Interpreting Prenatal Charts

As prenatal charts have only been used by few western astrologers until now, there is a lack of published material explaining how to use them in a practical way. This situation may change in the future, but for the time being the reader is referred initially to the original authors of the techniques used for an explanation of how to interpret and use them. In particular, refer to E.H.Bailey for directions on how to use Bailey Conception and Bailey Quickening charts, and to Charles Jayne for directions on how to use the various Jayne prenatal charts.

The conception and quickening charts of Bailey and Jayne have also received some coverage in astrological journals and publications, but Malvin Artley, an American astrologer and esotericist, is currently (early 1995) writing a manuscript which will give a comprehensive explanation of the meaning and use of conception and quickening charts in relation to their esoteric associations with the mental and astral/emotional aspects of man. He has already published an article in the FAA journal (see references) which gives examples of the ways in which these charts work. It is as a result of his work and inspiration that these prenatal charts have been included in Solar Fire.

Artley suggests several ways in which the conception, quickening and birth charts can be interpreted, using the correspondence of conception chart to a mental chart, and of quickening chart to an astral/emotional chart. He recommends working with the these two charts in addition to the birth chart in order to get a complete picture of an individual’s physical, emotional and mental make-up.

Firstly one can look at the sign placements of the Suns in each of these three charts, for example the birth chart may have a Capricorn Sun, the astral chart a Leo Sun, and the mental chart an Aries Sun. Whilst this person would displays the traditional Capricornian traits, they are also likely to be somewhat generous and attention-seeking emotionally, and rather impetuous and quick-thinking mentally.

Further, one can look at each of the three charts to find which one has the most difficult aspects, and this would indicate the level (physical, emotional or mental) on which that individual had the most work to do in their lifetime. For example, individuals with relatively “easy” aspects in their mental chart may have much more stressful aspects in their emotional chart, indicating that whilst they may be intellectually talented, they have greater difficulty in coping with emotions.

Artley also suggests a technique of interpretation based on displaying the conception, quickening and birth charts in a triwheel, with the conception chart innermost and the birth chart outermost. In this way one can examine the positions of the key planets, such as the Sun, in each chart in relation to the houses of the conception chart. Using the correspondence of conception to mental and of quickening to astral, this defines the flow of energy from the mental, to the astral, to the physical plane. For example if the mental Sun is in the 6th house, the astral Sun is in the 11th house, and the physical Sun is in the 3rd house, then that is the major path for descent of psychic energy - from the 6th to the 11th to the 3rd, and thus the major house of outer life expression is the 3rd.

Finally, Artley has investigated methods of determining which of the 7 rays (as defined in esoteric teachings, such as those of A.A.Bailey) are most strongly represented in each of the charts, thus arriving at a ray profile for the individual. This may be of particular interest to esoteric astrologers.

The table below is a summary of keywords that have been used to describe some of the charts and what they signify, by their authors. These are brief, but never-the-less will probably give sufficient hints for an experienced astrologer to begin experimenting with them.

Note that although no specific meaning was given by Jayne to the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Chiron epoch charts in the references below, he named his charts to reflect the energy of the planet that they are named after. Hence one could interpret the Sun chart as relating to identity and vitality, and the Venus chart as relating to relationships with women and acquisitions, for example.