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How to read a Synastry Chart

The Synastry chart is one of the most important tools to use when assessing compatibility between two people.

The two areas you want to focus on are: house overlays and planetary aspects. 

House overlays

What are houses? Our natal charts are divided up into 12 houses, which each represent a different area of our life:

Here is a breakdown of what each house represents

  • The first house: represents the self, one’s persona, and one’s physical appearance
  • The second house: represents finances, income, material possessions, and self-worth
  • The third house: represents communications, neighbourhood, siblings, learning, local travel
  • The fourth house represents: family, home, past, ancestry, real estate
  • The fifth house represents: children, creativity, romance, fun, leisure
  • The sixth house represents: work, health, coworkers. productivity
  • The seventh house represents: partnership (business and romantic), commitment, sharing, equality
  • The eighth house represents: intimacy, death, transformation, other people’s money, taxes
  • The ninth house represents: travel, higher learning, philosophy, religion
  • The tenth house represents: career, social status, public reputation
  • The eleventh house represents: friends, groups, long-term goals
  • The twelfth house represents: spirituality, solitude, dreams, illusions

What are planets? Our natal charts contain 10 planets. Each represents a different aspect of our personality.

Here is a simple breakdown of what each planet represents

  • Sun: Your basic personality, ego, individuality
  • Moon: your emotional nature and what makes you feel secure
  • Mercury: your communication style and intellectual interests
  • Venus: your love style, what you find beautiful, your personal style
  • Mars: your determination, passion, and sex drive
  • Jupiter: represents expansion, generosity and luck
  • Saturn: represents structure, maturity, commitment, restriction
  • Uranus: represents instability, freedom, unpredictability
  • Neptune: represents illusions, compassion, sensitivity
  • Pluto: represents transformation, obsession, jealousy, power

When comparing two charts, you can see where each person’s planets land in another person’s chart.

For this exercise, let’s look at Kim and Ye’s Synastry. I generated this report on astro.com:

When assessing synastry, check to see where your personal planets fall in the other person’s chart:

  • When someone’s planet falls into one of your houses, they bring the energy of that planet into your house.
  • As you can see from their chart, Ye’s Sun/Jupiter conjunction resides in Kim’s 7th house of partnership and commitment– this is an excellent indication of compatibility and marriage. Ye’s Venus and Mars reside in Kim’s 5th house, which is a great indication of romance and having children.
  • Kim’s Sun resides in Ye’s 4th house of home and family. This is again a great indication of a long-lasting relationship

In a romantic relationship, focus on looking for overlays in the following houses:

  • The first house: another person’s planets falling in your 1st house indicate they are very attracted to you. This is especially powerful if the Sun, Moon, Venus or Mars are in another person’s 1st house, as they are deeply personal planets and increase attraction.
  • The fourth house: represents home, family, and emotions. When someone’s planets fall in your 4th house, they feel like family to you, and you enjoy spending time together at home. This is an indication of wanting to build a home and family together.
  • The fifth house: represents romance, children, and fun, so someone’s planets falling in this house is a great aspect.
  • The seventh house: represents commitment, partnership, equality, etc., so it is obviously a very important house to consider in a synastry chart. If someone’s planets fall in your 7th house, you feel compelled to partner with them. They teach you about compromise, relating, and partnership.
  • The eighth house: represents deep intimacy and bonding, so overlays to this house are very powerful and transformative. These types of relationships are not for the faint of heart, but are ultra intense and sexy (if you like that kind of thing).

Check out my articles on house overlays to learn more:

Sun in the Houses in Synastry

Moon in the Houses in Synastry

Venus in the Houses in Synastry

Mars in the Houses in Synastry

Jupiter in the Houses in Synastry

Saturn in the Houses in Synastry

Uranus in the Houses in Synastry

Neptune in the Houses in Synastry

Pluto in the Houses in Synastry

 

Planetary Aspects

After looking at house overlays, it is equally important to look at the aspects each person’s planets make the other persons’ planets.

To make things easy, you can generate reports in astro.com by clicking PDF Additional Tables after generating a report.

 

Reports like these make is easier to assess your planetary overlays with someone:


In this table, you might not recognize the symbols and numbers.

The symbols within the table show the aspect each planet is making to the other. For example, Ye’s Sun is square Kim’s Venus. Check out this article to learn what the symbols represent. The ones you want to focus on most are: Conjunction, Square, Opposition, Trine, and Sextile.

  • Sextiles and trines are nice, harmonious aspects, and are great to see in a chart.
  • Conjunctions are very powerful, and show compatibility between the energies each planet represents.
  • Oppositions can be problematic, but are usually very fascinating. This is a case of ‘opposites attract’.
  • Squares are considered the most problematic, as they cause friction and lack of understanding between the parties.

If you are looking to assess romantic, long-term compatibility with someone, it is very important to look at how each person’s Love planets are aspected in a chart.

Generally, squares from Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, or Pluto are not looked upon very favourably, especially if they make an aspect to someone’s personal planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars).

Check out my synastry articles to read about specific aspects.

 

It is also extremely important to look at how someone’s planets aspect your 7th house ruler. What is your 7th house ruler?

  • If your 1st house is in Aries, the Composite 7th house ruler is Venus
  • If your 1st house is in Taurus, the Composite 7th house ruler is Pluto
  • If your 1st house is in Gemini, the Composite 7th house ruler is Jupiter
  • If your 1st house is in Cancer, the Composite 7th house ruler is Saturn
  • If your 1st house is in Leo, the Composite house ruler is Uranus
  • If your 1st house is in Virgo, the Composite house ruler is Neptune
  • If your 1st house is in Libra, the Composite house ruler is Mars
  • If your 1st house is in Scorpio, the Composite house ruler is Venus
  • If your 1st house is in Sagittarius, the Composite 7th house ruler is Mercury
  • If your 1st house is in Capricorn, the Composite 7th house ruler is the Moon
  • If your 1st house is in Aquarius, the Composite 7th house ruler is the Sun
  • If your 1st house is in Pisces, the Composite 7th house ruler is Mercury

In my opinion, this is the most important planet to look at when considering long-term compatibility.

 

All in all, synastry aspects and overlays are extremely important to consider in a synastry chart. However, I believe the Composite Chart is more essential to assess long-term compatibility. Click here to read my article on The Best Composite Chart Aspects.

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Asteroid Ceres in Synastry

In Astrology, Ceres represents nurturing and parenting.

In the natal chart, Ceres shows how we nurture ourselves and others. Depending on the placement, Ceres can indicate a major life focus on taking care of others.

For example, a third house Ceres may mean you nurture, and receive nurturing, through communication. You need to talk out your feelings, and others feel you are a good and caring listener. To read more about your natal Ceres, click here.

In synastry, it shows nurturing and supportive energy between the couple. Let’s take a deeper look at how Ceres interacts with points and planets in synastry.

Ceres-Sun connections

Harmonious aspects between Sun and Ceres indicate a loving and nurturing bond between the two of you.

The Ceres person is very supportive of the Sun person, and the Sun person feels nurtured and valued by the Ceres person. The Sun person may feel the Ceres person acts like a parental figure in their life.

Harsh aspects between Sun and Ceres indicates the Sun person’s ego does not jive with the way Ceres offers nurturing and support. For example, a Virgo Sun might want to be quiet when they are upset, but a Ceres in Gemini will want to talk it out. Virgo will appreciate Ceres’ concern, but might not appreciate the way Ceres wants to communicate about that issue.

Ceres-Moon connections

Harmonious aspects between Moon and Ceres is a wonderful connection. Ceres is much like the Moon as it is, so this connection will bring a ton of emotional bonding and nurturing in this relationship.

The Moon appreciates the Ceres persons’ giving and nurturing nature, and the Ceres person will feel appreciated and valued. These two will share a tight emotional bond and will love caring for one another.

Harsh aspects between Ceres and Moon indicate a difference in emotional natures. There may be misunderstandings and hurt feelings between the two. The Moon person will not appreciate the way Ceres nurtures them. The Ceres person will feel unappreciated by the Moon person.

Ceres-Mercury connections

Harmonious aspects between Mercury and Ceres increases mental compatibility between the partners. The two of them will have many healing conversations. Ceres will be an excellent listener for the Mercury person.

Harsh aspects between Ceres and Mercury indicates possible hurt feelings and arguments. The Mercury person will feel the Ceres person does not understand them, and the Ceres person will feel unappreciated and offended at Mercury’s strong words.

Ceres-Venus connections

Harmonious aspects between Venus and Ceres indicate a loving and nurturing relationship. Venus will appreciate Ceres’ nurturing support, and Ceres will feel valued and adored by the Venus person. The Ceres person will like taking care of the Venus person, and the Venus person will reward the Ceres person for this.

Harsh aspects between Ceres and Venus indicates possible hurt feelings and arguments. The Venus person will feel the Ceres person does not understand them, and the Ceres person will feel unappreciated and offended at Venus’ lack of appreciation for them. The Ceres person may feel the Venus person takes them for granted.

pink clouds sky background astrology universe
Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik

 

Ceres-Mars connections

Harmonious aspects between Mars and Ceres indicates a strong compatibility. The Mars person will energize the Ceres person’s desire to nurture and support.

The Mars person will feel supported in their goals and efforts by the Ceres person. The Ceres person will provide a loving and secure base for the Mars person.

Harsh aspects between Ceres and Mars indicates hurt feelings and fights. The Ceres person might find the Mars person very selfish and rude, while the Mars person might find the Ceres person overly sensitive.

Ceres-Jupiter connections

Harmonious aspects between Jupiter and Ceres indicates a joyful and caring relationship. The Jupiter person will expand Ceres’ desire to nurture and support the Jupiter person. The Ceres person will feel loved and appreciated by the generosity and expansiveness of Jupiter.

Harsh aspects between Ceres and Jupiter can cause issues in the relationship. The Jupiter person might want more than the Ceres person can give. There also may be philosophical differences between the two which block Ceres’ ability to provide nurturing in the relationship.

Ceres-Saturn connections

Harmonious aspects between Saturn and Ceres increase the responsibility the couple has to one another. Ceres will feel committed and responsible for taking care of the Saturn person.

The Saturn person will provide stability to the Ceres person. The two of them will feel responsible for one another.

Harsh aspects between Ceres and Saturn indicates a difficult connection. The Ceres person may feel blocked from nurturing and taking care of the Saturn person. The Saturn person may feel like a burden to the Ceres person.

Ceres-Node connections

Ceres conjunct the North Node indicates a very profound relationship. The Ceres person will be encouraged to live up to their fullest potential by the Node person.

The North Node person will forge a path for the Ceres person to be able to nurture and take care of others. The Ceres will progress a lot as a result of this relationship.

Ceres conjunct the South Node indicates a comfortable relationship. The Ceres person and the Node person feel a deep familiarity and comfort with one another. In a past life.

The Ceres person likely took care of the Node person, but there is unfinished business between the two. The Ceres person may eventually feel drained by the Node person.

Click here to read Amor in Synastry

Click here to return to the Synastry Page

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Moon square/opposite Venus in the Natal Chart

The Moon and Venus are feminine planets, and often play a role in the kind of partner we desire. The Moon represents our emotions and what makes us feel secure, while Venus represents how we give and receive love.

When these planets are in square/opposite aspect to one another, our emotional needs are at odds with our needs and capacity to love. This can cause many problems, as it is difficult for the Moon square/opposite Venus native to have both needs fulfilled by just one person. For example, say I have Moon in Aries square Venus in Capricorn: on one hand, I am emotionally fulfilled by aggressive, direct, and passionate people. However, aggression and passion to not “agree” with my Venus in Capricorn nature; it is unattractive to me, as Venus in Capricorn prefers shy, stable, drama-free mates.

Also, we can think of this in terms of synastry: if my partner’s Mars is in Capricorn, and therefore is in conjunct aspect to my Venus, I feel a tremendous sexual attraction to my partner. However, it would also mean that my partner’s Mars squares my Moon, which leads to heated arguments and hurt feelings. As a result, the native finds it difficult to find a partner who fulfills both their Moon and Venus needs, and might choose to have two partners: one who makes him emotionally secure, and one that makes him feel loved and attracted.

This can also indicate a Madonna-Whore complex; the native may have the inability to see his or her partner as both a nurturing type (moon) and a sexual being (Venus). To solve this dilemma, the native may choose to take on two partners in order to have these needs fulfilled.

Of course, not all Moon square/opposite Venus natives are infidels! Nevertheless, people with this aspect find themselves “giving up” one planetary need at the expense of another in some way. They will disregard their Venusian needs for their Lunar needs, and vice-versa. For instance, the native will ignore his or her emotional needs in order to feel attractive and valued, or will ignore his or her need for approval to satisfy her needs for security and comfort.

Peace and harmony are very important to these natives. This is why many people with this aspect can be regarded as “too nice”, or as “pushovers”, as they will often find themselves acquiescing to the needs of others at their own expense.

Click here to read Natal Mars in the Signs

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The Astrology of Break-Ups

There is no doubt that break-ups are difficult, and happen for a variety of reasons. Through astrology, it is easy to determine when a break-up may occur by observing transits to one’s natal chart.

Here are a few transits which often bring separations/break-ups:

Saturn conjunct/square/opposite natal Venus or ruler of the 7th house:

Saturn, the planet of restriction, depression, pessimism, and separation, in contact with Venus, the planet of love, beauty, harmony, and one-on-one relationships often results in separations and break-ups.

I recently had this transit by square aspect, and Saturn “hit” my natal Venus three times (direct, retrograde, direct). As with most transits, I found the retrograde hit the most intense.

Saturn on any planet leads to increased depression and disconnect from what the natal planet represents. With Venus, we feel less attractive and sociable, and feel a disconnect from those closest to us.

Saturn on Venus compels us to take a long, hard look at our relationships and suss out what is working for us, and what is not. Because Saturn represents pessimism, the way we once looked at our lovely relationships changes. The little (or big) things we once ignored or withstood become unbearable, and our only alternative is to withdraw to re-evaluate the direction of the relationship.

Personally, I went through a major break up during my Saturn square Venus transit. After four years of ignoring problems and “letting things slide”, this transit forced me to re-evaluate my feelings towards my mate and, more importantly, myself.

It became apparent that the relationship was not serving me well, and I had no choice but to let go. As much as it hurt, and as much as I knew he did not want to break up, I simply could not continue in a relationship I felt did not reflect who I was as a person.

Saturn over my Venus also stomped over my self-esteem, so I spent a lot of time alone during this time. Socially, I felt incredibly disconnected from my closest friends. I felt as though I had “outgrown” them, which added to my feelings of loneliness and isolation.

One thing to remember about Saturn transits (well, ALL transits) is that these feelings are temporary. Once I was out of the transit, I came out of isolation and gradually let people back in to my life.

I know now that these people are the ones who mean the most to me. Saturn often causes separations, yes, but true friends and strong relationships will survive, and reintroduced once the transit is over.

Uranus transiting in aspect to Venus/ruler of the 5th or 7th house/Descendant:

Uranus, the planet of rebellion, freedom from restrictions, unpredictability, separation in aspect to Venus can cause separations in relationships. Under this influence, we are no longer satisfied with the everyday, hum-drum aspects of “normal” relationships, and seek new experiences and excitement in love.

Relationships become “boring”, and all we want to do is have fun. Uranus on Venus changes our “tastes”; we often find ourselves attracted to people we never thought we’d be attracted to before the transit began.

Uranus on Venus is why a woman ends a 20-year marriage on a whim, and runs off with a man 15 years younger than her. I’ve found that people often believe that they’ve encountered their soulmate under this influence.

Ever hear of the law of attraction? Uranus *temporarily* changes our attitudes on love and freedom, so we naturally attract like-minded people. Relationships begun at this time generally do not last.

Once the feelings of excitement wear off, we are often no longer interested in that relationship and move on. On the other hand, it might be the other person who leaves us once the relationships becomes “normal” (since the person we attract is usually Uranian).

We also find ourselves with a new group of friends, and make changes to our appearance. We dress differently, change our hairstyle, etc..

The aspect between Uranus and the natal planet describes the nature of the transit. Hard aspects (conjunction, square, oppostion) are the most difficult, and often end in separations and/or infidelity.

The square and opposition, in particular, often bring “what was I thinking?” relationships; the people we partner with under this influence are generally exciting, but the long-term potential is lacking due to the fact that the person really isn’t our “type”, or suitable for a long-term relationship.

I’ve noticed the trine and sextile bring more positive relationships into our lives. I’ve seen infidelity and separations occur under this influence, and the “other person” is generally not as unsuitable as they would be under a hard aspect.

Personal examples: When Uranus was squaring my 7th house ruler, I met an Aquarius male, with whom I had a short, but intense romance. In true Uranian fashion, the relationship was unstable, unpredictable, and exciting.

He was going a Uranus conjunct Venus transit at the time of our meeting. We fell for each other quickly, and he pronounced his “love” for me immediately, as well as the fact that he thought I was his “soulmate”.

While I did not share this sentiment entirely (I am heavily Capricornian, thus very realistic), I was swept away nonetheless. During the time we spent together, there were numerous separations and reunions, and the relationship never quite got off the ground.

In the end, I left him. Looking back on the relationship, I cannot imagine what I was thinking. He was not my type at all, and I even knew this during the transit. I was searching for excitement at the time, and this is what the relationship gave me.

Click here to read When will I find Love? Part 1- Outer Planet Transits

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Natal Chiron in the 6th house

In my natal chart, Chiron is situated in my sixth house of health, routines, diet, and work. I’ve been trying to find more information on this placement, but I haven’t been successful.

Hopefully my experience with this placement will help other 6th-house Chiron people to understand this placement a bit better. Some celebrities with this placement include Jessica Biel, Ewan McGregor, Jennifer Lopez, and Karen Carpenter.

The house in which Chiron is situated often represents the area in which we have recurring problems, beginning in childhood. It can show what we’re compulsive about. It also shows the area that we’re able to teach other people about, despite having a lack of success in that area, ourselves.

Here are some ways Chiron in the 6th can manifest:

1. Eating Disorders: I’ve found this to be very common among people with Chiron in the 6th. We often have a preoccupation with eating habits with this placement. Personally, my relationship with food has never been “normal”. When I was young, I ate too much and was too overweight. Now, I eat too little and I’m too thin.  Karen Carpenter passed away because of her eating disorder, and Jennifer Aniston has reported having an eating disorder.

2. Childhood illnesses: Many people with Chiron in the 6th were born with illnesses, often hereditary, which will reoccur throughout their lives.  Look for these themes to pop up when Chiron is contacted by transit.

3. Teaching others about health: Despite my eating disorders, I know everything about food and nutrition, and I even thought about becoming a nutritionist. It is common for 6th house Chiron natives to have the ability to teach others better eating habits, even though they don’t apply these habits to their own lives.

4. Workaholism: This placement often leads to compulsive work habits.

5. Hypochondria: Again, this ties into a preoccupation with health. People with this placement always feel like there is something “wrong” with them, even if this is not the case. Feeling satisfied with the state of one’s health is difficult with this placement because the native will always find something to worry about when it comes to health.  Personally, I always think the worst, and sometimes even hold off on my doctor appointments out of fear of what they will find.

Click here to read Natal Chiron in the Houses