1. What a Relocation Chart Actually Is
A relocation chart is your full natal chart recalculated for a new location.
When you relocate, the moment of your birth remains the same, but the local time does not. Different places on Earth have different local clocks, and those clocks change where the planets fall in your chart. This results in a shift in the house placements and angular positions of your planets.
What doesn't change is:
- the zodiac signs of your planets
- the degrees at which they sit
But because your Ascendant, Midheaven, and house cusps change, the entire structure of your chart reorients itself. These changes don't create a new personality, but they do change the way your life unfolds. A relocation chart is, in essence, a reorganized version of your birth chart, expressed through the angles and houses of a different place.
2. Why Relocation Charts Matter
Astrocartography and relocation charts answer different aspects of the same question: What changes when you move?
Astrocartography tells you where certain planetary energies become amplified — specifically, where planets land on one of the four angular positions: Ascendant, Descendant, Midheaven, and Imum Coeli. These positions are important because they are where planets exhibit their strongest influence. If a planet lands on one of these angles in a given location, its impact on your life will be felt strongly.
However, astrocartography only shows part of the picture. It tells you where the volume is turned up, but it doesn't explain what happens when you actually walk through that door. That's where relocation charts come in.
A relocation chart gives you the complete picture. It shows you how the entire chart shifts when you move. This includes the changes in the house placements of your planets, the sign changes, and the ruler shifts, all of which provide deep insight into how you are likely to experience life in that new location.
Astrocartography maps are powerful for identifying where planetary energy is activated, but relocation charts go further — they tell you how that activation will be expressed in the context of your life. This is why both are essential for understanding how location affects you.
If you're new to astrocartography and want to understand how planetary lines work, see What Is Astrocartography? A Beginner's Complete Guide.
3. How to Read a Relocation Chart — What Actually Changes
When reading a relocation chart, there are two main areas to focus on: angle changes and planetary house shifts.
3.1 Angle Changes: Sign, Ruler, and Modality
The first and most important change you'll notice is a shift in the Ascendant and Midheaven. These changes are not merely cosmetic. They are crucial because they reshape the entire chart and provide a new organizing principle for your life.
There are three key aspects to this shift:
Zodiac Sign Changes
A shift in the Ascendant sign is more than just a change of symbol — it alters how you engage with the world. For example, if you move from a Capricorn rising to a Libra rising, this is not just a different set of traits. Capricorn rising brings an emphasis on responsibility, structure, and discipline, while Libra rising emphasizes relationships, aesthetics, and harmony. This shift in emphasis will influence how you present yourself, how you navigate your environment, and how you form relationships.
Ruler Changes
The Ascendant's ruler is the most important planet in any chart. When you shift from Capricorn rising to Libra rising, the ruler of your chart changes from Saturn to Venus. This shift in ruler changes the core focus of your life. Under a Saturnian influence, your life might feel more structured, disciplined, and responsibility-driven. Under a Venusian influence, your life may feel more relational, social, and oriented toward pleasure, beauty, and connection. The change in ruler not only affects your sense of identity but also how you engage with the world around you.
In addition to the Ascendant ruler, house rulers can also change depending on the relocated chart, though these shifts tend to be more minor in comparison. For example, if you move from a location where Capricorn is on the Ascendant (ruled by Saturn) to a location with Libra rising (ruled by Venus), the house rulers will also change, subtly altering how certain areas of your life are structured. However, the shift in the Ascendant's ruler typically has the most profound effect on your overall life experience.
Modality Changes
The modality of a sign — whether it's cardinal, fixed, or mutable — also plays a role in how you engage with life. For example, relocating from a cardinal sign like Capricorn (which is initiating) to a mutable sign like Libra (which is adaptable) changes your approach to life. Cardinal signs push you to take action, to start new projects, and to initiate change. Mutable signs, like Libra, are more flexible and adaptive, focusing on adjusting to changing circumstances and navigating relationships. These shifts in modality alter your personal rhythm and how you interact with life's challenges.
In short, when you relocate, the zodiac sign, ruler, and modality of your Ascendant shift, reshaping the lens through which you experience the world. These changes are subtle but significant in how they structure your life in the new location.
3.2 House Shifts
The second major change you'll see in a relocation chart is the shift of planets between houses.
While the planets do not change signs, their house placements will likely shift based on your new location. This is where the most tangible changes occur.
For example:
- A Sun that moves from the 10th house to the 4th house will shift from focusing on career and public identity to focusing on home, family, and inner security.
- A Mars that moves from the 7th house (relationships, partnerships) to the 12th house (subconscious, hidden enemies) will change from active conflict with others to more internalized, hidden struggles.
- A Moon that moves from the 2nd house (material security) to the 8th house (shared resources, deep emotional experiences) will shift focus from financial stability to emotional depth and transformation.
These house shifts tell you where in your life the planetary energy is now focused. Moving does not change who you are, but it changes which areas of your life become more prominent.
Relocating doesn't just change your environment. It changes what you focus on and where you apply your energy.
4. How Astrocartography and Relocation Charts Work Together
Astrocartography shows you where a planet becomes angular across the entire globe — where the energy of that planet is most pronounced. It answers the broader question: Where in the world do certain planetary energies become amplified?
In other words, astrocartography is general; it maps your planetary energies across the entire Earth. It helps you understand which places on Earth are most likely to activate specific aspects of your chart. This is useful for gaining a big-picture understanding of how different locations impact your life, whether for travel, relocation, or long-term living.
However, when you want to understand how your energies will manifest in a particular place — such as a specific city or even a neighborhood — relocation charts are the more precise tool. A relocation chart is focused on one specific location, recalculating your entire natal chart based on that place's unique coordinates. It shows you not just where energies are amplified, but how they play out in the context of that environment.
Astrocartography can tell you where to go for certain planetary experiences, but relocation charts give you the detailed understanding of how those energies will unfold in that specific place.
One tells you where the door is.
The other tells you what room you walk into when you open it.
To fully understand the nuances of a place — whether you're looking at career, relationships, or personal growth — you need both:
- Astrocartography to see which planetary energies are activated across the globe
- Relocation charts to see exactly how those energies express themselves in the context of a specific location.
Together, they give you the complete picture of how a new environment will affect your life.
Summary
Astrocartography and relocation charts are complementary tools that offer powerful insights into how your natal chart interacts with different locations on Earth.
Astrocartography provides a global map of where certain planetary energies are most activated, highlighting the places where specific aspects of your life are likely to be amplified. It's a great tool for understanding which locations might influence your career, relationships, or personal growth on a broad scale.
However, relocation charts offer the local specificity that astrocartography cannot. By recalculating your natal chart for a specific place, relocation charts show you how the entire structure of your chart shifts — from angle changes to house placements, ruler shifts, and planetary house movements. This makes relocation charts indispensable when you want to understand the practical, day-to-day impacts of a particular city or environment.
While astrocartography tells you where to look, relocation charts reveal the full story of how your energies will manifest in that particular location. Used together, they provide a comprehensive understanding of how to align your environment with your life's potential.