The issue of relationships come up a lot in my line of work. Astrologers have been looking at the dynamics of how people relate to each other — and have even put together many arranged marriages — for centuries now. So it’s natural that we would have a number of techniques that involve determining how well or how poorly a couple will function together. One of those techniques is a particularly powerful one, yet also one that is easily misinterpreted: the composite chart.
An astrologer will usually start interpreting the relationship potential for two charts by looking at what we call synastry: that’s where we see how each of the planets in the chart pf Person X connects to all of the planets in the chart of Person Y. A composite chart is when you take the mathematical average of the two charts and put them together. If your Moon is at 10 degrees Aries and your partner’s Moon is at 10 degrees Gemini, then your composite chart will have a Moon of 10 degrees Taurus.
This creates a third chart, which tells us a lot about the nature of the relationship itself as opposed to simply how those two individuals act towards each other. As you can imagine, this produces a lot of very useful information. However, in my experience, a composite chart can be incredibly misleading if you aren’t objective about it.
I recently wrote two blog entries about a readers marriage… Part One is here and Part Two is here if you didn’t see them already. GN had a question about leaving a marriage, and without even looking at the spouse’s birth chart I was able to dig up a fair deal of information about the marriage and what it’s going through now.
Since then I have had a look at the chart of GN’s spouse. Looking at the synastry between the two of them would take at least another two blog entries, but here is their composite chart:
Unlike my previous entries on this particular couple, the composite illustrates clearly the forces that brought them together and the forces that are pulling them apart. This chart has two of the aspects that are most likely to guarantee relationship success, and some features that are very likely to lead to some kind of breakdown.
Sometimes relationships are like cockroaches: horrible things that are very hard to get rid of. Sometimes relationships are like ice cream: delicious but doomed to not last long. And many relationships take turns at being both.
Here is what is best about this composite chart… and what could be most misleading if all you want to hear is good news:
- Sun conjunct Venus is usually a sign of warm mutual feelings and an ability to generally like each other.
- Jupiter conjunct descendant is an excellent sign for Mutual understanding and support.
Furthermore, we see Mars Trine Saturn, which is often an indication the negativity that invariably arrives eventually in a relationship can be dealt with in a constructive manner. Moon and Mercury conjunct and sextile Saturn lends a sort of emotional durability to the entire situation.
Under the right circumstances, like when a relationship is a relatively new or things are going relatively smoothly, it would be easy to look at these factors in the composite chart and declare the whole thing to be a profound and unmitigated success. Except of course, there is also bad news…
That Sun-Venus conjunction is in a close square to the Uranus-Pluto conjunction. That kind of aspect in a composite might make for lively fun at first, like a spirited game of Monopoly. Ultimately though, it can easily break down into power struggles and underhandedness and a lot of backstabbing, intentional or otherwise. It certainly isn’t helping that transiting Saturn is opposing/squaring that aspect now.
The Moon in this composite chart may be in a nice place in regard to the relatively dangerous planets Mars and Saturn, but is also conjunct the midpoint of those two planets. That is never an entirely comfortable place for the Moon to be. An unhappy Moon makes for an unhappy chart.
Just as it is easy to ignore the bad news when things are going well, it’s easy to overlook the potential good when things are going badly. I think that, based on my experience, this is why so many students of astrology use a composite to justify a bad relationship that they want to stay in — or to dismiss one they want to leave but have a hard time describing as being all that bad.
This is why I think it’s important to get an objective outside opinion when looking at one’s astrology, either your own or that of someone else you are in a relationship with. All the astrological technique in the world is of limited use if you aren’t being objective about things.
Here is an example of how that works. Thanks to the miracle of the composite I believe I have discovered My Ultimate Twin Flame Soul Mate Super Awesome Marriage Partner, and here’s the chart that proves that!
This is a composite for me and international movie star, producer, director, and former adult film actress (and fellow Canadian) Sunny Leone. Whatever you do, please do not Google that name from work. But just look! Look at that composite chart! Look at how fantastic it is!
Moon and Jupiter both within conjunction range of the Ascendant and each other? Woo hoo, that’s fantastic! Saturn and Uranus both making aspects to that Moon-Jupiter-Ascendant? That will make things both exciting and more stable! Venus opposite Pluto? What an incredible depth of emotion!
This of course completely ignores Sun square Neptune and Mars square Saturn, which indicates there is something inherently delusional about this relationship and that things could turn ugly under the right circumstances. Like, for example… if I were to actually approach Sunny Leone with this incredible true astrological wisdom about us as a couple, which would undoubtedly result in some combination of her screaming and running away and /or an intervention by security or police. Sunny Leone doesn’t know me from Adam and has undoubtedly had many stalkers appear, most of whom are probably even more dangerous than me. Also: she’s married, which just complicates things even more.
So yeah… objectivity. It counts for something. If you need objectivity about your relationship call me write me for details about doing a reading. And if you’re reading this, Sunny Leone? Heck, I won’t even charge you, because obviously it’s Cosmic Destiny or something.
Okay, okay, jeez Sunny… I’ll stop.
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