Astrocartography

Astrocartography (called "Astrogeography" in Europe in earlier years) is one of several methods of Locational Astrology, which purports to identify varying life conditions through differences in location. Developed and popularized by American astrologer Jim Lewis (1941-1995), astrocartography/astrogeography is a locational astrology system that focuses on elements of the relocated natal chart, with these factors indicated on a world map such as the "Astro*Carto*graphy map." Lewis' Astro*Carto*Graphy maps show all locations on the earth where planets were "Angular" (rising, setting, upper transit, lower transit) at the moment of a person's birth. An "angular" planet is basically one sitting in a conjunction with the starting house cusps of the 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th houses, called the "angular houses." With Astrocartography, lines drawn on a world map show where these factors occur for an individual through relocation.

According to Astro*Carto*Graphy theory, if the person were born at any of these locations, the corresponding planet would be said to be prominent and influential in the chart. Jim Lewis took this basic astrological idea one step further by postulating that if a person later travels or visits such an angular location, the planet would have a similar prominent role in the person's experience of that location. These maps are widely used to plan for relocation or travel. As such, they are part of a general branch of astrology known as "relocation astrology". Other techniques used for this purpose include local space mapping, relocated birth charts, and city incorporation charts.

Lewis created the trademark "Astro*Carto*Graphy" to refer to his map. Other maps like the Lewis map were soon developed showing additional locational factors Lewis ignored. One example is the "Astrolocality Map" developed by Astro Computing Services of San Diego, which shows planetary sextiles, trines, and other aspects rather than conjunctions only. For example, having the planet Saturn in a "square" to the midheaven (and not just the conjunction as with Lewis), is considered to be a difficult location. Or having your Venus in "sextile" to the midheaven improves popularity, etc. The Lewis map ignores these locational aspects. The Kepler Software corporation sells software that draws "astromaps" having even more user selectable lines, including aspects like the dodecile and quincunx, or a host of other bodies and their aspects, such as asteroids. The Kepler maps even allow you to see your new locational Rising Sign. Such maps are often referred to as "linemaps" in the locational astrology field.

The owners of the Astro*Carto*Graphy trademark hold that the term refers only to their proprietary map with its angular conjunctions formula. In April 2000 the popular American Locational Astrologer Julian Lee was sued by Astro Numeric Services, trademark beneficiary, because he owned and was using the domain www.astrocartogaphy.com. ACS asked the court to take the domain from Lee and award it to them. Lee won the right to keep it based on the public domain use of the word, and the fact that the public had regularly called him an "astrocartographer" despite the fact that he had never referred to himself by the term.

Mr. Lee, who wrote "The Geostela Brownbook" as an elaboration and addendum to the original Lewis writings, holds that the Lewis "Astro*Carto*Graphy" map only scratched at the surface of the reality of locational astrology, and that any map approach is flawed as a method for understanding locational influences. He asserts that in noticing phenomena related to relocated angular conjunctions, Lewis had only stumbled onto the functionality of the "relocated natal chart." A Relocated Natal Chart is a chart using the same real birth moment, but drawn for a different location. Lee claims that the Lewis ACG map is simply an incomplete derivation of the relocated natal chart, and that accuracy and detail is found by working with actual Relocated Natal Chart as a whole. Lee goes farther than Lewis, stating that an individual receives the entire Relocated Natal Chart upon moving, including a new "Rising Sign," financial houses, etc. -- and not just "angular conjunctions." Lee also states that the new "Relocated Natal Chart" after a relocation becomes one's primary astrological chart, not just a "secondary" influence as is commonly held. Lee is the first astrologer to hold that this "relocated natal chart" has primacy over the natal," and the first to hold that accurate locational analysis requires the study of the whole Relocated Natal.

See also

*Locational Astrology