Astro*Carto*Graphy

 

July 30, 2004

 

http://cainer.com/ericfrancis/july30.html

 

Dear Eric:

 

I have recently decided to quit my job and move very far away from my ancestral home. The decision is based more on intuition, and a fascination with travel and the unknown, than anything very rational or concrete. I sometimes worry that I'm making a mistake. I have heard that there is an area of astrology that specializes in drawing up charts that point out to you where on the planet it is most beneficial for you to be -- whether romantically, materially, or spiritually -- during a particular period of time. Almost like the place where destiny is meant to take you, if you would only listen! Is this true? And if it is, how does it work? My birthday is on the 1st of April 1979, at 1:00 PM in Cairo, Egypt. Thanks!

 

Ichtrine

 

 

Dear Ichtrine,

 

First, congratulations. A little apprehension is natural when you're making a real change in your life, and a very healthy sign. Also, intuition has nothing to do with reason, and usually knows all the better. The only way to learn is to actually embark on the unknown, so I support you in your desire for adventure and in particular for your desire to venture far from your ancestral home.

 

There is something called Astro*Carto*Graphy that was developed by the late Jim Lewis back in the 70s. Since then, many other commercial astrology programs (for example, Solar Fire for PC and Io Edition for Mac) have begun to offer extremely refined mapping features.

 

They all do basically the same thing, which is show you where on the world's surface your natal planets would intersect with what are called the angles in your chart -- the ascendant, descendant, IC and MC. The resulting chart is a world map which serves as a graph; the lines look like sine waves. Some astrologers can read where these lines, which emphasize certain aspects of your chart by making them "angular." In other words, in certain places, were you to have been born there at the same moment as your natal chart states, these planets would appear in your 1st, 4th, 7th or 10th houses -- called the angular houses -- the strongest ones, and the ones that manifest fastest and most directly. It is actually a lot simpler than it sounds by the way.

 

You don't need to have a mapping program to do this, though there are advantages to using them. You can simply change the location of the chart, making sure that you leave the birth time and time zone alone. The time is not what changes; only the place is. You were born in Cairo so let's say you cast your chart (for example) in Chicago and your program asks you if you want to use Central Time, say NO. Remember, the birth time and time zone stays the same (preserving the original GMT of birth) but the place changes. This is your relocated chart for that particular place. And it relates directly to these maps that astrology programs create; experiment and you will see what I am talking about.

 

It's well worth the money to get the map. In the UK I suggest you call the Astrology Shop in Covent Garden, which can print your chart on the spot, and please tell Barry I said hi.

 

Now for the real question: do these charts work? That is always the question.

 

After looking at relocations of myself and my clients for 10 years, I think they have something important to offer. I was not a believer for a long time. Then I began traveling, and have lived a number of different places around the world long enough to feel the emphasis in locational astrology. There are palpable differences in locations that seem to be associated with astrology, and these are worth exploring. If you are curious, you can experiment by selecting two or three of the more interesting places that your chart points to and visiting them. And stay as long as you can in each place; two weeks if possible. This is the only way to tell.

 

As a Greek pharmacist once said to me, "No place is paradise," but I feel strongly that we can find our place in the world if we look for it, feel for it and listen to what our bodies and experiences tell us. Quite literally, go to a place and see what happens to you there. Then compare that with what the chart has to say.

 

I would not, however, be so eager to use the word "destiny" associated with this or any other astrological method. Destiny is something we usually see in hindsight. But I would definitely be inclined to experiment. Travel is good for the soul and since we now have the opportunity to live or at least visit just about any place we want in the world, this is a privilege worth using.

 

Now, in terms of acquiring interpretations of locational charts not involving a visit to a place, a few words of caution. The first bit comes from my mentor Dave Roell, which is that if you are going to work with a locational astrologer, make sure you've got someone who has personally lived and traveled in many parts of the world. Astrology is as much a matter of experience as it is of study. In addition, cultures vary wildly, and the cultural factor is critical; the astrologer must be able to handle this aspect of the locational reading. You go to have a culture you like immensely on a line that is particularly difficult and it just doesn't work; you can have a fairly ordinary place with some good lines (or even no lines) that you just happen to like and things happen there for you. Ideally, you can find someplace you like with some sweet astrology to it.

 

The second bit is a personal observation. If you order a computer prepared report that comes with a little booklet, or if you buy the cities report, please take the interpretations with a grain of salt. They are in my opinion entirely too definitive for anyone's good. They leave very little room for personal interpretation, very little space for personal experience, and some are decidedly negative in their slant. If something sounds negative, that has more to do with the writer than anything.

 

Safe & sane travels to you.