Where is the Earth in your natal chart?

As a lifelong lover of nature when I began to study astrology one of the first things I noticed was the absence of the planet Earth in our natal chart. How could such an important planet—literally the planet I live on—be absent from the map of who I am? 

The answer to this question is actually a critically important concept to understanding how to read a natal chart. 

Where is the Earth located in astrology?

You natal chart is set up from a geocentric viewpoint, which is a fancy way of saying that your natal chart is set up as the planets are observed from the vantage point of Earth. As you'll see in the picture below, the human figure is standing on the horizon line looking up into the sky. Everything that is above the horizon (or the top half of the circle) represents what is visible in the day. 

Everything that is below the horizon (or the bottom half of the circle) represents what is visible at night—or what is invisible during the day. I like to think of the person standing on the horizon line as the SELF, or who we are when we bring together the sum of all of our planetary parts. 

This means that Earth would be at the center point of the chart, the same place where our SELF is located. You won't find a symbol for Earth in your chart because in fact from this geocentric viewpoint the Earth is the center of the SELF. This is a beautiful reminder through the lens of astrology that we are Earth, and Earth is us. There is an inextricable link between humans and Earth. 

If you're a more visual learner I also explained this in a Reel embedded below. 

 

 

 

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Scientifically we now know that early astronomers (who were astrologers) were incorrect about the Earth being the center of the Universe—however it is the center of our own existence and the vantage point that we observe everything from. Therefore it is still a useful philosophical model for understanding our human perception of our own Universes. 

Another Perspective on Where to Find Earth in Your Birth Chart

Some schools of astrology will tell you that the Earth is always opposite to the Sun in your natal chart, however this rejects the geocentric model that is the basis of the birth chart. If the Earth is opposite to the Sun the Earth would not be an observable planet in the sky. This means that the observer would not be on Earth. 

When this model is used it is typically explained that sign your Earth is in is what you need to balance the qualities of your Sun. 

Would you like to learn more about where Earth is in astrology?

I explain more about the connection between Earth and astrology in my Cycle Breaking Astrology Class  and FREE Earth Ancestor Reunion class. As an Earth-based astrologer our planet Earth is at the heart of all of my offerings, which you can explore here.