​Love and Astrology

Like most other arenas of experience, astrology can reveal a lot about  your love life and relationships. Like most people, you’ve probably wondered who are you compatible with and if your Zodiac sign shows who you should date? 

Whilst the short answer there is NO (your Sun Sign does NOT dictate who you are most compatible with) your birth chart can give you a lot of detailed information about which partners you are most suited to and why.

In order to understand what you are likely to need in a relationship or your compatibility with someone else you need to know a bit more about how love and astrology work together

And what better time of year is there than Valentines to start exploring the mysteries of your love life and relationships as described by your astrology chart?

It doesn’t have to be complex. Using very simple techniques, you can understand the dynamics between yourself and another individual in any kind of relationship. All you need is your birth charts and the willingness to think along creative lines. 

Whether you would like to know more about your compatibility with friends, with a lover or perhaps an associate at work, astrology can give you an in-depth inside picture. If you want to know why you click or blend with certain types of people all you need to do is to think about the overall flavour of your chart. 

If you want to know why you tend to attract certain people or experiences, then relationship astrology can help clarify this for you. Just look at the planets either located in or ruling your 7th house (DSC). Then see if these qualities are reflected in the people around you. Exploring your relationships through the window of astrology can take you on a transformational and eye-opening ride!

Relationship Astrology – More than Just Sun Signs.

The broad umbrella term for all the techniques used when looking at compatibility through the birth chart is Relationship Astrology.

These techniques reveal who you are likely to feel connected with, where your common ground will lie, and when you are likely to find yourself feeling triggered or reacting adversely to someone else. They can help you to understand you why you attract particular people or experiences, and if necessary, what you can do to change this. They help you see yourself and your connections more objectively.

More than any other technique, Relationship Astrology offers a profound opportunity for understanding yourself through the mirror of the people who share your life. There are three main components of Relationship Astrology – the comparison of individual temperaments, the comparison of astrology charts through a method called synastry, and the interpretation of a third combined chart called a composite astrology chart. 

There are a number of approaches that can be taken when comparing one person’s chart with another. The first place to start is to make a comparison at a psychological or personality level of the two charts involved. This helps to identify who each person is – what their needs and predispositions are. You might call this assessing temperament. 

The best place to start here is to use our Astrology Profile pages. If you know your Sun Moon and Rising signs (as well as those of the other person/s) then you can really build a strong understanding of your compatibility based on your various Zodiac signs. You might also want to think about your Venus sign (as well as theirs) and ask yourself if these blend together well – or have very different points of view. 

The second approach as mentioned is called synastry. This is a way of analysing how one chart – and therefore individual – will affect the other in unique and often unconscious ways. 

And thirdly, there is a more advanced technique called composites, which can help you see how the relationship as a third entity influences you and begins to manifest in your life. You may have noticed you behave in different ways with different people. When a relationship takes on a life of its own, it brings out different sides of the people involved. This is what the composite chart reflects. But to keep it simple, let’s focus on synastry and how you might use this technique to better understand yourself, your love life and compatibility.

What is Synastry? 

The best known technique for examining how you experience your relationships is called synastry. The ways you function with different people changes every time, and synastry helps you recognize why some people bring out certain qualities in you that others do not.

Synastry involves the art of understanding how two or more people will influence and challenge each other – where their similarities and differences lie. Combining the prefix syn, which means joined or together, and astre which means heavenly body or star, synastry describes how your “star” will align with another, and so the kind of luminosity you will make. 

The earliest known reference to synastry dates back to Ptolemy in the 2nd century CE, and since then, astrologers have used this technique to attempt to understand how compatible (or not) two people will be. In fact, the Vedic astrologers of India use this technique to great affect, and have consistently been able to matchmake their clients based solely on their birth or natal charts.  

Any relationship can be examined using synastry, as long as you have an idea of the individual birth charts. But, like most things, there is always a relative level of success. Be open to individual nuance and levels of awareness. While the astrology chart may indicate a stubborn or bullish nature, for example, what can be expressed as rigidity in one person can easily be expressed as constancy in another. 

To use synastry wisely, there are a few do’s and dont’s. Firstly, never make the mistake of thinking that some signs are more suited to you than others. Each person is a complex blend of archetypal/astrological influences and you can never judge a book by its cover – so to speak. 

Secondly, it would be far too simplistic to assume that a relationship can or can’t work based on synastry alone. If you are new to astrology, use basic ideas and comparisons to generate food for thought. Relationships are tricky and should be handled with care. What does your chart show you have in common? Where do differences lie?

No one can say that two people should or shouldn’t be together. Who you choose to love has an element of mystery involved that is as much a part of what your soul requires for growth as what the people involved have in common. Sometimes, you have to be with the wrong person to find out what you truly need!      

Thirdly, a do-it-yourself approach is great but sometimes extra help is required. If you want to work on your relationships, think about like you would a home renovation. While its great, and often rewarding, to take a DIY approach, there are times when you are better off calling in a professional, rather than attempting to make changes that could prove very costly in the long-term. 

The same is true of synastry. Getting the input of a professional astrologer is often your best bet, especially if the two of you have hit difficult ground, and need to see things more clearly. Astrology is great for offering you an objective lens on what you are experiencing and many professional astrologers these days combine counselling and coaching skills to really help you work through what you need and why.

You can organise a consultation with Stars Like You astrologer Damian Rocks if you think that is something you are ready for and need. 

The professional advice of someone outside the relationship can help you see each other in a new light. This can be invaluable for helping you to recognise your stumbling blocks and to plan for the road ahead.

That said however, with a bit of insight and ingenuity you can apply the principles of synastry to your own chart to better understand yourself and your relationships. Even without the help of an astrologer, you can employ simple synastry techniques to understand how compatible you are likely to be, where your common interests lie, and where are likely to see things from very different points of view.

Damian Rocks

I’m a professional astrologer, coach, and Ayurvedic consultant, originally from Australia but now travelling the world. At Stars Like You, the focus is on happiness. We publish great astrology articles, as well as well-researched pieces on nutrition, wellness and Ayurveda drawn from years of clinical experience.
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