How to read an astrocartography map: a step-by-step guide
How to interpret the lines, colours, distances and strength levels on your astrocartography map, step by step, and what to look at when you compare cities.
To read an astrocartography map you look at three things: which planet's line it is, which angle (AC, DC, MC, IC) and how far the city is from that line. The planet tells you the theme, the angle tells you which area of life it plays out in, and the distance tells you how strong the effect is.
The formula: planet (what) + angle (where in life) + distance (how much) = the story a city tells you.
Step 1: Recognise the planet by its colour
Every colour on the map is a planet. In Astrokarto you can click the planet chips to switch lines on and off, or hover to bring a single planet forward. The planets in brief:
- Sun: identity, visibility, confidence. Sun line
- Moon: emotions, home, belonging. Moon line
- Mercury: communication, learning, trade. Mercury line
- Venus: love, beauty, pleasure. Venus line
- Mars: energy, courage, competition. Mars line
- Jupiter: luck, growth, opportunity. Jupiter line
- Saturn: discipline, responsibility, tests. Saturn line
- Uranus: freedom, sudden change. Uranus line
- Neptune: dreams, inspiration, uncertainty. Neptune line
- Pluto: power, transformation, intensity. Pluto line
Step 2: Check the angle
Each planet has four lines, and each one points to a different area of life:
- AC (Ascendant): you, your body, how you come across.
- DC (Descendant): relationships, partners, the people you meet.
- MC (Midheaven): career, reputation, your place in the world.
- IC (Imum Coeli): home, family, roots, your inner life.
Details: ASC, DSC, MC and IC lines.
Step 3: Measure the distance
The closer a city is to a line, the stronger the effect is taken to be. Astrokarto measures the great-circle distance in kilometres and shows a badge:
| Badge | Distance |
|---|---|
| Strong | up to 300 km |
| Moderate | 300–600 km |
| Weak | 600–800 km |
Lines further than 800 km away are not interpreted. If several lines run near the same city, read them together; the closest one usually dominates.
Step 4: Click a city and combine
When you click a city, or any point on the map, Astrokarto lists every line within 800 km of it. If a city has, say, Jupiter MC (strong) and Saturn IC (moderate), a reading could be: room to grow and be recognised in your career, with more responsibility at home.
Click a line instead and you get the major cities along it. That is the quickest way to answer questions like "which cities does my Venus DC line pass through?"
Common mistakes
- Fixating on a single line. Several lines shape a city; look at the whole picture.
- Fearing the "hard" planets. A Saturn or Pluto line is not bad as such; it can suit periods of serious effort or deep change.
- Guessing the birth time. A small error moves the lines by hundreds of kilometres. If you are not sure, tick "I don't know my exact time" and use the ±30-minute slider. See Why birth time matters.
- Treating the map as a prophecy. Astrocartography rests on astrological tradition; it is not a scientific prediction.
Ask the AI
Once you have read your map, you can ask questions about your own lines in Astrokarto's chat: "Where in Europe should I look for my career?" or "How would Berlin suit me?" The AI answers using your calculated lines and distances. Create your map.