About AstralRead — AI Astrology Methodology
AI platform for personalized astrological and psychological consultation
What we do
AstralRead launched in 2025 with a single goal: to give everyone access to a serious, grounded tool for self-knowledge — without esoteric promises and without shallow daily horoscopes. We compute your natal chart from precise astronomical data and interpret it through two overlapping layers: classical astrology and modern psychology.
The result is not a fate prediction but a detailed profile of your patterns: emotional, behavioral, interpersonal. Material for reflection, not prescriptions. Unlike pop astrology, we do not treat your zodiac sign as a single label. Every natal chart is a unique configuration of 21+ celestial bodies across 12 houses with aspects.
Each interpretation is built from 250+ weighted rules cross-referenced against classical sources. Meaning: the AI does not invent answers — it draws on specific passages from specific authors.
Vronsky, Hand, Sasportas, Alan Leo, Parashara, Raman
Swiss Ephemeris — arc-second precision
Jung, Freud, Yalom, Frankl, Bowlby, Vronsky
Methodology
1. Swiss Ephemeris
All planetary, house and aspect positions are calculated with the Swiss Ephemeris library — the gold standard for astronomical computation, accurate to the arc-second. The same library that powers professional astrological software. No approximations.
2. Three house systems
We support three classical systems. Кох — close to the psychological tradition, recommended by Vronsky and the Хубер-школой. Плацидус — the international Western standard used by Robert Hand and Howard Sasportas. Сидерическая — the Vedic tradition, grounded in Parashara, B.V. Raman, James Frawley and Hart de Fouw. Choose the system closest to your tradition.
3. RAG architecture
Interpretations are powered by Retrieval Augmented Generation. 100+ books on astrology and psychology are split into thematic chunks, indexed with vector embeddings and supplied to the language model as context. The AI does not invent interpretations — it draws on specific passages from specific authors.
4. Ethics layer
Before publishing, every generated text is filtered: no death predictions, no medical diagnoses, no fatalistic claims. Astrology here is a tool for reflection, not for fear.
Sources
Astrology (Western, psychological approach)
Robert Hand «Planets in Transit», Howard Sasportas «The Twelve Houses», Liz Greene, Stephen Arroyo, Demetra George, Sue Tompkins, Tracy Marks, Bil Tierney.
Astrology (Russia)
Sergey Vronsky's «Classical Astrology» — a 12-volume treatise that founded the Russian-language school.
Astrology (Vedic)
Parashara «Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra», B.V. Raman, James Frawley «Astrology of the Seers», Hart de Fouw.
Psychology
Depth psychology — C. G. Jung (archetypes, shadow, individuation), James Hillman, Edward Edinger. Existential — Viktor Frankl, Irvin Yalom, Rollo May. Cognitive-behavioral — Aaron Beck, Albert Ellis. Attachment theory — John Bowlby, Mary Ainsworth, Sue Johnson. Family systems — Murray Bowen.
Full list of 100+ books on the sources.
About the author
My name is Viktor Balakirev, and AstralRead is my personal project. Not an editorial team — one person. That's more honest.
I'm not an astrologer. I'm an engineer. Since 2010 I built corporate networks and security systems on Cisco and Lenel: my own company, large clients. Later I moved into forecasting financial markets with mathematical models (Timing Solution) and still do it today. What led me to astrology wasn't mysticism but data. I grew curious about how precisely planetary cycles map onto real periods in a person's life.
During the pandemic an acquaintance suggested I read Vronsky's twelve volumes. I took it on and got seriously hooked. I read Vronsky, then other strong authors, discussed my own chart and my children's charts with practising astrologers. And I quickly hit two walls: keeping a personal astrologer is expensive and feels wrong, and there was never enough time for deep self-study because of work.
So I sat down to learn programming, to build a system that would meet that need on its own. It took more than two years. When stable language models appeared, I started assembling a RAG system — at first just for myself and my family. Three months in, it was clear this was becoming something bigger than a personal tool.
The point of AstralRead isn't the model — it's what constrains it. At its base are 100+ books on astrology and psychology, split into verified passages. On top of them sit 250+ formal interpretation rules, each with its own condition, weight and source reference (a Vronsky volume, a specific chapter). The model doesn't choose what to say — it runs the chart through these rules and draws on specific passages from specific authors. Planetary positions are computed by Swiss Ephemeris to arc-second precision. An ethics layer blocks predictions about death, illness and any fatalistic phrasing. Three traditions are supported: Koch houses, Placidus, and the sidereal system of Indian astrology.
I added psychology deliberately. A chart shows when a person is going through a hard time. But in such a period it's not enough just to know about it — you have to get through it without breaking. Jung and the work on psychological portraiture give you something to lean on: the system sees the context of the chart and speaks to the specific situation, not in generalities.
I opened AstralRead in spring 2026: analysing the market, I found nothing like it. If it helps you as much as it helped me, I'll be glad. If something doesn't work or you have questions, message me personally on Telegram: @The_universe_of_Machiavelli. I answer myself.
Philosophy
Precision
Only verified data and interpretations grounded in serious sources. No approximate calculations — only Swiss Ephemeris and 250+ weighted interpretation rules.
Ethics
No death predictions, no fear-mongering, no fatalistic claims. Every forecast is phrased with respect for your emotional state.
Autonomy
Our consultations are guideposts and prompts for reflection, not prescriptions. The author of your life is you.
Transparency
We openly say we use AI. We openly list our sources. We openly describe our methodology.
Privacy
Your birth data is never used for advertising. You can delete your account at any time.
FAQ
Who is behind AstralRead?
One person — an engineer and the author of the project, an indie founder. Not an editorial team. I built the methodology and knowledge base myself; AI generates personalized interpretations from your birth data. More in the "About the author" section above.
Can AI astrology be trusted?
AstralRead does not predict fate. We provide interpretations grounded in classical astrological texts — Vronsky, Hand, Sasportas, Alan Leo, Parashara and more. AI can simultaneously consider every factor in your chart without missing details — that is its edge over a human astrologer. Beyond that, it's a tool for reflection, not an oracle.
Which books does the AI use?
100+ books by 40+ authors: classics of astrology (Vronsky, Hand, Sasportas, Alan Leo, Parashara, Raman and more) and psychology (Jung, Freud, Yalom, Frankl, Bowlby, Adler and more). The full list is on the sources page.
How much does a consultation cost?
The basic natal chart is free. Advanced features (psychological consultation, synastry, transits, solar return) are part of the subscription. Details on the pricing page.
Do you predict death, illness or marriage?
No. We deliberately do not make such predictions. For us astrology is a tool for self-knowledge, not magic. The ethics layer blocks any fatalistic claims.
Why three different house systems?
There is no single consensus in astrology. Koch works better for the psychological approach (Huber school, recommended by Vronsky). Placidus is the classical Western standard. The Sidereal system is used in the Vedic tradition. Each offers a different interpretive angle.
Do you use Swiss Ephemeris?
Yes. All planetary and house positions are computed with Swiss Ephemeris — the gold standard of astronomical calculation, accurate to the arc-second. The same library that powers professional astrological software.
Make quality astrological and psychological consultation accessible to everyone — precise, ethical, and with respect for your uniqueness.