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Western Astrology · Level 1 — Foundations

Read the Sky. Understand Yourself.

A rigorous, no-nonsense introduction to Western natal astrology, taught from first principles — the planets, the signs, the twelve houses, the four angles and the aspects, with the logic behind every one of them explained.

12 modules72 lessonsLifetime access

  • The birth chart as a map of the sky: why the moment of birth matters, and how a chart is actually constructed.
  • The ten planets, the twelve signs, the elements and modalities, and the twelve houses.
  • The four angles — Ascendant, Midheaven, Descendant, Imum Coeli — and what they frame.
  • Planets in signs and in houses, aspects and orbs, and a step-by-step reading of your own chart.
Enrol — $688.00 USDSee the curriculum

No prior knowledge of astrology is needed · Level 1 of a three-level track · Level 2 (Deepening Your Practice) comes next

Course artwork
A natal chart wheel: the twelve houses, the twelve signs and seven planetsA birth chart drawn as the wheel the course teaches. The outer ring carries the twelve signs from Aries, each in the colour of its element; the inner ring carries the twelve houses, numbered one to twelve from the Ascendant, with the four angular houses — the first, fourth, seventh and tenth, which begin at the Ascendant, the Imum Coeli, the Descendant and the Midheaven — tinted and numbered in gold. Seven bodies are placed in their signs and houses: the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Inside the wheel, three of the five major aspects are drawn: the Sun conjunct Mars, the Moon square Jupiter, and Jupiter trine Saturn.A natal chart · 8 April 1994, 2:15 pm, AustinAsc 1° Leo · MC 14° Aries♈♉♊♋♌♍♎♏♐♑♒♓123456789101112ASCDSCMCIC☉☽☿♀♂♃♄☉SunAries10th☽MoonLeo2nd☿MercuryAries9th♀VenusPisces9th♂MarsAries10th♃JupiterScorpio5th♄SaturnPisces9thtrine · Jupiter–Saturnsquare · Moon–Jupiterconjunction · Sun–Mars
The natal wheel — the sky at the moment of birth, which this course teaches you to read from scratch.

The Technique

A wheel of twelve signs, twelve houses, ten planets.

A natal chart is the sky at the moment of birth, drawn as a wheel: the signs outside, the houses within, the planets set where they stood and the angles they hang from. The course teaches you to read one from scratch — what each part is, why it is there, and how the parts are read together rather than one at a time.

  • The twelve signs, their elements and modalities, and the ten planets as the chart's actors.
  • The twelve houses counted from the Ascendant, and the four angles that frame them.
  • Aspects and orbs: which planets are in conversation, and how close counts.
  • The order of a reading, from the Ascendant and its ruler through to a whole-chart judgement.

The Problem

Sun sign horoscopes are not astrology.

If your only exposure to astrology is the twelve-sign column in a magazine or an app, you have encountered a gross oversimplification of a sophisticated system — one that reduces 8 billion people into twelve personality types and calls it insight. You deserve better.

  • Sun sign columns

    They use one of the ten planets in your chart, and ignore your rising sign, your Moon and your houses — the very variables that make your chart yours.

  • Astrology apps

    They give you keywords and emoji, not understanding. You cannot apply what you do not understand, or judge whether an interpretation is accurate.

  • Expensive readings

    A consultation is useful, but it leaves you dependent on someone else to interpret your own chart. The goal is to read your own life directly.

  • Online "courses"

    Fragmented, superficial, or written by people with no practitioner experience — keywords without logic, information without understanding.

The curriculum

12 modules · 72 lessons

  1. Module 1: What Is Natal Astrology6 lessons
    1. The Birth Chart as a Map of the Sky
    2. Why the Moment of Birth Matters
    3. The Geocentric Perspective
    4. How to Obtain Your Birth Chart
    5. Anatomy of a Chart
    6. How to Talk About Astrology Responsibly
  2. Module 2: Chart Calculation Basics6 lessons
    1. The Ecliptic and the Zodiac Belt
    2. Right Ascension Declination and Celestial Coordinates
    3. The Role of the Ephemeris
    4. Time Zones Daylight Saving and Birth Time Accuracy
    5. House Systems
    6. Software and Tools for Chart Calculation
  3. Module 3: The Planets6 lessons
    1. The Luminaries Sun and Moon
    2. The Personal Planets Mercury Venus Mars
    3. The Social Planets Jupiter and Saturn
    4. The Outer Planets Uranus Neptune Pluto
    5. The Lunar Nodes
    6. Chiron and the Asteroids
  4. Module 4: The Twelve Signs6 lessons
    1. Aries Taurus Gemini
    2. Cancer Leo Virgo
    3. Libra Scorpio Sagittarius
    4. Capricorn Aquarius Pisces
    5. Sign Polarities
    6. The Zodiac as a Developmental Cycle
  5. Module 5: Elements and Modalities6 lessons
    1. Fire Signs
    2. Earth Signs
    3. Air Signs
    4. Water Signs
    5. Cardinal Fixed and Mutable
    6. Elemental and Modal Balance in a Chart
  6. Module 6: The Twelve Houses6 lessons
    1. Houses 1 3 Self Resources Communication
    2. Houses 4 6 Home Creativity Service
    3. Houses 7 9 Partnerships Transformation Expansion
    4. Houses 10 12 Career Community the Unconscious
    5. Angular Succedent and Cadent Houses
    6. Empty Houses
  7. Module 7: The Four Angles6 lessons
    1. The Ascendant
    2. The Midheaven
    3. The Descendant
    4. The Imum Coeli
    5. Planets on the Angles
    6. The Angles as an Interpretive Framework
  8. Module 8: Planets in Signs6 lessons
    1. Sun Through the Signs
    2. Moon Through the Signs
    3. Mercury and Venus Through the Signs
    4. Mars Through the Signs
    5. Jupiter and Saturn Through the Signs
    6. Outer Planets in Signs
  9. Module 9: Planets in Houses6 lessons
    1. Sun and Moon in the Houses
    2. Mercury and Venus in the Houses
    3. Mars in the Houses
    4. Jupiter and Saturn in the Houses
    5. Outer Planets in the Houses
    6. Synthesizing Planet Sign House
  10. Module 10: Introduction to Aspects6 lessons
    1. What Are Aspects
    2. The Conjunction and Opposition
    3. The Trine and Sextile
    4. The Square
    5. Orbs
    6. Reading Aspect Patterns in Your Chart
  11. Module 11: Your First Chart Reading6 lessons
    1. Step by Step Framework for Interpretation
    2. Identifying the Chart Ruler
    3. Finding the Dominant Theme
    4. The Big Three Sun Moon Ascendant
    5. Putting It All Together
    6. Common Beginner Mistakes
  12. Module 12: Practice Readings and Next Steps6 lessons
    1. Practice Reading Fire Dominant Chart
    2. Practice Reading Earth Dominant Chart
    3. Practice Reading Air Dominant Chart
    4. Practice Reading Water Dominant Chart
    5. Reading Your Own Chart
    6. Where to Go from Here

What's included

  • 72 lessons in 12 modules
  • Lifetime access
  • Online, at your own pace
Sean Chan at his laptop by a red lacquered window, a chart open on the screen

Your Instructor

The rigour of tradition. Applied.

I have spent over a decade dismantling the barrier between "ancient wisdom" and "modern logic." Since 2014 I have practiced Chinese metaphysics professionally, building a reputation for technical precision in systems as complex as BaZi, Zi Wei Dou Shu and Qi Men Dun Jia.

My transition into Western astrology was driven by a desire to bring that same systemic rigour to the field. I do not view astrology as a collection of intuitive guesses, but as a coherent, mechanical language that requires a deep understanding of first principles to master.

My work is centred on giving students the intellectual agency to look at any chart — whatever the system — and extract clear, logical insights without relying on the generalisations of the modern industry.

  • Professional practice since 2014
  • Specialist in classical Eastern & Western systems
  • Featured expert in global media outlets
Read my story
  • 10,000+professional readings
  • 15years of practice

As featured in

  • CNA
  • South China Morning Post
  • Harper's Bazaar
  • Lianhe Zaobao
  • Rice Media
  • T Singapore, The New York Times Style Magazine
  • Our Grandfather Story
  • HeyKaki
  • ZULA

Common Questions

Before you decide.

  • Do I need any prior knowledge of astrology?

    None whatsoever. The course starts from absolute first principles — the history of the tradition, how a natal chart is constructed, and the logic behind every element of it. If the only thing you know is your sun sign, you are exactly the right starting point.

  • Is this another "you're a Scorpio, so you're intense" kind of course?

    The opposite. Sun sign columns are what this course pushes back against. You will learn to read a full natal chart — all ten planets, the twelve houses, the Ascendant — and how they interact as a whole. By the end you will understand why generic horoscopes are largely meaningless, and what a proper chart reading involves.

  • How is the course delivered?

    Entirely online, on this academy, in written lessons and fully self-paced: no deadlines, no scheduled classes to keep, and no app to install. Lifetime access is included.

  • How long will it take to complete?

    It is a substantial written course, and a focused student can work through it in four to six weeks; studying casually, three months is comfortable. There is no deadline and no pressure — you have lifetime access.

  • What happens after I complete this course?

    Level 2 — Deepening Your Practice is the next step: aspect patterns, classical dignity, dispositors, retrogrades, the Lunar Nodes, Chiron, and relationship charts (synastry and composite). Level 3 — Advanced Natal Techniques completes the track with the predictive toolkit — transits, progressions, returns, eclipses and the Hellenistic time-lord systems.

  • I already follow astrology content online. Is this still worth it?

    Almost certainly. Most online astrology content, however well-intentioned, teaches patterns without principles. This course teaches the underlying logic, so you can evaluate any interpretation you meet, form your own view, and stop depending on other people to tell you what your chart means.

Enrolment

One course. One price.

The complete first level of the Western natal track — the sky, the planets, the signs, the houses and the angles, taught from first principles — open to you as soon as you enrol.

  • Every module and lesson of the course, opened in full
  • Secure checkout, with access opening on payment
  • Self-paced, in your browser on a phone, tablet or computer

Foundations of Natal Astrology - Level 1

12 modules · 72 lessons · lifetime access

  • Pay in full$688.00 USD one-time payment
Enrol now

Level 2 (Deepening Your Practice) is the next step in the track · Questions before you enrol? Message me on Instagram @masterSeanChan