In a birth chart, the directions are flipped, because we label it as if we’re on the inside, looking out.
Just as in Google Street View, we orient ourselves in the circle as if we’re situated in the center of it, rather than looking down from above. This can be confusing at first, because we’re used to imagining a compass with West to the left, East to the right, North on top, and South on the bottom. In a birth chart, the directions are flipped, because we label it as if we’re on the inside, looking out. (Theater kids, you may have an easier time visualizing this. It’s similar to identifying Stage Left or Stage Right from the perspective of the actors — not the audience.)