I recently explored relationships from the point of view of the individuals involved, which is astrologically called synastry. Each of the two people in a relationship is viewed individually for their personal relationship potential. Once each is described individually, a comparison between the two describes the most intimate details of their story. However, there is more than one way of looking at relationships. The moment any pairing occurs, a new dynamic takes place called a relationship. Relationships occur on many levels: father and son, married couple, boss and worker, teacher and student, siblings, in-laws, law and criminal, doctor and patient, stalker and victim, clergyman and parishioner, to name a few.
Regardless of how many people we meet and the circumstances in which we meet them, in a fraction of a second of time a unique relationship is formed, one that did not exist before then and will cease to exist if the two people involved choose not to. chase him. Some of these meetings are brief, like a waitress handing you a cup of coffee. Some last a lifetime, like family members or spouses.
The bond that occurs between mother and child at birth is unique. After many years of refusing to allow the father to be present at the birth, the medical establishment now encourages the father’s involvement. The split-second bond that the mother has always experienced is now available to the father. Yes! Nothing can match that incredible moment and nothing can capture it once it has passed without parent involvement. The mother really has no choice at the time of delivery; your participation is mandatory. Many years ago I took a workshop by Joseph Chilton Pearce in which this birth bonding process was explored. I immediately went home and told my son and his pregnant wife to make sure they were both part of the birthing process, if possible. After many grandchildren, my entire family fosters this experience because of the bond that occurs at birth.
Suppose I have ten friends. Each couple provides a unique friendship. This takes nothing away from my other nine friends and enlarges our lives thanks to those friendships. I am improved and my friend is improved by our friendship. If I am a better person thanks to that friendship, I will be a better person to all my other friends, family, co-workers, etc. Everything that adds to my personal dimension in a positive way affects everything I do and everyone I touch with my more positive self. On the contrary, if I am in a relationship that is negative, that negativity also affects all other relationships that I participate in if I am in some way diminished or compromised in the experience of that relationship. I have been diminished, therefore I am less than I could be to everyone I come in contact with.
To me, there seem to be parts or stages to relationships in general. There is an introductory part … the beginning. Next comes the process, the duration, and the nature of the relationship. A third stage may have to do with end or purpose. This would loosely translate into a beginning, a middle, and an end. I’m sure there are other divisions or stages to explore. Each stage has countless possibilities for experience, as each relationship is unique. Astrologically we can easily see the potential of any relationship (the beginning) and we can also look at the reality of the relationship (the middle and possibly the end). Sometimes the potential and reality of a relationship work in harmony. What we see is what we get. At other times, a relationship doesn’t live up to its potential. What we see is no what we get. It would be helpful to compare both possibility and reality to determine which relationships are most likely to be successful in real life terms. In this article we will examine the potential of the relationship using the compound wheel. The reality of a relationship will be covered in a companion article.
The method by which a compound wheel is built is to start with the natal (birth) wheels of each of the two individuals involved. Briefly, there are 13 main points that are traditional when reading astrologically: the Sun, the Moon, and the eight planets, the ascendant, midheaven, and lunar nodes. Thirteen points are primaries of a possible 360-degree circle for each person. You construct these points by adding the two suns, the two moons, the two ascendants, etc. separately. Once you’ve got those totals, you divide each of them by two and that gives you the new figures for the compound wheel. Example: Sun # 1 plus Sun # 2 divided by two equals compound Sun. The new wheel is drawn according to traditional rules and is called a compound. In our modern age, computer generated wheels do all the work for you. You have a wheel.
At this point you must do something very unusual with your mind. You need to stop thinking about the people involved and keep your focus on the relationship as an entity. This wheel is no about individuals, no matter how much an individual wants to tilt it in their own direction. This map is about the potential of the relationship that is formed, not about the individual people involved. I repeat the word potential for a reason. Due to the mathematics involved, this artificial wheel assumes that the two people involved will meet halfway on all issues, 50/50, and that is not even remotely possible in any society. There must be a give and take between the two people involved in any relationship, but equality on all issues is a fantasy. The compound allows you to see the idealized potential, but it may not conform to the reality of the experience over time. Why?
At the beginning of any meaningful relationship, the people involved really have high hopes for the relationship and behave in the best way to ensure that the relationship continues. This is unnatural behavior because none of us can behave in our best ways forever. Sooner or later we will relax back to normal (for us) and that produces a change in the relationship. It is not feigned or intentional, it is natural. Most of us will do whatever it takes to cement a relationship and then relax. Over time, the potential that attracted us may not become our actual experience. This can be disappointing and disappointing, but it may not be deliberate. In time, each of us will be true to ourselves as “ideal” gives way to “reality.” If we have made the mistake of putting each other on pedestals, this could be devastating as one or both of them fall off those pedestals. The repercussions of such falls can become very unpleasant.
Composite is the technique that has been readily available to astrologers for many years, both as hand cast wheels and computer prints. It is an excellent tool for exploring the potential of the relationship and has been the most popular choice of astrologers around the world. The alternative is called a relationship wheel and is based on reality, but it was extremely difficult to calculate by hand. With the advent of computer printing, this wheel has become increasingly available. The body of information and experience to support this alternative technique is growing, but much more information is currently available for the composite technique.
How to read A relationship in its early stages can be delightful. Our imaginations and our wishes for a good life flourish as we explore the possibilities. The question is, will the ongoing relationship live up to our expectations? It is not the people who let us down. It is our unrealistic expectations that cause failure and frustration. A person on a pedestal has only one direction to go and that is the way out. We could find out that our knight in shining armor is rusted with an unpleasant disposition or that any woman involved may not be the virtuous Maid Marion.
- The Composite Sun describes the inherent nature and identity of the relationship potential of the couple by sign and the area of greatest influence by house.
- The composite Moon describes the nesting drive and emotional makeup of the partner’s relationship potential by sign and the setting where those issues will unfold at home.
- Composite Mercury describes the communication and decision-making function of the relationship potential of the couple by sign and the scenario where it will take place at home.
- Composite Venus describes the ability to relate and the social and financial values of the relationship potential of the couple by sign and the setting where it will develop at home.
- Composite Mars describes the action, the assertive and aggressive functions of the relationship potential of the couple by sign and the scenario where it will take place at home.
- Composite Jupiter describes the expansive, philosophical and worldview of the relationship potential of the couple by sign and the setting where it will unfold at home.
- Composite Saturn describes the traditional, responsible and organizing function of the relationship potential of the couple by sign and the scenario where it will develop at home.
- Composite Uranus describes the unusual, non-traditional and progressive facets of the relationship potential of the couple by sign and the setting where it will unfold at home. Can you say chemistry?
- Neptune Composite describes the imagination, inspiration or delusional function of the relationship potential of the couple by sign and the setting where it will unfold at home.
- Composite Pluto describes the power, manipulation or obsessive / compulsive function of the relationship potential of the couple by sign and the scenario where it will develop at home.
- The composite ascendant shows the projection of the couple, the coping skills and the response to the environment of the relationship potential of the couple by sign. (The ascendant is the cusp of the first house). This is how others view the relationship itself.
- The composite midheaven shows the couple’s drive toward goals, height, and potential for success as the couple’s team relationship potential by sign. (Midheaven is 10th cusp of the house). This is what expresses the couple’s need to achieve or achieve.
- The composite north lunar node shows the group interaction and the collective influence of outsiders on the relationship potential of the couple by sign and the setting where it will take place at home.
The traditional use of aspects will illustrate the interrelationship between the composite planets and the points. I reduce the orb of effect to 5 degrees because the compound is a construction and not a wheel of real time and space.
Always remember that writing and reading is about a couple and not individuals. Include the word potential in your readings because the combination represents what the relationship is and how it will work if the partner is 50% of the way on all topics.
Composites are quite valuable in the initial stage of the relationship because that is what the people involved see and experience. If you have concerns about what you see in the composition as an astrologer, it is not easy to get participants to see your concerns clearly. They view the relationship through the filter of wants, needs, and expectations. They want you to be successful, so it’s hard to accept that problems may lurk. Sometimes you have to rain down on someone’s parade to point out all the facets you see and not just the positive ones. The reality check occurs on the complementary relationship wheel which is based on real-time calculations. Stay tuned.
Recommended reading:
Relationships: An Astrological Look at Possibilities
Relationships – Synastry – Who are you? Who I am? How do we affect each other?