Surrounded by star charts and arcane equipment, the astrologer seeks answers by charting the motions and relative positions of the planets in the heavens. Some are genuinely talented and try to do their best, while others are little better than fakers who tell their clients whatever they want to hear. Nobles and other powerful people are suspicious of those who can tell their future and zealously guard the time of their births. To cast the horoscope of a ruler without permission is considered treason, and many an astrologer has had to make a hasty exit after just trying to satisfy their curiosity.[1a]