Natal Chart - Object for Creating a Personal Narrative

Since I have only lived in NYC for two years, I think of New York City from its media image - fun, exciting, and glamorous. Even though after living here for two years and knowing that is not the reality, I still feel that way somehow. Our visit to The City Reliquary made me see a very different side of New York City. The objects on display are deeply rooted in reality and New Yorkers’ daily life. They are the opposite of glamour, yet they made my understanding of New York more interesting, because the depth, human connections, and character they portrayed.

The contrast of the public image of NYC and New Yorkers’ day-to-day experience, made me thinking of how we manage our public image and internal image - there is a gap between what we present to the public and how we see ourselves. From talking with friends, I notice we all present ourselves differently in public with varying degrees. Also it is hard to articulate the what and why we do differently. Recently, I started to use Astrology as a vehicle to discuss those differences.

This is a natal chart generated by using a person’s exact date, time and location of birth. Any one who learn about astrology can create a basic narrative about the person without meeting them. Also, for people who want to understand themselves or find a way to express some aspects of their personality, they could use astrology as a way to do that. This is an artifact that embeds narratives within it.

Every point on the chart is about an aspect of that person’s life. For example, above natal chart shows this person has their moon in Libra, which means they strive to have balanced and pleasant relationships with other people. They like being in a comfortable atmosphere with people. The natal chart covers how a person see themselves (sun sign), how they come across to other people (ascendant sign), how they feel and process emotions (moon sign) and so on. What I find more interesting is using this knowledge to discuss with other people, regardless if they are a fan of astrology or not. This artifact is here to serve as an entry point for people to start a conversation. People can connect and create narratives about themselves and each other. When I talk with something about astrology, I would ask to compare our charts to see if our personality differences are reflected on our charts. This is an open and interesting way to talk about our thought and behavior differences.