No. 35 · Free
Draconic chart calculator
A draconic chart is your birth chart measured from your North Node, which is set at 0 degrees Aries. Every planet keeps its distance from the node, and astrologers read the result beside the birth chart as a picture of the soul's aim. Enter your birth details to cast yours; the birth time adds the angles.
Your draconic chart
In the draconic chart the North Node sits at 0 degrees Aries, and every planet keeps its distance from it.
The record
Enter your birth date, time and place, then press the button. You get your draconic Sun, Moon, Ascendant, Midheaven and planets, all measured from the North Node.
Accuracy: each position is the birth chart longitude minus the true node, from the same engine as the birth chart. The Sun and Moon agree with JPL Horizons, the planets and node with the Swiss Ephemeris, within about an arcminute.
Enter your birth date, time and place. The calculator gives your draconic Sun, Moon, Ascendant and Midheaven, then Mercury to Pluto, all measured from the true North Node. Without a birth time you get the planets and no angles.
Want every planet and house at once? Open the full birth chart calculator
The draconic Sun in each sign, in short
Aries
A draconic Sun in Aries is read as a deeper pull toward courage, independence and starting things yourself. The lesson is to lead without needing to win.
Taurus
In Taurus it is read as a pull toward patience, loyalty and a life built on what is real and lasting. The lesson is to value steadiness and stay open to change.
Gemini
In Gemini it is read as a pull toward curiosity, learning and linking people and ideas. The lesson is to go deep as well as wide.
Cancer
In Cancer it is read as a pull toward care, belonging and a home others can lean on. The lesson is to protect yourself as well as the people you love.
Leo
In Leo it is read as a pull toward creative self-expression, generosity and being fully seen. The lesson is to share the light with the people beside you.
Virgo
In Virgo it is read as a pull toward service, craft and the quiet improvement of daily life. The lesson is to be kind to your own imperfections.
Libra
In Libra it is read as a pull toward fairness, partnership and beauty that brings people together. The lesson is to choose, and to say what you want.
Scorpio
In Scorpio it is read as a pull toward depth, honesty and the courage to change completely. The lesson is to trust others with what you keep hidden.
Sagittarius
In Sagittarius it is read as a pull toward meaning, travel and a belief you can live by. The lesson is to stay curious about views that are not yours.
Capricorn
In Capricorn it is read as a pull toward responsibility, mastery and building something that lasts. The lesson is to give warmth and rest a place in the plan.
Aquarius
In Aquarius it is read as a pull toward independence, friendship and ideas that serve a whole group. The lesson is to stay close to people and stay yourself.
Pisces
In Pisces it is read as a pull toward compassion, imagination and a faith that goes beyond words. The lesson is to keep clear boundaries around your sensitivity.
§ 01
What is a draconic chart?
§ 01
What is a draconic chart?
A draconic chart takes your birth chart and shifts the zodiac so that your North Node sits at 0 degrees Aries. Every planet and angle keeps its distance from the node, and only the starting line moves. The word comes from the Greek for dragon, since ancient astrologers pictured the lunar nodes as the head and tail of a dragon.
Modern astrologers read the draconic chart as a picture of the soul: the purpose and temperament beneath the personality shown in the birth chart. It is a modern technique, so treat it as a lens, never as a verdict.
§ 02
What are the lunar nodes?
§ 02
What are the lunar nodes?
The nodes are the two points where the Moon's path crosses the Sun's path, the ecliptic. The North Node is where the Moon climbs north of it. The two nodes always sit exactly opposite each other and move backward through the zodiac, taking about 18.6 years for a full circle.
The true node follows the Moon's actual crossing and wobbles around the smoother mean node by up to about one and a half degrees. This calculator uses the true node, like the North Node calculator, and lists the mean node beside it for reference.
§ 03
How the chart is built
§ 03
How the chart is built
Subtract the node's longitude from every position, and add 360 degrees if the result is negative. If your North Node is at 10 degrees Aquarius (310 degrees) and your Sun at 25 degrees Gemini (85 degrees), your draconic Sun is at 85 minus 310 plus 360, which is 135 degrees: 15 degrees Leo.
The same subtraction gives the draconic Moon, Ascendant, Midheaven and all the planets. The calculator does it to the arcminute and shows each position by sign and degree.
§ 04
How do you read a draconic chart?
§ 04
How do you read a draconic chart?
Astrologers read the draconic chart beside the birth chart, never in its place. A draconic planet that falls on a birth planet, often within a degree or two, is seen as a link between the soul's aim and the personality's way of living it.
Look first at the draconic Sun and Moon, then at the Ascendant. Treat each reading as a prompt for reflection: the chart does not predict events or fix who you are.
§ 05
Why you need your birth time
§ 05
Why you need your birth time
The draconic Ascendant and Midheaven come from your exact time of birth, because the Ascendant crosses all twelve signs in a day. Without a time the calculator leaves out both.
The Moon moves about six degrees in twelve hours, so a draconic Moon can change sign if the time is hours out. The Sun and the other planets hardly move in a day and stay reliable. A birth certificate or a parent's memory is the best source for the hour.
§ 06
Which node does a draconic chart use?
§ 06
Which node does a draconic chart use?
Draconic astrologers do not agree on which node to use. The mean node is a smooth average, and the true node is where the Moon actually crosses the ecliptic. This calculator uses the true node, to match the North Node calculator.
The two differ by at most about a degree and a half, so a planet can shift by that much and, near a sign edge, change sign. The result lists both nodes, so you can see how far apart they are in your chart.
§ 07
How it is calculated
§ 07
How it is calculated
Positions come from the same engine as the birth chart: VSOP87 for the planets, Meeus's lunar series for the Moon and the node, and sidereal time for the angles. The node is the true node of date.
We check the Sun and Moon against JPL Horizons and the planets and node against the Swiss Ephemeris. Everything runs in your browser and nothing is stored.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is a draconic chart?
A draconic chart is your birth chart measured from the North Node: the node becomes 0 degrees Aries and every planet shifts by the same amount. Astrologers read it as a picture of the soul's aim behind the personality.
How do I calculate my draconic chart?
Subtract the longitude of your North Node from every planet and angle, and add 360 degrees if the result is negative. The calculator does this for you and shows each position by sign and degree.
Do I need my birth time?
For the Ascendant and the Midheaven, yes. The Sun and the planets need only the date, and the Moon is approximate without a time.
Which North Node does it use?
The true node, the same as the North Node calculator, with the mean node listed beside it. The two differ by up to about one and a half degrees.