What is locational astrology?

Locational astrology is not a single discipline, but a variety of methods which can be used to see how a person's own chart might interact with a new location and environment.

The oldest method is to draw up the natal chart, with corrections for the time zone, as though the person had been born at the original (corrected) time, but in the new place. This method is still valid, but not very efficient, since it means drawing up a new chart for each new location.

A more modern method is to make a transparency of the natal chart, but upside-down and backwards!

The "normal" orientation of a chart is South up, North down, East left and West right. This runs against all the conventions of modern cartography (map-making), but if the chart is redrawn with North up, South down, East right and West left, it becomes more compatible with conventional maps. We then draw lines from each planet in the chart, through the center point of the chart and off the other side of the transparency. This creates a template that can be used over and over, and for multiple locations. This template, and the method of using it, are called a "Local Space Map".

(Actually, this is oversimplified. Such a template would work, but only for small areas, since the surface of the earth would curve over a large area, and straight lines would not be accurate enough. But there is computer software that incorporates the properly curved lines to accomplish the same thing with better accuracy.)

Once it is made, the transparency can then be laid over a map showing the birthplace of a person, so that the center point of the transparency falls directly on the birthplace of the person. The lines through the planets then extend in both directions, away from the center point. Where these lines fall, the influence of the planet associated with each line will be felt especially strongly.

Some places would thus be very nice for some purposes, but not very good for others. Living under a Neptune line might be dreamy, but you might constantly get lost there, and it might be confusing or tricky to navigate. There might be a risk of deception or substance abuse and habituation in such a place. Living under a Mars line would be action-packed, and might be perfect for contact sports, but might also be more noisy and hectic than you really want, and could be liable to accidents, fevers or fires. Living under a Jupiter line might be jolly and optimistic, and you might have great earning power, but you might also find that you behave so generously and self-indulgently there that you tend to end up broke and fat!

This method can be used to tell what you can expect in a particular location, before you even get there. It might help you to make a better decision before you move, or to decide where you might best want to relocate.

You can also do this after you have moved several times, by placing the template over your last place of residence instead of your birthplace. It shows what conditions you may expect in the new location, compared to the old one.

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