If you think Astrology is nonsense, because all you've ever heard is personality based information related to sun signs, the practice is so much cooler and goes so much deeper than that. Your Natal Chart is a map of your life, and you can use it to track the timing of major life events and relationships. There are advanced techniques used for this which are different based on factors like the type and practice of Astrology, but for the purpose of this blog I would like to discuss some of the basic techniques which can offer some insight.
I've already written about annual profections, but that is actually a timing technique which can be used to determine when you may start a new relationship.
I've also mentioned synastry, or the connection between charts. This is what people are referring to when they talk about Astrological compatibility. Synastry is much more complex than just this sun sign and that sun sign should or shouldn’t date. That's absolute bullshit. A simplified explanation of synastry is when you compare two people's charts, all the planets in one person's chart will fall in different houses in the other person's chart. This can mean that certain areas of life are being lit up for that person by that connection. The planets in both charts will also form aspects, which can show how the energy will be between those two people. Synastry isn't everything, it's also very much about timing. Even if you think you have good synastry with someone, the timing might not be right. Also, speaking from experience, it is very much possible to fool yourself into believing someone is right for you when they aren't. I will explain.
In Astrology, the 7th house refers to marriage, partnership, and committed relationships. I've always heard that the sign in your 7th house describes the person you're meant to be with, and this is a technique that is talked about a lot, so when I met someone who seemed too good to be true, the fact that their sun and Venus were in my 7th house seemed to indicate we were meant to be together. Guess what else the 7th house stands for? Open opponents, people who openly do not like you. Guess what other synastry we had? Oppositions -- an opposition is a hard aspect representing conflict. Additionally, the 5th house also represents romantic relationships, especially those that are not well defined or the sensual, romantic aspects of love. His Mars was in my 5th house; severing, separating, aggressive, not an indication of an easy time. Could two people with that synastry make it work, absolutely. They would just both have to be committed to the relationship. Synastry is not a make or break. If the relationship is meant to be, there will be a lot of things that confirm it.
Your 7th house isn't just your future spouse or life partner, it can represent failed relationships too. Timing techniques will always show more, but I've dated the person with the Sun and Venus in Capricorn, had a very long-term relationship with someone with a Capricorn Moon, and had another horrible relationship with someone with a Capricorn sun. Here's the thing, someone having placements in your 7th house means nothing on its own; it's just part of the story.
It does mean that the person you end up with will likely have qualities of the ruler of that sign. For Capricorn and Aquarius, that's Saturn; for Pisces and Sagittarius, that's Jupiter; for Aries and Scorpio, that's Mars; for Taurus and Libra, that's Venus; for Gemini and Virgo, that's Mercury; for Cancer it's the Moon; for Leo it's the sun. For me, with a Capricorn 7th house, that means I will be with someone with Saturn qualities, and my partner, with a Scorpio 7th house, he will be with someone with Mars qualities. Guess what? I happen to have an Aries midheaven (ruled by Mars) and he has a Capricorn midheaven (in my 7th house sign and ruled by Saturn). This is great, but luckily we have other positive synastry as well.
Another technique you can use to learn about your partner is to take the ruler of your 7th house, and look at which house it is in. That could indicate where you might meet your partner and will say something about your life together. For example, I have a twin brother and the ruler of our 7th house is in the 6th house. The 6th house can be work. He met his wife at his job and they still work at the same place.
I once saw a video about what your Jupiter sign says about your future husband. While I disagree with the gendering done in the video, it is applicable because dating someone with your Jupiter sign is a great idea. My partner is a Taurus Sun and Rising, and my Jupiter is in Taurus. Jupiter is a benefic which brings good luck and abundance, and we both tell each other all the time how lucky we are to have each other. When we got an Astrology reading, the Astrologer said I'm his good luck charm. Additionally, I always say Jupiter brought him to me, because transiting Jupiter was conjunct my natal Jupiter when we began dating.
The Astrologer also said this relationship would be healing for me since his moon is in my 5th house. This has turned out to be 100% true. I’m so grateful.
I’m glad neither of us has a malefic, Mars or Saturn, in the other partner’s 5th or 7th house, but the malefics must fall somewhere. I definitely wouldn’t say it’s not worth giving someone a chance based on this, but the malefics may have an impact and it doesn’t hurt to be aware of it. In our case, each of us has our Saturn in the other’s 8th house. That could mean money and debt is a problem. However, we both have benefics, Jupiter and Venus, in the other’s 2nd house, which helps to balance everything out. The 8th house is debt, taxes, other people’s money, shared resources; the 2nd house is earned income, possessions, money spent for survival. Although overspending sometimes happens, we both manage our finances well.
Another technique for looking into what your relationship with your partner may be like is to look at the ruler of your rising sign (that represents you) and the ruler of the sign in your 7th house (that’s your partner). There is much more to the technique than this, but you can look at whether or not those two planets are aspecting each other in your chart. If they are 2 signs apart, that is a sextile, so for me that is moon is Libra and Saturn in Sagittarius. A sextile is a good aspect, so I will feel seen and understood by my partner. If the planets are only 1 sign apart, like in the case of my partner, they are not aspected. This could mean not feeling seen or understood by your partner. That just means doing extra work to make sure you’re connecting and on the same page. However, in his case, there is a mutual reception that adds complexity and makes things more free flowing than the surface-level of this technique would suggest. If the signs are 3 signs apart, that is a hard aspect, a square. If the signs are opposite one another, that is an opposition, hard aspect. Lastly, if they are 4 signs apart/in the same element, that is a trine. That is a harmonious, flowing aspect.
Looking at the planets someone has in your 7th house can be misleading and should not be relied on to determine if someone is relationship material. Other aspects must be factored in as well. A better technique is to look at the sign on your 7th house and date someone with the qualities of that sign. For example, if it is in an earth sign, maybe they are grounded and practical. If it is in a fire sign, maybe they’re driven and passionate. If it is in an air sign, maybe they’re good at communication or intellectual. If it is in a water sign, maybe they’re emotionally deep. The next thing you can do is look at the ruler of that sign and see where it is placed in your chart to determine where you may be more likely to meet your partner. 1st house = self, 2nd house = money, 3rd house = local community and daily routines, 4th house = family, 5th house = creativity and self-expression, 6th house = work and animals, 7th house = partnership, 8th house= shared resources and grief, 9th house = other cultures and higher learning, 10th house = personal reputation and career, 11th house = friends and networks, and the 12th house = mental health and isolation.
Hopefully this will be interesting/helpful for someone. At the end of the day, I believe people come into our lives to teach us things when they are meant to; so, if it’s meant to happen, it will happen. No pressure. However, if you’re interested in someone, or you’ve found your person, it might be validating to see all the ways Astrology can confirm what you already know.