A birth chart can look like a circle full of tiny marks. These marks are called glyphs. Start by learning what each one names; you can leave its meaning for later.
Start with the Sun and Moon
☉ is the Sun: a circle with a dot. ☽ is the Moon: a crescent. Charts often list these alongside the planets, even though the Sun is a star and the Moon is Earth's natural satellite.
Add three more familiar marks
☿ stands for Mercury, ♀ for Venus and ♂ for Mars. You do not need to memorize every glyph at once. A chart's key or planet list can help you match a mark to its name.
Read the label before the story
Once you know which body a glyph names, see which sign it falls in on the chart. For example, ☿ in the Taurus section shows Mercury in Taurus on that chart. The little symbol is a label, not a verdict about someone's personality or future.
A few common questions
Do I need to remember all the planet symbols?
No. Keep a chart key nearby and learn the symbols as you use them. Recognizing a glyph's name is enough for a first pass.
Sources & further reading
Astrology sources describe their own traditions and methods; they do not establish predictive accuracy. The writing exercises are original Lodestar editorial material.