What is Synastric Astrology

For millennia, humans have looked away from the frantic uncertainties of earthly existence to seek restful clarity in the stars. Long ago we noted in the course of daily observation that certain patterns of celestial movement correspond in time to particular natural cycles like those of seasonal flooding and frosts. Knowledge of these correspondences allowed us to better plan for agricultural planting and harvesting times thus increasing crop production. These discoveries led to the invention of calendrical systems for measuring time and motivated us to continued studies of the heavens to see what else they could teach us. The extensive body of knowledge and technique culled from these studies and passed down to us through the ages, revised and updated by the fresh insights and applications of each new generation, today make up the field of Modern Astrology. Far from being an arcane remnant of a superstitious past as its detractors maintain, astrology is a sophisticated science of celestial interpretation devoted to understanding the meaningful relationship between heaven and earth.

Synastry, then, is the branch of astrology focused on matters of love and relationship. As creatures of this earth the natural rhythms of its numerous cycles, reflected in the movements of the stars and planets, are hardwired into us to such a degree that we cannot help but respond to their call. Everything we do is governed and conditioned by these cycles; they are the terms of our agreement for earthly existence. Nowhere is this more truly revealed than in the complex dynamics of human relationship, source for both our greatest triumphs and our most crushing defeats. It seems at times that the more we try to control our relationships and to make of them what we know they should be, the more they behave like forces of nature, by turns wild and unpredictable then calming and stabilizing, frustrating and destructive then nourishing and exhilarating. Who does not want to feel richly loved or passionately desired without having to face the shadow sides of possessiveness and jealousy? And yet, as night follows day, we cannot help but experience the full length and multi-dimensionality of each natural cycle we encounter. Our way to healthy relationships is not through the circumvention of nature's laws but rather by learning to make best use of them. Synastry provides the guidance we all feel the need of at times. It teaches us how to be more completely in tune with our own Souls and with the rhythms of our relationships, and to take charge of our lives in a manner both responsible and wise.

Technically speaking, synastry involves the comparison of two (or more) astrological charts to determine the various areas of strength and weakness between the personalities they symbolize. It examines all aspects of the relationship, answering questions like what attracts each of the partners, how they deal with conflict, and who takes the lead in the relationship. To understand how this chart comparison works, though, one first needs to familiarize oneself with the basic astrological principles. It all begins with the Zodiac, a band of twelve stellar constellations that form a complete circle about our equator, chosen by the fact that they form the backdrop to the Sun's annual journey through our skies. While astrologers are well aware that this phenomenon is created by the Earth's revolution about the Sun rather than by the movement of the Sun itself, it must be understood that astrological language is a pictorial one, told from the perspective of one who gazes into the sky and ponders the meaning of what he/she sees. We talk about heavenly bodies as if they are actually circling about our world because this is how it appears to the untrained eye. Astrology, remember, developed out of celestial observations made by the naked eye, and our system for attaching certain patterns of movement to particular natural cycles is also rooted in that observational origin.

There are twelve constellations, or signs, in the Zodiac. Each sign has been systematically assigned 30 degrees of the full astrological chart that, like the Zodiac itself, is represented as a circle or Great Wheel of 360 degrees total. The planets also follow this same path in their own orbits so that, like the Sun, one of the twelve signs can always be spotted behind the planet at any given time of its revolution. The Sun or planet is said to be in that sign located just behind it. A natal, or birth, chart is a map of where the planets were located on that Great Wheel at the very moment and place of birth. That map reveals the particular confluence of natural cycles that went into the creation of the individual born at that point in time. As such, these charts are also maps of the individuals themselves, of their gifts and challenges, their potential and likely responses, the tools they have to work with in this lifetime to co-create their own unique story. Every person has all ten of the planets in his or her chart. These consist of three separate groupings: the Luminaries -- Sun and Moon (counted as planets for astrological purposes); the Inner Planets -- Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, and the Outer Planets -- Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Each planet symbolizes, or embodies, a collective of natural cycles experienced as an intuitive whole that, among other things, serves as a basis for personality formation. The Sun, for example, symbolizes the principle of the life force, the creative juice that propels us forward to accomplish great things, and without with we wither and become mere shadows of what we could have been. The sign that a planet is in describes a particular style in which that given principle most typically expresses itself. The Sun as expressed through the sign of Libra, say, finds its joy, its will and drive to live, by exploring the themes of balance, extremity, harmony and disharmony, aesthetics, and relationship. The range of how this is done can vary greatly. While some Librans will choose to develop a classically refined sense of taste, others will choose just the opposite and express themselves via social rebellion and outsider interests. We are nothing if not diverse in our creativity.

Just as each of the ten planets express themselves through one of the twelve thematic styles of the Zodiac signs, so also do they primarily manifest that expression through one of the twelve areas of life as symbolized by the Houses. Technically, the Houses represent twelve divisions of the sky through which the Sun and planets pass in a given twenty-four-hour day. Although there are several different methods in use for computing these divisions, one of the most common ones in use today does so by dividing the path of the Sun into two-hour blocks; each House, therefore, represents the distance covered by the Sun in two hours on that particular day in that particular geographical location. Just as the Sun passes through twelve divisions of a Great Wheel during the course of a year, so does it mimic that journey each day by passing through another twelve divisions, each of which reflects the meaning of one of the signs. In this manner, the cycles of our ordinary daily life are tied directly into the cycles of our annual solar passage. There are even larger cycles than that of the year but these tend to affect only very large groupings or even the species as a whole and so are not relevant to our discussion here. When looking at an astrological chart, think of the signs as the clothing worn by the planets and the houses as, very simply, where they live. We tend to feel the easiest in expressing ourselves when we are in the comforts of our own home. It is the same for the planets. If Mars, the masculine principle of aggression and physical energy, lives in the Eleventh House, he will feel most at ease when hanging out and sharing activities with his friends or showing off to a group of close associates. He may even take up some sort of political activism since the Eleventh House also covers humanitarian ideals. The terms highlighted are all keywords representing the area of life presided over, or ruled, by the Eleventh House. This does not mean that Mars will not express himself in the other areas of life, too; he just will not do so with the same clarity or level of instinct. If one were to further ask the difference between signs and houses, one might say that while signs describe broad themes it is the houses that make those themes practical to our everyday life. Houses are where the "rubber meets the road." When conducting a relationship analysis of two partners' charts, an astrologer looks for where one person's planets fall in the other person's houses. This indicates what areas of life are stimulated by the partner and in what way. Person A's Sun in Person B's Fourth House, for example, the House covering issues of family and personal security, will tend to indicate that family will be a source of joy and special importance for these two people, and that any personal insecurities experienced by Person B will tend to melt away under the warm approval he/she feels in the company of Person A. In like manner, continued analysis of this sort uncovers the practical life of the relationship, the daily influence it will effect upon each of its participants.

Synastry is about relationship, the great variety of ways that humans interact with each other and produce an even greater variety of results. The planets also form relationships with each other, called aspects, which just like human relationships can express themselves with near endless range. The Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary defines the astrological use of the term, aspect, as "The situation of planets or stars with respect to one another, or the angle formed by the rays of light proceeding from them and meeting at the eye; the joint look of planets or stars upon each other or upon the earth." -- (source: John Milton). Again one hears in this definition the observational origins of astrology since the type and influence of the planets in aspect are determined by how the light proceeding from them are perceived by and impact the viewer. This very personal, interactive way of relating to the heavens is one of the things that clearly distinguishes the underlying spirit of astrology from the objective, impersonal data of its sister science astronomy. The importance and nature of the aspect is determined by two things: (1) the particular angle of degree between the planets, and (2) the meanings of the planets involved and the fashion in which those meanings are modified when blended. In ancient and medieval astrology, aspects (like planets and stars) were often classified as either benefic (exerting a good influence) or malefic (exerting an evil influence) but modern astrologers prefer the terms harmonious (or "soft;" promoting easy flow) and disharmonious (or "hard;" promoting conflictual flow). It is understood now that while harmonious aspects may be easier to bear they can also produce laziness and complacency while disharmonious aspects, though difficult to bear, tend to be better at motivating us to take action. Most serious love relationships would never have gotten off the ground if not for a few hard aspects to create the necessary tension for attraction. According to the ancient Alexandrian astrological authority, Ptolemy, there are five major aspects that remain in use to this day (many new ones have been added in recent history but for this discussion we will stick to the basics). A Conjunction of planets (sometimes popularly referred to as an alignment) occurs when two or more planets reside at roughly the same degree in the same sign of the Zodiac; in other words, they line up with each other. It is the most powerful of the aspects and can produce either harmony or disharmony, or both simultaneously, dependant on the planets involved, other aspects made to them by other planets, and the use that particular individuals make of them. They allow the forces symbolized by the planets to operate as one, wonderful if this involves happy-go-lucky Jupiter and sexy Venus, dangerous if it involves aggressive Mars and destructive Pluto. Actions proceeding out of conjunctions tend to occur naturally and unconsciously; a person or relationship involving many conjunctions in their charts tend to behave like forces-of-nature with little opportunity for self-awareness or critical self-assessment. If you have ever experienced a relationship that seemed to just "happen" to you, taking you to the heights and then depositing you dazed and confused on a lonely beach wondering, "What just happened," you know from experience the power of conjunctions. The Opposition, second only to the conjunction in power, is formed when two or more planets are roughly 180°, or halfway around the circle, from each other. Classified as disharmonious or "hard" aspects, oppositions live up to their name by causing the forces symbolized by the planets to pull in two opposite directions without allowing you to simply give up one for the other. You either learn to compromise and develop a balance between the two forces together or you are pulled apart by the tension they produce. People who are torn between their families and their careers, for example, know the difficulties inherent in such a dynamic. Unlike conjunctions, however, this aspect produces heightened awareness by forcing us to more clearly comprehend the details of a situation through contrast with the other. It is not unusual, for example, to discover that a heterosexual relationship where a man "really feels like a man" and a woman "really feels like a woman" involves an opposition between the man's Mars and the woman's Venus. Although the contrast can produce the classic Battle of the Sexes, it can also produce an exhilarating sexual tension between the partners. Other major aspects include the Trine (120° apart, creating harmonious flow), the Square (90° apart, creating dynamic conflict), and the Sextile (60° apart, creating opportunities for action). In the synastric comparison of charts, the aspects between each partner's planets reveal the complex interaction of their personalities and what feelings and actions they produce in each other apart from how they operate independently. It shows both the challenges in the relationship and the gifts it brings to both partners. Let me make it very clear, however, that an abundance of hard aspects between two charts DOES NOT necessarily mean that the two individuals are incompatible and should throw in the towel just as an abundance of soft aspects does not guarantee that all will be sunshine and roses. If you think about your own experience you will probably agree that some of your best relationships have involved struggle and tension, if for no other reason than because they were full of energy and required your complete attention to deal with. Relationships that are too easy tend to become boring in matters of romance although they may make for nice, casual friends or pleasant work-related colleagues. Human beings want to grow and be stimulated; the kind of stimulation we seek requires that at least some hard aspects be present. Aspects are the source of action and dynamic movement; if not for them nothing would ever happen. Another matter involving aspect interpretation is the matter of orbs. The term, orb, in astrology refers to a margin of error or range in intensity of a given aspect determined by the number of degrees that it is out of phase to the exact degree of angle required. For example, for a square to exist between two planets they must be 90° apart but that distance does not necessarily have to be exact. A square is typically allotted an orb of 8° so that the two planets can be anywhere from 82° apart to 98° apart and still be said to be in square to each other. What differs is the level of intensity and/or importance within the psyche of the individual. Although there can be other variables at play, the general rule of thumb in these matters is that the tighter, or more exact, the orb the more potent the aspect will manifest. Each aspect has an orb allotted to it by virtue of tradition and the experience of thousands of fellow astrologers. When looking at the aspects between two individuals' charts, the allotted orbs are smaller (5°to 6° for most) and typically the aspects within orb by only 2° to 3° will predominate in the relationship, especially in its initial stages. The other aspects in greater orb (4° to 6°), subtler in character, will usually only manifest once the relationship is off the ground and flying. Aspect analysis is a central feature of synastric chart comparison, vital to determining the fundamental relational dynamics between any two or more people. By coming to understand the multiplicity of relationships that exist between the parts, the planets, the relationship of the whole is clarified where before only confusion existed. What have the stars always done after all but shed light in all the dark places?

From our earliest days, we have looked to the stars for wisdom and clarity. Noting that corresponding patterns between celestial motion and natural cycles seemed to exist everywhere, we sought to interpret and understand the First Relationship between Father Sky and Mother Earth. Centuries later, those intentions have led to the development of an impressive body of wisdom we call Modern Astrology. Through the branch of astrology called Synastry, we have learned to better comprehend the complex dynamics of love and human relationship. By applying this extensive body of knowledge and technique to the most profound facet of human existence, we can find guidance where guidance is needed and healing where the wounds seem too great to heal. Far from being an outdated relic of a bygone age, astrology is a sophisticated means of understanding how that First Relationship sheds its light on every relationship born since, even as it restores to us the wonder we once felt as a child when we looked to the night sky and dreamed.