Simply put, it is a map of time and space at the minute you were born. The left part of the chart represents the east and the right part of the chart represents the west. (This is backward from a traditional compass, and we can get into that in another post maybe, but for now just go with it). The entire middle of the chart represents the horizon. In fact, the word horoscope originates from the Greek words hōra (time) and skopos (observer). Time From our view on Earth, all planets rise in the