This article covers the basics of synastry chart compatibility, the aspects between two charts and the midpoint-in-time, Davison relationship chart. You can also look further into synastry astrology in Best Synastry Aspects and also see the test I devised for my Synastry readings in action with this post Soulmates Love Test.
Synastry Compatibility
Finding true love with a soulmate is not all that it’s cracked up to be. It’s more likely to be a case of “Help, I’ve found my soul mate!” In synastry astrology, the 7th house is not just the house of marriage, it is also the house of open enemies. It is also opposed the 1st house of the physical self. Therefore the supposed “Soul mate” relationship is very often a tug of war on many levels. What may feel destined could also be a number of things. The beloved could be reflecting strongly back to you your animus or anima, what you are lacking in your chart, what you have disowned in your chart or, when the relationship turns sour, your worst demons.
With synastry chart compatibility, squares and challenging synastry aspects between a couple are karmic aspects and can be extremely challenging. These will usually enable you to “fast-track” your spiritual evolution by burning off a ton of ingrained karma. Often a soul mate comes into your life simply to do this, but it does not mean it is life long. Negative karma from the past can attract you even more strongly than positive karma. Hence those impossible, gut-wrenching, and often unrequited love affairs.
I don’t believe an Astrologer can or should ever tell you “This is THE one”. It could be “A” one however, and they can certainly show you exactly why you have been pulled together. You will also be able to see why you find it so hard to break up even if the relationship is making you miserable. Usually these are Moon/Saturn contacts.
Looking at the charts individually first is crucial to see what each person can handle in a relationship. Some people just cannot take too much drama, others would be bored without it. Some may need a very cosy domestic 24/7 togetherness, while others crave space, so that a long distance romance might actually suit. Therefore it’s really rather pointless saying “Oh my Sun is conjunct his Moon, we are destined!” if one of you is a thrill seeker and the other likes vegging infront of the TV.
Davison Synastry Chart
Relationships are the best teacher and love horoscope compatibility using synastry aspects can certainly see what type of lessons you are learning from each other. There are 3 ways to do this, and that is through casting the Composite, Davison and Draconic charts.
One of the most illuminating things to look out for, is when the partners important planets or points make a conjunction with the Sun, Moon, AC, Nodes or Vertex in the Davison chart. It shows how important the relationship is for each of them. It will reveal if one is more attached to the union than the other.
The Davison compatibility horoscope takes the midpoint in time between the couples birth-date. The co-ordinates are also half way. This is my specialty. I love Davisons because this chart actually exists physically, so one can take into account the fixed stars. I have also found them to contain the most magic. This chart describes why you have been brought together and what lessons you have to learn in this lifetime.
With the fixed stars, you can sometimes get a very clear picture of the past lives and karma that brought the couple together. With Soulmates it is usually very obvious. Symbols and themes will keep repeating themselves and a story will come out. The Tarot which is looked at with the Nodes will often confirm this. It is very important to look at the connections from the Davison to the couples natal charts. Strong indicators of many lives together and/or a karmic mission will be confirmed if the couple have conjunctions to the big 3 (Sun/Moon/AC). We have found the Nodes and the Vertex very important also.
Our Davison Chart
The big stand-out theme in our own Davison chart is the fact the tight North Node/Vertex conjunction in our synastry falls on the Sun of the Davison. Important synastry between the couples own birthchart’s and the Davison is crucial to dittermine if the relationship itself is important to them both. In our Davison chart the big feature is that the Sun is tightly opposed the Moon (27′) which means our SouthNode/Anti-Vertex falls on that Moon too making it all the more potent.
What is lovely about Huber charts is they do paint pictures, this is deliberate and is counted as part of the interpretation. In this we get what looks like two sail boats, the larger one containing the important Sun opposite Moon. It looks like the two of us voyaging along the astrological sea, the fixed stars above us serving as guides. It also looks rather like Sydney opera house!
I like the fact that travel is a theme with Jupiter in the first boat, very apt since we live 10000 miles apart. In the second boat we have Mercury (writing), Venus (art/love) and Mars opposite Lilith (sex & war) which describes our website pretty much. Look at abundant Ceres and Jupiter in the 5th. 4 kids between us, but also a fertile ground for creativity.
The closest star to the all important Sun is on is Mirfak in Perseus. This is the arm that cut off Medusa’s (Algol) head, we both have our demons to slay, and part of our mission with Darkstar is to help other address their own. I do see Perseus as some sort of exorcist. Further away but more important as a star is Alcyone (The Pleiades) on our Sun. Again it is another one of those Darkstars with a mixed reputation. “The ruthless visionary, a passionate but potentially arrogant person.” [1]. In my research I found Alcyone to be wise and magical, but it’s true it has not been an easy ride for us both. We have had our share of scandal and rockiness in relationships.
The rising star in the chart will show our souls journey and the impression we give to others. The closest star is Biham on the face of our friend Pegasus. Pegasus was born of Medusa’s blood. This connects with our Sun, heroic Perseus. If we can slay our demons both personally and in our work, we can reach for the stars like Pegasus.It also suggests ambition and long distance travel. More Pegasus, I like Chiron the Astrologer up front in the 1st house sitting on controversial Scheat! 
Chiron is sextile our Sun. There is no escape from the Astrology then, Uranus in the 7th, a married couple who are Astrologers also. We do battle however, Mars square Venus can be stressful in a working relationship with a spouse. Competitive, but creative. Venus will tend to win because she is on the brightest star in the sky Sirius. Mars can be tricky on Algorab... I was very pleased to see that we had Antares the heart of the Scorpion and Archangel star on the MC with Alderbaran, Archangel Michael on the IC protecting us.
Fortunate aspects to the luminaries are important, and we have Jupiter’s blessing (A trine to the Moon) to the competitive Sun/Moon opposition, we do need that because those very archetypical Sun/Moon, Venus/Mars hard aspects certainly show some sort of battle of the sexes. Not showing up here because its a Huber chart is the fact Lilith is opposite Mars too! Also not showing, a mystic rectangle with the Nodes and AC/DC and a high flying kite between the Sun/Moon/Jupiter and Chiron.
Soulmate Synastry
Davison charts often show very clear karma between a couple and clues to their past lives. I’m pretty sure Jamie and I have worked together before, I also think we have always had the issue of work/family balance also. (Mars square Ceres). The best synastry in the world however does not guarantee ever-lasting happiness. I show our chart here as a good example of a life changing and catalystic relationship. It’s a very strong and dynamic chart, but not necessarily an easy one.
Looking at our synastry with the Davison. It is interesting that my AC is 2 degrees off our Mercury (Writing/Astrology) on Rigel “Scientific, prominent position in connection with Mercurial matters or in science.” [2] While Jamie’s DC is our Ceres (The children). Our challenge is the reversing of traditional roles, as a single father of three young children, Jamie has had to take the role of the mother. I, on the other hand, am very much used to my independence. Having only one child and free weekends leaves me much time to write. When we live together, all this will change. Can this chart take on the challenge?
Do you compare the Draconic chart to the natal chart also or just to the partner’s Draconic chart. My boyfriend and I have several conjunctions between our Draconic charts.
also what orb do you use when looking at them?
This is really all intuitive so it depends on the individual reading I do. I mainly focus on Draco to Draco, but if you compare one Draco to the other standard chart, you will find links that give more information. You really are going outside standard traditional astrology here, like I said, all very intuitive and when you get in the zone you will see links everywhere and really get a clear picture of the story.
Same with the orbs, your intuition will tell you if something is relevant. I tend to keep them fairly tight, even to the points of only looking at conjunctions in synastry to the same star. But that is pushing it a bit too far. I guess 3 degrees would be fair.
This is a new area for me and one I’m excited to start exploring thanks to Robert Blaschke.
He recommends Draconic to Natal and to use exact degree conjunctions only. I’m not sure what he means by exact. Does he really mean 0 degs 00′? This will show ongoing soul contracts.
Interestingly he says natal to sidereal will show the completion of karma. These are the guys you will say bye-bye to in this life time. I have not come across this and need to test it out.
I have his relationship astrology book, and it seems that he was referring to conjunctions within 1 degree.
BTW…I think that it’s refreshing to get astrological insights on relationships from a married couple like you and Jamie.
Congratulations on the marriage. I wish you all the best!
Thanks Raymond. Its a bit of an odd one isn’t it though? Its very hard for us not to talk shop all the time, and now we have two computers right next to our beds while I’m on holiday here. Uranian overdose!
Happy Valentine’s Day, all. Venus at 12-13 d/g’s Capricorn conjuncts my progressed Venus and Mars (“alright tonight”), sextiles it’s own natal Scorpio position as well as my ASC and natal/progressed Neptune (ruler of my 5th house). Late Mon/Tue the Moon it her own Cancer will form a “hexagram of the heavens” (I use that phrase in reference and reverence for SCO/CAN rising Joni Mitchell) with my natal and progressed planets. My natal Moon is 16 d/g’s Taurus.
Uranus is in my 5th house partile trining my natal Sun, and Jupiter is also in my 5th trining my natal Mars (that rules Aries–mutual reception!).
Maybe I’ll get a card this year!
Got wind up with Eva Braun, her seemingly blind attraction to Hitler at 17, a secret loveaffair that spanned 16 years and the joint suicide. Was astrology at work here?
hevabraun.dk/
fascinating stuff. what do you make of, in synastry, tight conjunctions of saturn, moon, north nodes, and chiron? there’s more, but the preponderance of conjunctions with tight orbs is a key facet.
my friend calls it “moon-soaked north nodes”…moons are conjunct (his in my 1st, mine in his 7th), shining on our conjunct north nodes. our south nodes are conjunct too, conjunct our moons, and conjunct our mutual ceres. i feel this relationship is all about emotional healing, nurturing through love and care, and emotional understanding. i feel this is a soulmate relationship. sexual chemistry is high, but there is always something preventing it from happening. we explore deep layers of our psychology and personality and have never even kissed (but we want to!).
I am a Libra And was born on october 14 1994
And i have special dreams, and i almost love a person who is a aquarius, very gorgeous, unlike me i aint all that pritty though, and hes 21 and he was born on february 3 and hes a bartender, and i don’t even have my own apartment i live with my dad who is a virgo and a brother who is a leo, and i wanted to get something from you or see what you’d say. plz and thanx
Two thoughts… 1)given your in depth knowledge of astrology the idea that there is even more for you to learn & explore is mind-boggling to a novice such as myself and 2) The personal insight & connections really gives so much added meaning – your personal touch makes a difference!
Oh God, I will be learning astrology till the day I die! That’s the deal working with the new discoveries and the fixed stars, their interpretations are constantly evolving as we are as human beings. And gee you know how many fixed stars there are……
I’m pleased you like the personal stuff, It’s a real treat to do our own charts, as most of the time we are too busy doing other peoples.
In my optimistic Jupiter way, I rather downplayed the influence of Dschubba on the Moon.
I thought it important to talk about when you get a bit of a “Darkstar” in such a prominent position on a Davison.
If you just read Dschubba’s interpretation out of context you get ” With Moon: Reserved, suspicious, bad for business success, disgrace, loss by horses and cattle.” [Robson*, p.172.] This is one of the Psycho stars, but since we are rather fascinated by underworld types I guess we would need a dose of their weaponry. It is rather aptly opposed heroic Mirfak. This could also be describing a past life and the reason we have been brought together again, that we have to face up to whatever this demon is once and for all.
Overall I think we have enough lucky aspects and powerful stars to offset this one, and we have enough good cash stars and aspects between us to bounce back from any losses. So far the only thing burning a hole in our pockets is airfares…(Modern horsepower?)
There are that many fixed stars there are bound to be a few unsavory ones in a persons or persons combined chart. Just like difficult aspects, they add spice. Remember they can be used at different frequencies also. I would like to think our Dschubba manifests through uncovering secrets and in-depth, occult research.
Good morning Marina from beautiful frosty Berkshire! Well you’re a brave girl to expose your karma like that!! Big up to you!
One thing which stands out to me as a denizen of deepest relationship horrors, which you mentioned, is the 7th House – house of open enemies/marriage. So as traditionally ruled by Libra and Saturn I’m thinking a ittle bit on the idea of Libra being taken from the Scorpion’s claw – and as I read somewhere, this was the nastiest bit of Scorpio. ow appropriate it should find its way into the house of marriage!
We have become so relationship obsessed that its easy to forget a sexual relationship is the quickest door to in depth and unconscious interaction between two souls. A bridge is formed but what trolls lurk under the bridge?
If you think of the acceleration in relationship “turnover” from the 60s to the present it seems we are speeding up the release of a lot of karma – but at the same time creating more – sex and birth creating more. I think the Neptune in Libra generation (mine) were compelled to use relationship as a mystical grail where in fact this is illusory. I think we missed that point while we were having fun!
Its all to easy in the whacky race to the altar (altar being a place of bloody sacrifice too!) to forget that just because the costumes have been bought and the love forever looks exchanged that the previous life encounter might have been prisoner and gaoler or political enemies, torturer and victim etc
Where would you find significators for the nature of the past encounter?
e.g in one Davison chart i drew up for myself and an ex I see we have the Sun exact conj the asc with Mars and Saturn conj too. Chiron is opp a Vertex PLuto Uranus conj. THe North node is opp the Moon.
It looks military – with the issue of wounding to be resolved! The weird thing – I lent him a book called Power – which is a brilliant collection of power strategies used over the ages in great conflicts with the pros and cons of each strategy and the actual account of events where they were used for gainful outcome. When the relationship broke up, I can honestly say I never felt so disempowered n my life! And he wouldn’t return the book!
Chiron is also in a kite to Neptune, Vertex, Pluto, Uranus and north Node – so I’m thinking an equal opportunity for healing as well as wounding and that this relationship may have included karma for other relationships where healing was a vital component. I’ve got this mental picture now of the American civil war and some bloody encounter but another scenario where experimentation with method of healing involved a massive amount of trust and the trust was breached…
Lilith is trine Venus and PoF, also Eris and the Moon is also trine Vertex Uranus and PLuto but Zosma is conj Uranus… and the n node is conj Sirius.
There’s more… but over all I’m seeing this relationship as a very accelerated trip to the charnel house of karma! And although its over, I don’t feel its over! Bt then I suppose I can choose not to engage in further karmic exorcisms with this person by choosing not to fight… now that’s a really hard miloitary startegy to take! I’m now going to look a bit more at the fixed stars. I also see that Uranus Pluto and Vertex are in the 7th house….the node is in the fifth conj Sirius.
What is the value of then doing a synastry between the natal cahrts and the Davison to see what each was bringing/taking from the composite?
I just looked at another Davison for another relationship and Venus is conj Regulus, Our nicknames for eachother were King of Cups (he was a Scorpio with Pisces asc and Neptune conj the Sun) and Queen of Wands!
Hiya Uber! I totally missed this reply. Back in frosty London now so catching up. I love your observations. And yes 7th house/open enemies. I have felt the love/hate competitive edge…We get angry with each other when we object to alterations on the website, but it ALWAYS looks better when we compromise.
Comparing natals to Davison is fascinating. It is also quite stunning to see natals of new partner compared to the previous relationship Davison. In triangular relationships it can get quite spooky, or when the Ex is still having an influence on the new relationship due to to relationships with children.
One very poignant example of a triangular relationship is that the Lilith on the other couples Davison chart fell exactly on my AC, opposite a Sun/Ceres conjunction on my Yod reaction point. Ouch!
Uber you can still do a Davison for you and your husband. Just do a midday chart for him, atleast you’ll get an idea of the aspects and also the stars the personals fall on. Only the moon may be abit iffy.
Cheers Marina! I’ll do a chart for the midday and another for the time I dowsed and see what happens.
to both Marina and ubrqueenofheats, thank you for opening your personal lives like that , it offers many a woring understanding
If you have not tried past life regression therapy before, Sue Nicholson (NZ) psycic and medium, has a brilliant past life audio available, which I have foudn to be very useful:)
MAny thanks Chris – I did some past life regression years ago but I think I’m due another dose now. I’ll check Sue out – maybe I can download the audio.
Interestingly – I’m not able to do a Davison chart between myself and my husband as i don’t know his time of birth but doing one for the time we got married and myself is highly revealing – as it includes the third party (the one mentioned above) who was part of the deal! Ughh! Karma… I’m ready to give up my addiction to karma!
Are you using the term “synastry” interchangeably with “composite”? Because the Davison is a composite chart.
My #1 sweetie and I have two interlocking/overlapping synastric Yods that involve my (SCO) Sun sextile my (CAP) Saturn and her (GEM) Mars-Mercury sextile her (LEO) Pluto. I’m double SCO and she’s TAU/GEM rising. That system is the trapezoid bound with two sextiles, a square, and a quincunx.
Our Davison composite features a massive (I like that word for this!) VIIth (CAN) stellium in LEO: Venus-Uranus-Sun-Vertex; and Mercury-Pluto in Virgo (see Sun/ASC above). We have SCO Moon conj MC and TAU Mars conj IC with North Node conj Jupiter in Libra 9th house. Saturn in 11th.
Presently we’re separated by the Continental US (bi-coastal), but I think we have serious power-couple potential, real Camelot/Jack&Jackie stuff here. We’re both semi-pro singers and astrologers. (I can’t believe she hasn’t looked this stuff up yet!)
http://www.astro.com/cgi/chart.cgi?cid=x85filepuzXqI-u1216856674&lang=e&gm=a1&nhor=1&nho2=5&btyp=64&mth=gw&sday=7&smon=3&syr=2012&hsy=-1&zod=&orbp=&rs=0&add=18&add=19&ast=
The Composite
Hey Marina, do you ever use progressed charts in synastry at all? If so, do you use secondary or solar arc progressions? The reason that I ask is I’ve been doing some research on my friend and her new guy, and their synastry is stronger when you compare their solar arc progressed charts because they have a significant age gap. I’m wondering how valid comparing them would be… I’ve heard mixed reviews on secondary and solar arcs in synastry.
I was wondering about a man’s part of marriage conjunct a woman’s psyche. This seems like a strong indicator of something serious, combined with a lot of other positive factors in their charts. I’d be interested to know your opinion when you have a chance. Thanks.
Thanks for the excellent article on synastry astrology. The Davison Synastry Chart is such a revealing tool that is often overlooked or simply not understood. It is great that you include “The best synastry in the world however does not guarantee ever-lasting happiness” … so true and important to understand. Astrology synastry can be a great advantage but is mostly a tool for better understanding and insights into a relationship. The commitment, understanding, and mutual respect for one another is always paramount to the lasting power of any relationship in my mind.