Day vs Night Charts (Sect) and How They Affect Your Astrocartography Lines
In astrology, whether you were born during the day or the night matters - a concept called Sect.
Sect divides planets into day and night charts, and it influences which planets act as benefics (read: good) or malefics (read: bad) for you. Understanding this can change how you interpret your astrocartography lines.
How to Determine if You Have a Day or Night Chart
Whether you have a day or night chart depends on where the Sun was at the moment you were born. Here’s how to check:
Find your birth time and chart: You’ll need your exact birth time, date, and location to generate a natal chart using any astrology software. Astro.com is a nice free option.
Locate the Sun’s position:
If the Sun is above the horizon (in houses 7–12), you have a Day (Diurnal) Chart.
If the Sun is below the horizon (in houses 1–6), you have a Night (Nocturnal) Chart.
To summarize….
In a day chart, your chart is more energized by the Sun. Your easiest planet is Jupiter. Your hardest planet is Mars.
In a night chart, your chart is more energized by the Moon. Your easiest planet is Venus. Your hardest planet is Saturn.
Once you know your sect, you can determine which planets are naturally stronger or weaker in your chart, which affects how your astrocartography lines will feel.
Why This Matters for Astrocartography Lines
Each planetary line in your astrocartography map carries the energy of that planet. Sect influences how “helpful” or “challenging” a line might feel:
Benefic (easiest) lines in your sect: Likely to bring ease, opportunity, and growth.
Malefic out-of-sect (hardest) lines in your sect: May present challenges, lessons, or intensity.
Note: A day chart’s malefic is Saturn but its malefic out-of-sect is Mars, meaning Saturn poses good challenges, but Mars just straight up gives you rough challenges 😆 Similarly, a night chart’s malefic is Mars, but its malefic out-of-sect is Saturn, so Saturn is the roughest of roughs for night charts.
Examples:
A Venus line in a Night Chart can be highly supportive for love, relationships, or creativity.
The same Venus line in a Day Chart might feel less energizing or require more effort to activate its benefits.
A Saturn line in a Day Chart can help with discipline, career, and long-term growth, while in a Night Chart it might feel heavy or restrictive.
Cheatsheet Guide to Day vs Night Charts
If you have a ☀️ Day chart,
Sun lines and Jupiter lines will be more beneficial. Mars lines will be more challenging.
If you have a 🌘 Night chart,
Moon lines and Venus lines will be more beneficial. Saturn lines will be more challenging.
Interested in discussing if an astrocartography reading is right for you?