Birth time requests rise for astrological charts

Hospitals in Finland are receiving weekly requests for precise birth times, often driven by demand for astrological birth charts, according to a report by Yle.

The Satakunta Wellbeing Services County processes 50–100 such requests annually, while Southwest Finland handles 200–230. Helsinki University Hospital also receives several inquiries each week, though exact figures are not tracked.

Applicants must request their own records, as personal data is not released to third parties. In Satakunta, older records remain in paper files, with digital archives only available from 2017 onward. Requests can require cross-referencing with the National Archives or regional archives in Turku.

Astrologer Seppo Tanhua notes that while exact birth minutes are ideal, a 30-minute window suffices for most astrological purposes, as planetary movements are relatively slow.

Modern records are logged to the minute, with midwives documenting the time as soon as the baby is fully delivered. Historically, however, timestamps were less precise.