As a Light-Filled Astrology + Human Design Teacher I hear all the time: “I don’t know the minute I was born. What do I do?”
So you’ve asked your Mom, and she doesn’t know. Or you’re unable to ask your Mom and no one else that would know is able to be reached for whatever reasons be it strong boundaries, they have already passed on, or they are not in a place to remember.
You’ve checked on your birth certificate and it’s just not there. And if you’ve checked and you can’t find your birth certificate, this is an excellent, non-emergency reason to order your official copy.
But if relatives are a no-go and you don’t have the time on the certificate, is that the end of the road? Do you just not get to do Astrology and/or Human Design? Do you just guess??
Why does the Exact Minute Matter?
The planets are perpetually moving. Some of them more than likely did not have a significant change in the 24 hour time period of when you were born — like Pluto, Neptune, etc. They are so far out the chances of you being born ON THE DAY they change are astronomical.
But the Moon changes signs every two and a half days. And what if you were born on the cusp — you could be a Scorpio or are you actually a Libra?
And the Rising or Ascendant sign, the point some astrologers will say is literally the most important part of your chart, is the part of the Zodiac that the Eastern Horizon was in the moment you were born. That changes fully around every two hours and can easily be in a different sign within a minute or two.
Likewise, the other points that are directly corresponding to the Ascendant like the MC or Midheaven, the IC and the Descendant move at the same rate.
In Human Design, it’s a little less visually predictive on how the birth minute changes things. For example, your chart could change very little over the course of 24 hours, or just one minute difference can redefine your Aura Type. For example, at 3:34pm you could be an Emotional Projector and at 3:35pm you could be a Sacral Manifesting Generator. Not usually the case, but it does happen.
The Moon moves through 3-4 Gates per day and just one Gate activated by the Conscious Moon or even Unconscious Moon holds as much “weight” in the mechanics of your entire Bodygraph as any other activation.
Let’s cover all the things so you can move on with your life and keep exploring these powerful systems:
Birth Certificate
If you have a copy of your birth certificate and it doesn’t have the time, order a new one. I know, I know that seems silly but I cannot tell you how many times this happens and the new, official copy that’s been ordered HAS the exact time on it.
Most people have just the short-form birth certificate which is basically just a notarized document indicating that there is a birth certificate that exists. It has enough of the essential information on it that it’s never been important to take the extra step to get the full copy. But that can often just be the answer right there.
Submit your order, wait 4 to 6 weeks and voila! You’re set.
Call the Hospital
You can call the hospital where you were born, if it’s still standing and ask. Often it’s a no, but totally worth a try. If they don’t keep the records there themselves, they may be able to direct you to who does.
Talk with Those Who Were There
Whether it’s you Mom or someone else who attending your birth, you can check with them. But also, chances are slim that they truly have an accurate recollection of this very vital and ti
ny detail as there was a lot going on in the room, even in the most low-key and peaceful of births.
I actually don’t usually believe Moms or other birth attendants on their perception of the birth minute unless there is a strong reason to remember it like “You were almost born the next day but you finally came at 11:55pm” or something like that. If there’s not a really, really good reason to believe that they KNOW the minute you were born, take it with a grain of salt and go through all the other steps here as well, just to check. You may be surprised how often that happens.
Memorabilia
Probably the number one way that people find the exact minute is to dig through baby books, journals and any memorabilia that was created from your birth. It is amazing how often it’s just in there and you never knew it.
My Dad was born in 1944 at home in a tiny little town in the middle of no where and guessed he was born around three in the afternoon when I asked him way back when I started into Astrology. It was only about a year ago he was looking through some stuff for another reason and came across documentation that said that was born at 5:12pm.
Even though he cares very little for Astrology, I’m so grateful that he knew that I would be interested in the exact moment and reached out to update me. Wouldn’t you know, that seemingly insignificant shift put his Moon sign from 29° Pisces to 0° Aries, but had no major impact on his Bodygraph Chart in Human Design.
Muscle Testing
Many people say that they swear by this and I get it. I’m a huge fan of muscle testing and love it for many things. It’s excellent for a wide variety of guidance and just tapping in to the truth of something for your body in the moment. But I’m not a fan of it for determining the birth minute. I’ve seen it be wrong far more times that I’ve seen it be right, and not due to the lack of skill of the muscle tester.
In fact, I’ve only ever heard of this working literally one time ever. It’s worse than Vegas odds.
Chart Rectification
This is the big guns. This is with a professional Astrologer who is also well trained in Chart Rectification, which is a whole science in and of itself. I myself am still in the “student” phase of this very delicate practice, so I recommend Robert Hand as an experienced Astrologer that can do this effectively for you. You can find his website to book with him here.
Ultimately, there is still a lot of information you CAN read off of your Natal Chart without the exact birth minute. Just know you’ll ignore:
-
The Ascendant/Rising
-
The Midheaven/MC
-
All of the Houses
-
Possibly the Moon
-
Aspects to any chart points
-
Aspects to the Moon are likely to change as well
-
Any personal planets that are “cuspy” meaning at 29° or 0°
So what do I do if none of that works for me?
For details on how to begin approaching reading a chart without the minute, check out this short video here on TikTok or here on YouTube.
✨ Be Light