A precise natal chart normally needs three things: your birth date, exact birth time and place of birth. The date places the planets in the correct day, the time fixes angles and house positions, and the location tells the calculation where on Earth the sky was being observed.
1. Birth date
The date determines the general planetary positions and is also required to convert the birth into the Hebrew calendar. In the Ava Lux method, that Hebrew date matters because the month and its letter correspondence become part of the Kabbalistic layer.
2. Exact birth time
Time is especially important for the Ascendant, Midheaven and houses. Those points can move enough during a day that guessing a time can produce a chart that looks precise while being structurally wrong. Astrodienst likewise limits house-based chart services when birth time is unknown.
3. Place of birth
The place provides the geographic coordinates and time-zone context needed to calculate the local sky. A city is usually sufficient for the user-facing form; the calculation can resolve the coordinates behind the scenes.
What Ava Lux asks for after purchase
You are asked for date, time and place of birth. If the recorded time is approximate, say so. It is more useful to know that a time is uncertain than to treat a rounded family memory as if it were exact.
Why the same information also matters for the Hebrew date
The Hebrew day begins at sunset. A birth that falls near sunset can belong to a different Hebrew date than someone might expect from the civil calendar alone. Exact time and place help establish whether the boundary has been crossed.
What if you cannot find the time?
Do not invent one. Some parts of a chart can still be discussed, while houses and angles should be withheld or clearly marked as uncertain. Read the dedicated guide on getting a natal chart without a birth time.