How to Calculate Temperament from the Birth Chart #

The Primary Qualities #

Each quality pair describes a fundamental orientation:

• Hot = active, outward-moving, expansive, quick to respond
• Cold = reflective, inward-moving, measured, slow to respond
• Wet = flexible, changeable, receptive, adaptive
• Dry = fixed, persistent, resistant to change, definitive

These combine into the four temperaments: Hot+Wet = Sanguine, Hot+Dry = Choleric, Cold+Dry = Melancholic, Cold+Wet = Phlegmatic.

The Contributing Factors #

The traditional method evaluates four to five primary factors. Each factor contributes its qualities to the overall tally.

1. The Ascending Sign #

The sign on the Ascendant is the most heavily weighted factor in most classical methods. Its element contributes two qualities:

• Fire rising (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius): Hot and Dry
• Earth rising (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn): Cold and Dry
• Air rising (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius): Hot and Wet
• Water rising (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces): Cold and Wet

2. The Ruler of the Ascendant #

The planet ruling the Ascending sign contributes its own elemental nature. Traditional planetary natures are:

• Sun: Hot and Dry
• Moon: Cold and Wet
• Mercury: variable — takes on the quality of the planet it aspects most closely; in the absence of aspects, Cold and Dry
• Venus: Cold and Wet (slightly warm in some sources)
• Mars: Hot and Dry
• Jupiter: Hot and Wet
• Saturn: Cold and Dry

The ruler’s sign and house condition can modify these qualities, but the planet’s inherent nature provides the primary contribution.

3. The Moon #

The Moon contributes Cold and Wet as its base nature. Additionally, the Moon’s phase modifies the quality:

• New Moon to First Quarter (waxing crescent): increasing heat and moisture
• First Quarter to Full Moon (waxing gibbous): heat at peak, moisture declining
• Full Moon to Last Quarter (waning gibbous): increasing cold, moisture variable
• Last Quarter to New Moon (waning crescent): cold and dry at peak

4. The Season of Birth #

The time of year contributes qualities independently of the chart:

• Spring: Hot and Wet (Sanguine)
• Summer: Hot and Dry (Choleric)
• Autumn: Cold and Dry (Melancholic)
• Winter: Cold and Wet (Phlegmatic)

Some practitioners use the Sun’s sign to determine season; others use the calendar season for the hemisphere of birth.

5. Planets in the First House or Aspecting the Ascendant (optional) #

In some methods, planets placed in the first house or closely aspecting the Ascendant degree contribute their qualities. This factor is given less weight than the Ascendant sign and its ruler but can shift the balance when the primary factors are close.

The Calculation Process #

Step 1: List each contributing factor and its qualities. For example:

Step 2: Tally the total count of Hot, Cold, Wet, and Dry across all factors.

Step 3: The dominant pair determines the primary temperament. In the example above, Cold dominates decisively; Dry and Wet are roughly equal, with a slight lean toward Dry — producing a Melancholic primary temperament with Phlegmatic secondary.

Mixed Temperaments #

Pure temperaments are uncommon. Most charts produce a blend — typically one dominant temperament with a secondary influence. A Sanguine-Choleric person, for instance, is warm and sociable (Sanguine) but with an added drive and decisiveness (Choleric). A Melancholic-Phlegmatic person is reflective and careful (Melancholic) with an emotional sensitivity and steadiness (Phlegmatic).

The secondary temperament adds nuance and often describes how the person behaves under stress or in intimate relationships, where the dominant temperament’s social presentation softens.

Method Variations #

Different classical authors weight the factors differently. Lilly gives heavy emphasis to the Ascendant and its ruler. Bonatti adds the Lord of the Geniture (the planet with the most essential dignity at key chart points). Some modern traditional practitioners include the Sun’s condition alongside the Moon. There is no single “correct” method — the variations converge on similar results in most charts.

The most practical approach for beginners is to start with the Ascendant, its ruler, the Moon, and the season, then check whether adding further factors shifts the balance. In most charts, the first three factors determine the outcome decisively.

Reflective Prompts #

• Using the method above, which two qualities dominate your chart?
• Does the resulting temperament match your experience of your own energy, emotional baseline, and social style?
• If you have a mixed temperament, can you identify situations where the secondary temperament emerges?

Discover your placements with our birth chart calculator.