“Synastry” refers to the astrological study of relationships. There are 3 main techniques and each of them have their own merits.

A synastry chart or what I would call a “chart comparison” is when you check how one person’s planets relate to another person’s and interpret what you find.

If you want to understand this in real terms just consider that you are a person and you respond to other people. Some people you just automatically like and feel easy around, others activate you in ways that are not so comfortable.
Continue reading Demystifying Astrology: What Is The Difference Between Synastry Chart And A Composite Chart?

“I have Mars at 28 degrees of Pisces *trine* Uranus at 0 degrees Sagittarius. Since they aren’t in the same element, how would that make a trine act differently?”

This is a really good question. Think of it in terms of dressing or putting an outfit together. There are colors that you know do well together. They blend. That would be the straight trine… it’s a no brainer.
Continue reading Demystifying Astrology: What About Aspects Out Of Sign?

The picture is of the left side of a standard chart. The planet symbol I’ve circled shows Venus in Scorpio (check your cheat sheet). The numbers mark the position of Venus in degrees and minutes. If you look closely you will see the degree and the minute symbols next to the numbers so what you have there is Venus in so that bit is read: “Venus at 16 degrees, 59 minutes of Scorpio.” Now use you head. 59 minutes is almost 60 minutes, so that is Venus is nearly 17 degrees.
Continue reading Demystifying Astrology: What Do The Numbers On The Chart Mean? How Do I Find My Rising Sign

“My boyfriend has Saturn conjunct my Sun. Will he hold me back?”

He may but he may also be the best thing that ever happened to you. It’s true if someone has their Saturn in aspect to one of your planets (particularly the personal planets: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars), they will have some authority over you.
Continue reading Demystifying Astrology: Saturn Aspects In Synastry – Mentor Or Oppressor?

Are the Cardinal signs controlling?

Yes they are, as are people with lots of planets in the Cardinal houses (1st, 4th, 7th, 10th). But you should not assign this a negative connotation.

ALL ENERGY IS NEUTRAL UNTIL IT’S DIRECTED.

Yes, your Capricorn mother may try to control your life but she may just as easily control herself and her own life, teaching you to do the same in the process.
Continue reading Demystifying Astrology: Are The Cardinal Signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) Controlling?

When two planets are near each other as pictured they are considered “conjunct”. Last week I had a client who knew some astrology and was asking after her Venus which was in Pisces.

Her Venus was in Pisces but her Mars was also in Pisces and tightly conjunct so I had to explain that with planets this close together in a chart there is no way they can operate independently. It’s akin to being conjoined twins. Wherever one goes the other is there and this is case every minute of every day.
Continue reading Demystifying Astrology: What Is A Conjunction?

Since the last post on the speed of the planets was so well received I’ll try to post something similar. People seemed to grasp the idea of the Sun (ego) being in one sign, Mercury (mind) in another so I thought I’d try to stay on this track and build.

Some of the planets form natural pairs that balance each other. The Sun and the Moon, Venus and Mars and Jupiter and Saturn (expansion and restriction). I thought we’d look at Venus and Mars which basically shows what you like (Venus) and how you go about getting it (Mars).
Continue reading Demystifying Astrology: Venus and Mars – What You Want and How You Get It

On the little things mean a lot front, I want to give you an idea how wide the range of information you can get from a chart. I’m going to use Mercury as an example because while it’s critical (that’s a Virgo joke), it’s importance is discounted in astrology pretty much as a matter of routine for being un-sexy I suppose. Having Libra, I could argue that. Some say sex is all in the mind.

Mercury rules the mind, communication, siblings, transportation, short trips, neighbors, the hands and some other parts of the body that come in pairs, lungs for example.

This means if you look Mercury in someone’s chart you can tell how they get along (or not) with their siblings and neighbors. You can tell how they drive, how they think, what their hands look like without even seeing them.
Continue reading Demystifying Astrology: Just What Can You Tell From A Chart Anyway… AKA Little Things Mean A Lot, Redux

SkyPie wrote on Demystifying Astrology: What Is A Conjunction?

“Personally, I think some people do have hard edges.”

SkyPie – you may be right… we may be talking about two different things, but I’ll tell what I’ve observed.

People who have a hard edge with one person relax it when they interact with a different person so consequently the edge is not really hard. Also, people who have a hard edge when they are 20 years old might have no edge at all in that place when they are 30 or 40.
Continue reading Demystifying Astrology Interlude: Do People Have Hard Edges?

Circled on the chart pictured is the “ascendant”. To determine the “chart ruler”, or the “ruling planet” check the sign on the ascendant. The planet that rules that sign is your chart ruler.

Aries rising or ascendant = Mars ruled chart
Taurus rising or ascendant = Venus ruled chart

If you don’t know what planet rules what sign you can refresh your memory here: cheat sheet
Continue reading Demystifying Astrology: What Is The Chart Ruler?