How To Find Your Birth Time for Your Natal Chart

by Leslie Tagorda

Why is having an exact birth time a big deal in astrology?

The stars and planets are constantly moving and using the exact time when calculating your birth chart provide a snapshot of that movement from the moment you were born.

Your birth time in astrology tells you which zodiac sign was the most prominent in the sky, what house it governs and which planetary energies play into the cycles your life will see with that sign at the forefront of your life.

For example, rising signs, also known as your ascendant, change between each zodiac sign every 1-2 hours (and the exact degrees of the sign advance even faster!)

The ascendant sign in astrology governs your sense of self, identity, and leadership style. It’s essentially the role you play in this life, and the face you wear to the earth.

It’s different from the Sun in that the ascendant tells the themes you frequently play up and wrestle with as active energy you are embodying; whereas the Sun instead speaks of a big-picture idea of “what” you radiate naturally in absolution regardless of time.

Your rising sign isn’t the only one affected by the planets moving.

Your moon sign (intuition), descendant (relationships), MC (career), and more are all determined by the exact time, date, and place of your birth.

Knowing the exact time, date, and place of your birth is essential for an accurate chart reading. Not having your birth time makes it harder to track how transits will affect you or have already affected you. It only tells what energies and planetary prominence you were incarnated with, but not the timeline in which you’re rotating.

Can I use astrology without a birth time?

Of course! If you have a rough idea of your birth time, experiment! You can still work with your natal chart without a birth time, but you won’t have insight into the exact sign placements of the planets.

How to calculate your natal chart without an exact birth time

If you can narrow down your birth time to a one or two-hour window, you can still estimate your moon and rising sign.

Go to astro.com to pull up your chart using your estimated time of birth and note the planetary placements. If you don’t have an idea what time, use 12:00 PM.

Notice the zodiac sign of your ascendant, the ruler of your first house, and the descriptor of your leadership style. Read the information about the signs and see what fits. It is also helpful to ask family and friends how they perceive you and see if it matches with any of the charts you pulled.

Then try any other estimated birth times and read those descriptions and see how they fit.

Ascend into Your Authentic Leadership

What I love most about our rising sign (aka ascendant) is that it shows us the power we need to become authentic leaders.

When looking at an astrological birth (aka natal) chart, your rising or ascendant sign is your outward-facing zodiac sign and is the personality that people see. In my AstroBrand™ framework, this is your outer brand, the brand that connects with your ideal customer and collaborator.

Your astrological rising or ascendant is the sign that was rising on the Eastern Horizon at the time and place you were born on this Earth. And when you know the qualities and symbolism of your rising sign you can figure out what qualities your outer brand needs to have to best connect with your customers.

Explore Your Rising Sign

For example, I am a Gemini rising, and I know that my outer brand needs to be a guide that communicates well, has broad knowledge, and is adaptable.

I mix that in with a dose of inspiration as I have other planetary aspects supporting that combination.

If you want to learn more, I dive deeper into examples for each sign in my blog posts about embracing your leadership style and getting unstuck using your rising sign.

Unlock Your Emotional Power with the Moon

Your moon sign is very similar to your sun sign, but whereas your sun sign is your creative, radiant expression, your moon sign represents your emotional landscape, intuitive sense, and your inner self.

I like to look at your moon sign as your inner brand. This inner brand is the part most people don’t necessarily see when they interact with you or your brand.

When you understand your moon sign you:

operate from a place of emotional security and intuitive trust.
constantly up-level and re-examine our roadblocks and our vulnerabilities.
act from a place of emotional power.

Discover your potential Moon sign

In my podcast episode, 5 ways to Illuminate Your Moon Sign, I show you how to unlock your moon sign and illuminate it for you and your brand.

Tapping into these questions can bring forward your moon sign themes.

How do I want to feel (what feels secure)?
What shadows need compassion and healing?
What motivates me? My why?
How does my intuition communicate with me?

As you experiment with finding your birth time and moon placement, compare the answer below to these questions with the archetypes listed in the podcast episode.

Radiate Your Sun Sign

Our Sun Sign is one of our main pillars, along with our moon and rising Sign. Of the three pillars, our sun sign is the foundation of our brand.

When you can recognize the strengths of your sun sign as your superstar, then you can get clear on what you do so well.

And when you can get clear on your brilliance and create an impact for your brand, you then stop working in your zone of excellence, but rather working in your zone of genius.

Your Sign sign represents our expertise that makes you uniquely you.

Learn more about your sun sign in this blog post: 5 Ways to Radiate Your Sun Sign in Your Brand.

Are you still interested in exploring astrology, but really want to find your exact birth time?

Find a copy of your birth certificate

The best way to find the time you were born is to look at your birth certificate. These will often list the birth time, but if you do not see one listed, you may have a short-form birth certificate that only includes essential information like name and birth date.

If this is the case, call the local government office that manages birth records, verify they have a birth time listed and request a long-form birth certificate.

In some cases, you can simply ask the person what time is listed without having to order a copy of your birth certificate.

If you’re unsure of which government office to call or can’t find your birth certificate, contact the hospital where you were born and they may be able to point you in the right direction.

Search through old belongings

There may be a chance your long-form birth certificate is stashed away with old baby books and boxes. Search for anything related to your birth. It’s also possible a relative wrote down your time of birth in a baby book, diary, or on the back of a photo.

Ask family and friends

Your parents, relatives, or family friends might recall what time of day you were born. Ideally, you want to find an official document, but a “best guess” can still help pin down some astrological placements like your moon rising sign.

Birth Time Rectification

If you cannot find an official document with your birth time, you can get your natal chart rectified by a rectification astrologer. Rectification is a process where the astrologer reverse-engineers your birth time based on events in your life. Contact me for birth time rectification referrals.

Interested in learning more about astrology?

Learn how to create, direct and navigate your business inclusively using astrology, empowering, and 100% unique to you! My on-demand mini-training, AstroBrand™ Written In the Stars can help.