Synastry

Minderwiz

I promised to do a post on synastry so here goes. This is a very extensive subjects so please treat this as a bare outline.

The word synastry comes from a Greek root meaning to bring the stars together. It is the comparison of two or more horoscopes to determine compatibility. Any relationship can be analysed through synastry such as business partners, parent-child, teacher-student, etc. However it is probably romantic relationships and marriages that attract most questions from people seeking a synastry reading.

Synastry focuses on the comparison of the natal charts of the individuals concerned and looks at the way in which one person’s planetary energies react and interrelate to the planetary energies of the other person. This interaction is a dynamic one, each person affects and is affected by the other. In some ways this is like magnetism, with attraction and repulsion but at a far more complex and subtle level.

Comparison of charts through synastry draws on the main building blocks of Astrology, Planets, Signs, Houses and Aspects between Planets. However these are now not simply confined to one chart. Comparison looks at aspects between Planets in each of the charts, the relative weight of the triplicities (elements) and quaruplicities (modes) and also the House positions of Planets of one person in terms of the other – for example my Sun falls in my wife’s fifth House (of Romance) and her Sun falls in my fifth House (of Romance). Also the Planets in one chart can be compared to planets in the other chart in terms of Aspects between them, for example my Venus is sextile to her Sun.

The Sun in a female’s chart is taken as an indicator of the men in her life. The Moon in a male’s chart is an indicator of the women in his life. Venus indicates how we give and receive affection in a relationship, Mars indicates our sex drive, so the positions of Venus and Mars by sign and house are important. The fifth House (romantic relationships) and seventh House (marriage) are particularly important. Saturn, Uranus or Neptune in the seventh may indicate problems in marriage that have to be overcome – I have seen some claims that Neptune or Uranus here may be indicators of possible divorce.

From an analysis of the individual charts the astrologer proceeds to look at the links between the charts. Comparison of Ascendants, relative positions of Sun and Moon and the aspects between them. Position and aspects of Mercury (which shows how easy communication is in the relationship will also be examined. Again comparisons of Venus and Mars will carry great importance.

In principle, every planet in one chart can be compared to the other on the basis of house, and aspect (to planets in the second chart), but this is a lengthy process. Concentrating on the overall personalities and how far Ascendant, Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars are placed will give the main essentials. The other planets will be covered by aspect to these and possibly placement in first, fifth or seventh houses.

If the relationship involves money and finance then the second and eighth will also come in and if the relationship involves friendships then the eleventh will come in as well as the fifth.

Please ask away if you have any queries

Best wishes
 

Joywalker

Minderwiz said:


The Sun in a female’s chart is taken as an indicator of the men in her life. The Moon in a male’s chart is an indicator of the women in his life. Venus indicates how we give and receive affection in a relationship, Mars indicates our sex drive, so the positions of Venus and Mars by sign and house are important. The fifth House (romantic relationships) and seventh House (marriage) are particularly important. Saturn, Uranus or Neptune in the seventh may indicate problems in marriage that have to be overcome – I have seen some claims that Neptune or Uranus here may be indicators of possible divorce.


Thanks Minderwiz! I'm writing all these into my notebook.:)
Hmm...I was thinking is it possible of you to initiate some form of exercise,starting with our own charts?

For example,like posting a subject called
"Sun in ___ Sign,____ House" or "Moon in ___ sign,____ House"
From there,members could try to interpret their own charts,according to each 'lesson/subject" and you could correct us if we made any mistakes.It will be quite fun for us and hope it is not too much work for you!:D
 

Minderwiz

Yes I can try that may be as part of the study group looking at a sign a month - at lease till I get a little free time (work is hectic at the moment through till Christmas and I'm working up to three nights a week as well as days :( )

Of course not everyone has a planet in each sign but overall a majority (though not necessarily the same people each time) will have a planet in the sign we are looking at.

I also wanted to do some posts in connection with the horary astrology that I need some practice in - and will be asking for volunteers.
 

zorya

*zorya waves her arm wildly* me! me! i'll volunteer for a horary reading, when the time comes :D

i have a question somewhat related to synastry. along with comparing two people's charts, can we look at the relationship as a separate thing? for example, can we make a chart combining both parties, and call it the relationship? if so, could the same planet opposing itself in the chart, symbolize balance in the relationship?
 

Minderwiz

Yes we can and there are a number of techniques for so doing.

The simplest is a composite Chart using methods pioneered by Robert Hand and especially John Townley. This basically takes the mid point of each planetary pair - the composite Sun lies halfway between 'his' and 'her' Suns. The same with the Ascendant and Midheaven.

More complex versions also take into account differences in the time of births as well as differences in longitude. A technique pioneered by Davison.

An other version is the combined chart or double wheel which shows both parties' natal charts in one diagram. Strictly speaking this is not a chart of a separate 'entity'.

I used the natal charts, a combined chart and a composite chart when I did the reading for January some months back.