Synastry - Relationship Astrology

Have you ever wondered what makes our relationships with others so impactful, for better or worse? The ways in which our astrology charts speak to each other can give us significant insight into the nature of our relationship with a given person! It can give us insight on ways in which we might struggle, so we can be proactive in working through it. It can also reveal our innate strengths as a pair. Synastry can be done between you and anyone else: your partner, mom, dad, child, boss, etc., but it’s most commonly used for intimate relationships, so I thought we could dive into a few examples today.

The first thing I want to mention right away is that it’s always important to consider the entirety of the two charts together. No pair is ‘doomed’ just because there is one connection that may cause some issues. The reality is that we will likely struggle in every relationship we’re in; that’s just the nature of life, so please don’t be alarmed by any of the ‘negative’ connections you might have. Let’s break down some strengths and weaknesses within synastry connections.

Harmonious Aspects:

• The same signs in different placements: same Sun/Moon, Moon/Venus, Venus/Sun. This often feels familiar, like you've known the person longer than you have.

• Sun, Moon, and Venus in the same elements (fire, air, earth, water). Ex: Sun in Virgo/Venus in Taurus (these make a trine connection!)

• The same rising sign as their Sun, Moon, Venus, Mars, or Jupiter. Ex: Leo rising and a Leo Venus (this puts the Leo Venus in the other person's first house!)

• Mars/Venus connections. Disclaimer: If the aspect is hard (square or opposition), then the connection can be more challenging, but these two planets in connection bring passion and heat, which will keep the relationship alive. Example: Venus in Leo and Mars in Libra.

• North Node connections: Sun, Moon, Venus, rising degree, Mercury, and Mars conjunct someone else’s North Node (degree is important here; don’t just look at the sign). The node connections represent karmic relationships, so any connection to the North Node indicates a relationship that is highly important in this lifetime! Example: NN at 7 degrees Libra and Venus at 8 degrees Libra.

• Sun/Moon/Venus connections with Jupiter. Jupiter is expansion and brings out more of those qualities in the other person. This is an exciting connection. Example: The moon and Jupiter are both in Pisces.

Challenging Aspects:

• Moon/Saturn hard aspects (square and opposition). This can feel like the Saturn person is trying to control the Moon person, especially around how they express themselves. Example: Moon in Cancer and Saturn in Capricorn.

• Venus/Saturn in hard aspects (square and opposition). Disclaimer: This can sometimes equate to longevity in relationships and indicate a relationship that is built to last, therefore it isn't 'bad,' but you have to be able to work through the initial struggles. Example: Venus in Taurus and Saturn in Scorpio.

• Venus/Pluto in hard aspects. Disclaimer: This aspect can also manifest in a healthy way if both parties can handle it healthily. The Pluto person can be obsessive; only if the Venus person is open and available will it work. Example: Venus in Pisces and Pluto in Virgo.

• Moon/Mars in hard aspects. This can also bring passion, but if you’re not careful, it can bring drama and explosive qualities to the relationship. Example: the moon in Aries and Mars in Cancer.

• Mars/Saturn in hard aspects. This can also be explosive energy. Example: Mars in Pisces and Saturn in Virgo.

• Mars/Pluto in hard aspects. This can be explosive but also violent. Example: Mars in Leo and Pluto in Scorpio

• Saturn/Pluto in hard aspects. Both of these planets tend to like control so it's possible this aspect can manifest as constant bickering, fighting or butting heads. Example: Saturn in Aquarius and Pluto in Scorpio.

NOTE: It will be important to check the degrees of these planets! The closer they are in degree to one another, the more potent the aspect will be. If you have an opposition that is 20 degrees apart, you may not feel it as intensely as if there is an opposition that is 1 degree apart. For example: Moon at 2 degrees Gemini and Mars at 22 degrees Sagittarius VERSES Moon at 2 degrees Gemini, and Mars at 3 degrees Sagittarius. The closer, the more impactful!

Here are a few examples of synastry aspects between notable couples:

Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman have a Venus/Pluto conjunction in Scorpio. This connection between planets can be both harmonious and challenging. The Pluto person may find themselves being overly obsessive, and the Venus person may feel smothered, but at its best, the aspect can indicate a highly passionate and deeply intimate relationship. Nicole and Keith have been married for nearly 20 years and seem to be thriving as a pair!

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have a Mars/Venus square. Blake’s Mars is at 1 degree Virgo and Ryan’s Venus sit at 3 degrees Sagittarius. These planets are 90 degrees apart within the zodiac which means they are forming a square aspect. The square aspect can be tense, but like I mentioned above, these two planets in a hard aspect can also bring out passion and energy within a relationship. This tension is sometimes needed in order for the relationship to move forward and be successful. It can make you aware of cracks within the relationship so that you’re able to sort through them and become stronger for it. Blake and Ryan have a very playful relationship, and you can feel their chemistry when you watch them together. It’s worth noting that Blake also has her Sun, Venus, and Mercury all within the first 6 degrees of Virgo, so Ryan’s Venus is also in a square with those planets as well.

Sun Sign Synastry:

You may have noticed I didn’t cover what sun signs might be compatible with your sun sign. This is a type of synastry that you see a lot on social media, in horoscopes, etc., but I really think it misses the complexities that we are as humans. Just as your own personal sun sign doesn’t explain you in its entirety, neither does the connection between you and someone else’s sun. It’s really important to consider the entire picture, which I know can be overwhelming, but there are so many layers within the chart. Don't ignore the aspects you have to each others sun's but also don't give it all the weight in the world before taking in the entire chart!

These synastry aspects barely scratch the surface. To be honest we could probably spend all day here, but I hope this gives you an idea of what synastry is and how we use it! When looking through your synastry with another person I want you to always remember: a relationship can only be as healthy as the least healthy person in it. We are always going to have ups and downs in relationships, no one relationship is 'perfect,' so I challenge you to use the astrology in a supportive way! Synastry can give light to issues we might have before we have them. That way we can be proactive and acknowledge the issues up front rather than ignoring them. If you have any specific synastry questions feel free to reach out to me! Enjoy your week :)

Xoxo,

Lauren

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