Firstly, I would like to point out that I am in no way affiliated with http://www.astro.com

I just wanted to write a blog to spread the word on this excellent free tool for Astrologers.  The idea for this post came to me after I taught a few Astrology classes to absolute beginners and realised it would be helpful to have a ‘how to’ guide for setting up an account with Astro Deinst aka http://www.astro.com.

As a budding Astrologer with limited funds, I initially created an account with Astro Dienst so I could look at my chart and start to unpick it. 

It was the first birth chart generator I used before I could afford software and I found the website extremely useful when starting out reading charts for family and friends.

Before I knew it I had a large selection of charts stored to my account for my own research purposes, with an extensive library of information all in one place.

Astro Dienst is unbeatable for its encyclopedic quantity of astrological information and data available and the most incredible thing about this website is that it is COMPLETELY FREE to sign up, with the capacity to store 100 charts with a free account, or up to 1000 if you decide to subscribe – an absolute steal at 8 Euros per year!

With options to cast natal, synastry and composite charts, there is also the option to view transits, progressions, directions, asteroids, fixed stars, Astro*Carto*Graphy, astro mapping, and so much more – there really is something for everyone.

In addition to this, there is the 9000 year Ephemeris available to download, special body ephemeris files for comets and asteroids, Astro Wiki, a free encyclopedia of Astrology, and Astro Databank – the most trusted compendium of astrological chart data available on the internet.


How to create an account with http://www.astro.com:


In a Nutshell

  1. Log in
  2. Create a Profile
  3. Enter your details
  4. Add New Astro Data
  5. Select Desired Chart
  6. Extended Chart Selection
  7. Click here to show the chart

Step-By-Step

Log In

To create an account, go to the top right of the screen and select the Login button.

Astro login


Create a Profile

Select ‘Create a free registered user profile’ (Highlighted in red)

Astro Create Profile

Enter Your Details

Enter your details in the form on the following screen and select ‘OK’ (You will be prompted to do this twice)


Add New Astro Data

Astro Add new data


Input the birth chart details into the required fields and then press continue.
I really like the way you’re teased with the Sun, Moon and Ascendant quick glimpse in the top right corner, before you are directed to the generated chart.

Creating my http://www.astro.com account was the first time I found out what my Moon and Ascendant were, prompting the beginning of my astrological journey!

Astro Birth Data Entry


Select Desired Chart

Select the chart you want on the ‘Stored Astro Data’ list at the bottom of the page (highlighted in red).

This is where the list of charts you collect over time, will appear.  You can edit any of the details by selecting ‘Edit’ to the right of the horoscope data you are selecting.

Astro Profile Overview


Extended Chart Selection

You will be redirected to the ‘Home’ screen where you can select ‘Extended Chart Selection’ at the bottom of the page.

At this point you can select any other of the options available to view respective to the chart you currently have selected.


Extended Chart Selection

In the Extended Chart Selection screen you can make any final adjustments.  Once complete, click on the button that says ‘Click here to show chart’.

Please select the type of chart you want
Here you can select a Natal Chart Wheel, Synastry, or Composite Charts.

Reset 
removes all modified settings and replaces them with the website’s default settings.

Start date for charts marks with *
This allows you to input the date you would like to view the planets as transits and displays them around the outer part of the wheel in green.

House System allows you to experiment with different house systems (The default house system is Placidus) from the drop-down menu.

Additional Objects
You can select anything else you would like to be displayed on the wheel from the box at the bottom of the screen. To select more than one object at a time, press CTRL whilst selecting each object with your mouse.

You can specify further preferences to the right of this box by selecting individual check boxes, for example: ‘Always use Mean Node’, or ‘Show descending node’, etc.


Extended Chart Selection Settings


Show Chart

You have now generated your chosen natal chart drawing!

To switch transits on (which means putting the current position of the planets outside the natal wheel), click the ‘with transits‘ button.  

In the example below, I already have the transits displayed. The transits can be removed by selecting the blue button which now displays the words ‘without transits‘.

By selecting Save default setting, your preferences will be saved and applied to every chart that you view through your account.

This can be reset by selecting Back to the chart selection which takes you back to the Extended Chart Selection screen and clicking on Reset (next to the Click here to show the chart button).

Astro With Transits


Not Digging It?

However, if you don’t feel like signing up to Astro.com but would still like to generate your birth chart, you can Create Your Birth Chart here using the free tool on this website and tune in to The Stellium Astrology Podcast to learn how to read it!

Have you used Astro.com? What do you think of it? Perhaps you have used it and aren’t a fan? Why is this and what astrology software would you recommend?

Tell me in the comments below!