The Astrology of Re-location Part 1

Since the beginning of time, sectors of humanity have ventured beyond the known boundaries of their place of birth, far away from their home and security into unknown territories.  They were driven by a sense of curiosity and hope, a dream that the unknown had something to offer which the known had not granted.  The reasons given varied with the centuries and included: exploring the planet, finding/taking land and treasures, improving the quality of life for one’s children, preaching one’s religion and exchanging skills.  Nowadays we want and seek expansion for the sake of it.  There is no demand to give a reason.  Merely saying that we want to travel is sufficient. There is an intrinsic acknowledgement that we want to experience something different in order to learn more about ourselves. 

Astrologically this is evident in the Re-located Chart, which entails recalculating your chart for a new location.  It does not change the signs your natal planets are in nor their aspects but it does change the houses and angles of your chart, thereby moving the placement of the planets.  This allows some of your natal planets a chance to express themselves in new areas of your life.  Their intrinsic nature does not change but their expression can do so in quite vivid ways.  With a new relocated Ascendant you will also get the opportunity to add a new dimension to your usual approach to life.

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For example Greta Garbo had her natal sun in Virgo in the 6th house whereas in the relocated chart for LA her sun moved to the 10th house.  This does not change the basic nature of her sun but in moving to LA it became more visible.  However, it is interesting to note in biographies how she increasingly chose privacy despite her fame.  Her re-located ascendant is in Scorpio indicating a suspiciousness and sensitivity to the atmospheres around her in contrast to her natal ascendant in Gemini conjunct Jupiter.  Virgo sun by nature is not flamboyant  particularly when it is squaring Pluto, trine Chiron and quincunx Saturn so it is not surprising that she struggled being in the public eye. [1][10] 

Although the re-location chart is more visible after a period of time of living in a new location I have personally found that it can come into effect pretty soon after a move and at times during the actual process of the move. 

The other common technique used to explore the effects of moving to a new location is Astrocarthography which was developed by Jim Lewis.  It consists of placing your chart on a map of the world to find out what places highlight a particular configuration.  It is based on the angles of your chart and is a broad-spectrum approach as the configurations may fall on ocean or desert.  It can be a useful initial tool to look at when contemplating a move. 

Both these tools can be valuable if you know you may be moving to a new location or if you are contemplating a couple of optional locations.  The further the location is from your place of birth the bigger the changes in the angles and houses.

[1][10] There are many other factors to analyze in both charts for a proper insight into the effects of relocation on Greta Garbo.  This is merely a brief example.