With Saturn's return to the relationships sign of Libra, there's a focus on relationships everywhere -- may it be in love, family, friends, colleagues or with the self. Late last year, when Saturn initially entered Libra, I noticed a surge in clients' interest in synastry readings. Saturn has since revisited Virgo from April to July and now has returned to Libra, where he'll remain until October 5, 2012. I thought it might be a good time to write a post on Synastry.

Our individual birth charts provide detailed information on our personal, emotional, spiritual and psychological makeup. We can pinpoint what comes difficult or easy for us, where our strengths and weaknesses lie, what our natural abilities may be, where our motivations are rooted from, and much more. Imagine then, what information could be gathered in comparing two birth charts together.

Synastry is the study of relationships in astrology. It's casting two individual birth charts for comparison with each other that provides enlightenment upon the compatibility of the two people involved and insight to the dynamic of their relationship/partnership.

Couples, new and longtime, have used synastry to gain better understanding of each other as individuals (with their individual motivations) and as a couple (functioning together as a unit). It can help clarify what's been difficult to understand, identify where the challenges lie and which avenues can be taken to provide relief, give an in-depth picture of how the partnership functions, show where common grounds are, and more.

For instance, using the synastry chart wheel below with "Person O" (birth chart on the outside of synastry wheel) and "Person I" (birth chart on the inside), we see that Person O's (PO) Sun falls in Person I's (PI) 4th house of home & family. There's a strong and deep connection between these two. PI may feel "at home" with PO, and PO might respond by wanting to protect/lend support to PI. On the flip side, we can also see that PI's Sun lights up PO's 3rd house of thought and communication. Their partnership is stimulated through communication, interaction, sharing ideas. They may find their conversations easily jumping from topic to topic and always interested in what the other has to say. We further see that PI's Sun and Mercury oppose PO's Mercury giving a heavy emphasis on communication. They may not always see eye to eye but harmony can be achieved through compromise, open communication and respecting each other's point of view. PI's 12th house natal Moon may be used to holding back emotions or prone to self-sacrifice. However, PI's Moon falling in PO's 5th house pleasure and love gives PI the feeling of more freedom for self-expression and having fun, which should help with keeping their line of communication open.


This is a simplistic look at chart comparison but, hopefully, it gives an idea to what synastry in astrology is. Considerations for chart comparison include, but are not limited to, looking at -- where one person's planets, special points and house angles fall in the other person's birth chart; any aspects/alignments made with natal planets, special points and house angles between the birth charts; each of their 7th houses (partnerships house), natal planets it houses and the planets governing their 7th house. Studying how two charts click or don't click is much more complex than I can explain here without using too much astro-babble :) It also requires more considerations than what I've mentioned. Although, those are good places to start.

Synastry can be a useful tool for gaining insight in any relationship, not just intimate ones. My mom was always so alien to me ... actually, she still is :) But about a decade ago, I studied both our charts together. I don't have her time of birth so, it's not a complete picture but enough to shed light and help me with my interactions with her.

Liz Greene's Astrology for Lovers and/or Stephen Arroyo's Relationships & Life Cycles are great resources for those who want to learn more about synastry. To cast synastry charts, go to astro.com.

Alternatively, I am also available for personal consultations, including synastry readings. Schedule your session or have a question? Ask me here.

Original source unknown for image with hands used above.