Astrology's precision hinges on the accuracy of your birth time, crucial for calculating not only planetary positions but also your Ascendant (Rising Sign) to the precise degree and minute. This calculation further influences the Midheaven degree and all house cusps, ultimately determining the placement of planets in specific houses. Without an exact birth time, interpretations and forecasts are prone to inaccuracy. This comprehensive information is then utilized to interpret your personality, guide career choices, analyze chart comparisons with others, and predict life events.
Prior to arranging a consultation or acquiring charts and reports, it is advisable to secure a copy of your birth certificate. In cases where a birth certificate is unavailable, lacks the time of birth, is suspected of containing errors, or only provides an estimated birth time, the option of chart rectification is available (see the next section).
However, what about your birth certificate? How reliable is it? The accuracy might not be as precise as assumed. While obtaining the correct date and location is typically straightforward, the accuracy of birth times poses a different challenge. Since medical professionals are not necessarily astrologers, they often pay minimal attention to the exact time of birth. For instance, they may round off a birth time like 8:38 to 8:40 or 8:35. Additionally, a doctor might complete the birth certificate later, using an estimated birth time that could significantly differ from the actual time recorded on the delivery room records.
Depending on the location and era of your birth, your birth certificate might not include a space for the time of birth. Certain individuals may lack written birth certificates altogether, particularly if they were born at home, during periods when birth certificates were deemed unnecessary, or in countries where such documents were not issued. Some regions in the United States face specific challenges with birth certificate times. For instance, in certain years in Illinois, War Time (a precursor to modern Daylight Savings Time) was in effect, yet not all hospitals observed it, continuing to operate on Standard Time. Consequently, if you were born in Illinois during those periods, your birth certificate could be inaccurate by an entire hour.
In the absence of an accurate birth time, both astrology in general and, more specifically, predictive astrology are seldom precise. While there might be some correct general information and interpretations, the nuances and event-specific aspects are likely to be inaccurate.
