Why is my birth time important?

Birth Times are important because the planetary and cosmic forces that govern astrology are in constant motion. Depending upon the specifics of your unique situation, the difference of even an hour can affect the accuracy of your Astrology Report. Critical factors like your Moon sign and your Rising sign (the Ascendant) change location in the zodiac or rotate significantly throughout the course of the day. Astrologers use the exact placement of these items and other key indicators as a basis for the most detailed and specific interpretations.

Good sources of birth time information are your birth certificate, your mom or dad, a baby book, or the hospital records where you were born (usually the most accurate source). If you can't locate the exact moment of birth, try to get as close as you can. (Lots of moms remember the approximate time their children were born, if not the exact minute.)

If you don't have your exact Birth Time right now, go ahead and order your report without it. Your report will be slightly shorter than a birth time report, but still very accurate. Plus, we've made it easy for you to enter it later, and we'll automatically upgrade your report -- for FREE -- whenever you insert this important information.

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Can I enter my birth time later?

Yes. To enter or update your birth time information for a report you've already received, go to your Readings & Reports Journal. From there you can select any saved report and add your birth time.

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What is a chart wheel?

A chart wheel is a visual representation of the position of planets in the sky at the time of your birth. Your chart wheel is divided into twelve sections, which are referred to as "houses". The planets reflect types of energies and how they express themselves and the houses represent the areas of life or the circumstances in which those energies express.Click here for quick and easy guide on how to read a chart wheel. (Adobe Acrobat Reader required.)

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What is a "Sun Sign?"

Your Sun Sign is a key part of an astrological chart, and represents your general temperament. It is determined simply by the day and month of your birth and provides the answer to the common question "What sign are you?"

Your Sun Sign represents your basic individuality, who you are when you are alone. This is a very important piece of your astrological profile to be sure, but it is a small part -- there are hundreds of other variables to take into account. It is a mistake to think that knowing about your Sun Sign is going to deliver information about how you process things, interact with the world or deal with emotions and relationships. These and other aspects of your being are reflected by other heavenly bodies and how they all are "aspected" to each other.

Think of it this way: imagine you are looking down a long hallway and see someone at a distance. You're asked to describe the person, but all you can see is they're wearing a red sweatshirt. As you walk closer, you're able to discern that they"ve got blonde hair. Walk closer still and you can see that it's a woman. Closer still and you see freckles on her face.

Astrology operates in much the same way. Knowing the month and day of your birth is to see the most obvious element of an astrological profile -- the Sun Sign. But take a step closer, or add other information that's vital to an astrologer, such as the person's year of birth, exact time of birth and location of birth, and a story unfolds, layer by marvelous layer, detail by detail.

It's worth mentioning that daily horoscopes, the most commonly recognized form of astrology in the world, often appear to offer only a vague reflection of a person's Sun Sign. As you can see, there are many working parts to your astrological makeup, and writing any forecast without benefit of specific birth data is much like being asked to describe someone in great detail from a distance.

That being said, horoscopes can be a wonderful tool for getting the general astrological "lay of the land," and a good daily astrologer is expert at keeping us apprised of general conditions. We're extremely proud to feature professional astrologer Rick Levine and his daily horoscopes on the Tarot.com site, and we hope they'll inspire you to learn more about astrology and your own astrological makeup.

A full astrological report will not only interpret your Sun Sign, but will also tell you how it affects and is affected by your particular Rising Sign, Moon Sign and the other elements of your birth chart.

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What is a "Moon Sign?"

Every 2 and 1/3 days, the Moon moves from one sign to the next, taking a total of 28 days to do a complete trip around the zodiac, stopping for a visit in one of each of the twelve signs of the zodiac before starting the same journey all over again.

If your Rising Sign represents your "external" self, it can be said that your Moon Sign represents your "inner" or "emotional" self, or the way you handle your emotions and the way you truly feel, whether you reveal it or not. To most astrologers, the moon is also about your intuition, your inner vulnerabilities, your fears as well as the things that can stir your heart. As is the case with the Ascendant, your Moon Sign may be entirely different from your Sun Sign, and reading your daily horoscope for your Moon Sign can also provide yet more insight into your personal astrological makeup.

A full astrological report will not only interpret your Moon Sign, but will also tell you how it affects and is affected by your particular Sun Sign, Rising Sign and the other elements of your birth chart.

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What is a "Rising Sign?"

Your Rising Sign or "Ascendant" reflects that 1/12th slice of the sky that was ascending on the Eastern horizon the moment you were born, and is located on the cusp of the First House of your astrological chart. Knowing your birth time is a necessary piece of information to determine your Rising Sign.

Your Rising Sign is an important part of your astrological chart, because it represents the way you project yourself outward, the way you're seen and perceived by the rest of the world and the general "impression" that you make on others. It is frequently the case that a person will have a Rising Sign that is entirely different from their Sun Sign, and learning about your Rising Sign, and even reading your daily horoscope for that sign, can provide greater insight into your personal astrological makeup.

A full astrological report will not only interpret your Rising Sign, but will also tell you how it affects and is affected by your particular Sun Sign, Moon Sign, and the other elements of your birth chart.

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What can astrology do for me?

In one way or another, astrology is useful to nearly everyone. The Astrology.Tarot.com site offers several kinds of interpretive reports, all of which can help you to see the pattern of a person's life, the inner drive and meaning behind their behavior, their compatibility, and their ability to get along with others.

The basic premise of Astrology supports a respect for diversity. Once you come to understand that people aren't defined by their Sun sign ("I'm a Leo"), you'll begin to understand that every individual is a unique mix of all 12 signs, just in different proportions. So, if we don't understand someone else's behavior, we can more easily cut them some slack ("Hmmm ... I wonder how the world appears to a triple Scorpio!"), learn something new about the human condition, and get along better as a result. Astrology helps us to better appreciate and respect -- not just intellectually understand -- the wondrous variability among human beings in a way that is difficult to achieve with other tools.

People use astrology in many different ways -- from investing in the stock market, to making business decisions, to analyzing political situations and social movements. The applications of astrology are almost endless.

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What's the difference between reports?

Astrology.Tarot.com offers five categories of reports, all of which were written by distinguished astrologers. First, choose by category based on what you want to learn about right now -- a better understanding of yourself, a better understanding of someone you know, the right time to make a move in your life, or how naturally compatible you are with another person.

Second, take a peek at a Celebrity Sample Report to get an idea of how the reports are organized and how long they are (reports are always shorter without a birth time, but you can upgrade it for FREE any time you want by entering your birth time.) Finally, you can choose according to which author's style you like best.

Besides, you really can't go wrong because all the Astrology.Tarot.com reports are carefully selected on the basis of the astrologers' credentials and their ability to communicate without a lot of technical jargon

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The image on the card indicates what needs to be done. The calmer elements are dormant in the three cups at the bottom of the card: body (earth), heart (water) and mind (air). The mind is trying to stir, but the cup of fire coming in from above, which represents the will, will incite change. It is only through arousal, action, motion and combustion that the mood can be dispelled, and you can be brought back to your wits. Although there are lessons to be learned

from asking yourself how you got to this state, you don't want to allow yourself to stay here long. removed from the conflicts of the day. You now have the freedom to wash your hands of current controversies. Your present mission, regardless of what others are up to, is to enter your inner sanctum and meditate, drawing energy from your inner guides.

In your private sanctuary, you can communicate with those who have inspired you with their accomplishments and improve yourself with the aid of their example. Delve deeply into your inner life and be responsible for guarding that treasure of inspiration and hope. Protect and nurture your interior haven of peace.

With the Ten of Cups in this position, you have achieved a level of harmony -- both within yourself and with those around you. Your cause for rejoicing outweighs normal tendencies to bicker or compete. Your life is like one big happy family -- all the players enjoy a sense of fulfillment. Your psychic life is in order. 

Likewise, your inner family -- the inner child, parent self, confused adolescent, sharp and capable professional -- are working together. A major effort has been brought to fruition, satisfying you on all levels. Take note of what this feels like and keep it conscious, even as circumstances change and your sub-personalities try to reassert themselves. This is the optimal state for mental, physical and spiritual health.