Nota,

-Leo Guy

This is a very common beginning astrology question. The querent often thinks he or she is asking an innocent question regarding compatibility. What they do not realize is that this line of questioning, when presented to a thoughtful and honest astrologer* will lead them to the precipice of a new conception of astrology.

*excuse my personal bombast, my progressed moon is moving into Sagittarius

Let’s look at the first part of the question… I am a Leo (or insert whatever you are.) What does that mean? It means that your Sun is in the sign of Leo. Leo is your Sun sign. Sun sign astrology is the most popular form of astrology. It is the lighthearted description of yourself that you read in magazines, the design you look for on your coffee mug or key chain. Many people are content to end their investigation of astrology at the Sun. But as many of us more voracious astrological enthusiasts discover, there is more to a chart than just the Sun. You could say Sun sign astrology is the gateway drug to real astrology.

If you’ve been reading pop astrology, you’ve probably seen these compatibility groupings of Sun signs based on elements and modes. They say things like “Gemini people should get along with Aquarius and Libra, but not Virgo or Pisces.” So, a little Gemini reads this and says “But I love Pisces, my two best friends are Pisces, astrology is dumb.”

This is a sad situation, because if she had talked to someone who could show her how to read her whole chart they would see that she has a Pisces moon in the 11th house, or Cancer Venus trine her friend’s Sun. See there’s other factors at play here.

“Ok Nota, So what you’re saying is there is more than just the Sun sign to consider? And when we consider all the other stuff, we get a more detailed picture of who we’re supposed to get along with?”

Don’t ask Who, ask How. There’s not a particular person that you need to find. It’s more about the type of interaction that you are looking for. Maybe you have a lot of squares on your Venus or you’re a Plutonian type and easygoing relationships bore you. Maybe you have a lot of water and you want to meet someone in a dream. There is no universal sign of compatibility. Compatibility is subjective to the individuals involved. So the individual must be considered first.

After you get a handle on what sort of relation you want, then you can begin to compare charts. Looking at charts together describes the type of interaction. Will there be tension? Will it be smooth? Will there be attraction? Will it be awkward? See these descriptions by themselves are just menu items. They must be considered with the personal taste of the individual diners in mind. Two charts together could have a lot of the so-called “easy” aspects. But what if it’s discord that wets your whistle? Maybe awkwardness turns you on. Well then the easy relationship isn’t going to satisfy you. Maybe, you are looking for something easy, but the partner you have chosen isn’t. There’s a disparity of expectation that must be over come.

So, to answer the question, who am I supposed to get along with? Look within yourself first before you examine someone else. This is an invitation to start to explore the whole chart. Find out where your other planets are. You can get a free chart from Astrodienst. Start with the personal planets. Not just the Sun but also the Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars. Look up the meanings of each one by sign and by house. Start to read about the aspects to each one. After some thinking, come to the boards and start a thread about it. See what other people with similar placements think. You’ll start to put together a deeper profile of what it is that you are seeking, among other things that come with self exploration.

Have you looked at your whole chart? When did you realize there was more to this stuff than just your Sun sign?

If you are interested in talking to Nota about going beyond the Sun, click here

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