The traditional way of interpreting charts is to focus on character delineations and fated events, treating both as relatively fixed outcomes. A psychological approach, however, views the horoscope as an evolving story that reflects a process of growth over time. Accordingly, an alternative title for this article might be: Finding the Life-Script in the Chart, which is actually the name of the seminar I’ll be teaching for ASC on Saturday, September 20^th. I like the word ‘script’ because it not only conveys the idea of story, but also of a set of instructions that are written down, as in ‘a script to follow.’ That, in fact, is my thesis: the astrological chart is both a story and a set of instructions for living—that is, for evolving.

In a horoscope, all the elements of a story are implicit. The planets are the characters—both inner and outer—which are motivated by specific concerns and have potentials for certain kinds of action. They perform their roles in various settings—houses—and interact amongst themselves—aspects—in the process of striving to attain their goals. Of necessity, conflicts arise, as reflected by hard aspects, which the life is then dedicated to resolving. Taken as a whole, the chart reflects character structure and plot structure. In effect, plot is the unfoldment of character. The inner logic of this unfoldment is displayed in the chain of dispositorships that link planets together, thus revealing the structure of action in the life. This ‘process structure’ usually revolves around a central question: the main theme or moral of the story and the life purpose of the individual.