Synastry, comparing on birth chart to another, to understand the dynamics of a relationship is as complicated as human psychology itself.
The first thing is that if an individual is not capable of relating it will not be possible to make a meaningful connection. Which is not to say they won’t get married or have a partner but that partner will themselves have to be damaged enough to submit to a non-functioning, one-sided association.
There are endless permutations of planets to planets and falling in the other’s houses, of which interpretations can be found in websites like Café Astrology or in Sakoian & Acker.
Random thoughts: Sun to Venus brings a harmonious bond but can be over-ridden and obliterated by stronger, negative aspects. Mars cross overs to Venus and Sun can bring a spark of passion and fire, but that can, in time, turn into an argumentative, competitive streak. Initially a Pluto to Venus cross over can bring closeness and intense feelings but eventually will turn to control. Neptune brings dreams and illusions but is slippery, hard to pin down in the Neptune partner and brings disappointment. Saturn is defensive, can be focused more on work/practicalities than feelings but is essential to give a relationship endurance over the long haul.
Planets in the 7th especially the other’s Sun or Moon are ideal. Planets in the 6th suggest hard work will be required to keep it afloat. 11th house brings friendship. 10th house – good for a working relationship and one that thrives on outer appearances. 8th house a deep and not necessarily comfortable connection.
Some examples:
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, at the time a heady togetherness, but still at loggerheads years after splitting up. Her Sun falls in his 7th = good for a partnership. But her Saturn falls in his 8th dampening down intimacy and causing arguments since it opposes his Mars, Mercury, Moon, Venus in Capricorn; and her Pluto falls in his 10th opposition her Mars in his 4th making her overly-controlling and argumentative in their domestic life. Her Mars, Moon, Jupiter in Aries do sit in his domestic 4th conjunct his Jupiter so there would be good feelings initially. His Sun falls in her 5th house of entertainment and children but his Capricorn planets fall in her 6th – so he would be fun as well as hard work.
I would also tend to skip onto the composite chart (merging two birth charts) to see a timeline for the peaks and troughs or outright separation. With a composite Sun opposition Pluto in the Jolie-Pitt match control would always have been a factor; it was never going to be an easy split. There is also a composite yod – Saturn sextile Moon inconjunct Uranus which did not look stable – but it was/is a ‘fated’ relationship that would change both for good or for ill.
Opposites do attract but my impression is that having similar traits does make for glue. The late Queen Elizabeth shared a Moon Neptune in Leo with Prince Philip and her Taurus Sun was conjunct his Venus. So enough sameness or attraction from that. Though they were very different personalities with her excessively Fixed chart with a T square of Leo Moon Neptune opposition Mars Jupiter in Aquarius square Saturn in Scorpio on her Midheaven – and his more Mutable, restless Gemini Sun Mars, Saturn Jupiter in Virgo opposition Uranus in Pisces. His Sun Mars fell in her 5th house of fun and children which would help.
Royal marriages always look seamless from the outside and usually hide a multitude of hurts if not outright sins. But Gunter Sachs study found that Gemini and Taurus were one of the more common combos for long running marriages. Taurus for stability, keen on security and sameness while Gemini, the wanderer, dances round them like a firefly. So their relationship had enough sameness to understand where the other was coming from and enough difference to make them complement each other.
Though their relationship chart had a central composite Saturn opposition Mars indicating one partner had to suppress their identity to make it work – or excessive duty got in the way of indulgence. On the other hand Philip came from a very unstable background so Elizabeth’s steady temperament would help. And in those days divorce was unthinkable in those circles so he knew the marriage would stick no matter what.
Not all relationships are marital matches. Steve Jobs co-founded Apple Computers with Steve Woziak.
Steve Jobs, 24 February 1955 7.15pm San Francisco. Steve Woziak 11 August 1950 9.45 am San Jose, California.
With wonderful syncronicity Woz’s Jupiter in Pisces is conjunct SJ’s 6th house (= work) Sun and SJ’s Sun is conjunct Woz’s 6th house Jupiter. A dream match for working together especially since in both cases their innovative Uranus fell in the other’s 10th house of career.
Woz’s amiable Sun Venus fell in SJ’s 11th for a friendly connection. And SJ’s Moon fell in Woz’s 7th for a good partnership.
The classic relationship match from years back before some of realities came into the open was Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. He was an Aquarius Sun with a Pisces Moon and she was a Pisces Sun with an Aquarius Moon. His yin to her yang and vice versa is ideal. But his Neptune opposition her Mars and Moon would be undermining and aggravating for her as his drinking took over. Her Saturn in Capricorn was conjunct his Jupiter in Capricorn opposition Pluto so she would be continually pulling back his wilder, over-confident tendencies. Again the composite chart hints at a one-sided relationship with a composite Saturn square Mars, and Mars trine Pluto. It did hang together but at some cost to her career and talents.
Relationship quotes:
“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.” Carl Gustav Jung
“For the two of us, home isn’t a place. It is a person. And we are finally home.” Stephanie Perkins
“I know enough to know that no woman should ever marry a man who hated his mother.” Martha Gellhorn
“Every couple needs to argue now and then. Just to prove that the relationship is strong enough to survive. Long-term relationships, the ones that matter, are all about weathering the peaks and the valleys.” Nicholas Sparks,
“How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.” Wayne Dyer
“Assumptions are the termites of relationships”. Henry Winkler
“Falling in love and having a relationship are two different things.” Keanu Reeves
“To catch a husband is an art; to hold him is a job.” Simone de Beauvoir
“The heart of another is a dark forest, always, no matter how close it has been to one’s own.” Willa Cather
“The one who loves the least, controls the relationship.”
Robert Anthony
Good article, Marjorie. I find synastry fascinating…and appealing.
Agree, Sakoian & Acker’s book is a good resource.
Love the quotes!
Indian hinduism always uses synastry or match making else the match is not proceeded with.
Not offending any planet as v r taught..but seems my grandfathers of both sides had 7th house jupiter so got married in rich families, which came to their children’s birth charts too. Yet despite jupiter in 7h of my uncle ,he had 2 marriages since Venus and moon was in 1h so as they say 2 wives and moon as mother so marriage broken by mother
My moms fav story of how 10 astrologers claimed she would die within 1st year due to ill health but only 11th said go ahead and my grandfather being educated and rebel went ahead. She has moon in Aries in 7h and my dad is aries sunn so maybe excessive stress due to mars by in laws which was true but she has jupiter too in 7h which all think is only to do with wealth but rare know it’s saviour.my dad has jupiter too in 7h due to his father’s side effects and the marriage fulfilled all wishes which wasn’t possible alone by each
Chiron is the glue ..perhaps for those who are aware of their wounds.
V have Chiron facing each other’s Chiron and each other’s midheaven so it’s rest ..peace in lifetime of war..as a movie line goes
Together for 35 years. It’s a happy, supportive relationship and I’m not sure how I managed to achieve it! My other half was close to his mother, thank goodness and had two younger sisters who he used to look after. We have a Sun/Moon conjunction in Libra and a fair bit of Sun/Neptune contacts. We kind of rescued each other which is supposed to be bad, but which in practice is very mutuality supportive. I also have Liz Greene’s book on Chiron in synastry, in part due to the many Mars/Venus/Chiron crossovers in our charts. We share similar childhood wounds. André, we have a lot of positive Jupiter/Uranus both in composite and natally. Husband has Jupiter in late Sagittarius opposite Uranus in late Gemini. His Mercury in Aquarius is exactly conjunct my South Node and my Venus trines his Taurus NN. Yes, time is indeed precious.
His NN in Taurus is exact on my Ceres. There’s a lot of mutual enjoyment involved in cooking for each other, growing vegetables, nurturing, etc.
Marriage.
A triumph of hope over intelligence.
This makes sense. Enrique Iglesias (Taurus) and Anna Kournikova (Gemini) have been a couple for decades. I always assumed this match would fizzle out, but they’re still together decades later.
I notice a few long term relationships between Taurus’s opposite sign of Scorpio, and Gemini and always view this an unlikely combination – but it surprisingly works. Particularly if the woman is Gemini.
An astroger once upon a time told me to marry an earth sun sign bc my venus in virgo in 7th house for sun leo. I married triple cap with venus in aquarius! Shall I say we argue over who is boss.
So interesting. Anne Barbault did a synastry reading for me early in a relationship and just said diplomatically ‘maybe you will find someone else’ . She was right. That Martha Gellhorn quote is absolutely spot on.
I am in a loving marriage of forty years, the luck of my life. A Jupiter-Uranus conjunction is opposite my Sun, and in a grand trine with Mars and Saturn. I am now entering a Jupiter return as transiting Uranus is about to oppose Venus and my Ascendant. Never have I been more grateful, but also never more aware of the precious little time that is left. My wife’s Sun-Mercury-Jupiter tight triple conjucntion is exactly sextile my Sun and conjunct my Mars. Her triple conjunction is opposite Saturn in Virgo, therefore opposite my Mars whicih can create friction. She is predictably more stable, and her Saturn is also near my MC which has been helpful. Our Mars placements are on either side of my IC, which has made us move often. Her Mars is trine my Venus and her Moon is trine mine in fire signs, which maintains a degree of always fresh and spontaneous intensity. Above all, her Chiron is conjunct my NN, which has provided much needed emotional intelligence. She has always been my best friend who says it like it is and helps me find creative solutions. Her Uranus is conjunct my SN in my 7th, which to others no doubt makes for an unusual partnership, but it is clearly blessed.
Great article, thank you. Also, on the subject you’ve just written about – Synastry – would you please consider looking at the upcoming Venice wedding of Mr. Bezos, and Ms. Sanchez, as the astrology seems unexpected?
I second this.
I will wait till the actual date/time turns up. They are being irksomely obscure so far.