Astrocartography is very similar to the skill of reading maps. Yes, yes, a 'skill', not everyone is capable of reading maps, and as such it's important to "give the map" to the one who's capable of actually reading it and guiding the rest of the crew.
Anyhow, Astrocartography is, perhaps, the most valuable discovery in Modern Astrology; I say "discovery" fully aware of the fact that Astrology has been around more than the Earth has and that all the ancient knowledge that has been passed onto humans is older than humans themselves, but for the sake of comprehension, let's call it a 'modern discovery'.
Feel free to keep your tin-foil hats on and put caramel on your popcorn, just don't throw them at me because I wasn't as literal as you expected.
Astrocartography is more than just a map reading combined with the planetary effects, it's way more than that! It's a compass for each of us to personal exaltation and achieving our best life! Astrocartography is a spiritual gold mine as it holds all the answers you'll ever need.
A bit of a storytime: a very dear person of mine (let's call him person A) was born in a foreign country, however, he's living here as a native. And me, being me, a nutter obsessed with Astrology, I immediately started picking his natal chart apart and was dumbfounded to see his Ascendant. I was like "no way, there's something amiss here, something is not adding up", but the deets were correct, there was no mistake in the time of birth.
Okay, I let the sleeping dogs lie, for a while, and went on my merry way (♊Mars and Mercury con Uranus have to be kept busy (and entertained) at all times).
Then, at some point or another, a thought struck me, and I started "googling" various geographical locations for the chart of that very dear person. And what I came to find was that he felt "off" (as in not matching his natal chart) because he was born in a foreign country, and although he had that particular rising sign at the place of his birth, here he was a totally different AC!
And what's more, the rising sign that he has here is much much much better than the one he has at his birthplace! Now, in order to understand my Eurkea moment and the excitement surrounding it, you have to understand that it is one thing to observe knowledge and calculations in theory, but entirely another to see it in 3D, in real-time, and get to experience it through your 5 senses. I was blown away! Up to that point, Astrocartography was like map-reading, or like math - something hypothetical you do for the sake of doing, and the equation was right, it would deliver the correct results, however, the revelation behind it had to come through in this way for me to understand what grandmaster key to happiness, luck and fulfilment in life it is.
Another example: my best friend, at his place of birth he had one rising sign, and let me tell you, it was a pretty good one, even more so, the luckiest one of them all. However, despite having such a good AC, he always felt off where he was born and grew up. He felt stifled (very aligned with his expansive AC), subdued and claustrophobic. So he did a very Ascendant thing of him and - moved!
He now lives in a place where person A was born, however, he has a much better time of it. It's like they've swapped descendants, Person A has a much better, exciting and freedom-giving time here, and my best friend (let's call him Person B) has a much kinder, empathetic and fitting time there. And I have to say that I get him, although forgiving him for leaving without me was very hard (he was a second half of my soul, after all), after experiencing that which he has, firsthand, I have to say I totally get him, and it would be a crime against humanity if he didn't leave.
He has a much better and healthier time now, and he is happy with his life. Of course, every life (or should I say life in every place) has its challenges, ups and downs, but on the overall scale, his life is soooooo much better, happier and fulfilling there than it could've ever been here, where he was born and raised.
Now, the 3rd and most shocking example (shocking at least to myself): I travelled to a country 5,700 miles away, and although it was a sudden and somewhat (quite) scary experience, it was, in fact, destined. Now, in order to depict that inner feeling better, I have to say that most of my natal placements, excluding my Mars, Jupiter and Moon, are placed in the 2nd half of the Zodiac.
This means that I felt like a supporting character my whole life like I didn't come here to be the one in the centre of attention, but the one who supports those who are the center of attention. And although I didn't mind it, I never realized that what I craved the most was the freedom to be left alone, at peace and free to just exist and have a good time with little movies and fantasy scenarios in my head.
Fast forward to my fated trip to the land over 7 mountains and 7 seas, and for the first time in my life, I experienced (firsthand) what it means to utilize the full power of Astrocartography!
The biggest and most sublime difference between the energy of my place of birth and my place of want (North Node!) is that I despise parenthood, it's definitely not something I ever wanted nor find it appealing in any way, and just so happens that my environment always tries to push me into it, violently and without shame.
Now, free of all that shameless pressure, and free of the negative, stifling and toxic energies I came to feel the truth in myself - parenthood is not such a scary thing, and having kids in a place where you feel happy, content and left in peace (or whatever it is that your inner self desires, based on your unique natal chart) is actually quite probable. And doable. And so, moving to my desired place I discovered that becoming a parent is not the end of the world and that it might even be enjoyable.
This was the most shocking change and revelation I received through Astrocartogprahy. It's not that your whole personality changes, it's that you finally experience freedom and "skin" that you've admired (and perhaps even envied) to those around you who simply had more luck to be born or moved to a place that agreed with them.
Another very important thing when it comes to Astrocartography - the places you feel instinctively and intuitively drawn to, especially since your childhood, don't be lazy, open up your Astrocartography map for those places and see what it is exactly awaits you in those places.
I promise you, it's something that will click with you, and come to you like a big revelation!
Since I have retrograde Mars (and Jupiter) in my chart, I always envied Cardinal signs and Mars placements - they always seem to know what they want and exactly how to charge head-first in order to get it.
Two countries I wanted to live in my whole life were the West Coast of America and Japan (Tokyo to be precise). On the West Side I am Libra rising, and the ruler of my chart is Sagittarius Venus, and in Tokyo, I am Cancer rising and the ruler is my Leo Moon trine Venus - and I'm feeling good https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruJ1XJGAC3w Compared to the place where I was born, where my AC is on the anaretic degree of a Fixed sign, and my ruler is in a sign that doesn't make him feel good, instead it feels like it's in a prison surrounded by malefics who don't wish well on his soul.
I've been preaching this since I was 16, but Astrology aka your natal chart, really holds all the answers you'll ever need, and combined with Astrocartography and your own desires/intuition, of course, it's the most powerful and yet so simple tool for achieving your happiness!
So go for it, go for that big move, explore the places that call to you and make you happy! Use Astrocartography like a map of your personal achievements and fulfilment. Trust your gut and trust the stars to map out your best life, and come up with the rest on the move, kiss kiss bang bang baby~