniques for addressing this situation.

 

Because Earth is spinning once every 24 hours, the time of birth determines a person's perspective on the cosmos -- literally, their view on the larger universe around them. Part of this view includes determining the ascendant or rising sign. When an astrologer works to discover your birth time, one of the main things they do is figure out your rising sign. Then, they can tune that to determine exactly the degree of the rising sign. This process is called rectification.

 

The date of birth, as well as a variety of important dates from your life, are used to do this, basically using a mix of logic and intuition.

 

There are other methods to creating a chart without doing formal rectification, including using the sunrise chart (a chart cast for your date and place of birth, at sunrise) which works pretty good, using the degree rising at the time of your first reading (that works pretty good) or by casting horary. Some astrologers use pendulums.

 

The important thing is that the astrologer get a chart that works for them, and that they feel comfortable with.

 

I will set up a birth chart using one of these techniques for any client I work with who happens to not have their time. To truly rectify the chart would take working more than one session -- usually two is enough, so that I have a clear enough sense of the timing of life events to make sure that the ascendant that emerges from the work really feels right.

 

It's not so hard; it just takes a bit of technique, practice, intuition and trust.