This chart is for the same person as that of the birth chart, but in a different location. Referring back to the original birth chart will give a great deal of insight into how to read these charts.
The first things you might notice in this chart might include that the Ascendant is not in the same place and the Midheaven is not in the same place. This person was born in New York City (see the birth chart) but the relocated chart is for Boulder, CO. The chart doesn’t show this, but New York City is at approximately 74 degrees W longitude, and Boulder is at approximately 105 degrees W longitude. The locations are 31 degrees apart on the Earth — the person moved 31 degrees west on the Earth.
The Midheaven on this person’s relocated chart is at 27 degrees Cancer (notice the Cancer sign glyph that you might have seen in the “signs” section of Learning). But on the birth chart, it was at 28 degrees Leo! And yes, generally speaking the Midheaven changes mirror the changes on the Earth’s longitude — 31 degrees difference. And as this person moved west, his Midheaven went backwards by 31 degrees. (Leo is after Cancer.)
The Ascendant is a different story. Here it is at 23 degrees Libra, but on the birth chart it was at 17 degrees Scorpio. In this case, his Ascendant went back by only 24 degrees. The reason for that has to do with the fact that the Earth is tilted 23 1/2 degrees on its side, and as such, the rising and setting lines, unlike the Midheaven, are not straight up-and-down lines. They actually move somewhat diagonally across the Earth.
In early summer the sun might rise in Seattle, WA at about the same time as it rises in Phoenix, AZ (it actually rises 8 minutes earlier in Seattle at the solstice), even though Phoenix is 10 degrees in longitude to the east of Seattle. That has to do with the fact that days are significantly longer in summer as you go further north. (Seattle is 14 degrees in latitude north of Phoenix.) So the “rising line” of the Sun, in this case, stretches from Seattle to just east of Phoenix — it’s not a straight up and down line.
In the case of the chart above, it amounts to the Ascendants being only 24 degrees apart, even though the cities are 31 degrees apart.
With the 1st & 7th house cusps (Ascendant & Descendant) shifting backwards about 24 degrees, the 10th & 4th house cusps (Midheaven and Nadir) shifting backwards about 31 degrees, and the other house cusps shifting similarly, yet with all the same planets in the same signs, where do you think the planets go relative to the houses?
That’s easily enough discerned. Just check to see where the planets are now relative to before! Jupiter is no longer in the 12th house — it’s in the 1st house now. Venus and Neptune moved from the 1st house to the 2nd house. Moon and Mercury moved from the 2nd house to the 3rd house. Saturn moved from the 6th house to the 7th house. And so on. In fact, the only planet that didn’t move was the Sun, which stays in the 2nd house. Seems like moving 30 degrees over the Earth causes roughly a 1-house shift in most cases.
Imagine moving across continents — planets could move two, three, four, or more houses away. And from your study of houses in the Learning Section, that has major implications — but so does planets moving one house, or even, for moves of less than 30 degrees, a few planets might move one house, while some might not.
It’s interesting to consider aspects between planets and the Ascendant or Midheaven. With the planets not moving and the houses moving, new aspects are formed between the Ascendant and Midheaven, while other aspects disappear. At this point I should emphasize one major thing: You never lose the birth chart — not completely, anyway. But chances are more likely that the influences of the birth chart will diminish while you add new influences for the location that you happen to now live in, or the location that you are considering.
But keep in mind that while aspects to the Ascendant and Midheaven change, aspects between the planets do not. The planets are in a different place in the sky that we see when we’re born vs. where we live now — and houses have to do with placement either in the sky or underneath the earth. But planets do not change signs. The signs of planets have to do with the absolute position of the planet in the sky relative both to the constellations and to the Earth itself, not where we happen to see it from where we’re standing.
There’s some interesting aspects here, like a relatively strong Neptune trine Midheaven and a very strong Pluto sextile Midheaven. The positive aspect between Pluto and the Midheaven lends itself to greater perseverence, discipline, and self-control. The Neptune and Midheaven are part of a Grand Trine, with Chiron being the other planet — though the Chiron aspect to Midheaven and Neptune is weak — and Chiron’s in a different element too (fire, compared to earth).
The Midheaven, too, has two 150 degree (quincunx) aspects to both Mars and the Moon/Mercury stellium. (A stellium is two or more conjunct planets). The conjunct planets have a weak aspect — a 4 degree orb to the Midheaven, a 5 degree orb in a sexile to Mars, but one could argue this still counts as a Yod, which two sextile planets (planets 60 degrees apart), both quincunx to a third planet. (Midheaven, Ascendant, and Moon’s Node are not “planets,” but they also apply.)
With the knowledge of what the planets, signs, and houses are, and understanding of both the Birth Chart and the Relocated Chart, you should be able to have rudimentary knowledge of how to read your chart. But if not, the report will still tell you things about yourself that you’re really going to enjoy and appreciate.
The Magic of Relocation Astrology 