I would estimate that one in twenty people who come to my website with astrology questions don’t have an accurate birth time, or are using a round-hour clock time, which is most unlikely – babies don’t tend to pop out conveniently at those half-hour, or whole-hour moments and it’s likely that the real time is earlier or later. It’s a problem when making predictions.
If you don’t know your birth time, and you have important future choices to make about moving house, taking up a new job, or your partner – you just won’t have the details you need. I’m sorry about that, but you may be better off avoiding prediction altogether, unless you can do some detective work and figure out a likely (real) birth time. Otherwise you could be in serious error. And here’s why –
HILLARY CLINTON AND HER THREE BIRTH TIMES
I am asked about birth times a lot by my readers and I can only point to the recent example of Hillary Clinton to show you why it matters so much to have an accurate clock time – a written record of when the umbilical cord was cut.
Unfortunately astrologers were given two completely different birth times, which only came to light long after most of us had made our forecasts about Clinton, so long ago that Trump had not even announced his candidacy. Turns out we were misinformed from the start.
In late breaking news, we also now have a possible third time. The State of Hillary? We just don’t know. Her chart is now rated DD or Dirty Data in the astrology world! While astrologers are still battling over the time, I am resting all my Clinton predictions now in the archives. I just don’t think that first time supplied to us (around 8.00am) is correct. I’m not even convinced that any of the three competing birth times is accurate. And sadly, we may never know.
Well, this was a Mercury Retrograde election…
THE BIRTH TIME AND THE ASCENDANT (RISING SIGN), MIDHEAVEN, DESCENDANT AND IMMUM COELI
If you don’t have a birth time, then like Hillary Clinton, you’re never going to know about the Ascendant, Descendant, Immum Coeli or Midheaven – and these are the things that can nail the big stuff in your life, like a new role, or a new residence.
You can get the general impression of somebody’s future without a b
irth time. Astrologers saw overwhelming support and praise for Hillary and she overwhelmed Trump by many millions of popular votes. However – no accurate time, no big predictions.
The Washington Post even reported on this problem for astrologers.
BIRTH CERTIFICATES, DIARIES, LETTERS AND OTHER RECORDS
Don’t just leave it to your Mom’s/Mum’s memory to confirm a birth time. If you are fortunate, there may be a birth certificate in the family cupboards, or there may be letter, diaries or even the memories of other family members to confirm.
This brings me to Donald Trump and the story of his own birth data. When I recently read this story reported in The New York Times, I ran to Trump’s horoscope, but it didn’t check out. There was nothing in the astrological chart to show this particular event at all.
“Donald J. Trump has reversed course and agreed on Friday to pay $25 million to settle a series of lawsuits stemming from his defunct for-profit education venture, Trump University, finally putting to rest fraud allegations by former students, which have dogged him for years and hampered his presidential campaign.” (The New York Times).
For the record, Trump’s staff gave Newsmax what they called ‘a birth certificate’ in March 2011. Then ABC News reported, on 29th March 2011,
“Donald Trump learned the hard way this week that if you’re going to call on the president to release his official birth certificate, you’d better do the same. Trump, who has been putting pressure on Obama lately to make public his long-form birth certificate from Hawaii, decided to set a good example and release his own on Monday. Only problem was, the document that Trump provided to the conservative Website Newsmax wasn’t his actual birth certificate, but rather a “hospital certificate of birth.”
A second one appeared, looking completely different to the first. Then, four years later, The Guardian asked Trump’s staff for a copy of the long-form birth certificate and passport records and were refused! This is how they reported it, below.
Donald Trump refuses to release birth certificate and passport records …
I have looked at the birth chart based on the supplied data many times and it breaks all the rules of my usual astrology prediction. It does not show the November victory, nor does it show the Trump University alleged fraud accusation settlement. The horoscope houses don’t work. And believe me, I’ve been peering at them for months. You’re asking me so many questions about the new President, I only wish it was different, but for whatever reason – I cannot read this chart.
GUESSING YOUR BIRTH TIME WITH DETECTIVE WORK
The whole issue of wrong birth times, or missing birth times, can be solved by a little detective work. If you change your job title, or change your name (marriage) look for one of the outer planets, like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune or Pluto crossing your Ascendant. If we assume you’re doing this in January 2016, for example, your Ascendant could only be Libra, Sagittarius, Aries, Pisces or Capricorn. That narrows it down for you.
Once you have your Ascendant the rest becomes easier. And having five signs to choose from should make it relatively easy to guess. Read Finding your Rising Sign without a birth time for more. Here’s a checklist of how the Rising Signs (Ascendant Signs) project –
ARIES – Pushy, assertive, energetic, unafraid, fearless, dynamo, masculine energy, thrusting, ram-like head first approach.
TAURUS – Stubborn, fixed, attached to values, no matter if capitalist/communist/socialist/shopaholic/eco-warrior. Slow!
GEMINI – Light, airy, talker/thinker, always online or on the phone, chatty, natural way with words/ideas/images.
CANCER – Looks strongly like family member, major issues about mom/mum, keeps strong local accent, property is key.
LEO – Natural leader, mentor, guide or teacher figure to younger people. Puts on a good front/sets an example.
VIRGO – The body comes with the person, no matter if it’s the body beautiful or a visible illness/condition. Big on details.
LIBRA – Arrives with a partner at a party or a best friend – seldom alone – goes two-by-two like Noah’s Ark. Balanced.
SCORPIO – Wardrobe sends out big messages about money and sex. People ‘read’ Scorpio Rising via his/her property, stuff.
SAGITTARIUS – Traveller, student of life, wanderer, explorer, often imports foreign culture into his/her wardrobe, style.
CAPRICORN – Ambitious, methodical, plodding, careful, usually successful, slow, steady, never puts a foot wrong.
AQUARIUS – Arrives with friends/groups in tow, identified with the group/club/team/network, sociable, airy, light.
PISCES – Sensitive, no boundaries with others, psychic, wide open especially with drug/alcohol influence, emotional.
The Ascendant often owes something to the family tree as well, so another clue might rest with the Sun Sign of either parent, or a grandparent. This happens for obvious reasons. We tend to inherit the looks of our parents or grandparents. We also learn by imitation, so if Dad was a sociable Aquarius, good at helping groups in your local area, and involved with the community, you might pick that up from him and project Aquarius traits to the world.
And if you still can’t guess or don’t want to guess? As a general rule of thumb, if you have missing birth information, or if there is anything unusual about your birth certificate situation, you may want to turn to the good old Sun Sign and solar chart house system for prediction, instead. It works well, because it shows you the headlines of your life.
If you have your birth chart based on written information but it does not check out with prediction and you do not recognise yourself in the reading, then it is possible you have DD – Dirty Data. It’s like Dirty Dancing, but not as much fun. Many astrologers will rectify a chart for you, at a price, but try the rough guide to Rising Signs first, and see what unfolds for you.
Hi Jessica,
I just wondered what your view is on rectified birth charts and how happy you are to work with them. Does it come down to the ability of the astrologer who provides the rectified chart and the accuracy of the information supplied to him/her? I have had my chart rectified, but I cannot tell you how I wish I had an accurate birth time. I have repeatedly asked my poor mother, but all she says is it was early in the morning, maybe 5 – 6 am. Thank you.
Charts rectified by astrologers with a good general track record on public prediction, are a smart move. If your Mum says it was early in the morning, even if she was going through the childbirth process, then you can trust ‘morning’ as a general indicator. This means your Rising Sign or Ascendant is likely to be the same as your Sun Sign, or perhaps either of the two signs after it. You can narrow it down by asking yourself, since your teenage years, how you have been seen, which roles you play, and how you appear to the world – no matter if this is the real you or not.
Intriguing! This has plagued me my whole life as my birth mother( in denial) claimed she couldn’t remember! My grandparents subsequently legally adopted me ! And my grandmother couldn’t say either! Frustrating isn’t the word ! I’m pretty sure however from stories I’ve been told it was before lunchtime! Eek
That is frustrating, but you can do a bit of detective work by narrowing your likely Ascendant or Rising Sign down to two or three possibilities. I see you have a Scorpio Ascendant according to the birth time here. It may be Libra, the sign before, or Sagittarius, the sign after this. Scorpio Rising women tend to look powerful, potent, strong. They often wear black. They are not to be messed with and they mean business. They often have a penetrating gaze and x-ray eye contact. Libra Rising women have open body language, make a point of dressing in a popular/fashionable way, always pay tremendous attention to perfume, always seem accessible – seem to offer a ‘come closer’ invitation with people. Sagittarius Rising? You look like someone who travels a lot, or is always on the move. You come into your own when you start travelling seriously in your life. Your photographs may be full of you with locals in far-off places, or you may be strongly identified with another country.
Thank you Jessica ! I always felt it might be libra but after reading this I’m not sure , certainly when I was working I had the Scorpio reputation and have often been told I gave piercing eyes( but so do Virgo often !) hmmm food for thought there as I love travel ,lived in Spain for six years and still go over at least twice a year !
But thank you for you response
Lady, you have Sagittarius Rising.
I have wondered forever what perhaps many other readers wonder, too : My Sun is at 27 degrees Aquarius and Rising around 27 degrees Capricorn. Do I read forecasts for both signs on your website and somehow ‘blend’ them or which one would apply more for weekly, monthly and yearly forecasts?
Sure, this issue comes up a lot. Only read your Sun, never your Rising Sign. The house system I use is the standard Solar House system and all you will ever need is your Aquarian forecast. Don’t use the Rising Sign as it just won’t work on this website!
Dear Jessica, thank you for this piece, really helpful! I have a general question that hopefully you can help me with. What happens when your Ascendant is in your 7th house, or opposite your Sun? For e.g my daughter is a little Taurus, but her ASC. is in Scorpio, how does that influence her partnerships and transits? Many thanks, xx
If I spin the chart, that puts your daughter’s Sun in Taurus in the Second House of charity, retail, finance, business, property, sales and purchases. This is where she can shine brightest. Her Ascendant in Scorpio in the Eighth House of serious money, suggests that WYSIWYG – What You See Is What You Get. When she is older she will walk her talk, in relation to her values and what/who she considers to be priceless. This combination is very common in the charts of rich, independent business women, but also women who reject modern values and become eco-warriors, or alternative lifestyle queens.
Wow, thanks Jessica! On point as always, she’s already a ball-buster! Pardon my French… Fascinating stuff! Many thanks xx
You have the Ascendant at 20 Leo but you were born on an exact half hour, which is pretty unlikely, so the degree may be wrong. You can check to see if you have Leo Rising, though. Were you given roles like captain, team leader, prefect, monitor at school? Do you come across as an authority, mentor or guide to others? Leo is about leadership when it is placed on the Ascendant.
Hi Jessica
It looks like the Brexit predictions of being a clean sweep – and Remain done and dusted in March/April – are coming undone, too, following today’s news from the Supreme Court. The Elite will not give up their hold over power easily. In fact, even if May were to enact some form of Brexit then, we will still be tied to the EU market for another 2 years or more! Unless she straight-forwardly repeals the law that took us in, Article 50 will be a fudge. Her dithering has cost the UK dearly. Maybe the astrology itself is being tested along with everything else in this world, do you think? I just wish the Universe would give us all a clean break from the past and our old ways of doing things. The big spiritual jump of Dec 21st 2012 never happened and indeed things have got worse. If certain planets are so strongly activated in the world charts, one wonders what is taking so long? I feel you are as perplexed as the rest of us. It is hard to form any decisions when there is so many flip-flops and no actual changes. Any insights down the line? Thank you, Terry
Brexit will happen, and is in fact already in motion, so the astrology is working out. I’m not sure why you thought there would be a big spiritual jump on 21st December. There was a Christmas shock, Terry, and in fact that is exactly what happened. We discovered the American election had been hacked by Russia and Obama called it. That particular story is not going away, either. The rest of this year will show us why!
Dear Jessica,
As I do not have a precise birth time, could you please narrow down my possible ascendants?
Thank you!
You will need to tell me the last time-frame (month, year) you changed your name or acquired a new title or qualification. Thank you.
Hi Jessica so my birth time is 9am based on the hospital records , but my mum can’t remember my time , I also had a rectification of my chart done with was 1030 am , both say Virgo rising but sometimes the predictions for me just don’t seem true , I changed back to my maiden name on 1 March 2013 so are you able to possibly check for me once and for all please ?
Thanks so much
MR
Leo, Virgo or Libra seem likely contenders for your Ascendant if we can narrow it down to ‘morning’ so it really is a process of elimination. Changing your name on 1st March nails it to Virgo Rising as the Sun in Pisces was opposite your Ascendant or Rising Sign then. Does your body always come with you, when you walk into a room? Do you bring your gym body/vegetarian body with you first and foremost? Or are there issues about your body like illness, surgery, obesity and so on, which also come into the room with you? Virgo Rising people tend to greet us with their physical condition, first and foremost, no matter if they are body builders, or are carrying their walking stick with them.
16 January 2000- Marriage
7 December 2015- official date of Divorce- which, by the way, you predicted!
What a wonderful article loved it! Thanks
Hi Jessica,
Could you please help me to investigate my Ascendant. I don’t know the time of my birth.
Looking at one of your answers above you mention the last time a qualification was attained. I gained my Masters in 1987, confirmed in the September, and another post grad qualification in 1999, again confirmed in the September. Although I married in Sept 2015 I’ve kept my maiden name.
I know you’re so in demand, but I’m hoping you get this request and can find the time.
Thanks x
You may have Sagittarius Rising, or a Sagittarian Ascendant. You’re in academia and you were adding letters to your name when we had major transits from the outer planets through Sagittarius. September keeps turning up, though, so you may also have Virgo Rising/Virgo Ascendant. Have you emigrated or spent a lot of time travelling/married a foreigner? If so, Sagittarius is likely. If your body is your ‘wardrobe’ for better or worse (super fit, obese, fanatically vegan, or perhaps living with an illness or medical condition) then it’s Virgo. Sagittarius Rising walks into the room with a foreign flag flying, Virgo does it with his/her body first and foremost.
Thank you so much for replying, and so quickly.
Could I pose one more variable here? I also completed an Open University BSc degree in autumn 2001- would that also fit with Sagittarius? I’ve lived in various locations in the UK ( Yorkshire to south coast) but not abroad – just hols and working summer vacations. My husband is a Cornish man and I’m a very definite northern lass – would that make him a foreigner? Just joking!
The Virgo type does seem more me. I was fat as a child – super slim throughout adulthood, Had a brush with Bulimia in my 20s – dogged determination got me through that and a life affirming mission to eat well and healthily thereafter. Very aware of what I put in my body, both good and bad – I do like a bit of bad now and then! This extends to my husband and furry children who are given the best food I can afford to buy – organic, in season, freshly made where time allows etc. Love exercise, yoga and walking – Yin Yoga my new fave -poor husband and dog roped in.
Painting a picture?
Seems more Virgo to me but just wondered what you thought.
Thanks again. x
Too funny about your Cornish husband being a foreigner! You have Virgo Rising. The bulimia nails it, and so does the yoga. Your body walks into the party, before the rest of you gets there – and it always has. You can read more about Virgo Ascendant elsewhere but I think it’s a fit.
Me again – sorry!
Just reading your article from Sept 2015 about finding your Ascendant without a birth time and it mentions Descendant, as I understand it, your significant other. My hubby ( together for many, many years) could not be further from a Pisces type. No way, ever. He is either Cancer ( which he is) or Leo. Am I back to the drawing board?
Yes, it sounds as if you might be back to the drawing board, unless your Pisces Descendant is being owned by an enemy, rival or opponent. If you have a rather slippery, fishy person in your universe – who has been there for some time – who reminds you of a gas leak that slips under the door – then that is your Pisces Descendant and he/she is acting out the other side of it – which can be those against you, as much as it is, those with you.
Thanks Jessica , Virgo it is, always had issues with food even as a child , trying my best to eat healthy and be more active , no physical health problems as such but I do need to watch what I eat , thanks for helping me clarify it for sure , your the best
I’m glad you’ve found your correct Rising Sign at last!
Dear Jessica,
You could use Chelsea Clintons chart which does have an accurate birth time to look at the moon/mother ?
Thank you Dorothy. I’m going to wait and see if more information comes to light about Hillary Clinton’s birth time – it would be interesting if it turned out to be none of the three choices we’ve been given! It certainly explains why so many astrologers, including me, could not accurately call her predictions. At the moment I’m reading her purely as a Scorpio. She is not done with the CIA and the FBI. Not at all.
Hi Jessica
Thank you so much for publishing this article. I have been a but confused lately with my sun sign . As people tell me I don’t project the leo like qualities. Some tell me I am more Gemini kinds some tell me something else . I entered the time as given by mom exactly . Tried to locate on my birth certificate but unfortunately it is not mentioned on that either. Could you look up some clues and guide me further . My father was a scorpio definitely his traits . Mom a Pisces. Will really appreciate your insight .
Thank you
You’re a Leo and it really depends on how you see the sign. I read a lot of rubbish about Leo, and yet the truth about the Lion is that he/she is here to guide, mentor and steer a much younger generation, usually born 20+ years later. This can happen with parenthood or being a godparent. It can also happen through paid or unpaid work with these younger faces. It may be that you haven’t yet explored this side of your life yet but it will come! Your Ascendant, allegedly in Leo, is a different issue altogether. It’s very unlikely you were born right on that time, and so Virgo Rising might be possible. These people lead with their bodies. They may be gymnasts, in wheelchairs, notably thin or overweight, tall or short – shining examples of health or chronically ill. Their body says who they are.
Hello jessica;
How are you.I have The same problem I have DD.i know the it’s 13/08/80 btw 6 to 7pm but nothing else.So can this info be useful for making some good predictions.
I changed my birth name seven years back but legally I still use my birth name.Does it matter ?
Sounds like Capricorn, Aquarius or Pisces Rising to me. You changed your name seven years ago? That brings us to around 2008/2009 when Pluto entered Capricorn, so I would guess Capricorn Rising. Do you appear to the world to be ambitious, moving across social classes, or striving for the top? Do you seem to be the kind of person who has moved on, far, far away from her family background and class?
Hello again Jessica,
could you be so kind as to work out my possible ascendants as I do not have an exact birth time? The last time I formally changed my name was 16 January 2000- my wedding day.
My divorce ( which you predicted!! ) was officially granted 7 Dec 2015.
Thank you again!
Changing your name by marriage then returning to your old name by divorce happened, both times, with the Sun in Capricorn so it may be that you have a Cancer Ascendant or Capricorn Ascendant. If the former, you look like your mother or grandmother and carry your family/home/home town/homeland on your back. If the latter, you dress for success in your chosen field, so your wardrobe is always rather ambitious, or you dress ‘up’ and rather aspirationally.
Do you automatically disbelieve someone who says they have a precise o’clock or half hour birth time? It’s just that my son was born at 10.30pm. On the dot. I actually glanced at the clock on the wall of the delivery room at the moment he was born!
Good question. I don’t automatically disbelieve round-hour clock time births, but if the person in question is puzzled about their Rising Sign/Ascendant which does not seem to fit, I always reckon the jury’s out. And sometimes nurses or mothers get the am and pm wrong too…it happens!
Thankyou Jessica!
Well, that was very easy for me to work out. Definitely a cancer ascendant! Carrying my home on my back is so apt and I am a dead ringer for my granny :-)
And my late mother’s constant gripe was that I never bothered with my groomimg ( and she was a Capricorn :-)
That’s great, thank you for the feedback. If you’re a dead ringer for your granny, you’re Cancer Rising/Cancer Ascendant.
Hi Jessica,
Maybe someday you could do the chart of Justin Trudeau, who is rapidly emerging as an interesting and important leader on the global stage. There is a beacon of hope emanating from Canada.
CG
Good thought, CG. Justin Trudeau is Man of the Hour at the moment. I’ll look into it, thank you.
Hi Jessica, I was told that my ascendant sign is Scorpio and i’ve been going off that for the past 6 months. For the first time i’ve read my chart in detail and it shows that i’m an Aries ascendant. Is that right? If so, i’ve been reading myself all wrong! :o
You have an exact 3.00pm birth time which gives you a Scorpio Ascendant, also known as Scorpio Rising. I’m not sure where you are seeing Aries Ascendant. Have another quick look at your chart – I can see it right here.
Hi Jessica, I’m forever intrigued by the Birth times, and was adamant that I would get it right for my son’s birth. Oh, the naivety. While an entirely natural birth, I can tell you the last thing I was looking at was the clock. My son’s official birth time is 18.46 pm, but a year later I found a note by the midwives noting 18.45pm. Upon reading this article, I watched a video of his birth which says he arrived at 18.50pm and 20 sec.
What might the potential differences (personality, etc) be in his birth time from the official time of 18.46pm to the one I’ve just discovered of 18.50pm
Aquarius: 25th Jan 2014, Lewisham, UK. either 18.46 pm. or 18.50 pm. ?
Would love to know the major distinctions. Thanks so much, as always :-)
Birth times are mostly an issue when someone is asking about moving, or taking a new job – and the need for exact timing, to the day. The vast majority of the chart won’t shift, but it’s interesting that you already have an issue with confusion over his birth time, because your son is a very Piscean kind of Aquarian. In other words, he was born with a strong signature in a sign that we associate with muddle over boundaries. I am sure you know those people with a strong Pisces stellium in their charts who are always late, or never keep deadlines. That’s a boundary issue common to the sign. In general, he has the kind of chart which makes it useful to have plenty of grounding. Solid, down-to-earth activities like gardening, walking in the park, cooking are very good for this kind of child. Needless to say, learning to tell the time and date is crucial for this heavily Piscean son of yours!