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Beginners Astrology Tutorial
2. Is the chart Correct?

THE HOROSCOPE: Important Points

The Sun and Moon, also known as the 'Lights' are typically the most important 'Planetary' points. In addition, the Angles of the horoscope are highly important. The angles are as follows: M.C. = Midheaven or Zenith (point in the sky overhead) I.C. = Nadir or Immum Coeli. (point beneath the birthplace) ASC = Ascendant, or the Rising Sign, same as Eastern Horizon (where the Sun and Planets rise) D.C. = Descendant, the Western Horizon (where Sun and Planets set)

Zodiac and the horoscope as a clock

Approximate dates when the Sun enters and leaves each sign. This pattern repeats each year with only slight differences.
Aries	March 20th to April 21st.
Taurus	April 21st to May 22nd.
Gemini	May 22nd to June 22nd.
Cancer	June 22nd to July 23rd.
Leo	July 23rd to August 24th.
Virgo	August 24th to September 23rd.
Libra	September 23rd to October 24th.
Scorpio	October 24th to November 23rd.
Sagittarius	November 23rd to December 22nd.
Capricorn	December 22nd to January 20th.
Aquarius	January 20th to February 19th.
Pisces	February 19th to March 20th.

Below are 4 horsocopes for July 11, 1956, 9:12 PM in Oceanside, CA, USA. A mistake has been made in entering the Birth Data into computer for the first three horoscopes. See if you can identify the mistake.
	What is wrong with this horoscope calculation? Look at the table above which gives the approximate dates when the Sun enters and leaves each sign. Where should the Sun be in July? Cancer is the answer for the first 22 days. However, this horoscope shows the Sun in Scorpio which is occurs in November. Someone has entered 11 for the month (November) and 7 for the day, instead of 7 for the month (July) and 11 for the day. The Computer calculates without regard to many human mistakes.
	What is wrong with this horoscope calculation? The Sun is in Cancer 19 degrees 20 minutes. So we must have entered the right month in the data input. Note the diagram, horoscope as a clock. Where should the Sun be in this chart for 9:12 PM? Just exactly opposite where it is shown. So someone has entered 9:12 AM probably. Usually, the computer input data will be printed either within the horoscope circle or above and at one side.
	What is wrong with this horoscope calculation? You will notice we have put Zone 8 at the top left of the chart. Zone 8, or 120 degrees West is the correct zone for Pacific Standard time. However, a time change book (review) says that in 1956 Daylight Savings Time (Summer) was in effect. Thus the correct zone is zone 7.
	Is this the correct horoscope calculation? Note the zone 7 at the top left of the chart. Finally we have entered the correct data into the computer and are getting the correct output. Note that in this chart the Sun falls into the 6th house while in the chart above the Sun was in the 5th house. You will also note that in the chart above the sign Pisces was on the ascendant. See the chart on important horoscope points if you dont remember where the ASCendent is. In this chart Leo is shown on the 7th House cusp (DC), which means that the opposite house, the 1st (ASC), has the opposite sign which is Aquarius. This change of signs on the Ascendant from Pisces back to the previous sign Aquarius, in 1 hour when we account for the savings time, would be a major consideration in chart delineation.

It should be noted that the above does not exaust our possiblilities for error. We could have entered wrong dates, years or location.

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