Complete Relationship Report

for

Antonio Banderas & Melanie Griffith

by Astrolabe Inc.

Composite Chart Positions

Planet Sign Longitude Declination

q Sun is in g Leo 17` 27' 43" +15` 24' 00"

w Moon is in n Pisces 7` 20' 58" + 1` 16' 00"

e Mercury is in g Leo 21` 58' 56" +19` 50' 00"

r Venus is in h Virgo 9` 37' 18" +12` 14' 00"

t Mars is in f Cancer 18` 17' 14" +20` 24' 00"

y Jupiter is in x Scorpio 12` 11' 45" -23` 07' 00"

u Saturn is in c Sagittarius 25` 15' 23" -22` 29' 00"

i Uranus is in g Leo 14` 32' 58" +15` 05' 00"

o Neptune is in x Scorpio 3` 16' 50" -12` 02' 00"

p Pluto is in h Virgo 2` 28' 37" +20` 52' 00"

l N. Node is in z Libra 15` 58' 31" + 5` 10' 00"

j Ascendant is in c Sagittarius 16` 08' 43" -22` 43' 00"

k Midheaven is in z Libra 7` 31' 29" - 2` 59' 00"

$ Chiron is in b Aquarius 22` 33' 28" - 5` 24' 00"

Composite Aspects

q Sun is A Conjunct e Mercury The orb is 4` 31'

q Sun is C Semisextile t Mars The orb is 0` 50'

q Sun is D Square y Jupiter The orb is 5` 16'

q Sun is A Conjunct i Uranus The orb is 2` 55'

q Sun is G Sextile l N. Node The orb is 1` 29'

q Sun is F Trine j Ascendant The orb is 1` 19'

q Sun is S Opposite $ Chiron The orb is 5` 06'

w Moon is S Opposite r Venus The orb is 2` 16'

w Moon is F Trine y Jupiter The orb is 4` 51'

w Moon is F Trine o Neptune The orb is 4` 04'

w Moon is S Opposite p Pluto The orb is 4` 52'

w Moon is V Quincunx k Midheaven The orb is 0` 11'

e Mercury is F Trine u Saturn The orb is 3` 16'

e Mercury is F Trine j Ascendant The orb is 5` 50'

e Mercury is Z Semisquare k Midheaven The orb is 0` 33'

e Mercury is S Opposite $ Chiron The orb is 0` 35'

r Venus is G Sextile y Jupiter The orb is 2` 34'

t Mars is Z Semisquare p Pluto The orb is 0` 49'

t Mars is D Square l N. Node The orb is 2` 19'

y Jupiter is Z Semisquare u Saturn The orb is 1` 56'

y Jupiter is D Square i Uranus The orb is 2` 21'

u Saturn is G Sextile $ Chiron The orb is 2` 42'

i Uranus is G Sextile l N. Node The orb is 1` 26'

i Uranus is F Trine j Ascendant The orb is 1` 36'

o Neptune is G Sextile p Pluto The orb is 0` 48'

p Pluto is Z Semisquare l N. Node The orb is 1` 30'

l N. Node is G Sextile j Ascendant The orb is 0` 10'

l N. Node is A Conjunct k Midheaven The orb is 8` 27'

$ Chiron is X Sesquiquadrate k Midheaven The orb is 0` 02'

Composite Planets in Elements and Modes

Fire : qeuij Total = 5 Weighted Score = 10

Earth : rp Total = 2 Weighted Score = 3

Air : lk$ Total = 3 Weighted Score = 3

Water : wtyo Total = 4 Weighted Score = 7

Cardinal : tlk Total = 3 Weighted Score = 5

Fixed : qeyio$ Total = 6 Weighted Score = 8

Mutable : wrupj Total = 5 Weighted Score = 10

Weights Used Above

Sun = 3 Moon = 3 Mercury = 2 Venus = 2

Mars = 2 Jupiter = 1 Saturn = 1 Uranus = 1

Neptune = 1 Pluto = 1 N. Node = 0 Ascendant = 3

Midheaven = 3 Chiron = 0

Synastry Aspects

q Sun is A Conjunct q Sun The orb is 1` 23'

q Sun is C Semisextile r Venus The orb is 0` 37'

q Sun is D Square l N. Node The orb is 3` 08'

q Sun is S Opposite $ Chiron The orb is 3` 27'

w Moon is G Sextile w Moon The orb is 0` 48'

w Moon is S Opposite y Jupiter The orb is 7` 17'

w Moon is F Trine u Saturn The orb is 0` 04'

w Moon is F Trine i Uranus The orb is 0` 09'

e Mercury is S Opposite w Moon The orb is 6` 49'

e Mercury is Z Semisquare e Mercury The orb is 1` 17'

e Mercury is C Semisextile t Mars The orb is 0` 47'

e Mercury is G Sextile y Jupiter The orb is 0` 20'

e Mercury is D Square o Neptune The orb is 0` 05'

e Mercury is C Semisextile p Pluto The orb is 0` 26'

e Mercury is D Square j Ascendant The orb is 5` 31'

e Mercury is A Conjunct k Midheaven The orb is 1` 09'

r Venus is A Conjunct t Mars The orb is 0` 48'

r Venus is C Semisextile y Jupiter The orb is 1` 14'

r Venus is D Square u Saturn The orb is 5` 59'

r Venus is G Sextile o Neptune The orb is 1` 39'

r Venus is A Conjunct p Pluto The orb is 2` 01'

t Mars is F Trine w Moon The orb is 1` 17'

t Mars is D Square t Mars The orb is 4` 46'

t Mars is F Trine y Jupiter The orb is 5` 12'

t Mars is S Opposite u Saturn The orb is 2` 01'

t Mars is G Sextile i Uranus The orb is 2` 14'

t Mars is D Square p Pluto The orb is 5` 59'

y Jupiter is Z Semisquare w Moon The orb is 1` 59'

y Jupiter is X Sesquiquadrate i Uranus The orb is 1` 02'

y Jupiter is F Trine p Pluto The orb is 5` 46'

y Jupiter is G Sextile j Ascendant The orb is 0` 41'

u Saturn is F Trine e Mercury The orb is 1` 01'

u Saturn is F Trine r Venus The orb is 4` 43'

u Saturn is X Sesquiquadrate p Pluto The orb is 1` 52'

u Saturn is G Sextile l N. Node The orb is 2` 12'

u Saturn is C Semisextile $ Chiron The orb is 1` 53'

i Uranus is A Conjunct q Sun The orb is 4` 26'

i Uranus is G Sextile j Ascendant The orb is 3` 25'

o Neptune is D Square w Moon The orb is 0` 26'

o Neptune is C Semisextile u Saturn The orb is 1` 10'

o Neptune is D Square i Uranus The orb is 1` 23'

p Pluto is V Quincunx w Moon The orb is 1` 41'

p Pluto is A Conjunct t Mars The orb is 4` 22'

p Pluto is D Square u Saturn The orb is 2` 25'

p Pluto is A Conjunct p Pluto The orb is 5` 35'

l N. Node is C Semisextile q Sun The orb is 0` 09'

l N. Node is A Conjunct e Mercury The orb is 3` 05'

l N. Node is A Conjunct r Venus The orb is 0` 37'

l N. Node is Z Semisquare o Neptune The orb is 1` 53'

l N. Node is G Sextile l N. Node The orb is 1` 54'

j Ascendant is C Semisextile w Moon The orb is 0` 50'

j Ascendant is S Opposite e Mercury The orb is 7` 44'

j Ascendant is S Opposite t Mars The orb is 5` 12'

j Ascendant is D Square u Saturn The orb is 1` 35'

j Ascendant is V Quincunx i Uranus The orb is 1` 47'

j Ascendant is S Opposite p Pluto The orb is 6` 25'

k Midheaven is F Trine q Sun The orb is 0` 42'

k Midheaven is D Square e Mercury The orb is 2` 14'

k Midheaven is D Square r Venus The orb is 1` 28'

k Midheaven is A Conjunct u Saturn The orb is 8` 23'

k Midheaven is Z Semisquare o Neptune The orb is 1` 02'

k Midheaven is C Semisextile l N. Node The orb is 1` 03'

k Midheaven is G Sextile $ Chiron The orb is 1` 22'

$ Chiron is S Opposite t Mars The orb is 0` 30'

$ Chiron is V Quincunx y Jupiter The orb is 0` 03'

$ Chiron is F Trine o Neptune The orb is 0` 22'

$ Chiron is S Opposite p Pluto The orb is 0` 43'

$ Chiron is F Trine j Ascendant The orb is 5` 48'

$ Chiron is V Quincunx k Midheaven The orb is 1` 26'

A Comparison of Your Charts
This astrological report looks at your birth charts to see how the two of you will tend to interact in dating, a love affair, or -- especially -- in a long-term partnership like marriage. Its aim is to make you more conscious of what’s really going on between you. As you read, you’ll get a better appreciation of what each of you wants and needs when you pair off with someone else. Regarding your relationship with this particular partner, you’ll see strengths that you can cultivate, and also learn about the possible problems that could get in the way of your happiness.

If you read about problems, don’t worry. Almost every astrological combination has both positive and negative possibilities. You’ll read about the ways people tend to misuse various astrological combinations, but you may never experience these negative sides. Much depends on other things in your chart and on the way you’re handling what’s been given to you.

The important thing is to be aware of your choices. As you read, you’ll see that when faced with virtually any so-called problem between the two of you, you can choose a desirable or an undesirable way to act. This report will try to show you where the problem is coming from, and suggest constructive things that you can do. It will also alert you to the strengths that you can build upon to create an increasingly strong and satisfying relationship.

In this report you’ll find sections on:

ó Your Styles of Relating. We’ll first look at each of you as individuals. We’ll start with your basic personality type, and then look more closely at your needs and attitudes regarding romance, partnership and sex. Your section is addressed to you as an individual, but if your partner also reads it, he or she may better understand your overall approach to life and the way you go about relating to people.

ó How You See Each Other. For each of you, we’ll explore how the way you see your partner is shaped by the lens of your own horoscope.

ó The Dynamics between You. Here we’ll look at the kinds of dramas that tend to occur when the two of you are together. The aspects that link a point in your chart to a point in your partner’s chart will show both the assets and the potential problems in your relationship.

ó The Chart of the Relationship Itself. Finally, we’ll analyze the relationship itself by combining the birth charts of each of you into a single “composite chart.” When your relationship is well established, the composite chart shows how you as a couple approach the rest of the world, and how you’re viewed as a result of being together.

Antonio Banderas

Antonio Banderas's Chart Positions

Planet Sign Longitude Declination

q Sun is in g Leo 18` 09' 19" +15` 24' 00"

w Moon is in a Aries 7` 45' 07" + 1` 16' 00"

e Mercury is in g Leo 0` 07' 39" +19` 50' 00"

r Venus is in h Virgo 1` 41' 55" +12` 14' 00"

t Mars is in d Gemini 5` 40' 08" +20` 24' 00"

y Jupiter is in c Sagittarius 23` 55' 41" -23` 07' 00"

u Saturn is in v Capricorn 12` 49' 35" -22` 29' 00"

i Uranus is in g Leo 21` 11' 59" +15` 05' 00"

o Neptune is in x Scorpio 6` 30' 49" -12` 02' 00"

p Pluto is in h Virgo 5` 15' 52" +20` 52' 00"

l N. Node is in h Virgo 16` 55' 31" + 5` 10' 00"

j Ascendant is in n Pisces 6` 06' 34" - 9` 16' 00"

k Midheaven is in c Sagittarius 16` 04' 34" -22` 43' 00"

$ Chiron is in n Pisces 0` 24' 49" - 5` 24' 00"

For Antonio: Your Style of Relating
To find someone who’s right for you and then form a happy and lasting relationship, you first need to have a sense of who you really are and what you need and want. A look at your own birth chart will show where your strengths are and what you tend to lack. It can give you perspective on your own nature, helping you to make allowances for the blind spots that can harm your interactions with others. It can also give clues about what sort of love partner would make you feel most happy and complete.

Your Basic Character

You have many planets in Fire signs or houses.
With an abundance of Fire symbolism in your chart, you’re most likely a warm and enthusiastic person who enjoys actively engaging with the outer world. You also tend to be trusting and idealistic, and expect the best from others. If you’re disappointed in their behavior, you promise yourself that in the future you’ll either avoid relationships or be more cautious in your dealings with people. But then you tend to forget these intentions. When a new potential partner appears on the scene, you decide that this new relationship is different, and enter it with your usual enthusiasm, optimism and bit of naiveté.

Being too trustful of others can open you to hurt, but becoming a cynic is not the solution. Yes, you can solicit other people’s support in your endeavors, and use their encouragement to sustain your level of enthusiasm so that you can accomplish more and more. But also be as self-reliant as possible, and be sure to maintain your own identity. In the end, your positive attitude may rub off on those who are important to you, so that they’ll participate more wholeheartedly in the relationship.

You have few or no planets in Air signs or houses.
An overall lack of the Air element in your chart suggests that you tend to have little patience with people who are vague and abstract in their communications. You want people to get quickly to the point. Preferring actions to words, you want to see progress, not listen to or create elaborate plans. Because of this, you may find it difficult to visualize the general overview of any project. Perhaps you could join forces with someone who can guide you along the correct path while you concentrate on small segments of it. You may have to suffer through some seemingly unnecessary verbiage, but if you attain your goal, it will all seem worthwhile.

Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable modes are quite evenly balanced.
Having a fairly equal distribution of planets in Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable signs gives you a useful ability to suit your mode of action to the situation. When appropriate, you can behave in a Cardinal manner, leaping in to intervene directly. At other times, you can use the Fixed symbolism of your chart to be firm, stand your ground, and preserve what is valuable. And in yet others, you can draw upon your Mutable strengths to be agile and adaptable, quickly shifting as the circumstances require. Overall, this helps you to adapt to whatever challenges your relationship presents. You may, however, need to make an effort to be understanding if you find your partner getting stuck in one mode.

Your Sun is in Leo.
Your Sun in Leo reinforces the idea that you probably aren’t the shy and retiring type. Whether or not you’re literally on stage, you’re a natural actor, and all you need is an audience of one. If you’re performing before those who applaud and sing your praises, you’ll tend to be warm and outgoing. If you feel ignored or disapproved of, you may seek attention by becoming louder and louder, and may shout your own praises in hopes that others will realize that you’re worth liking. (Your partner can always bring out your best side by telling you and others how wonderful you are!)

Your saving grace is a natural warmth and generosity. You enjoy bestowing gifts on others and can be so proud of what you’re doing that you announce it to the world. This could be embarrassing for the recipient. Refusing to accept gifts from you might be too subtle for you to understand, however. The person involved would be wiser just to say thank you, and tell everyone what you’ve done. This way, you won’t have to brag about it, and the other person will get to keep the gift.

Also, you’re likely to prefer fun to work. Menial tasks are for peasants!. You’d rather have a good time than work hard. But you’ll perform even the most arduous task if your partner makes a game out of it. For example, your partner might say, “I wonder how long it will take to wash all the windows on the first floor.” Hearing that challenge, you’ll get out your stopwatch and squeegee, and, before you know it, all the windows will be washed. Whereas, if you’d been asked directly to wash the windows, you might never have done it.

If your relationship should need improving, you can rely on your capacity to introduce fun and joy. When you’re planning to do something that’s fun, take your partner along. Though you tend to resist change, there are things you can do without doing anything drastic. One is simply to treat your partner as you’d like to be treated. Instead of always being concerned with what others think of you, pay compliments about what your partner does well. This shows that you’ve noticed and are appreciative, and it could lead to some of the same for you.

Your Moon is in Aries.
The way you express your feelings is usually direct, honest and simple. You can tell others how you feel about them, and your sincere manner of displaying your feelings lets the world know that they are genuine. You find it easy to explain your reasons, because they’re usually formulated without deep and weighty analysis.

Since you ordinarily don’t analyze your emotions deeply, they may sometimes spontaneously erupt. Basically, you react to the behavior of others. If people are nice to you, you like them. If they aren’t, you don’t, and it’s usually the most recent encounter that determines the way you feel. This may make you seem inconsistent, and your behavior may be difficult for a partner to understand. Once your mode of operating is understood, however, your partner can not only grasp the meaning of your moods but also learn to deal with them.

One of the positive sides of your Moon is that you don’t mind if your partner understands your feelings. You aren’t concerned with dark secrets being unearthed, because there probably are none. However, your emotional simplicity can also be a point of vulnerability. Anyone who wants to hurt you can do so easily by pointing out your faults. Your immediate reaction may be to lash out in anger. The anger will probably be gone as soon as you express it. You don’t harbor grudges for long, nor do you look for the hidden meanings in people’s actions. However, the impact on your feelings of self-worth may be long-lasting. You may not show it, but the wound will still be there.

While you may keep your hurt feelings to yourself, it’s more likely that you’ll simply return each insult that’s thrown at you. This can make for a tumultuous relationship. This in itself may not be bad, because you may like to express your feelings and you may need stimulation to do this. Nevertheless, if your self-esteem is attacked, the damage that occurs may far outweigh the excitement.

If you often have hurt feelings in your relationship, discuss this with your partner. Because your feelings are clear and simple, it should be easy to convey them. If your partner can do the same, you can begin to make changes quickly. If probing is necessary, you may not have the attention span for long conversations, so have short ones often until you can determine what should be done. And while you’re doing this, try, try to be more patient.

Your Axis of Relationship
The horizontal line that separates the upper half of your chart from the lower half symbolizes the horizon. It suggests two arms reaching out, and it is in fact your “axis of relationship.” On the left-hand or eastern side of your chart there is the Ascendant (or rising sign), which signifies you and the way that you present yourself to others. On the right-hand or western side there is the Descendant, which signifies the sort of partner you’ll be drawn to and who will make you feel more complete. The two work together: any discussion of your rising sign (you) implies your setting sign (the partner who will complement you).
If the birth time for your chart is accurate, you have Pisces rising. This means that you tend to be highly intuitive, have an active imagination, and operate a great deal on your feelings. To complement these qualities in yourself, you may be drawn to a partner who is down-to-earth and operates on practical facts. In this way, a significant other can provide useful balance for your tendency to flutter around and be a bit ungrounded. Such a person can take care of some of your practical needs, giving you more time to be creative and use your imagination. And you in return may help that person to relax a little and occasionally escape from the nitty-gritty world. That person may also take pleasure in watching you be creative and use your imagination.

Although you at first appear to be opposites, there are certain qualities that you share. One of these is a desire for perfection. Intellectually, you both know that people aren’t perfect, but perfection is nevertheless what you seek. While your partner would probably admit to a search for perfection, you may be unconscious of this, and think that you accept everyone. However, your reaction to your partner’s imperfections will likely show that this isn’t true. Your partner wants material perfection, and will therefore have specific complaints and criticize you directly. You, on the other hand, probably won’t lash out when your partner isn’t as wonderful as you’d like. Instead, you’ll go within and fantasize the way you want things to be. Your reaction isn’t all bad, in that your visualization may mysteriously help to improve your situation. But be wary of spending too much time in Never-Never-Land. The real world has a way of catching up with us.

The best way to deal with this is for you both to admit that you’re looking for perfection, and that there is no such thing. Then you should incorporate your two approaches toward improving the relationship. Try yourself to operate somewhat more practically, and your partner should agree occasionally to escape into your fantasy world.

Another quality that the two of you share is the need to be of service. Your partner may do this out of a sense of duty, and could be selective about whom to serve. On the other hand, you are driven by compassion and will help virtually anybody. The two of you can continue to operate individually, but joining forces may prove more beneficial for everyone involved. Your partner could supply practical help while you give emotional support, so that the two of give more than either of you could alone. In addition, you might find more people to benefit from your partner’s practical expertise, and your partner might help you to become more discriminating about whom you serve. A successful service project will make you each feel good about yourselves, and because it’s shared, it will also bring you closer to each other.

Dating and Romance
To take a look at your specific approach to romance, partnership and sex, we’re now going to look at the houses that govern these areas in your chart. These houses describe both what you have to give to a relationship, and also what you probably want from your partner.

Relationships start with a period when you’re checking each other out, and aren’t yet really committed. This stage is covered by your Fifth House, which also has to do with amusements and self-expression. In a romance, the Fifth House shows how you wine and dine each other in the dating stage. Having fun together in a romantic setting helps you to get the relationship off the ground.

When you’re married, this area of your chart turns into the place where you refresh and renew both yourself and your relationship. To keep the spark glowing, it’s a good idea periodically to let go of your duties, play, be romantic and even a bit outrageous. If you neglect this essential human need, it can be filled by romances outside of marriage, risky activities like gambling, or escapes like drinking or drugs, which are other less satisfactory ways that this house can find expression. For longevity and happiness in any relationship, you need to keep the fun, romance and playful element alive.

On a deeper level, the Fifth House is where you come to establish yourself as an individual. Through being brave and taking risks, through finding what activities and people make you happy, through games and role-playing, and through expressing yourself (all Fifth-House activities), you come to know who you really are. Only after you’ve done this are you really ready to commit yourself to a Seventh-House relationship such as marriage.

Each house brings in a variety of symbolic themes, as shown by the sign on the beginning or cusp of the house, other signs falling within the house, planets within the house, and the planet that traditionally “rules” the sign on the cusp. For your relationship to find its fullest expression, it’s important that, in your interactions together, both of you try to express as many of the following themes as possible.

The sign Cancer is on your Fifth-House cusp.
Your idea of fun on a date probably has to do with eating or spending time cozily at home. The two of you may also enjoy spending time with family, exploring your roots, or talking about each others’ past. Other ways of getting to know each other could include looking at real estate, or playing at something else that involves creating a nest.

Basically, in your romances and love affairs, you enjoy mothering and being mothered. For you, romantic bliss consists mainly of feeling connected and comfortable in each other’s presence. It’s important for you to feel at home with the object of your affection and to work on making that individual comfortable with you.

The sign Leo is within the Fifth House.
There’s also, however, a part of you that wants some high romance and drama now and then. Sometimes you want to emerge from the nest, get up on stage, and be adored. The Cancerian mothering quality can take a lavish or theatrical turn as one of you plays the mother and the other the adored child.

For recreation together, you may come out of your shell from time to time and go dining and dancing, take in a sporting event, movie, or other spectacle, play with children, or act like children yourselves. In fact, you may come to learn that being playful is one of the most delightful ways you can get to know each other.

The Moon, the ruler of your Fifth House, is in the First
The planet that’s traditionally associated with the sign on the Fifth-House cusp brings in additional considerations. Placed in the First House, it means that in romantic situations you tend to concentrate on your own needs and personal gratification. It is also important for you to maintain your own identity. This doesn’t mean that you ignore what your partner wants, but in order to assure that your own needs are met as well, you may take the lead in the relationship. You will not bend to the will of your partner, and compromise doesn’t come easily. However, if you’re appreciated and your partner seems to be thinking of you first, you might both be surprised at how agreeable you can be.

Your Mercury is in the Fifth.
In courtship, you want a partner with whom you can easily communicate. This means someone who is adept at small talk rather than deep philosophical conversation. Sociability generally will also be high on your list of requirements. In fact, the way in which your partner interacts with others may be more important than how the two of you get along together. You may be drawn to those who are clever and witty when socializing, but if that becomes your only criterion for selecting a romantic partner, you might find that you have little to say when you’re alone together. Then you could feel that there’s something missing in your relationship. If this occurs, simply look for topics that you find mutually interesting, or just keep going to parties together.

Becoming Partners
The Seventh House is traditionally the house of marriage. It covers any relationship in which you pick one partner, face each other directly, and work out a relationship of equals that will endure over time. The Seventh also signifies any relationship where you confront each other one-on-one or where you’re yoked together and asked to pull as a team.

To do this successfully, you need to adjust your own energies so that they find a balance with your partner’s, and neither person is dominated by the other. This means finding the right balance between self-assertion and compromise. To achieve happiness together, you need to deal with differences and resolve power struggles in a way that respects the rights and individuality of you both. Open communication is essential. There can be battles along the way, but the goal is an enduring relationship in which the two of you know each other thoroughly, each get your fair share, and develop mutual trust and respect.

Virgo is on your Seventh-House cusp.
Virgo on the Seventh suggests that you need a practical, down-to-earth partner who can take care of the nitty-gritty details or share them with you. You may be fussy in your choice of this person. With your high standards and search for perfection in a partner, you may become very critical when the other person’s flaws begin to appear. Alternatively, you may select someone who will be critical of you. A third possibility is that you may alternate these roles.

One problem that can arise from this kind of behavior is that the person receiving the criticism may just become more inept, and the complaints may then grow louder and more frequent. One way to avoid the carping is to find a project you can share that will provide a service to others. This will make each of you feel more worthwhile.

Libra is within the Seventh House.
In addition, you want a partner who’s your equal, and with whom you can totally share your life. Most likely this person will be charming and attractive. You also need peace and harmony in your partnerships, and so you’ll probably bend over backwards to please. But no matter how much you crave equality, and no matter how much you share and give, you cannot create a partner who is your clone. Nor are you capable of duplicating all of your partner’s behavior and attitudes. Differences of opinion, therefore, are apt to arise. These can lead to disagreements that you’ll find unpleasant. In order to re-establish serenity, you might employ the subtle art of manipulation, but you probably can both be diplomatic in a close one-to-one relationship. Therefore, you might find it ultimately more satisfying if you openly negotiate.

Mercury, the ruler of your Seventh House, is in the Fifth
In your chart the planet that is traditionally associated with the sign on your Seventh-House cusp is placed in the Fifth House. This suggests that you want the romance of courtship to continue into your married life, and that you want a lifelong partner with whom you can always have fun. Typically, people with this placement have marriages that center around children. Even if there aren’t children, you need your relationship to bring out each other’s child-like, playful, outrageously self-expressive and fun-loving sides. Possibly your partnership is based on art or creativity, or you value a much younger partner for the youthful joie de vivre that he or she brings into your relationship. You may also enjoy doing daredevil things together, or throwing caution to the winds and keeping your marriage lively by taking big risks together. On a more mundane level, you may find it satisfying to pool your mutual energies in speculation or in making investments.

Entwining Souls
Ideally, in the Fifth House you gained a sense of who you are and who you want, and in the Seventh you learned how to enter into a partnership without sacrificing your individuality. In the Eighth House you’re called upon to surrender that self so as to merge with your partner fully.

This surrender commonly takes the form of sex, but it can be other forms of deep involvement as well. On a material level, it can mean pooling your possessions and finances. Essentially, this house is where you loosen your grasp on what you once thought necessary, and in doing so, merge into a deeper and larger self that goes beyond your own individuality.

The Seventh House allowed you to work out power struggles through open communication and adherence to the rules of fairness. Eighth- House power struggles are sneakier because they arise from unconscious depths. They often result in an attempt to force surrender rather than allow the other person to render it up freely. To resolve these struggles, you need to open yourself to your own deepest emotions and those of your partner. When emotion is respected and given its due in a non-violent way, Eighth-House struggles can eventually lead to relationships of enormous tenderness and depth.

Regarding sex, most people have more than one sign influencing their Eighth House, and many also have one or more planets in the Eighth. This multiplies possible avenues for sexual expression. Finding ways to combine all these energies can lead to the kind of sex that most satisfies you.

Libra is on your Eighth-House cusp.
With Libra on your Eighth cusp you’ll tend to enjoy sex more if your partner is attractive and charming. And you’ll very much want to share your pleasure. Your own contentment depends on how happy you can make your partner, and so you go to great lengths to please. If your partner does the same, your sex life could be wonderful, and it would increase the closeness between you. Then the beauty that you find in your partner will be based on something deeper than appearance.

It’s possible, however, to get so carried away with pleasing your partner that you let your own feelings and preferences get ignored. If this happens, eventually you may feel a need to right the imbalance. You may have to steel yourself to face up to the unpleasantness of confronting your partner. However, your ability to be fair-minded and rational in sexual matters should help you to discuss ways of ensuring that the pleasure goes in both directions. Then you will both feel more fulfilled.

Scorpio is within the Eighth House.
When a sexual relationship continues, however, it can take on a very un-Libran intensity for you. This is because you also have Scorpio in the Eighth house. As your sexual experiences become more all-consuming, sex can become extremely important to you, and you’ll want a partner who can share in the intensity.

Be wary of using sex to manipulate the relationship, and of connecting with someone who will use sex to manipulate you. If you try to control each other, your energies could get used up in power struggles instead of passion. To keep this from happening, bring up any issue that seems to interfere with your relationship, and analyze it together. This will deepen and enrich your partnership, and it will help either or both of you to transform personally.

Venus, the ruler of your Eighth House, is in the Sixth
The placement of your Eighth-House ruler in your house of work and daily routines suggests that you might have a work relationship along with a sexual relationship, or that you might meet your sex partner on the job. It could also mean that you look upon sex as your duty, or as something that requires industry and effort. True, working hard on anything can improve it, at least up to a point. But too much work can kill the pleasure. To avoid placing this burden on your sex life, you might try forming working relationship with your sexual partner. You may be surprised to find that sharing a project together arouses you.

Your Neptune is in the Eighth.
With Neptune in your Eighth House, sex could well confuse you -- probably because you try too hard to explain it. If you let go and stop trying to analyze, you may be able to happily relax into your fantasies and enjoy. Having a partner who likes to fantasize with you can be a great help.

With this placement it’s also possible that your fantasies are better than the reality, so that sex tends to fall short of your expectations. This could be because you think it should bring about the perfect spiritual union. You may compensate by reading novels, or fantasizing, or sublimating your sexual energies into something non-physical. You’ll enjoy sex more if you let go of what you think “should be,” and concentrate on savoring each moment simply for what it is, without expectations or value judgments. It will also help to develop compassion for your own and others’ flaws, and to learn to cherish each other just as you are.

How You See Melanie
No matter how objective you think you are, the way you see others is always affected by your own necessarily limited point of view. Becoming conscious of your own possible biases in viewing your partner can often be very helpful in in overcoming misunderstandings and in avoiding thwarted expectations.

One of the main things that will describe your own personal way of seeing Melanie is the way her planets fall into the houses in your own chart. The houses show how the heavens looked from the spot on earth where you were born. Not only do they provide the framework through which you experience your own planets, they also provide the structure through which you’ll view Melanie’s planets as well.

When one of Melanie’s planets falls into a particular house in your chart, you will tend to associate her expression of that planetary energy with the department of life represented by that house. This may or may not agree with how she views that planetary energy in herself.

Looking at it another way, you could think of Melanie’s planets as “lighting up” your houses, bringing additional energy to the areas of life that those houses deal with. By filling in the empty houses in your chart, she may make you feel more complete. By adding planets to your already-filled houses, she can further emphasize those areas of existence. By adding different planets to a house, she can introduce new possibilities into those areas of your life. Besides suggesting how you will experience Melanie and how you will feel about her, looking at her planets will suggest the functions that Melanie will tend to take on in your total scheme of things.

Houses, of course, divide the chart into twelve specific areas. Before getting into that much detail, we can check out your overall perception of Melanie simply by the way her planets are clustered in the main areas of your chart.
The fact that more of Melanie’s planets fall into the right-hand half of your chart suggests that you tend to view her primarily as a responder. You may not expect her to take the initiative, and you could see her as slow or indecisive when initiative and decisiveness are necessary. You might think that if you left taking action to her, you’d never do anything as a couple. You might therefore do things like accept invitations or set your social calendar without consulting with this partner.

If neither of you minds this, fine. But, if your partner resents not having a say in what’s happening, chances are that her own chart indicates that she’s basically an initiator. You don’t have to give up the reins entirely, but you might discuss the matter and together determine areas where your partner can be in charge. You might even enjoy not having to make all the decisions.
With Melanie’s planets being balanced fairly equally above and below your horizon, you’ll probably see her as sometimes being socially oriented, adjusting to the world and needing its approval, and at other times wanting to be alone, being introspective and caring more about self-approval or personal gratification than public opinion. If you view this as inconsistency, you could consider the situation impossible, and just complain about your partner’s attitudes instead of trying to influence them. If you see it as flexibility, you’ll then try various approaches to influencing her attitudes, and you will eventually succeed.

How Melanie Affects Specific Areas of Your Life
For more detailed information, let’s now look at specific planets in specific houses. The houses that will probably be most important in forming your view of Melanie are those that contain her Sun and Moon.

Melanie’s Sun is in your Sixth House.
You could see Melanie as industrious and hard-working, and this could spark you to be the same. If this is the case, you probably have no problems, and a great deal is achieved in terms of your daily work, either because of your partner’s energy or your joint effort. On the other hand, you might feel that everyone notices and appreciates what Melanie does, but no one pays attention to how hard you work. If you feel neglected because your partner gets all the attention, you may have to occasionally remind your partner and any other unappreciative people of the effort you’re putting forth and how much you’re accomplishing. Or, you could allow her to do all the work, since you don’t get any credit anyway.

Melanie’s Moon is in your Twelfth House.
This is a subtle placement. You may be in close touch with each other’s dreams and fantasies, and you may know intuitively that Melanie supports you emotionally. You don’t need to discuss the matter, because you just feel it, and that is enough.

It could, however, be that Melanie ’s emotions seem to be hidden from you, or that the emotional support that you fantasized turns out not to be there. If you feel puzzled by Melanie ’s emotions, or actually undermined or manipulated, you might want to bring this out into the open. However, what you’re experiencing is based on feelings, not facts, and so it may be hard to put into words. There’s the possibility that your imagination is working overtime, or that your partner is unaware that she is manipulating you.

If direct conversations about your feelings don’t seem to produce meaningful results, it’s probably because one or both of you feels vulnerable and unprotected, and hence fearful. Instead of using the head-on approach, you may find it more effective to try subtler means. These could include visualizing, or sharing your fantasies and dreams. Another way is to view each other’s feelings indirectly through the mirror of art. Discussing the feelings that a movie, painting or piece of music brings up in each of you can feel less threatening than direct talk about your relationship, and yet it can be a powerful way of divining each other’s emotional state.

Melanie’s Mercury is in your Seventh House.
You probably perceive Melanie as a person who can communicate well on the social scene. She may never seem at a loss for words and can chat about almost any subject, at least for a short period of time. For longer conversations, or deeper ones, you may have to look elsewhere. But there are definite advantages to this placement. One is that you always have something to say to each other. Another is that you know that your partner can fit in with anyone she chooses. If you want to discuss serious and/or deep subjects with your partner, do it in small doses. For example, you can talk about and resolve a problem, but it’s best done in several short conversations instead of one long one.

Melanie’s Venus is in your Seventh House.
You see Melanie as charming and attractive, and probably bask in her affection. The only problem might be that others do also, to the point where they find her too desirable. If this happens, it will help to show lots of affection for her not only in private, but also when you’re out in public (remembering to be tasteful, of course!). Then she may feel loved to the point where she won’t be tempted to look elsewhere, and others will understand that she’s yours.

Melanie’s Mars is in your Sixth House.
When it comes to the daily routine, you could see Melanie as very energetic. You yourself may feel energized by this interaction, so that when you do chores together, you accomplish a great deal.

On the other hand, you might experience Melanie as dictatorial, telling you what you should do without personally participating. Then, instead of accomplishing anything, you could just have arguments. It may help to focus on some small task that you can do together. While you’re working, you can discuss your differences. Expending energy as you talk can keep you from getting too angry, and you can then get your point across better. It might also help to set a new behavioral pattern that will help you to be more efficient in your daily routine.

Melanie’s Jupiter is in your Seventh House.
You probably see Melanie as optimistic and fun-loving, someone who can bring cheer to you and others who are close to you. You may also experience her thoughtful, philosophical nature and feel that she’s responsible for any growth that the two of you experience as a couple. On the other hand, you may think that she spends too much time playing, or has wonderful ideas that never materialize. A bit of this is probably tolerable because it’s balanced by the pleasure that she brings. But if it outweighs the pleasure, you could begin to wonder if there’s any substance to the relationship. If you start to feel this way, concentrate on developing a single project that the two of you can share. That will enable you to enjoy your partner’s buoyant side while providing some needed stability, and your growth as a couple is likely to get back on track.

Melanie’s Saturn is in your Ninth House.
In your discussions together, Melanie may show some very definite opinions about religion, politics, education and/or distant travel. You may well feel that she has something to teach you about any or all of these subjects, and as long as you feel that you’re learning, there should be no problems. Alternatively, however, you may feel that she is dogmatic and tries to force you to accept her opinions. She may seem like such an authority and always sound so logical that she always wins. Instead of engaging in combat, convince her to take on a commitment in some Ninth-House area -- for example, assume an active role in a church, work for a political party, sign up for or teach a course, or make the arrangements for your next trip. Taking on responsibility will absorb some of that Saturn energy so that she will have less of an impulse to bombard you with ideas that you disagree with.

Melanie’s Uranus is in your Sixth House.
In your life together, you may find that Melanie balks at too much of a daily routine, and that she requires frequent breaks. This could keep your life together quite fresh and exciting. Also, her desire to break free now and then could actually lead to innovative and even fun ways to get the necessary jobs of life over with and done.

However, problems could arise if you get to feel that she can’t be depended upon. If you feel that this area of your life together needs a bit more regularity and order, you could work out a schedule together. Just remember that forcing a schedule on her or trying to make her feel guilty will probably just increase her resistance. She’ll be a lot happier doing tasks if they seem like an intellectual challenge, a creative venture, or a step forward for humanity. And the faster the tasks get done, the better. Then there will be more time for soul-feeding breaks in the routine.

Melanie’s Neptune is in your Eighth House.
You could have a perfect sex life with Melanie, a union truly made in heaven. If so, count your blessings and enjoy. However, this placement could also mean dissatisfaction or disappointment in sex. This could be because Neptune tends to de-emphasize the physical in favor of fantasies. Fantasies that are not fulfilled in real life, or a desire for an impossible perfection, could create problems in your intimate dealings with each other. It’s good to remind yourself that there’s no such thing on earth as perfection for prolonged periods of time, and to enjoy the feelings of bliss and unity when they do arise. To improve your sex life, you might also consciously cultivate your fantasies and work on creating a romantic atmosphere that will help to produce a perfect and sublime sexual experience.

Melanie’s Pluto is in your Sixth House.
Every relationship has areas in which power struggles are possible. In your life together, these areas may have to do with practical matters and your daily routine. This could include health, jobs, pets, household maintenance, routine financial tasks, people who work for you, or the way you help and serve others.

You may see Melanie as somewhat obsessive in these areas, or as wielding more power than she actually has -- or she may feel this way about you. At first you may feel a subtle sense of disturbance, and may find it hard to pin down exactly what’s going on. Then you may realize that underneath it all, you’re both trying to seize the reins. Achieving a balance of power is important in any lasting relationship, and so it’s important for each of you to mobilize your own power and not project it all upon the other person. The solution may be to divide the power, and each stake out areas in which you will be the one in charge.

There’s a good side to this placement. Melanie may be able to transform your view of these routine parts of your life, and actually make them seem exciting. For example, she might increase your zeal to maintain or perfect your body, or imbue you with a passion to be of service to others. She could cause you to streamline your life and get rid of what you don’t need, renovate what isn’t working, and cause sweeping changes in your daily routine and work habits. At first you may fear and resist these changes, but in the end you may find that these changes are beneficial to you both.

Melanie Griffith

Melanie Griffith's Chart Positions

Planet Sign Longitude Declination

q Sun is in g Leo 16` 46' 06" +15` 49' 00"

w Moon is in b Aquarius 6` 56' 48" -13` 45' 00"

e Mercury is in h Virgo 13` 50' 13" + 5` 20' 00"

r Venus is in h Virgo 17` 32' 40" + 6` 02' 00"

t Mars is in h Virgo 0` 54' 19" +12` 11' 00"

y Jupiter is in z Libra 0` 27' 48" + 0` 53' 00"

u Saturn is in c Sagittarius 7` 41' 10" -19` 57' 00"

i Uranus is in g Leo 7` 53' 57" +18` 52' 00"

o Neptune is in x Scorpio 0` 02' 51" - 9` 52' 00"

p Pluto is in g Leo 29` 41' 21" +21` 50' 00"

l N. Node is in x Scorpio 15` 01' 30" -16` 21' 00"

j Ascendant is in z Libra 24` 36' 51" - 9` 32' 00"

k Midheaven is in f Cancer 28` 58' 24" +20` 22' 00"

$ Chiron is in b Aquarius 14` 42' 07" - 9` 35' 00"

For Melanie: Your Style of Relating
To figure out your own personal relationship needs, we’re first going to look at your basic personality type with both its strengths and its weak points. This can show what you have to contribute, and what you need from someone else. The better you know your own nature, the more successful you’ll be in your relationships. You can more easily make allowances for your own blind spots, and you can more consciously select a partner who will bring you happiness.

Your Basic Character

Fire, Earth, Air and Water signs are quite evenly balanced.
Your chart is notable because the four basic types of signs are so well balanced. This gives you an unusual latitude of choice in the way you react to situations. Depending on the circumstances, you can concentrate on taking action (Fire), on assembling the facts before you move (Earth), on planning a strategy (Air), or on consulting your instincts and intuition (Water). This wide variety of options that you have may help you better understand and deal with your partner’s style of reacting. Unless your partner also has a balance of elements, however, you may find your partner’s range of responses a bit limited.

Your Moon is in Aquarius.
Since you tend not to show your feelings very easily, others may see you as unemotional. Rather than displaying emotion, you may find it more natural to explain your feelings verbally. This can be a good way to begin to get closer to someone you care about, for you may find that talking about your feelings can eventually help you to demonstrate them. At first, you feel most comfortable being “just friends.” Only after you’ve become acquainted on a friendly level for a while and had lots of conversations may you feel comfortable enough to get into deeper emotional waters. Even then, your intimate relations will tend to be more like a good friendship than a deep emotional entanglement.

You may also learn to become more demonstrative if you get involved in a humanitarian cause that your intellect tells you is just. It’s probably easier for you to show your feelings when causes rather then people are involved, and you can show passion or compassion more readily when intimacy is not an issue. Also, when you’re working for a cause along with others, some of these people will surely be emotional about the project, and a bit of their attitude may rub off on you. Once your feelings are activated by a cause, it may become more comfortable for you to express your emotions with the significant others in your life. Another thing that would be likely to move your emotions would be the loss of a friend or colleague, or some injustice done to such a person.

You have an objectivity that enables you to deal with emotional situations in an admirably detached manner. This can have its advantages when you’re dealing with other people’s emotions. Others may lose their cool, but you can stay in control, and it will be unlikely that someone else will get the upper hand. You may also find that your calmness soothes those who are upset.

Your detachment can also protect you when someone tries to push your emotional buttons. Then, an invisible curtain will come down between you and the other person, and once it’s is in place, you no longer will be involved, even though you may still be physically present. Indeed, any partner of yours will find that pressuring you emotionally is definitely not the way to reach you. Trying to arouse your emotions with tears, anger or guilt is likely to be met by icy indifference.

You really are reasonable, however, and with the right approach you can easily be reached. If, instead of trying to pressure you emotionally, people appeal to your objectivity and explain all the facts, you can detach yourself from even the most personal situation and arrive at a solution that’s agreeable to all.

Your Axis of Relationship
And now we get to your “axis of relationship” -- your Ascendant (or rising sign) and, directly opposite it, your Descendant. Together, these say a great deal about how you relate. While your Ascendant describes the way you present yourself to others, the Descendant tells the other side of the story. It suggests the sort of partner you’ll be drawn to and who will make you feel more complete.
If the birth time for your chart is accurate, you have Libra rising. This means that one-to-one may be your favorite way of relating, and that having a partner is high on your list of priorities. You operate best when you have a partner who’s your equal -- someone with whom you can converse and share your ideas and experiences. Also, because you need peace and harmony, you may bend over backwards to please that significant other in your life.

Strangely, the partners you’re drawn to will tend to be independent and even bossy. They may also seem argumentative, and in their rush to do their own thing they may forget the rights and feelings of others. This is because they’re acting out a side of you that you tend to suppress. Before you become upset by them, remember that they can be an asset when the world requires more assertion and adventurousness than it’s natural for you to muster.

Actually, your Libra-rising attributes make you ideally suited to dealing with such partners. Your urge for fairness and equality will tend to keep your partner from running over you rough-shod. While you can be generous to a partner, it won’t be to the point of total self-sacrifice. Something inside you objectively notes when you’ve done enough and it’s time to restore the balance between you. Also, your objectivity and your penchant for intellectual debate will make it possible for you to air your differences openly and hammer out a fair solution to them.

To deal with a partner’s possibly hot temper, you have the advantage of your charm, diplomacy and inclination to resort to reason. This, and your desire for peace, would tend to stop you from displaying anger or making forceful demands. You’ll probably be not only more comfortable but also more convincing if you use these innate social talents. In these cases it’s possible that your partner could comply without even recognizing what you’re doing or consciously knowing what you want.

If you don’t get what you want quickly, it may be due less to your partner’s resistance than to your own lack of decisiveness. Actually, although you may not view it that way, when you need to make up your mind, it can be advantageous to have a direct and forceful partner. However, because an equal relationship is so important to you, you could resent it when your partner takes charge.

If this is causing a rift between you, consider the facts objectively. From your partner’s perspective you may seem totally inert, and he or she may be making decisions for you simply out of impatience with your seeming procrastination. Recognizing your contribution to the situation may help you to remedy it, or at least make you see things from your partner’s point of view so that you feel less angry.

You may be able to regain equality in your relationship by striving to make decisions faster. Or you could appreciate your partner’s taking charge because it takes the pressure off you. No matter which route you follow, note that, because of your relationship, you are probably accomplishing much more than you’d ever have accomplished by yourself.

Dating and Romance
To see what you specifically want and need in romance, partnership and sex, we’re now going to look at these areas of your chart in detail.

We’ll start where relationships begin -- in the house of courtship, love affairs and romance. This is the Fifth House, which, interestingly, is also associated with risk-taking. Not surprising when you consider that romance is often where you have to take the plunge and throw yourself open to chance! Will Mr./Ms. Right cross your path at the mixer dance or singles bar? Will you gather your courage to ask someone out on a date? Will that blind date be a delight or a disaster? This is just part of the reason that the Fifth is the place where love relationships begin.

Once you’ve started to date, the Fifth House’s recreational side emerges. Fifth-House activities like dinner out, plays and movies, museums and sports provide a pleasurable atmosphere to encourage a budding acquaintance to flower into something more. Sometimes called the house of self-expression, the Fifth also rules self-display, as you each put on your finest feathers to attract the other. Dating in the Fifth leads to marriage in the Seventh House and sex in the Eighth, and then the cycle begins again with children, which are also shown by the Fifth House and its association with self-expression and play.

There are a number of different signs and planets associated with your relationship houses, and each of these contributes its own symbolic themes to that area of your life. The more that you both try to express the various qualities that are symbolized in these key relationship areas of your charts, the happier and more complete your relationship is likely to feel.

Aquarius is on your Fifth-House cusp.
For you, romance is strongly connected with friendly social exchange. You may fall in love with someone who is in your circle of friends, or you may go out on double dates or consider group activities to be one of your favorite ways of having fun together. Conversation is likely to be your favorite form of flirting.

There may also be something oddball in your romances. One-of-a-kind romantic partners may have a special appeal, or in your courtship you may like to defy convention. At any rate, you need to express your own individuality, and you don’t like to bend to the will of your partner. Indeed, you require a certain a degree of detachment and objectivity, so that each of you remains a distinct individual.

Pisces is within the Fifth House.
If you’re sufficiently able to establish your independence in the relationship, at some point in your courtship you’ll feel an urge to merge. You may have started by evaluating your relationship objectively, but eventually you’re flooded with romantic feelings which you want the other person to reciprocate. Fantasizing more about your romance, you may start to idealize your partner unrealistically, or you may make some self-sacrificing gesture that only embarrasses the other. If your partner is not behaving according to your ideal, it can be easy to delude yourself that all is well when it isn’t. If all does go well, however, fantasy and imagination can bring an unparalleled richness and tenderness to your romance, and you may feel yourself merging on an exalted level of emotion.

Saturn, the ruler of your Fifth House, is in the Second
The planet that’s traditionally associated with the sign on the Fifth-House cusp brings in additional considerations. Placed in the Second House, it means that security could be an important issue even in the courtship stage. The idea of belonging to each other really appeals to you, and so you’re hardly frivolous in your romantic attachments. In fact, the idea of belonging could be so strong that possessiveness might enter the picture if you feel insecure. You also will view the relationship realistically, evaluating it from a practical perspective. Even if other factors in your chart indicate that you have a vivid imagination, you won’t spend a lot of time fantasizing about your romance because material considerations are never totally out of the picture.

You don’t have any planets in your Fifth House. All this means is that dating and romance may take a less crucial role in your life than they might for someone else. The good thing is that your requirements are less specific, so that you can select from a wider range of potential playmates.

Becoming Partners
Through the pleasures, risk-taking and self-expression signified by the Fifth House, you gain a sense of your own individuality and develop a robust identity of your own. You need this before you can have the true relationship of equals that is the essence of the Seventh House.

Traditionally the house of marriage, Seventh House signifies the way you make a serious commitment to another, and the way that your commitment is recognized in the social sphere beyond your relationship. Even when your relationship doesn’t result in marriage, this is the house where you learn to blend your individualities without submerging them, and, for better or for worse, to deal as a team with the ups and downs of life. It’s also the place of head-to-head confrontations, where you encounter both your similarities and your differences, and you each negotiate your fair share in disputes.

Aries is on your Seventh-House cusp.
You tend to seek out a partner who is assertive and shows initiative. But while you admire those who can take charge, you don’t want to be bossed around. At times you may want to take the lead yourself. This could provoke heated disagreements, and you may then wish for some peace and quiet. However, you’d be bored if your life together were too peaceful. You’d also have little respect for a partner who didn’t stand his or her ground and allowed you to be the sole decision-maker.

Actively discussing alternatives may make you each feel that you’re sharing the leadership in the relationship. You might decide that one of you should be in charge on some types of issues, and on other issues the other should run the show. You might actively negotiate still other issues. If your discussions make either of you extremely angry, you could more easily make compromises if you walk and talk rather than sit and glare at each other.

Taurus is within the Seventh House.
You also need a partner with whom you can share sensual pleasures. Problems can arise when one of you is being totally self-absorbed and self-indulgent without considering the other. If you’re feeling neglected, never order your partner to think about your needs. That would be like waving a red flag in front of a bull, and it’ll produce the exact opposite of what you want. Instead, suggest two or three things that you’d like to do or to see happen, and allow your partner to choose among them. In this way, your partner will have made the decision, and you’ll be satisfied as well. If you feel that you’re the one who’s been taking the other for granted, and your partner seems unhappy, plan some pleasurable activities that you can enjoy together. Practical considerations and possessions can figure large in your life together, and you may enjoy your joint ownership of beautiful things.

Mars, the ruler of your Seventh House, is in the Eleventh
In your chart the planet that’s traditionally associated with the sign on your Seventh-House cusp is placed in the Eleventh House. This suggests that you could select your marriage partner from your circle of friends or from a club or group that you belong to. In your life together you may continue to entertain friends and pursue your interests with others. You tend to think of marriage more as a relationship of pals than of lovers, and in your married life you expect conversation and mental stimulation to be an important medium of exchange. A partner who is too emotionally demonstrative could scare you. Fortunately, you’re probably good at using rational discussion to solve your differences. Using your openness and good humor is an effective way to keep resentments from festering.

Every planet that a person has in the Seventh House would indicate at least one additional requirement for them in a close one-to-one relationship. You have no planets here, however. For you, close partnerships may not be the all-consuming concern that they might be to someone who has a full Seventh House. This means that you could actually have an easier time finding a marriage partner. Your requirements in a partner are apt to be looser, and so you can be open to a greater variety of people.

Entwining Souls
Joined into a single entity in the Seventh House, you become ready to transform each other in the Eighth. To do this, you need to relax your grip on whatever you felt necessary to maintain yourselves as separate individuals. Then you need to take a leap of faith, and trust that the essentially benevolent forces of life will pull you through. If you emerge from this trial successfully, you will be transformed and renewed.

This, of course, is the essence of sex, which is one of the areas that the Eighth House stands for. The Eighth also depicts the other sorts of deep emotional bonds that arise in relationships, as you shed the shells of your individuality to merge into a larger whole. On a material level, the Eighth depicts the merging of property and finances, where you each need to give up what is yours and contribute it to the common pool.

With the high emotional intensity of the Eighth House and its lack of objectivity, power struggles are possible. Any impulse to do harm must always be contained. The key lies in developing compassion for your own emotional state, in letting go of tightly held positions, and then inviting powers out of your conscious control to lead you in the right direction.

Regarding your sexual self, all the signs and planets influencing your Eighth House describe possible avenues for sexual expression. Combining or alternating these themes will keep you from falling into stale and confining routines.

Taurus is on your Eighth-House cusp.
Sensual enjoyments are very important to you, and you’re likely to savor every moment of such experiences. Moreover, you’re loyal to your partner and expect loyalty in return. Since you tend to be habit-oriented in this area of your life, if there is a change in the routine, you could begin to question your partner’s trustworthiness. Then jealousy and possessiveness could enter the picture and disrupt your sex life.

If this happens, together you should reestablish your routine. It also will help if your partner shows that he or she cares. Practical evidence of devotion may be preferable to physical or emotional demonstrativeness. Showering you with gifts could produce the desired results more quickly than a hug or a kiss.

Gemini is within the Eighth House.
Though you may start by being routine-oriented, at some point you’ll probably want some variety in your sex life. You might find this with a versatile sex partner, or by having more than one. If you’re bored with a partner who always performs in the same manner, you might look elsewhere for new and interesting sexual experiences. That search could bring unnecessary complications into your life. An alternative to wandering would be to talk to your partner about your feelings. This might either bring about change in your physical sexual activities or suggest other new and interesting channels for pleasure.

Venus, the ruler of your Eighth House, is in the Eleventh
The placement of your Eighth-House ruler in the Eleventh House suggests that your sexual requirements also include conversation, sociability, companionship and the life of the mind. Banter and witty double entendre could be part of the fun. Sex is all the better for you when you have a partner who is amusing or intellectually stimulating. You may like a partner who can converse easily not only with you but also on the social scene. Because a partner’s limited social skills or intellectual capacity could quickly interfere with the sexual part of your relationship, you’d be wise to socialize with someone for a while before you get sexually involved. If you’re already involved and seem to be losing interest in your partner, go to a few parties together, or attend classes or lectures that will spark discussion between you. This could well rekindle the flame.

Because you have no planets in your Eighth House, your requirements for sex and deep emotional bonding are simpler than they might be. If one or more of your partner’s planets falls into your Eighth, however, it can add some different themes as well as additional energy to your sex life.

How You See Antonio
To see how you experience Antonio, what he means to you personally, and the biases you may have when dealing with this important person in your life, we’re now going to look at the way his planets fit into the houses of your birth chart.

You could think of Antonio’s planets as “lighting up” your houses, bringing more energy to the areas of life that those houses deal with. His planets can activate underactive areas of your life, making you feel more complete. Or they may increase the activity in areas that that are already emphasized in your own chart. They may repeat problematic themes in your horoscope so that you’re finally forced to deal with them, or give you the added push to make the most of assets that you already have. All this influences the way you feel about him, and suggests the functions that he will take on in your life.

First, however, before looking at specific houses and planets, it can be revealing just to look at the overall way Antonio’s planets are grouped around your chart wheel.
With Antonio’s planets being balanced fairly equally above and below your horizon, you’ll probably see him as sometimes being socially oriented, adjusting to the world and needing its approval, and at other times wanting to be alone, being introspective and caring more about self-approval or personal gratification than public opinion. If you view this as inconsistency, you could consider the situation impossible, and just complain about your partner’s attitudes instead of trying to influence them. If you see it as flexibility, you’ll then try various approaches to influencing his attitudes, and you will eventually succeed.
Antonio’s planets are quite equally distributed between the right-hand and left-hand sides of your chart. This means that you probably see him as able to be both an initiator and responder. The advantage of this is that you’ll feel neither the necessity always to take charge, nor the expectation that your partner will always do so. The disadvantage is not knowing when you should initiate and when you should respond.

To deal with this, you may always follow your partner’s lead, or always try to take the lead yourself. A better course is to consciously decide who’s in charge of what, and have each of you doing the decision-making in a different area. It’s also helpful to consult frequently, so that each of you is advised of the decisions and plans that the other has made.

How Antonio Affects Specific Areas of Your Life
And now for particular planets in particular houses. Pay special attention to the houses that contain Antonio’s Sun and Moon, because these are likely to represent focal areas in your relationship with him.

Antonio’s Sun is in your Tenth House.
You’re likely to admire the image that Antonio projects on the world. This impression may be connected with your own career or with your own social interaction with society at large. If you’re in business together, you might want to make Antonio the one who meets the clients or publicly represents the company. If you’re not in business together, your partner can still make you look good. If your horoscope indicates that you need to stand on your own merits, you can either feel insecure about needing him to stand up for you, or you can together figure out ways to stand on the world stage as a duo.

Antonio’s Moon is in your Sixth House.
You may feel appreciated because Antonio is emotionally supportive and understanding of all the work you do. On the other hand, when you try to work together, emotions might run high or be inconsistent. For example, your emotions could be triggered by a difference of opinion on how to do a certain task. You may think that it’s Antonio who’s having the outburst or is pushing your emotional buttons, but he may be just as convinced that you’re the unstable one. To avoid such problems, you could work separately instead of together, either doing different tasks, or the same tasks at different times. Then, instead of the flack, you might get the support and appreciation that this placement promises.

Antonio’s Mercury is in your Tenth House.
Antonio could have a lot to say about your career, which may be simply a display of interest, or advice on what you should do. As long as there’s not a lot of criticism, it can be good to have someone to discuss your work with. You and he could also be in business together, and you might see him as an asset in the communications department. And generally when you’re interacting with the outer world , you might feel that your partner is an asset because of his ability to socialize. The only difficulty might be that he could be too talkative. If this is so, you should be able to discuss the situation, and perhaps this will help.

Antonio’s Venus is in your Eleventh House.
You may have first been drawn to Antonio when you picked him out of a group, and his attractiveness and social skills may still seem to shine best when the two of you are in your circle of friends or associates. When you’re dealing with your peers, Antonio’s sociability could be a great asset. It could also be that Antonio gets you to join groups or associate with people who are interested in art or the other pleasures in life. If things ever get too serious or grim, you’ll usually be able to lighten things up and have a good time if you go together to a party, or go on an outing with an organization or friends.

Antonio’s Mars is in your Eighth House.
Antonio is likely to bring an extra degree of heat into your sex life, and this may well make you feel all the more desirable. But it’s also possible that all that Mars energy is just too aggressive, so that your needs and wishes don’t seem to be considered at all. If you feel that you’re being taken advantage of in bed, maybe it’s time, at least for a while, to put the focus on another Eighth-House matter, your joint resources. When you’re discussing shared finances, fireworks could still erupt, but this is a slightly less emotionally complicated arena for working out your power struggles. Some of the pressure might be taken off your sex life if you allowed your partner to handle the household finances, or, even better, if you worked out a way to share the power in this area.

Antonio’s Jupiter is in your Third House.
Antonio is likely to benefit your relations with your family and neighbors, and he may generally expand your social life so that there’s a lot more talk and motion than when you’re alone. He may expand your horizons also, feeding you interesting news from all over, and maybe getting you to learn some new skills or some new vocabulary. And as a result of being with him, you could well find yourself shuttling around town, or even around the country or the world on a regular basis.

All this could be quite exhilarating, as long as it doesn’t get carried to excess. If there’s too much chatter and motion for your tastes, instead of feeling exhausted by it all, you can always stake out some quiet time for yourself while your partner scampers off and does his thing. Then, when you get back together, you can be amused and titillated by all the juicy tidbits and stimulating news that he brings to you from outside.

Antonio’s Saturn is in your Third House.
Communicating with Antonio may be a serious issue in your relationship. You could feel that he’s hard to reach, or that you’re limited in what you can say to him, because he doesn’t listen to you or doesn’t seem to understand what you’re talking about. Or perhaps you feel intimidated, because you believe that he speaks as an authority and is always trying to tell you how and what to think. You may end up finding it easier just to keep quiet. It may help to put your thoughts into writing. Try to be clear, concise and honest in what you write, and this will clarify your thoughts. You will then be able to speak with your partner in a style that he can understand. He may not only start to listen to you, but may be more understanding as well.

Antonio’s Uranus is in your Tenth House.
Antonio may have unusual ideas about your career. While these ideas probably come sporadically and some of them may seem strange, some of his suggestions may be highly creative. You might be more apt to listen to them if you work together, or if he is knowledgeable in your field. Even if he lacks expertise, don’t automatically dismiss his ideas. Since you understand what you’re doing, you should know which of Antonio’s ideas are worth exploring.

Another possibility is that Antonio could be so bent on being independent in the outer world that he has no interest whatsoever in what you are doing. If this is the case, perhaps you should enjoy being able to act without interference. If you do feel neglected, you might engage your partner’s interest by asking for some creative assistance.

Antonio’s Neptune is in your First House.
You find Antonio charismatic, and could place him on a pedestal, although you may not fully understand why. Complete understanding, however, is not always necessary, because the mystery is likely to be one of the main things that attracts you. Besides, if you could clearly define your partner, you might find flaws, and then begin to criticize, hoping to re-create the image that you originally had. But the more you criticize, the less likely it is that the image of perfection will return.

Instead of trying to figure out what Antonio is really like, it may be better simply to prolong the illusion. Participate in the myth that you helped to create, and enjoy it to the hilt. Having a person with whom you can escape from the real world is one of the things that can help you to deal better with the realities of life.

Antonio’s Pluto is in your Eleventh House.
You may see Antonio as a group leader -- someone who tends to take charge when three or more people get together. You might admire this macho attitude and bask in its power. Or you could resent it because you yourself want to be in charge, or be embarrassed because your partner is so pushy. If you’re upset, you could try to find ways to share the power, or stop going to this group together and find your own group to rule. Then you won’t personally see the behavior that bothers you, and you’ll have satisfied your own need to be in charge.

The Dynamics between the Two of You
Now we’re ready to look at some typical kinds of dramas that can play out between you. These are suggested by the way the planets in one person’s chart relate to those in the other.

The different planets in your chart are like little characters who are interacting with each other inside your psyche. They also interact with the little characters inside other people. For example, Mars, the little warrior inside you, could be having a hot and heavy affair with your partner’s sultry, come-hither Venus. This could take the form either of cozying up in bed together, or fighting most of the time. Or these two little characters could be constantly on each other’s mind, but somehow at cross-purposes or never quite on each other’s wavelength. The basic quality of each planet, plus the aspect, or kind of angle, that is formed between them, determines how well those parts of the psyche will get along with each other, and what the nature of their alliance or conflict will be.

Below, the aspects between your charts are arranged roughly in order of how important they’ll be to you personally. Take special note whenever you see aspects involving the same pairs of planets next to each other in the list. If you see, for example, not only your Venus conjunct your partner’s Mars, but also your partner’s Mars making an aspect to your Venus, you can be sure that Venus-Mars themes such as sex, or some other sort of very creative, productive activity, will be of overriding importance in your life together.

Because we’re dealing with double the number of planets here, the number of possible aspects is greatly increased. We’ll therefore consider only the interaspects that are quite exact.

Meshing Your Personalities and Goals
Aspects involving your Ascendant or Midheaven depend not only on the day you were born, but also on the exact time. They therefore make you different from most others born on the same day, and have a particularly personal significance.

The Ascendant is the place where a planet would rise from the inner realm below the horizon to the outer world above. As such, it symbolizes the interface between the inner you and the outside world. This is your personality -- the face you put on, your body and manner, your habitual way of dealing with others.

The Midheaven is the highest point a planet can go in your chart. As you might expect, it signifies the most universally visible part of you -- your career goals, your most public self and your reputation. Aspects involving the Midheaven of one or both partners can therefore be among the most powerful indicators of how one partner relates to the other’s reputation, career and overall life direction.

Because the Ascendant and Midheaven move so fast (on average, a whole degree in only four minutes of time) their correct positions depend on whether you know your birth time accurately. Aspects between these points and your partner’s horoscope can say very important things about your relationship. If you’re unsure of your birth time, however, it’s best to take any interpretations of aspects from your Ascendant and Midheaven with a grain of salt.

Antonio’s Mercury is square Melanie’s Ascendant.
Communications are very much in the foreground of your relationship, but sometimes they may cause friction. While you might love to communicate about intellectual matters, you’re more likely to talk about yourselves and your immediate environment. During these rather personal conversations, Antonio might sometimes get the impression that Melanie is trying to direct his manner of speaking, or Melanie might feel that Antonio is telling her how to look and behave. The good thing about this aspect is that if you feel criticized by your partner, it’ll be natural for you to discuss this together. With a bit of effort, you should be able to understand each other’s feelings. As long you remain courteous, your urge to be in constant communication with each other will keep your relationship close.

Antonio’s Jupiter is sextile Melanie’s Ascendant.
Joining forces makes both of you happier and more self-confident. Antonio naturally helps Melanie to feel good about herself, and Melanie’s personality helps Antonio in his process of personal growth. As a couple, you’re always broadening your horizons. Occasionally you might try to do too much, and then feel overwhelmed rather than enlightened. But because you’re so focused on helping each other, you’ll find it natural to assist your partner when he or she gets overwhelmed or over-committed. This kind of cooperation will not only help you to grow as individuals, it will also bring you closer together as a couple.

Antonio’s Uranus is sextile Melanie’s Ascendant.
You and your partner share an air of excitement, and you may consciously stimulate each other to be independent and creative. So, when you’re together, you’ll find that you’re more daring and adventurous. Since you each want to help make your partner’s life more exciting, you automatically fan the spark of electricity that flows between you by seeking new things to do, new places to visit, and new ways of expressing your joint creativity. You might not always know what will happen next, but that’s part of your attraction to each other. As long as you’re together, neither of you is likely to get bored.

Melanie’s Moon is semisextile Antonio’s Ascendant.
While there’s a strong attraction and personal tie between you, it may sometimes seem problematical. Melanie has the potential to overwhelm Antonio with emotions, and Antonio’s personality may sometimes interfere with Melanie’s need for nurturing and emotional satisfaction.

To make this aspect work better in your lives, it will help to take turns adjusting to each other’s needs. For example, Melanie should sometimes forget about her own emotional needs and instead use her own nurturing ability to help Antonio gain appreciation and acceptance. At other times, Antonio should forget about himself in order to support Melanie’s need for emotional gratification. The more you do this for each other, the stronger and more confident you’ll get individually, and the support that you give to each other will make the tie between you stronger also.

Melanie’s Mercury is opposite Antonio’s Ascendant.
The two of you are likely to enjoy chatting about yourselves and your immediate environment, and in fact that is one of the things that may have drawn you to each other. Sometimes with this aspect, however, these conversations on the personal level can turn into picking at each other. If Antonio starts to tell Melanie what to say or how to say it, or Melanie starts instructing Antonio on how to behave, you should air your discomfort by having a talk together. If you remember to support rather than criticize each other, your ready ability to keep in touch with each other at all times will ensure a strong and lasting relationship.

Melanie’s Mars is opposite Antonio’s Ascendant.
While Antonio might be attracted to Melanie’s ability to take charge, this forceful quality of hers might also sometimes make him feel hurried and pushed. And while Melanie is drawn to her partner’s personality and appearance, she might feel hampered or restrained by the way he likes to come on to the world. There’s an attraction between you, but there could also be a feeling that the other person disapproves. To enable Antonio simply to enjoy Melanie’s assertiveness, Melanie should find ways to take the initiative without directing him. To enable Melanie to feel less inhibited, Antonio should try to let her take the initiative without interfering. You’ll then maintain balance in your relationship, and will be able to channel your energies into constructive paths.

Melanie’s Saturn is square Antonio’s Ascendant.
This aspect links Melanie’s sense of responsibility and commitment with Antonio’s appearance, personality and manner of relating to others. From the very beginning of your relationship, you’ve probably known that you can count on your partner being there for you when needed. While you might feel secure with each other, however, you might also feel limited or confined. It’s best to bring any concerns about this out into the open, clarify your feelings and find a solution together. This may not make the feelings of restriction totally disappear, but when these feelings arise, it’s a sure-fire way to improve upon the situation.

Melanie’s Uranus is quincunx Antonio’s Ascendant.
There’s an attraction between you that has to do with the way Antonio’s personality interacts with Melanie’s independent and unpredictable qualities. However, the same element of inconsistency that attracts may sometimes make either of you want to change or redefine the other. The partner who wants to make the changes will probably see the other in a less attractive light, and the partner who “needs” to be changed will probably feel hemmed in and restricted. Instead of trying to remold your partner, take turns appreciating one another. Sometimes Melanie should be allowed to be as quirky and individualistic as she wants, with Antonio’s full appreciation and support. And then Melanie should give extra appreciation to Antonio while he gives free rein to his own personality. Melanie can give Antonio added encouragement to be independent and creative within his frame of reference. If you both follow this drill, the qualities that you admire will stay intact, and the excitement and attraction that you feel with each other will be continually renewed.

Melanie’s Pluto is opposite Antonio’s Ascendant.
With this combination, Melanie could feel empowered by Antonio’s personality, and Antonio could feel personally strengthened by Melanie. But there’s a need to balance Antonio’s personality and Melanie’s power. If either of you seems to dominate the other, you’ll have a power struggle that ultimately damages Antonio’s self-esteem and leaves Melanie feeling ineffectual. You’ll both be happier if you refrain from trying to force your ways on your partner. Melanie should allow Antonio to express his personality freely, using her power to facilitate the process and not interfere with it. And Antonio should make himself available to help Melanie satisfy her drive for power. If you show respect for each other in this manner, you’ll become stronger both as individuals and as a couple.

Antonio’s Mercury is conjunct Melanie’s Midheaven.
You might enjoy talking about world affairs or career issues, but these conversations will probably be more focused on general information than philosophical implications. For example, you’d be more prone to discuss the specifics of a particular battle than whether the war itself was ethical. On the personal front, you could talk about the details of your work day without touching on the long-term goals and implications of your career. Your conversations won’t usually be deep, but you’ll seldom run out of matters to discuss. Also, disagreements will tend not to be very upsetting, because you won’t be attacking each other’s philosophical principles.

Melanie’s Sun is trine Antonio’s Midheaven.
Melanie’s personal needs work hand in hand with Antonio’s public image, and so you and your partner are able to make a favorable impression on the world with very little effort. It should be easy for each of you to enhance the image of the other, and also to attain the goals that you want as a couple. You just need to determine your direction and goals, and then let the energy flow. This combination makes you very visible, however, and so it will be difficult to conceal yourselves. Keep this in mind whenever the two of you are dealing with the public, and at those times be sure to put your best foot forward.

Melanie’s Mercury is square Antonio’s Midheaven.
Melanie may have a lot to say about Antonio’s career and public image, and Antonio’s public self and goals in life are likely to be connected with Melanie’s ability to communicate. This can contribute to a dynamic, active quality in your relationship, but it can also signify a potential for friction in these areas. For example, Melanie could be critical of Antonio’s career goals, or Antonio could feel that his aspirations are hindered by Melanie’s communication style or what she says.

The good news is that you’ll probably find it easy to discuss anything that disturbs you. It may take effort, but once you start, the words should come streaming out. To ensure fair discussions, it’s a good idea to set some ground rules. When you squarely face issues involving communications and career, you might discover that you can become real assets to each other. With cooperation, the two of you can reach your individual goals as well as the goals that you share as a couple.

Melanie’s Venus is square Antonio’s Midheaven.
Melanie’s pleasure, love and affection are connected with Antonio’s career and/or worldly success in such a way that there may be friction. Melanie could self-indulgently seek pleasure in a way that could harm Antonio’s career, or Antonio could be so focused on career that Melanie feels neglected. Showing each other a bit more consideration can keep these scenarios from becoming chronic. For example, Melanie could use her charm to help Antonio achieve career goals, and Antonio could take more time away from work to socialize with her. Then your complaints about each other should become fewer and you’ll both be able to achieve your goals.

Melanie’s Saturn is conjunct Antonio’s Midheaven.
As a couple, you and your partner probably project a serious and responsible image in the outer world. With this combination, you might not be viewed as the most popular duo to invite to a party, but others will see you as able to organize and accomplish a great deal. Therefore, you could find yourselves frequently cast in leadership roles. When this occurs, you’ll work hard at your commitments. You may sometimes feel overburdened and wish you could take the easy way out, but if you try to do this, you may just have to repeat what you’ve done. Then it ends up taking twice as long as it would have if you’d followed what seemed the longer route. So you may work harder than many couples, but the respect and rewards you’re likely to receive make it well worth the effort.

Melanie’s Neptune is semisquare Antonio’s Midheaven.
With this combination, Melanie might sometimes be irritated by the way Antonio deals with the material world, and Antonio could be annoyed by Melanie’s impractical attitude. Or Antonio could feel confused by Melanie’s nebulous quality, while Melanie feels limited by Antonio’s conformity to society or his focus on career. There will be less friction between you if you accept that your ways of dealing with the world are different, and grant Melanie permission to develop spirituality and Antonio permission to concentrate on career. You may each still sometimes get upset with the other, and this could lead to critical remarks. You would not want this type of interaction on a daily basis, but perhaps an occasional suggestion might help you each to improve your approach to life.

Melanie’s North Node is semisextile Antonio’s Midheaven.
There may be a need for adjustment between the relationships that Melanie brings to the partnership, and Antonio’s career or public image. For example, Antonio could feel disliked or disrespected, and if he’s always forced to interact with his partner’s associates, it might cause low self-esteem and problems in his career. If Antonio always insists on avoiding these people, however, Melanie could feel deprived of important relationships. In this case it would be best to take turns adjusting to each other, with Antonio sometimes tolerating these individuals so that Melanie can satisfy her social needs, and Melanie sometimes declining invitations so that Antonio won’t have to deal with these people too often. This should lessen friction between you.

Balancing Your Separate Egos
The Sun has to do with your inner life direction and also with your conscious conception of yourself. In close relationships, one of the chief issues the Sun will bring up is each person’s ego, and how the other partner does or doesn’t support it.

Since the Sun is such a central part of the horoscope, aspects involving the Sun of one or both partners are likely to be among the major keynotes of your relationship. Aspects between one person’s Sun and the other’s Moon are particularly important, as they have proven to be one of the strongest possible attractors between two people, especially in a long-term relationship like marriage.

Antonio’s Sun and Melanie’s Sun are conjunct.
Egos are in the foreground of your relationship. Because you both tend to have similar ego needs, you should be able to cooperate and attain goals together. However, you could clash on specific issues, with each of you getting wrapped up in self-promotion and ignoring the other’s desires. If this happens, it’ll help to return to the general principles that you do agree on, and start again. It’ll be worth the effort. Working together, the two of you can generate a lot more energy than you could alone. Through cooperating, you’ll accomplish personal as well as joint goals more quickly.

Antonio’s Sun is semisextile Melanie’s Venus.
Although you and your partner are attracted to each other, there will be times when each of you will have to adjust to the needs of the other. If Antonio thinks only of personal gratification, Melanie could become resentful because you never have fun together. If Melanie concentrates only on having a good time, Antonio could feel inadequate because meaningful goals are not part of the relationship. Antonio should sometimes forget personal goals and throw his support behind Melanie’s desire to be sociable and have a good time. And Melanie should sometimes use charm and diplomacy to help Antonio look good and achieve the ego gratification that he wants. By periodically adjusting to each other’s needs, you can avoid much discontent.

Antonio’s Sun is square Melanie’s Nodes.
Interacting with others, especially with the people that Melanie brings to the partnership, could become a bone of contention between you. Antonio’s presence is definitely going to be noted by these people, and there are a number of complaints that Melanie might register. Melanie might feel either that Antonio is obnoxious with the friends, or is too well liked by them, or is some mixture of the two. Alternatively, Antonio just might not like Melanie’s friends, or may feel that they disapprove of him. You may sometimes find it necessary to appear together with these people, but at other times you may be able to minimize the friction if Melanie sometimes sees her friends without Antonio, and Antonio looks to other acquaintances for appreciation and personal gratification.

Melanie’s Sun is conjunct Antonio’s Uranus.
This combination has the potential to be exciting and creative, but it can also be erratic and unstable. If you concentrate on the instability, you could become nervous wrecks by worrying about how long the relationship will continue in this manner. It’s better to enjoy the excitement and creativity that appears, and try not to think about how long it will last. When you’re not pressuring each other, you’ll both feel freer to enjoy the excitement, and your relationship is more likely to prosper.

Melanie’s Sun is semisextile Antonio’s North Node.
When Melanie’s ego and Antonio’s relationships are in the foreground, one of you may have to do some adjusting. But it shouldn’t always be Antonio. If Antonio has to give up friends because of Melanie’s ego, he may begin to feel isolated. On the other hand, if Melanie is always forced to interact with Antonio’s friends, she may feel that they ignore or disapprove of her, and her confidence may be undermined.

Things will go better if you take turns adjusting to each other. To give Melanie a chance to obtain gratification and build self-confidence, Antonio should sometimes do without his friends. And to help Antonio feel less isolated, Melanie should sometimes tolerate his acquaintances. This will become easier for Melanie to do when she is able to feel more confident.

Dealing with Each Other’s Emotions
The Moon has to do with your unconscious, receptive side, the part that reacts emotionally to life. A primary significator of the mother, it also indicates how everyone, regardless of gender, nurtures, feeds and protects both others and the self. The Moon also has a lot to do with being comfortable and feeling at home with your partner.

Antonio’s Moon and Melanie’s Moon are in sextile.
You and your partner have a strong emotional connection, and you probably enjoy helping each other to feel nurtured. You take pleasure in comforting one another, and you might well do this with food. Occasionally you may feel that your partner is a little too motherly, or you could stimulate each other to express feelings too strongly. But for the most part, the tender, loving care that you give each other should more than make up for a bit of emotional volatility or an occasional feeling of being over-protected. The important thing is that this aspect strongly indicates a close and lively emotional relationship.

Antonio’s Moon is opposite Melanie’s Jupiter.
You and your partner can expand together and stimulate each other to express your feelings more openly. However, you run the danger of becoming overly emotional or undertaking more than you can physically or financially do. You’ll be better able to avoid the excesses if Antonio emotionally supports Melanie in her endeavors to expand, and Melanie remembers to show approval for Antonio’s way of expressing feelings. If you balance your needs for expansion and emotional expression, you’ll be able to show the feelings you have for each other without concern about getting carried away by them. What you have together on the emotional level will then continue to grow.

Antonio’s Moon is trine Melanie’s Saturn.
You tend naturally to support each other when feelings and/or the material world are involved. For example, Antonio may offer emotional support for Melanie’s goals and handling of life’s practical details, while Melanie may provide material support for Antonio’s emotional needs. Even under the best of circumstances, however, Moon-Saturn combinations can sometimes restrict emotional expression. This can work in your favor when the situation calls for emotional self-control, but it can also create an unwanted distance and formality between you. If either of you occasionally feels inhibited or frustrated by your partner, it may help to concentrate on making your partner feel more secure. A feeling of emotional or material security can often provide a safe space for the free expression of emotion, and this in turn can ensure that your partnership stays close and emotionally alive.

Antonio’s Moon is trine Melanie’s Uranus.
When emotions are involved, you and your partner naturally share an air of electricity. No matter how long you’ve been together, there’s an easily ignited spark of excitement between you. Because of your interaction, there can be some inconsistency in the way you each behave, but you know down deep that you can count on help from your partner. Melanie may use unusual means, but she can make Antonio feel comfortable to express his feelings freely. And Antonio’s emotional support can help Melanie to be more individual and creative. You may not always know what to expect next from each other, but you know that you’ll get help when you need it, and you’ll probably never be bored.

Melanie’s Moon is opposite Antonio’s Mercury.
You and your partner may think that you have a telepathic connection, and there is some truth in this. But it’s possible that Melanie doesn’t always wait for Antonio to complete a sentence and jumps to inaccurate conclusions about his meaning. Or Antonio may get upset because Melanie isn’t responding in an appropriate manner to what he is saying. Instead of attempting to force the mental telepathy, try talking to each other and listening as well. You may then discover that you’re beginning to understand each other better, and that emotional upsets are becoming fewer.

Melanie’s Moon is trine Antonio’s Mars.
There’s a strong sexual attraction between you, such that passion and sexual gratification may be an integral part of your relationship. The feelings that you have for each other may be so strong that you could get carried away by your emotions and neglect other facets of your partnership. You might also get so wrapped up in each other that you forget the emotional needs of others who are important to you both.

If you think that either of these scenarios is true, you can easily use your joint energy to focus your emotions (at least temporarily) on those about whom you both care. Whatever you do, it should be comforting to know that your feelings flow easily together and are easily shared. This means that whenever problems arise between you, you’ll be able to address them squarely.

Melanie’s Moon is semisquare Antonio’s Jupiter.
You and your partner can stimulate each other in terms of expansion (Jupiter) and emotions (Moon), so that you’re easily able to show each other how you feel. However, you might tend to stimulate each other to over-indulge, or the stimulation might take the form of irritation. Deep within your relationship is the ability for each of you to be supportive of the other, and for the two of you to grow as a couple. If you both make an effort to show each other that you care, you may discover that the emotional outbursts and extravagances start to disappear, and you begin to enjoy each other a lot more. With this aspect, you’ll have to work at it, but it’ll be well worth the effort.

Melanie’s Moon is square Antonio’s Neptune.
You and your partner can reach each other on a subliminal level, and may have a telepathic connection that enables you to anticipate and take care of each other’s needs. The dark side of this is that either or both of you could also manipulate the other. If you feel that you experience more manipulation than support, visualization or prayer might be appropriate means of combating this. However, you might produce better results if Melanie consciously tries to support Antonio’s spiritual goals, and Antonio uses his spiritual connection to help satisfy Melanie’s emotional needs. The more you assist each other, the more your trust in each other will grow. It may take effort, but the end result will be worth the work.

Melanie’s Moon is quincunx Antonio’s Pluto.
“Power” and “emotion” are excellent words to describe this combination. But powerful emotions can materialize either as passion or as a weapon used against each other. If you try to force your attitude on your partner either subtly or overtly, you may evoke the weapon more often than the passion.

Instead, take turns allowing each other’s needs to be in the foreground. Instead of trying to manipulate Antonio’s direction, Melanie should provide emotional support for his desire to be empowered. On his part, Antonio can encourage his partner’s expression of feelings without interference or attempts to control. If you each adjust periodically to the other’s needs without thinking of your own, you’ll both ultimately achieve what you want. You’ll feel supported by your partner, and your passion will start to flow more freely.

Keeping Communications Open
The planet Mercury has a key importance in your relationship because it signifies your own style of thinking and perceiving, and also the way you convey your thoughts and feelings to each other. When the two of you have good Mercury connections, you’re able to communicate easily, and your chances of ironing out any differences between you are greatly increased.

Antonio’s Mercury and Melanie’s Mercury are in semisquare.
Although you probably have no difficulty talking to your partner, you could find that your conversations are more often argumentative and grating than they are enjoyable. If you’d prefer calmer discussions, you might try a new approach. When the two of you are talking, offer an opinion that’s different from what you normally believe. Your partner may take the view that you really hold, and then you can quickly agree. In this way, you may keep arguments to a minimum. But even if you keep arguing, at least the doors of communication will stay open. As long as you can talk to each other, you can continue working to improve your relationship.

Antonio’s Mercury is semisextile Melanie’s Mars.
When it comes to communicating and taking the initiative, you and your partner egg each other on, with the result that together you tend to be more active physically and verbally than either of you would be individually. If Antonio tries to prod Melanie too strongly to take the initiative, however, the result might not be action, but anger. And if Melanie attempts too strenuously to get Antonio to speak up, Antonio may become too loud or talk too much.

To use this aspect well, take turns being in the foreground while your partner adjusts to your needs. Sometimes let Melanie take the initiative while Antonio just offers verbal support. At other times, let Antonio communicate in whatever way feels most comfortable to him, while Melanie adjusts her actions to his words. In this way, you’ll each be satisfying your own needs, and your joint energy will be more effective.

Antonio’s Mercury is sextile Melanie’s Jupiter.
This combination connects social communication skills (Mercury) with deeper intellectual pursuits (Jupiter) and makes it easy for you to broaden each other in terms of thinking and speaking. Melanie can add a bit of philosophy and depth to Antonio’s verbal skills, and Antonio may make Melanie more understandable on the social level. You want to help each other to communicate more effectively, and you’ll probably never lack enthusiasm when you’re talking with each other. This enthusiasm and desire to be of assistance may sometimes lead you to exaggerate when you tell a story together, or create grand plans that may not be totally realistic. In the long run, however, your interaction should cause you both to feel mentally enriched.

Antonio’s Mercury is square Melanie’s Neptune.
There could be a lack of clarity when you and your partner try to communicate. It may not be so bad if you find that you often confuse each other, or that either of you often feels misunderstood. But if you question why you’re so often misread, or, even worse, wonder whether your partner is intentionally deceiving you, you might want to try a different approach. The good thing about this combination is that it facilitates a telepathic connection between you. If you develop this (say, through spiritual pursuits or by learning to meditate together), it can help you to avoid problems that verbal communications sometimes create. Then you may not have to worry so much about deception and confusion.

Antonio’s Mercury is semisextile Melanie’s Pluto.
Antonio’s communications are connected with Melanie’s power principle and her ability to analyze deeply. If you try to blend these qualities too closely, however, power problems may erupt. For example, you might disagree as to who should be the spokesperson and who should be in charge of content. It’s better if you each allow the other to be in the foreground periodically, with the other partner standing by for support. Antonio could speak his mind, with Melanie empowering him to make the words more meaningful. And then Melanie could assert power, with Antonio lending his verbal support. If you take this approach, you’ll find that you battle each other less, and, as a couple, you can have a more powerful voice in the outer world.

Melanie’s Mercury is trine Antonio’s Saturn.
It’s is easy for you and your partner to organize your thinking together and to clarify issues through discussion. But there may be times when your communications are inhibited because you believe you must stick strictly to the facts. Also, you may sometimes wish that certain matters didn’t have to be so clear. Nevertheless, with this combination you’ll always know where you stand with your partner, and your communications as a couple will have impact because they’re clear and direct. Though you may occasionally wish for more free-flowing communications, do realize that because of your interaction, you both are better organized and clearer thinking than either of you would be individually.

Melanie’s Mercury is conjunct Antonio’s North Node.
When you’re relating to others as a couple, communications take center stage. You’re not necessarily looking for intellectual contacts, but more for people with whom you can talk on a social level. You tend to judge your shared friends (particularly those whom Antonio brings to the relationship) by the ease or difficulty that you experience in communicating with them. If Melanie has a hard time talking to these individuals, or Antonio is unhappy with the way Melanie communicates, the two of you might have to discuss whether you want to keep these people in your social circle. You may decide either to continue the interaction, or to end it. Whatever you decide, because you’ve discussed things together, it’s unlikely that the problems will ever get serious.

Encouraging Affection and Pleasure
Like a flower that attracts bees, Venus rules anything that attracts through beauty or pleasure, anything that engenders desire. She can also signify whatever you think is beautiful or valuable or attractive. In your relationship, Venus reveals the quality of affection that draws you together, the esteem you have for each other, the enjoyment that you feel, and the beauty and pleasure that you can create around you.

Antonio’s Venus is conjunct Melanie’s Mars.
This combination often indicates a strong sexual attraction between two people. Usually, Melanie will take the initiative, and Antonio will respond, taking her energy and assertiveness as a sign of interest. If Melanie becomes too aggressive, however, Antonio could back away and begin to look elsewhere. Melanie could also look elsewhere if Antonio does not respond in the desired manner. If you have these kinds of problems, before you start a search for someone else, you might want to try to be more considerate of each other. It may not be easy to find another person with whom you can share this combination, and you’ll probably compare everyone else you meet to your partner.

Antonio’s Venus is semisextile Melanie’s Jupiter.
This aspect suggests that Antonio wants to enjoy life and Melanie wants to grow and develop. However, if you try to blend these qualities, overindulgence and extravagance may result. To curtail the excesses, try taking turns totally supporting the other’s goals without thinking of your own. For example, sometimes allow Antonio to have fun while Melanie provides philosophical or educational support. Then let Melanie pursue knowledge while Antonio makes sure that she’s also having fun. As each of you takes turns adjusting to the goals of the other, you may discover that you’re less prone to extravagance, and that you’re not only growing, but also having fun doing it.

Antonio’s Venus is square Melanie’s Saturn.
You and your partner have the potential of sharing security in love, but could find that you often try to define and structure your affection rather than sit back and enjoy it. So what you experience is sometimes restriction instead of security. If either of you feels inhibited in expressing affection or insecure about your love relationship, you should clarify the situation and look for a practical solution. It may take effort, but once you bring these issues into the open you can begin to work on them. When you face problems together, you’ll each feel less threatened, and you can begin to replace the feelings of limitation with a sense of security.

Antonio’s Venus is sextile Melanie’s Neptune.
With this combination, you and your partner can share artistic creativity along with romantic love, and you want to help each other experience the pleasure of both. Thus, Melanie could be eager to lend her own imagination to Antonio’s artistic talent, or contribute her own magic to his expression of affection. Antonio, in turn, could be generous with the love that can make Melanie’s dreams come true, and happy to provide a vehicle through which Melanie can show her imagination.

The two of you may not always be realistic about how you view each other, and occasionally you may recognize this. Should reality set in once in a while, you can bring back the romance by taking a holiday from the everyday world. Don’t worry about creating an illusion. This is your life, and you are entitled to your own view of reality.

Antonio’s Venus is conjunct Melanie’s Pluto.
This combination lends great intensity to your love relationship, enabling you to share a depth of feeling you did not know you could have. To assure that the passion that you experience together is fulfilling, it’s important that you focus on each other in matters of love. Fidelity is especially important for Melanie, but if either of you suspects your partner of any sort of infidelity, there could be obsession and/or possessiveness that interferes with the pleasure. If this happens, bring the matter into the open and analyze it together. In this way, you can avoid manipulation or vindictiveness. By having a deep understanding of what’s wrong, you can change anything that interferes with your expression of affection.

Melanie’s Venus is trine Antonio’s Saturn.
Love and security are connected with each other in your partnership, with Antonio naturally providing boundaries within which Melanie can comfortably express affection, and Melanie making love an integral part of Antonio’s life structure. Your way of life may lack spontaneity in regard to love and affection, but, because you know what to expect from your partner, there is little likelihood of unpleasant surprises. Moreover, this constancy that you have in your relationship can assure you that you can count on each other when needed. While it may sometimes seem that a certain spark is missing in your relationship, the feeling of security that you have with each other should far outweigh that.

Melanie’s Venus is conjunct Antonio’s North Node.
You socialize very well together. Melanie easily fits in with the people whom Antonio brings to the relationship, and Antonio is likely to enjoy the charming impression that Melanie makes on them. The only possible pitfalls could be that you spend too much time together partying, or that Melanie is too charming and pays more attention to others than she does to her partner. If the social whirl begins to interfere with other parts of your life, of course you shouldn’t give up having a good time. Do, however, establish a balance by putting more attention on the other good things that you share.

Getting Things Done Together
Mars signifies the way you direct the life energy of the Sun. This you could use to assert yourself, go after what you want, or meet threats and defend yourself from harm or annoyance. In your relationship it can show where anger may erupt, but it also indicates your energy level and your ability to accomplish things as a couple. It also has a lot to do with your sexual assertion and desire.

Antonio’s Mars and Melanie’s Mars are in square.
Your energy and ability to take the initiative are closely connected with those of your partner. But on some tasks you could find that you argue more than cooperate. In general terms, you could use similar methods but bang heads because you want the same role. For example, you may each want to take charge and direct the effort. Or you may stubbornly proceed without consulting anyone. Or you could look to your partner for guidance, while your partner is doing the same thing. Instead of battling each other, one solution could be to try sharing a project, but each work independently on it. Anyway, if you use up your energy by working hard, neither of you may have enough left to argue. While you’re working, note how your partner operates. You could discover that there’s more similarity than you thought in the way that you both take action.

Antonio’s Mars is trine Melanie’s Jupiter.
Taking action to expand your horizons as a couple is something that you and your partner do well. If you have idealistic goals, you’ll move energetically ahead. If you’re pursuing practical goals, you’ll methodically plan a step-by-step course that you can execute. If your goal is intellectual expansion, you’ll think and talk about what you want and how to get it, and then will comfortably take action. If your direction is toward emotional development, the actions will need to feel right before you take them.

Occasionally you might move too fast, organize too thoroughly, talk too much before taking action, or get overly emotional about your direction. Then you might not accomplish as much as you’d like. But since your mode of operating is so similar, you’re likely to achieve much of what you want, while experiencing very little resistance or disagreement.

Antonio’s Mars is opposite Melanie’s Saturn.
Either or both of you could feel limited by the other, especially if you try to blend the energies connected with these planets too closely. Antonio wants to keep moving, and may feel thwarted by Melanie’s insistence on order and organization. And Melanie, who may be slow and methodical, needs structure and clarity. So she could experience frustration because Antonio moves too quickly and possibly erratically.

You can’t change your partner, but you can balance your partner’s energy with your own. Antonio could take the initiative, with Melanie only setting the boundaries. And Melanie could organize her environment, with Antonio only taking action when it’s time to produce results. If you use this approach, you’ll probably neither wait too long nor move too fast, and your frustrations will be replaced by accomplishments.

Antonio’s Mars is sextile Melanie’s Uranus.
Melanie’s originality and creative talents are closely connected with Antonio’s ability to get things started, and you each want to help the other to express these talents more fully. Thus Melanie can be all the more creative when Antonio prods her or initiates on her behalf. And Antonio can get going more effectively with the help of Melanie’s creative ideas. As a couple you can therefore exhibit both creativity and the ability to initiate things. In addition, you and your partner seem to stimulate each other so that when you’re together you’re quicker and more spontaneous than you’d be by yourselves. Though you might occasionally spur each other to act too hastily, your drive and originality will probably get you out of any difficult situation that arises.

Antonio’s Mars is square Melanie’s Pluto.
The tremendous energy inherent in this Mars-Pluto combination could manifest either as leadership and a shared ability to make big changes, or as enormous anger. This aspect is a very strong one, so the energy is there, but you may have to deal with obstacles before you can harness the power that is inherent in it. Instead of together making your influence felt in the world, you might more often find yourselves trying to overpower each other.

If the two of you tend to fight more than cooperate, you could make power less of an issue in your relationship by finding areas in your lives where you can individually take leadership roles. Then, even if you occasionally think that your partner is trying to control you, you’ll feel less threatened because you know that you have the power to handle your own life.

Melanie’s Mars is conjunct Antonio’s Pluto.
When you’re together, you generate a greatly heightened level of energy. If, by yourself, you’re a gentle and not very high-energy person, you may, at least at first, find this new level of power overwhelming. Even if you personally have a lot of energy and are accustomed to being in charge, you may still have to adjust to this stepped-up feeling that your actions have vast possibilities to change things. Either or both of you might also be concerned that your partner might challenge you, defeat you, and then seize control.

Remember that there’s enough power and energy here for both of you to use. The lesson is to learn to accept your power and to work out ways to share it with your partner. If you cooperate instead of battling, you can empower each other, and the strength that you develop as a couple will enable you to move mountains.

Stretching Your Boundaries
With Jupiter you start to move out of your personal sphere to where you interact with the larger world around you. This could mean the way you relate to social institutions, religions, philosophies and ideas, or to foreign cultures. In your relationship, Jupiter also has much to do with the way the two of you grow, develop and make plans for the future. Jupiter is the principle of expansion, and so it’s also one of the planets (along with Uranus) that can signify the need that each of you may sometimes have for elbow room.

Antonio’s Jupiter is sesquare Melanie’s Uranus.
Together you can be adventurous, and you can stimulate each other’s individuality. However, you each can trigger a kind of restlessness in your partner. Antonio may want to expand his horizons, and Melanie may want to seek freedom and individuality, and not being content with the status quo could lead you to take chances. Also, when one of you looks for ways to expand, develop or feel free, you might exclude the partner who’s been the catalyst. This could damage your relationship. Before you start moving too far in different directions, at least sometimes try to go exploring together. You’ll still have plenty of time to expand and feel free individually, but sharing some of your adventures will strengthen your relationship.

Antonio’s Jupiter is trine Melanie’s Pluto.
You and your partner can easily share tremendous power. Antonio’s philosophy can fan Melanie’s passion for being in charge, and Melanie can add power to Antonio’s philosophical ideas. Therefore, you may always seem to be recharging each other.

Your joint power is not only felt by you, it’s also sensed by others. As a couple, you certainly won’t stay in the background, and you may often find yourselves jointly in a power position. If as an individual you’d sometimes like a break from being in charge, temporarily back away and do something by yourself. You should soon be ready to return, because with this combination it feels easier and more gratifying to be in charge than to be bossed around.

Staying On-Track and Committed
Saturn, the principle of structure and solidity, is needed to give a relationship permanence. While it can symbolize hardship and restriction, it also shows how you handle responsibility, fulfill obligations, keep organized, and together tackle the practical aspects of life.

We’ve already considered Saturn in connection with the faster-moving, more personally significant planets in your charts. Saturn’s aspects with the slower-moving planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto usually have more to do with your generation and the wider social sphere. Exceptions to this are when these outer-planet-only aspects are either extremely exact, or the planets in these pairs are also being aspected by the Ascendant, Midheaven, Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus or Mars. Then these generational aspects may become more tied into your personal lives.

Antonio’s Saturn is sesquare Melanie’s Pluto.
With this Saturn-Pluto combination between your charts, each of you might feel that whenever issues of authority or power come up in your relationship, your partner tries to limit or overpower you. This could lead to battling each other for control. And when fighting saps your energy, you could both end up feeling ineffectual.

Whenever control issues arise, it would be far better to have a talk in which you clarify your feelings and analyze your situation together. You might discover that you’re really no threat to each other. Once you realize that, you could find ways to unite your energies rather than dissipate them in fighting. If you can manage to harness the power of Saturn and Pluto, the two of you may become a force to be reckoned with.

Antonio’s Saturn is sextile Melanie’s North Node.
Those whom Melanie brings to your partnership may see Antonio as the teacher or authority figure, and as long as you are partners he assumes such roles without effort. And, because the two of you are connected with each other, Melanie could also easily begin to accept the role of authority figure. You may both enjoy having people look up to you, but if either of you begins to feel burdened with responsibility, you have an alternative. Since you’re the authority figures, you can delegate some of your duties to others and get some temporary relief.

Melanie’s Saturn is semisextile Antonio’s Neptune.
In your relationship there’s an uneasy relationship between practicality (Saturn) and the nebulous, intangible, and spiritual qualities of Neptune. When it comes to belief systems, one of you is likely to have a view based primarily on reason, while the other’s view is based primarily on faith. Trying to convert the other or blend your points of view probably won’t work well. For example, If Antonio tries to force his spirituality or belief system on Melanie, she may just get confused. If Melanie brushes off or tries to explain away Antonio’s belief system, he could get depressed.

Things will work much better if you each periodically stand back and give your partner total freedom to exercise his or her beliefs while you offer whatever support you can. At some times, Melanie could be allowed to organize your lives in a practical way, while Antonio stands by to give spiritual support or lighten things up with some fantasy or escape. And then Antonio should be permitted to pursue spiritual goals, while Melanie stands by to offer practical support. In this way, you’ll minimize friction and make the most of each other’s strengths.

Melanie’s Saturn is square Antonio’s Pluto.
With this aspect, Melanie could often feel that Antonio is trying to overpower her, and Antonio could feel that Melanie is trying to limit his power. In other words, power struggles are a definite possibility. If you do get into wars, no one will really win because the battle will just drain the energy of both of you. A better strategy is to each find an area in your life where you can take charge independently without your partner being involved. Then, when the two of you are together, you may be less inclined to suspect ulterior motives and to try to control before you are controlled. Instead, you’ll have more of the energy of Saturn (authority and structure) and Pluto (power) at your disposal for organizing much-needed change.

Keeping the Spark of Spontaneity
When things get too dull and locked-up under Saturn, along comes Uranus to poke holes in Saturn’s structure and let in a breath of fresh air. While Uranus can signify sudden, destabilizing events or a rugged individualism that can put stress on your togetherness, it can also bring new life, zest and creativity to your life as a couple.

The more personally important Uranus interactions between you will have been discussed in the sections on the faster-moving planets and points in your charts.

Melanie’s Uranus is square Antonio’s Neptune.
You and your partner could find that altruism, spirituality and artistry (Neptune) are connected with creativity, change and revolutionary tendencies (Uranus). With this aspect, however, Antonio’s belief system might confuse Melanie, , or his softer, more dependent side could interfere with her need for freedom. Or Melanie could poke holes in Antonio’s faith or try to get him to change his beliefs. If, all too often, Antonio feels shaken or disillusioned and Melanie feels inhibited or restricted, you might want to try something new. Use your imagination (Neptune) and originality (Uranus) to escape together to an exciting mental realm, and you may tap a shared vein of creativity that makes you feel free and refreshed.

Honoring the Spiritual Dimension
Neptune signifies a dimension that lies beyond ordinary reality. It has to do with dreams and fantasies, and your relationship with the ineffable world that is beyond words. While Neptune can weaken structure and dissolve your most practical plans, it can also bring an unexplainable sort of closeness and an ethereal bliss. Often it is channeled into artistry, particularly music and dance.

In preceding sections you may already have read about most or all of the Neptune contacts between your two charts.

Melanie’s Neptune is semisquare Antonio’s North Node.
The relationships that you and your partner have jointly with others are colored by the nebulous quality of Neptune. It’s possible that Melanie mesmerizes Antonio’s friends and acquaintances, but it’s more likely that she simply confuses them. Alternatively, Melanie might feel that Antonio’s friends misunderstand or take advantage of her. To avoid such problems or at least alleviate them, seek people who are spiritual or artistically inclined. If they’re highly evolved, neither misunderstanding nor victimization should be an issue. And if they’re artistic, you can join together in creative endeavors and not worry about confusion.

Coping with Power and Change
Pluto is an inexorable force that works slowly in the background to create what you eventually realize are profound and all-encompassing changes. It’s also the energy that sweeps away what’s dying or outmoded so that new life can begin. In relationships, Pluto usually signifies power, also known as the ability to create change. This could be the balance of power between you, or the power that you as a couple exert on the outside world. Because Pluto deals with mysterious natural forces such as sex and death, there can be a certain smoky charisma and sexiness about it.

Because there are no slower planets for Pluto to make aspects to, you may find most or all of the Pluto interactions between you discussed at the ends of the sections on other points in the chart.

Antonio’s Pluto and Melanie’s Pluto are conjunct.
Pluto moves so slowly (taking about 245 years to go around the zodiac) that all people born within a few years of each other will have Plutos that are conjunct. When this aspect is very exact and/or Pluto is also aspected by other planets, however, your mutual Pluto conjunction may have a more personal significance. Then, power could become a focal point in your relationship. Although your views on the subject may be similar, neither of you wants your power usurped by the other nor, for that matter, by anyone else. Because you look at power in a similar way, however, it is easier for you to join forces and protect yourselves as a couple from outside invasion.

In your dealings with each other, you have to be careful that power does not become a weapon. If either of you tries to control the other, you can expect retaliation. And with this kind of challenge, ultimately you may both feel weakened. You’ll both be strongest when you’re cooperating on power issues. If you feel threatened by your partner, analyze your feelings together. Once you get to the bottom of the matter, you can transform the situation.

Relating to Others as a Couple
No couple functions in isolation, and the contacts that you have with the rest of the world can have a lot to do with the happiness that you experience together. The way that you as a couple relate to other people is in large part shown by the lunar Nodes -- the two moving points in the zodiac where the Moon’s orbital path crosses the Sun’s apparent path through the sky. Being themselves a sort of Sun-Moon connection, the Nodes signify connections in general, particularly with other people. The North and South Nodes are always 180 degrees apart, so when we talk about aspects to the North Node, we’re implying aspects to the South Node as well.

Antonio’s and Melanie’s North Nodes are in sextile.
The two of you are drawn to similar types of people, and so you are each likely to fit in easily with the other’s associates and feel comfortable with them. Being similar, the people in each partner’s circle of friends are likely to blend well together. Not only that, the way in which you and your partner interact with others is similar or at least complementary. All this makes it easier for you to form relationships as a couple.

Using This Comparison of Your Charts
We’ve just taken a brief look at the birth charts of you both, and a closer look at how your individual charts relate to each other. Perhaps now you have a little more clarity about what you personally need in a relationship, how you see each other, and how your partner’s needs relate to yours. And perhaps you better understand some of the main themes and dynamics that you’ve been given to deal with in your life together.

Hopefully, your relationship has many islands of bliss and comfort where you can relax and just be yourselves. But may there also be enough challenges to keep your life together dynamic and ever-evolving!

Remember that it’s not realistic to expect perfection in each other. It’s true that it may be easier to be happy and to function well with some partners than it would be with others. However, we tend to attract partners who bring with them the crises that we need to grow. When there’s an unresolved issue that we need to work on, the relevant partner magically appears. A partner’s foibles can teach us much, for they are mirrors of what we have within ourselves and may not otherwise be able to see. When we solve a problem and learn what it has to teach us, we are then permitted to move on -- in most cases to a more fulfilling relationship with the same person, although sometimes we may need to strike out on our own. Usually, it’s better to work with what we’re given. But either way, when we step up to any challenge with open eyes, we grow in wisdom and power.

The important thing is to claim our own responsibility in a situation, and to refrain from hiding behind a protective wall of blame. When we open ourselves to the truth, we see that both we and our partner are human and lovably imperfect. Then our hearts become free, and we have space in which to expand. We’re no longer confined within our own being. When you let down your boundaries and merge with another, the two of you become one larger being with more than double the wisdom and humanity.
To complete this relationship analysis, we’re now going to move on to the new entity that is formed when the two of you stay together for any length of time. This is not either one of you, but a new “being” that you create together, and which is greater than the sum of its parts. This is the relationship itself.

A Chart for Your Relationship
When people stay together for any length of time, they change each other. As a couple they start to show traits and actions that they did not show as individuals. To get at this “joint personality” of a couple, astrologers combine the charts of the individuals into one single entity known as the “composite chart.”

Your composite chart is made up of the midpoints between the natal charts of each of you. For example, the position of the composite Sun is mid-way between the Sun in your birth chart and the Sun in your partner’s chart. And so it goes for the other composite planetary positions.

This combined chart shows the way that you as a couple relate to the world. This may or may not be the way you would each act as individuals. It also supplements your chart-comparison reading by giving further insights about your interactions with each other.

The Overall Balance in Your Composite Chart
Before looking at each individual point in your composite chart, let’s see whether there are any particularly dominant themes.

The Fire element is strong.
When you're together, neither you nor your partner is likely to be reticent, and you'll probably both be actively involved in what is going on around you. You may be the initiators or just participants, but it is unlikely that you will stay in the background. Your presence will definitely be noted. Your actions will be forthright and direct, and your warmth and enthusiasm should be evident.

This does not necessarily mean that you will be well received by others. You could easily be viewed as pushy, boisterous or tactless. Nevertheless, the atmosphere around you will certainly not be dull.

Since your joint energy level is high, when the two of you are around, things tend to get done. With this emphasis on action, you may take little time for thinking, strategizing, or waiting for your intuition to kick in. Anyway, you will seldom be accused of sitting back and doing nothing. Some might find all your energy exhausting, but even those who find you overwhelming will also find you stimulating and energizing. You do have the ability to motivate others.

The Earth element is underemphasized.
It is probable that the two of you tend not to make your decisions or plan your actions based on down-to-earth information. In fact, elaborate details are likely to bore you, and material goals do not offer an incentive to get you moving. You may be viewed as impractical. This has its advantages in that you probably are not asked to be in charge of projects that require organization and long-term commitment.

Though you are capable of taking care of your physical needs, your interests lie elsewhere. You may have to convince yourselves that tending to your material requirements will enrich you in other ways, or find someone outside of your partnership to handle these matters for you.

The Air element is underemphasized.
The two of you probably won’t expend a lot of words discussing an upcoming project. It’s true that you might have to pause to gather your energy, or first have to justify your actions by gathering reasons and facts. But then you’ll plunge into action without pausing very long to communicate about what you’re going to do. This keeps you from wasting your time on endless discussions and theorizing, but it also means that you may not fully discuss a project’s ramifications or create a detailed vision of the end results.

Your reluctance to put your plans into words makes it harder to involve others in your projects. This means that you could miss useful input from them. Also, instead of anticipating possible obstacles, you’ll tend to just run into them, and so your progress may be slowed while you learn from your mistakes.

Because taking others’ advice and anticipating what you may have to deal with are not your strong points, you need to look for other kinds of help in getting things done. If your main strength is in Fire, your tools would be intuition and sheer energy. If it’s in Earth, practical considerations and a solid structure of rules can keep you on course. If you’re strongest in Water, feelings and hunches will provide the intelligence that you need.

Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable energies are quite evenly balanced.
This balance means that, as a couple, you and your partner can initiate (Cardinal) when it is appropriate, continue on in a particular direction (Fixed), or be adaptable (Mutable) if a situation warrants it. In other words, you have a choice of how to handle circumstances. This can be a great advantage when you learn to determine which approach is best for each set of conditions as they arise.

Your Basic Style of Relating
Assuming that both you and your partner have given relatively accurate birth times, the Ascendant of your composite chart is one of the most powerful indicators of the quality of your relationship. The sign on your composite Ascendant gives important clues about how you as a couple relate to the outside world, the type of people you’re drawn to, and how others perceive your relationship. It can also show how you relate to each other. Any planet conjunct or in some other close aspect to the composite Ascendant is likely to symbolize one of the strongest themes in your life together, at least in the location where you are living now.

Your composite Ascendant is in Sagittarius.
Being together creates a space where you can share a thirst for knowledge and a sense of adventure. You may stimulate each other to take courses, travel, or get involved in religious or spiritual activities together. The two of you are constantly trying to broaden yourselves, and you feel that there is so much to learn and to do. You’re therefore unlikely to stay still for long. So that you can be free to roam widely both the physical and intellectual realms, you probably don’t want heavy responsibilities.

As long as you’re seeking your goals together, all should go well. However, if, instead of sharing, you move in separate directions, either of you might begin to feel that the other is irresponsible. You probably don’t want total togetherness, but you’ll want to keep a connection by sharing at least one activity.

Not only do each of you want to avoid being chained to your partner, as a couple you don’t want friends who are overly demanding of your time and attention. Fortunately, you’re probably attracted to people who want to be as unencumbered as you. They may not always be around when you would like them to be, but to you that’s still better than having friends who are constantly hovering. You might find that it works best to have at least two best friends or two sets of best friends. Then, when the two of you are in the mood for companionship, one of these friends or set of friends will probably be available.

The Sun is trine the Ascendant.
Ego gratification may be a focal point for your joint personality. As a couple, you want to shine and receive rewards. And you can probably easily agree on what you want and how to attain it. In fact, you may automatically cooperate with each other without any discussion. And the united force of your joint personality will keep you from being ignored by the outer world. However, with the emphasis on your personal goals, you may not stop to consider the views and desires of others. So although you will be noticed, you might be perceived as being selfish or overbearing when you are together. Your shared energies will still flow easily between you, but you could get resistance from those around you. Therefore, ego gratification might be slow in coming. Consciously show a little generosity. Occasionally take the desires of others into consideration. You will be looked upon as benevolent and attain the cooperation that will bring your desired goals more quickly.

Mercury is trine the Ascendant.
You and your partner may be especially adept at the social skills, and you probably find it quite easy to converse with each other and with people outside your relationship. What you have to say may not be deeply intellectual, but you probably have a bit of knowledge about many subjects.

Since you’re so naturally prone to communicate, you might sometimes tend to dominate the discussion. And even though you have information on many topics, you might occasionally talk too much about yourselves. Remember that if you allow others to have their turn speaking, and you listen to what is being said, you might acquire some interesting tidbits that you can add to your repertoire.

Uranus is trine the Ascendant.
Individualism is an important part of your life together. As a couple you have little need to conform to anyone else’s idea of how you should behave. You’re independent, and the only approval that you need is your own. To reach your goals or simply to keep life interesting, you’re capable of taking some highly unusual routes, and you have few qualms about being rebellious. Starting a revolution creates an air of excitement that you may crave as a couple. If you also change an unsatisfactory situation, so much the better.

Another good thing about this combination is that you can each stimulate personal creativity in the other. Because you support each other in regard to creativity, your relationship can make you much more innovative than you would be individually. Whatever direction you choose to take, make sure that it involves a bit of surprise and adventure. You’ll then feel happy and fulfilled.

The North Node is sextile the Ascendant.
You and your partner are likely to fit in easily with groups of people. You may fill leadership positions, or perhaps you just melt into the group. Either way, you know that there are always people with whom the two of you can happily interact.

This is good to remember in case any problems arise between the two of you. Having a ready supply of friends takes pressure off your relationship, so that it doesn’t have to be all and everything in your life. If things get rough, your friends can give you a temporary place to retreat and gain some perspective on your problems. Since you and your partner are both probably well liked by these individuals, you might more readily see the good points in each other through their eyes.

Public vs. Private Life
Your public image as a couple, and the reputation that the two of you have in the outside world, are symbolized by your composite Midheaven. Situated at the very top of your chart wheel, your Midheaven signifies the highest point of your trajectory in life -- the goals that you’re striving for together.

At the other end of the Midheaven axis is the lowest point in your composite chart (known to astrologers as the Imum Coeli or I.C.). As you might expect, this symbolizes your base of operations -- the kind of home, family and private life that you will experience as a couple. Anything that affects your public self will also affect your home life, and vice-versa.

The Moon is quincunx the Midheaven.
In your relationship there’s a connection between your emotions and your public image, but it may not be so easy to blend the two. Difficulties could show up in various ways. When you express your feelings in public, you may appear overly emotional or moody. If you worry more about public opinion than expressing your personal feelings to each other, either or both of you could feel ignored.

Naturally you may care about the impression you make, but worldly success is hollow if emotions are never gratified. On the other hand, if you focus so much on taking care of each other that you ignore the outer world, something will also be missing in your life.

The best approach is to alternate. At some times, focus on nurturing each other, while letting your worldly aspirations fade into the background. Then concentrate on your careers and public image while temporarily putting aside your feelings. When you accommodate each need in this way, you’ll be able to have the best of both worlds.

Mercury is semisquare the Midheaven.
You and your partner may spend a lot of time discussing current events and your careers, but your differing opinions on these matters may give rise to arguments. It can be painful to argue in private, and bickering in public can look bad to your friends and even create problems on the job.

If you begin to view your differences as stimulating rather than annoying, you might find a few subjects on which you can agree. You can then vigorously discuss those topics when you interact with others. Then people may start to view you as dynamic rather than unpleasant to be with.

The North Node is conjunct the Midheaven.
You and your partner probably find that many of the relationships you share are connected with business or other positions one or both of you have in the outer world. So, you may form associations according to what people can do for you professionally or how they can contribute to your public image. You may not consider whether you enjoy the company of these individuals, nor even if you like them. Even though you are not looking for fun-loving companions, it is possible that you take pleasure in the company of these people. But, since social compatibility is not one of your requirements, you could find that these individuals bore you. If this occurs, you might think about how much they are doing for you in terms of your career and/or public image. Then, perhaps, the boredom will become tolerable. If not, you can look for other groups with whom you can associate that can not only promote you in the outer world, but are more compatible, personally.

Your Conscious Identity As a Couple
Just as the Sun by far makes up most of the mass of the solar system, the astrological Sun is the center of gravity in any chart. The composite Sun is no exception. The sign and house that it falls into are, like the signs of the Ascendant and Midheaven, likely to signal dominant themes in your relationship.

The ruler of daytime and our primary source of light and energy, the Sun symbolizes our own life energy. In terms of our psyches, it symbolizes the conscious side, and hence has much to do with our egos, our conscious sense of who we are, and the nature of our central mission in life.

Your composite Sun is in Leo.
No matter what your own natal charts indicate, when you and your partner are together you are frequently the focus of attention. Highly visible, you may find that being seen is gratifying. You also need to be appreciated. So you could be viewed as warm and magnanimous (especially if you are being applauded or praised), or brash and overbearing (particularly if you are being ignored).

The perennial performers, you easily take on any roles that the universe provides, particularly as leaders. This is true at least as long as your ego needs are being satisfied. You want others not only to be aware of your assets, but also to announce them to the world. If you are not obviously being appreciated, you could start bragging about yourselves in order to convince people of your value. This could bring about the opposite of what you want.

Remember that the symbol for Leo is the lion, which of course, is just a big pussycat. As with any cat, a little stroking can do wonders. Since you and your partner share this placement, praising each other may dramatically improve your joint self- esteem, and allow you to assume the role of the noble benefactors when you are visible in the outer world.

The Sun is in the Eighth House.
Sex could be an important part of your relationship, and when all is going well in that area you can feel good about who you are both individually and as a couple. In fact, you could attain ego gratification through a satisfactory sex life. There are, however, a number of other possibilities with this placement. The eighth house represents other people’s resources so you and your partner might enjoy handling other people’s money or take pleasure in sharing talents and joining forces with others in a joint effort to attain rewards and gratification. The eighth house is also considered a psychological house, and is associated with transformation. So you and your partner might simply like to analyze who you are and what you want. Or you may combine some of these definitions and if you have sexual problems, you can discuss them with to the goal of getting to the root of the problem and achieving more satisfaction. In this way you can transform the situation, thus making the most of this placement.

The Sun is conjunct Mercury.
You and your partner could energetically communicate with each other and be visible to the outer world as communicators as well. Among your favorite topics could be your ego gratification or the life direction the two of you are taking, or would like to take. If you talk to each other a great deal about these matters, it may always be interesting to you unless one of you is doing all the talking and the other all the listening. Should you be the disgruntled partner doing all the listening, you need not continue to suffer. Speak up. After all, this is an aspect you share, and your input is just as relevant as your partner’s is. So this can be easily solved. However, if the two of you only talk about your goals and life direction when you are communicating with others, you might find that you are considered self-centered. If you find that people get annoyed with your emphasis on yourselves, you could talk about what others are interested in discussing, and you may be more appreciated, which is, after all your ultimate goal.

The Sun is semisextile Mars.
You and your partner can generate a great deal of energy together, but in order to use the energy most effectively, you should each take turns adjusting to the needs of the other. Your needs may be placed into two categories: taking the initiative, and attaining ego gratification. You could alternate shining in the world. And while you are on stage, your partner can initiate and direct attention toward you. Then you can do the same for your partner. Or you may take turns using the force of your personality to follow your partner’s direction. You could view your interaction from either, or both perspectives. But as long as you each periodically put aside your personal goals to help work toward your partner’s, you should be able to avoid anger and feel supported. And the end result would be gratification for you both individually and as a couple.

The Sun is square Jupiter.
Although development and ego gratification are connected in your relationship, either you or your partner or both of you, might feel that the other hinders you in regard to such matters. The types of issues that you face could fall into the categories of self- centeredness and irresponsibility. One of you might always seem to think only of yourself so there is no cooperation for mutual growth. Or personal pleasure could outweigh the desire to praise your partner in order to show approval and support. If either or both of these descriptions fit your relationship, you can do something about it. Recognize that if you are not feeling good about yourselves as individuals, your partnership will suffer. It does not matter who the culprit is. Each of you should take some time and make a little effort to applaud the other and to find activities to share that will broaden you. You could still occasionally complain about your partner, but the fun and gratification you have in between the complaints can only make you feel that it was worth the work.

The Sun is conjunct Uranus.
This combination could cause you as a couple to be viewed either as exciting and creative, or erratic and unstable, or possibly even both at the same time. Alternatively, the two of you may feel restless and crave excitement. Because individualism is also connected with this combination, the two of you may march to the beat of your own drummer, not fitting into any mold that others try to prescribe. If pressured too hard to conform, you may rebel. If you bring out originality and creativity in each other, however, you can move along together enjoying the excitement that you mutually create. It is also possible that one of you is conforming and cares about appearances, and the other is non-conforming and takes pleasure in being different. In such a case the conformer may often feel embarrassed, while the non-conformer may feel overshadowed and thus restricted. If you find that this applies to you, look for ways in which you can share a bit of excitement without getting carried away. Then the one who conforms may begin to feel freer, and the freer spirit may feel less limited.

The Sun is sextile the North Node.
You and your partner will definitely be visible when you are interacting with others. You seem to take a position in the limelight, usually with no effort on your part. In fact, the two of you could form a nucleus around which people gather. This could occasionally make you feel exposed and pressured, and there may be times when you wish you could slip into the shadows. But you would have to stay away from others to do this. And if you did, you would miss the attention and the praise that provide ego gratification for you as a couple. So you would shortly be back interacting. The only warning with this placement would be not to get carried away with your own importance. If you do, you might not be seen in such a favorable light and you would not receive the kind of recognition you want. As long as you show your shared warmth and generosity you should attain the ego gratification that can make you proud of yourselves.

The Way You Demonstrate Feelings
The composite Moon governs a couple’s emotional expression toward the outside world. It can also indicate the tone of their emotional interactions with each other and the way their nurturing and nesting impulses are expressed.

Your composite Moon is in Pisces.
You and your partner may have a deep bond based on the empathy that you have for each other. You also have sympathy for most people with whom you interact as a couple, and you can feel great satisfaction from helping them. You may not, however, always be discriminating as to whom you choose to serve. You tend to attract needy people, and some may take advantage of you.

To avoid this, pay attention to your gut feelings. Your shared Pisces Moon can give you a special ability to see beneath the surface. If you use your intuition, you can learn to stay away from people who might drain or victimize you. There will still be many individuals who are worthy of your assistance.

Because of the heightened intuition you have as a couple, you often know what your partner is thinking or feeling without a word being spoken. Since you may not come to correct conclusions all the time, however, you might sometimes want to check out your feelings through discussion. Otherwise, some small misreading of your partner’s thoughts or motivations could grow into a big problem that would not have occurred if you had talked.

The Moon is in the Third House.
When you and your partner are operating as a unit, you could come across as emotional communicators. This might mean that you seem overly emotional or that you trigger feelings in people through what you say or write. There seems to something in your chemistry that touches people emotionally, and this could be true of communications between the two of you as well as with others. You might be calm, cool and collected otherwise, but when you are having discussions with each other, feelings get stirred up.

Emotions, however, do not have to be bad. You would probably want to avoid emotional outbursts both because they are unpleasant and also because they make you feel out of control. And when you are out of control, you are not effective. But, before anything occurs to upset you, use this placement to nurture or sooth your partner with your words. He or she may reciprocate, and both of you will feel secure and cared for. Then you can use the ability the two of you share to have an emotional impact on others.

The Moon is opposite Venus.
You and your partner want to share love, affection and other emotions with each other. But your individual needs might be quite different. And if you treat your partner in a manner that you would like to be treated, neither of you would probably be happy with the results. Then, because your personal needs are not being met, you will not have the inclination to show your partner love or affection. Instead, either or both of you could become emotionally upset. Or you might totally disregard your partner’s needs and be focused only on your own. Neither mode of behavior will be conducive to sharing affection. However, instead of ignoring what you partner wants, you should each be allowed to express your desires. And the partner should try to meet those needs within the structure of his or her own emotional needs. Understand that you are different and balance the differences as best you can. Then possibly you will each get what you want and maybe even a little extra.

The Moon is trine Jupiter.
You and your partner can stimulate each other to share emotions openly. You also can mutually stir the desire to continually grow, individually and as a couple. Therefore, the two of you always have urge to expand along with the emotional energy to pursue such goals. In addition to stimulating each other, your abundance of optimism and enthusiasm can be contagious. You influence others to emulate your actions. However, you could over-stimulate each other. You might sometimes get carried away with your feelings or your development. You could be emotional to the point of embarrassment. And you might become so enthusiastic about your development that you over-extend yourselves physically or financially. But there is much to be said for your attitude and your impact on each other and the world. Those who respond favorably to you will not be embarrassed by you. In addition, they will probably be willing to share the possible physical or financial burden. Then you can all move ahead together.

The Moon is trine Neptune.
There is probably a telepathic connection between you that operates without much effort. You often know what the other needs without asking, especially if emotions or spirituality are involved. However, it is possible that the telepathy does not always work with perfection, and that either of you could sometimes misread the immediate needs of your partner. But even if your partner does not behave in the precise manner you would like, each of you can have faith and trust that your partner will be there for you. That is far more important than perfection!

The two of you might also use this combination to develop spiritually together. As you create a shared belief system, your relationship will be strengthened. In addition, the spirituality that you share could have a strong influence on others with whom you interact.

The Moon is opposite Pluto.
Power issues play such a big role in your emotional life together that it could be a challenge to find a balance in these areas. The extremely strong emotions inherent in this aspect could often cause an overload on your emotional circuits. You have no difficulty igniting feelings in each other. But the feelings that you ignite may not always be the most pleasant to deal with. It’s just as easy to stir up anger as it is passion. In fact, if anger is triggered, it might be full of passion -- and not necessarily the desirable kind. And if passion is triggered, it may often lead to anger.

Your challenge with this aspect is to find a balance between your emotions and your urge to power. If you try to combine them, these two energies can feed each other to the point where they get too big to handle. For your relationship to thrive, the two of you need to give both energies their due, but you will need to do this in sequence rather than trying to combine them. By all means, nurture each other with your best tender, loving care -- but don’t go beyond the point where you lose control. And when you’re exerting the awesome power that you can generate together, get emotionally involved only when the power threatens to get too ruthless or unfeeling.

It’s in your best interests not to arouse feelings in each other than make you feel out of control. However, this aspect can incline people to hold on to intense emotions to the point where they either explode or corrode. If you do start to feel that you’re “losing it” or your relationship feels as if it’s slowly being poisoned, your task together is to learn to confront the angry beast head-on and tame it. This means analyzing any jagged feelings with your partner just as soon as they come up.

How You Communicate
As a couple you develop a style of communication that differs from what you might use alone. Whether you’re direct and blunt or subtle and quiet, each of these styles has drawbacks that you should be conscious of, as well as strengths that you can be proud of and use to your advantage.

Your composite Mercury is in Leo.
When the two of you operate as a couple, you may be bold, dramatic and even somewhat loud in the way you communicate. Others certainly will notice you, which is probably what you want. You are strong communicators, which could be disconcerting if one of you is normally more reticent. With this position, you take a global viewpoint and are able to converse on various topics. You could be viewed as opinionated since you tend to express yourselves in a dominating way. There is pride in your communication, and, if others are not listening or do not seem interested in what you are saying, you could feel hurt.

Your greatest ease in conversing together will come when discussing your children or, if you don’t have children, then creative, playful projects or even pets. Your speech is likely to be passionate but also generous, and you are eager to share your knowledge. You would not shrink from a good debate and, as a matter of fact, would greatly enjoy expressing the understanding you have. The strength of your mutual communication could be put to good use on the stage or in working in a dramatic setting. On the other hand, if the two of you feel strongly about an issue, anger could sometimes arise, and one or the other might roar just like a lion. When this happens, do not fight fire with fire or add fuel to it. Instead, leave the room and allow the hot one to cool down. Do not engage in the battle unless you particularly enjoy shouting at each other. After some time out, the two of you will probably be ready to cuddle and be playful again.

Mercury is in the Ninth House.
You and your partner might like to discuss politics, religion and/or higher education, but as social conversation rather than expressing fervent opinions. Or you might belong to a group that falls in one of these categories. But if this is true, your involvement would tend toward networking or sociability rather than deep-seated commitment. If you belong to a political party you would probably work the phones, participate in voter registration, and/or hand out campaign information instead of standing on a soapbox and passionately politicking. If you choose a religious group you would be more attracted to the social interaction than the religious tenets. And if you select higher education you would more likely be active in the alumni association, keeping in touch with people you met in college rather than promoting higher standards of education. Any or all of these kinds of activities can be interesting for the two of you, and you need not worry about strong feelings interfering with sociability.

Mercury is trine Saturn.
As a couple, you and your partner can probably impart information clearly and concisely. You are serious when you communicate and you make your points without embellishment. So imagination is usually not included in what you have to say. You like to stick to the facts. This is advantageous in that when you communicate with each other you can be clear and concise. You and your partner can easily understand what the other is saying. So you expect, and usually get honesty. And this is the way that you will be perceived by the outer world -- as direct and honest in your communications. You are also probably good teachers. However, if either of you feels that you are not interesting when you communicate with your partner or with the world, there is a way to improve your presentation. Practice what you want to say. Commit it to memory. You may even be able to add a little story or two if you rehearse. Then you can give your talk to your partner or the world. You will still be clear, but maybe you will also be a little more interesting.

Relationships and Pleasures
Among other things, your composite Venus shows your veneer, the ingratiating surface through which the two of you carry on your relationships with each other and the outside world. It also shows your relationship to all that is beautiful and pleasurable. As such, it can be a key ingredient of your joy in being together.

Your composite Venus is in Virgo.
When you are together, your talent for efficiency seems to multiply. Daily chores are dispatched with an easy graciousness. The two of you seem to value a certain type of order in your lives. As your relationship continues, the daily details of living will become a smoothly functioning machine. Order and organization are something you are aware of and they come more naturally to you when you are together. Others may marvel at just how much the two of you can accomplish in a short time. It is possible that you share work projects or enjoy helping each other with individual work-related issues. In your social circle, you will be known for your ability to get work done, whatever it might be. Not only that, but there is an added touch of caring for the details that often makes all the difference. As a couple you would prefer to associate with those who enjoy producing results in their lives instead of just talking about ideas. In fact, one of your kindest acts is your willingness to help your friends with their work issues or projects. The downside of this placement could be an excessive preoccupation with neatness and order, so that flow and spontaneity are stifled. Another pitfall is to be overly concerned with minor things and to feel the impulse to have everything perfect at all times. If you think about it, this kind of perfection is impossible to achieve and can only serve to make life difficult for all concerned. Be sure and leave space in your schedule for non-working time and consider playfulness as being equally important in your life.

Venus is in the Ninth House.
You could enjoy traveling to distant places together, and take pleasure in seeing exotic sights and different cultures. You could also be involved together in politics, religion or higher education. Instead of doing this out of strong personal convictions or a desire for power, your motives will probably have more to do with your penchant for social interaction. You just like being with these people, and even the most vehement members of a group will probably enjoy being with you. This is because they can vent their opinions and not get an argument from you. In fact, when there are warring factions, you and your partner may be called upon to arbitrate. So you might have a good time in such groups and at the same time gain a reputation as talented diplomats and peacemakers.

Venus is sextile Jupiter.
Pleasure and development are connected with this combination. And with this aspect, you and your partner want to help each other both to have a good time and to grow as individuals. With each of you assisting the other, you will undoubtedly expand as individuals and as a couple. And you will have a good time while you are doing it. However, with all this cooperation and support, your enthusiasm can carry you away. You may not stop to consider the physical or financial expenditures. So you can over-extend yourselves. Growth and pleasure can compensate for a degree of excessiveness. But if you find that you are being extravagant or over-indulging yourselves to an extreme look for activities that are inexpensive or free, but fun to do and/or provide information for your development. Once you realize that this can be done, you can make these activities part of your life pattern, and have enjoyment without over-extending yourselves.

Energy, Assertion and Effectiveness
Your collective level of energy and the way you go about taking action are shown by your composite Mars. Here also is the key to how abrasive or timid you might be. Fortunately, your Mars position also shows how you can manage anger most effectively and find either outlets for excess energy or remedies for a lack of it.

Your composite Mars is in Cancer.
Your energy together is solicitous, kind and, typically, nurturing. Others will recognize you as caring, concerned and willing to listen. Because your shared energy is maternal, you may be involved with raising children. Even if you do not have children, you will naturally create environments, your home or workplace, where people can safely grow, develop and flourish. Your main concern is always your immediate family but easily extends to the neighborhood and community in which you live. You are likely to be actively involved with work that will benefit the community and its members. Caring for children and elders, in particular, can interest you. And your nurturing qualities extend even to plants and animals. Because the two of you are so involved in comforting people and other living things, you may have difficulty in refusing someone’s cry for help. At times, your sense of obligation or the demands of others can make you moody, cranky or irritable. Be sure and apply to yourselves the same standards for being comfortable and content that you provide to others. Knowing the limits of your free time and resources is also essential with this placement.

Your joint energy is also focused on your home environment. You will find that you spend much energy creating a cozy nest, specifically around the basic necessities of good food and maintaining your house. Because you both value this arena, you may argue about how domestic life is managed. Be clear about which chores are done separately and which ones you will tackle as a team. If each of you takes responsibility in these agreed-upon areas, you will minimize the squabbling.

Mars is in the Eighth House.
The energy that you share is especially likely to surface in your sex life, so that you have an especially strong desire for each other. But with all this energy it’s possible that one of you might feel that your partner is too aggressive, to the point where the heat of one partner’s desire overrides the other’s preferences and feelings. Then, instead of coming out as passion, the energy of Mars could come out as conflict or, worse, a kind of frozen resentment.

One way to handle this could be to agree to take turns making the first move. If your partner sweeps you off to the bedroom this time, then the next time it’s your turn to initiate things. Having some ground rules makes it a game, and it ensures that each of you will get what you want at least half the time. Also, turning the tables always adds some zest and refreshment to people’s lives. Your partner may be surprised at how sexy and enjoyable it feels when, for a change, you make the first move.

Your collective Mars in the Eighth could also mean that you could put a lot of energy into shared finances. On the downside, this abundant energy could be wasted in suspecting other people’s financial motives, or in coming to blows over what belongs to who. However, it could also be used constructively in thoroughly researching your investments, so that you put special effort into unearthing hidden information that could give you a financial edge.

Mars is semisquare Pluto.
The two of you generate tremendous energy, which has the potential to manifest as power and leadership, but which may in fact come out as anger. Typically, one of you could fear that your partner is trying to assert power over you, and counter this by trying to seize control. Fighting to determine who is stronger will only dissipate your energy and limit your ability to accomplish.

Instead of arguing, analyze your situation together. Look for areas in which you can each feel in control. Find actions you can take as a couple that will demonstrate your ability to jointly be in charge. As the world starts to respect your leadership ability, you will probably feel more in control and less threatened by each other. Then your arguments will be fewer.

Mars is square the Lunar Nodes.
You and your partner want to be involved with people who are active. But you could find yourselves drawn to those who irritate you because they do not move the way you want them to, or they try to tell you what your should do. So you try to direct them. This could make these individuals angry or frustrated. So they begin to argue with you or order you around even more. They could challenge your orders and counter them with orders of their own. You certainly do not want relationships that are too peaceful because of your joint competitive nature, but you may spend more time arguing than being physically active. Heated discussions could keep you interested in these relationships, but there are more productive ways to use the energy. You might find that being involved in physical activity is more gratifying than just battling each other. You and your partner should look for a group that is already physically active and simply join in. If you expend your energy this way, you may not have the need to argue nor to boss others around -- at least not so often.

Broadening Your Horizons
For any relationship to stay alive, the partners need to grow together, and become more than they were. The composite Jupiter shows the way you can do this. It shows how you can reach out and connect with the world, how you can enrich and be enriched by what you encounter. Your composite Jupiter is the key to optimism, prosperity, and good times together -- whether they be spent learning, traveling, acquiring, entertaining or bestowing gifts. It can also alert you to areas of dangerous excess, such as overspending, exaggerating or overeating.

Technical note: Jupiter moves slowly enough that the sign that it’s in is more an indicator of your generation than of you personally. Since most couples are born not too many years apart, their own natal Jupiter signs will be close together if not the same. We therefore concentrate on the house position and aspects of composite Jupiter, as well as of the even slower-moving planets Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto that follow.

Your composite Jupiter is in the Eleventh House.
You and your partner probably enjoy being involved in groups, especially those through which you can expand as a couple, and/or those that are fun to belong to. You may sometimes find, however, that you can get caught up in the enthusiasm of a group and spend too much money sharing some venture with them. Or in your excitement, you might volunteer to do more than you can possibly complete. Or you get so involved you ignore other parts of your life that should be tended to. If you try to concentrate on how you can grow through the group without overextending yourselves physically or financially, you may be able to become less extravagant. Since the eleventh house is also the area of hopes and wishes, you and your partner might develop grand plans for your future. And these plans may be so grand that you get overwhelmed by the prospect of trying to attain them. Don’t give them up. Just reward yourselves each time you accomplish a task and that may give you the enthusiasm to continue on and ultimately get what you want.

Jupiter is semisquare Saturn.
Each of you could feel that your partner tries to limit you when you try to expand. You both want to develop, and to do this in an organized and practical way. It’s just that usually, when one of you wants to get ahead, the other wants to be practical. So you spend your time recklessly moving ahead and getting resistance from your partner, or dragging your feet instead of broadening your horizons.

In order to expand more freely, it will help to make it a practice to discuss your plans with your partner. Get together to investigate the feasibility of your ideas, and first determine whether the goals are practical. If so, then together figure out the appropriate steps to take. At first it may seem that doing this delays your start, but you will soon come to realize that it’s a lot easier to reach your goals when you plan carefully, agree on an organized and disciplined course of action, and give each other wholehearted support.

Jupiter is square Uranus.
Development and creativity are connected in your relationship, and you bring excitement into each other’s life. But you might more often incite than excite each other. When you’re together, you tend to act spontaneously, and when one of you surprises the other, that person may express individuality rather than cooperate with you. Focusing on maintaining your own individuality rather than what’s best for you as a couple can easily interfere with joint growth and creativity.

If you feel at a standstill in your relationship, try to do something new and different together. This should appeal to both of you. You might take a trip on the spur of the moment or share a creative project that will make each of you feel that you are growing. If you are involved in the activity together, you will find that you are not only developing as individuals, but you are also growing as a couple.

Handling Setbacks and Responsibilities
Being yoked together in any committed relationship implies that you are in it through the difficulties as well as the good times. Your composite Saturn can indicate how to use these difficulties to strengthen your relationship and make it more strong and solid. Saturn shows the sense of limitation that can come from being yoked together, but it also shows how you can deal with this for a happier, more lasting time together.

Your composite Saturn is in the First House.
Serious and responsible are probably two of the adjectives that are ascribed to you as a couple. You may not be seen as party people, but others will feel that they can count on you and will tend to ask you to be in charge.

It’s probable that each of you knows that the other is dependable, so that when a commitment is made, you know that it will be held to. But it’s also possible that you could feel limited by each other. For example, if your partner closely scrutinizes what you do, you could feel that you need to account for your actions, or feel that your activities are not allowed to be fun. Or possibly your partner could make you feel guilty if you aren’t always doing your duty.

If you do spark these feelings of limitation in each other, you might try finding some responsibility that makes you feel useful and worthwhile, and take it on together. Sharing the burden will make it seem lighter, and it will deepen your closeness while giving you both the satisfaction of making a contribution to the world.

Spontaneity and Surprises
In many ways Uranus provides relief from the solemn confinement of Saturn. Just when life seems too dull and regular, just when cabin fever is at its height, Uranus comes along to crack a joke, poke a hole in the wall that Saturn has erected, and let in some fresh air. Your composite Uranus shows how the two of you will handle individuality and eccentricity, and where irresponsibility or unpredictability might become an issue.

Your composite Uranus is in the Eighth House.
You and your partner experience a great deal of excitement in your sexual activities, and may feel completely free and uninhibited when you are so engaged. Also, you may each want a degree of freedom in determining if and when you will have sex. Your motivation is that you do not want to be treated as a sex object, and instead want respect as an individual. But your attitude may make you seem cool and aloof. However, if you do show each other respect and consideration, you may find that when you’re both in the mood, you can share exciting sex because you feel that you are each doing it on your own terms.

This placement could also impact your shared finances, making them come and go in sporadic and unpredictable ways.

Uranus is sextile the North Node.
The two of you are drawn to groups of people who are exciting, intellectually stimulating, creative and revolutionary, or who bring out these qualities in you. You’re also drawn to groups that advocate change, and you love to unite behind a good cause. While you can be very enthusiastic about a group or cause, you are also objective. Facts, rather than emotions are what get you involved. When people try to use emotions to sway you, you can become cool and aloof, and even possibly leave the group.

Otherworldly Aspirations
Neptune offsets the limited, earthbound quality of Saturn in a different way, by ascending to a completely different plane of reality. Coming from a place that shimmers just beyond our reach, it carries with it a charismatic veil of glamour, which can either enhance or muddle your relations with the world and each other. The good thing is that Neptune can keep things softened and alive, so you don’t get entrenched in Saturnine positions. It can elevate the nitty-gritty to a lofty and beautiful plane, creating gentleness and a spiritual quality. The bad thing is that it can make communications unclear, paralyze action, obliterate separate identity and make you anxious about whether you can even function in this world. If you listen to what Neptune is trying to tell you, though, it can make your relationship sublime and can promote your joining at a soul level, enabling you to communicate wordlessly.

Your composite Neptune is in the Eleventh House.
You and your partner could be spiritual leaders within in a group, or be viewed as charismatic within the organizations that you belong to. Or the two of you might simply become invisible when you are in a group, so that you often feel ignored when you’re at a gathering. You could be admired in some groups and ignored in others.

It’s of course flattering to be admired, but with that attention comes the responsibility to live up to the expectations of your admirers. And while it can be deflating to be ignored, there may be certain situations when being invisible is an advantage.

Another possibility with this placement is that the two of you are attracted to organizations and circles of friends that are spiritual, artistic or idealistic. You might, for example, feel at home among artists or in philanthropic organizations.

Neptune is sextile Pluto.
Neptune and Pluto have been roughly in sextile since the early 1940s. Therefore, if the two of you were born in the 1940s or after, your birth charts both contain this aspect. If the two of you were born within a year or so of each other, the position of the planets in your composite chart are in pretty much the same zodiacal positions as in your natal charts. Thus you and your partner may be dealing with a combination that’s already familiar to you.

The concepts of spirituality and power that you each hold should be quite compatible, and you’ll want to help each other to develop these areas of your lives further. While you could easily manipulate each other, it’s more likely that you would add force to each other’s spiritual beliefs and use your faith to enhance each other’s power. Used correctly, this aspect can give you strength and a powerful shared belief system.

The Power to Develop
In every relationship there is the potential for a power struggle, and for deeply felt emotions that can either bring about great schisms or move the two of you into profound changes and growth. These great unconscious forces are ruled by Pluto. The house where your composite Pluto resides can alert you to the areas where you are most likely to play out your struggles for dominance. Pluto’s house can also show where the two of you are likely to exert your collective power on the outside world. More information about these struggles and how to deal with them will come from the aspects that your composite Pluto makes. You’ll find most of Pluto’s aspects above in connection with earlier-mentioned planets.

While Pluto can be experienced as disrupting, there’s also something very transformative about it. Once you understand what’s going on, Pluto can bring about the most profound changes and renewal.

Your composite Pluto is in the Ninth House.
You and your partner could exert power in the world as leaders in areas like politics, religion and higher education. Or you might use this placement more personally. You could share strong views on any or all of these subjects, and forcefully try to push them onto others. Or perhaps your strong ideas are not shared, and either or both of you try to control the views of the other. Your disagreements could lead to violent eruptions. If you always seem to be fighting over these issues, you may be able to take the heat off your relationship by becoming active in a political, religious or educational group. You should quickly find yourselves in positions of power. And feeling empowered rather than threatened may help you to discover ideas on which you agree. Then you can present a united front and be more influential with outsiders.

Pluto is semisquare the North Node.
The relationships that you and your partner form as a couple are with people who are powerful, or with those who need leaders. When you’re with powerful people, you don’t want to give up your own power, and so you might spend time trying to take control or maintain your position of authority. Even if you successfully defend your position or actually take over, the battle will take up some of your energy.

Then you may then want to associate with people whom you can lead without challenge. But you would not have the respect for these individuals that you do for stronger people. To be happy, you might want to alternate between two groups of acquaintances, ones that you battle and others that follow your lead. Then if combat with strong adversaries exhausts you, you can move to the other group to recoup your energies and restore your sense of power.

Using Your Composite Chart
Just as relationships develop and have their ups and downs, composite charts also develop over time. This happens as the composite chart constantly receives transits from the currently moving planets. It also happens as the natal charts of the two people involved move forward by progression, constantly creating a new progressed composite chart.

The natal composite chart described in this report will, however, always describe the basic tone of your relationship. You can change the houses and the positions of the Ascendant and Midheaven by moving to a different place, but the signs of the planets and the aspects between them will remain the same. So take them seriously, and know that in astrology every problem carries within it its own unique wisdom or solution.

Hopefully, this analysis has given you some new insights about both the strengths and the possible problem areas of your relationship. If you agree that any of these typical kinds of problems apply in your case, please don’t be daunted by them! The key to happiness is first to recognize and be thankful for whatever you already enjoy about your partner. The more attention you place on these areas, the more these enjoyable parts will grow. And if there are problems, think of them not as impossible obstacles, but as sources of useful information. When you understand what your problems are trying to tell you, you’ll see what they’re asking you to do. Then you may see problems as the gifts that they are -- opportunities to grow in wisdom and to achieve a new level of closeness.

About the Author
Joan Negus, the originator and principal author of this report, began her practice of astrology in the early 1970s. She was known and loved in the astrological community as a warm and wise counselor, and as the teacher and mentor of numerous devoted astrological students, many of whom themselves became prominent astrologers. With her husband, Ken, she founded the Astrological Society of Princeton, NJ, and for years they opened their home to classes, lectures, workshops and other astrological gatherings that were noted for their fellowship and lively exchange of ideas. Joan also served as Education Chairman of the National Council for Geocosmic Research, one of the nation's leading astrological organizations.

Joan Negus is the author of the monograph Interpreting Composite and Relationship Charts, and of five books, including Basic Astrology, Cosmic Combinations, The Book of Uranus, and Cosmic Alchemy: Making the Most of Your Transits. She also wrote Contact Astro-Report, a pioneering computerized astrological report on the topic of relationships. The relationship report that you are now holding comes from a complete, greatly expanded rethinking of this earlier material.


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