The traditional method of examining a relationship is to compare the aspects of planets in one horoscope with those in another.

Additionally, the astrologer looks at the house positions of each persons planets as they land in the other persons chart. This method is called Synastry and some astrologers swear by it. I swear at it. Synastry fails at the bottom line. This method simply cannot tell you the most important thing about a relationship, and that is if it will work or not work. I have seen numerous cases where synastry broke down. Two of those were from my own life. One was my ex-wife. The only thing synastry can do is indicate some points of attraction and repulsion, areas where the two people can work together or tend to clash, places where the two of you can get along easily or need to work things out. Now this is important, but it wont tell you if the two people will stay together or even get together. It also wont tell you how the relationship affects each person individually. Please keep that in mind as you read through the following lessons which list the inter-horoscope aspects. So what will tell you if the relationship is go or no go? No one thing. There are several steps and you have to go through them all. No shortcuts. (1) Before you even start to compare the horoscopes, you have to look at them separately. Check out their 7th houses, the partnership house. What kind of relationships are indicated? Lets say that one person has Mars there and it gets squares (90 degree angles) from Uranus and Saturn, and the other has a 7th house Saturn which is making a square Venus. Do you think that Any favorable aspects between those charts would make for a happy relationship? So step number one is to see what kind of relationships and partnerships each person tends to have individually. (2) Now compare the interaspects between both horoscopes. Check them all. Beginners frequently jump to conclusions based on one or two indicators. Thats a great way to reach the wrong conclusion. Check everything with one exception. In general, you can ignore aspects between the outer planets, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto since they move so slowly. For instance, it can be very important if your Uranus aspects their Venus or your Pluto squares their Ascendant. But if your Plutos are in conjunction, all it means is that you are born the same year. (3) Next, check out the Composite chart and the Davison horoscope (also called the Relationship horoscope or the Davison composite). a: The Composite chart is made by finding the Midpoints between similar things in the two horoscopes. For instance, if one person has the Sun at 10 degrees Aries and the other has it at 20 degrees Gemini, the composite Sun will be at 15 degrees Taurus. The same procedure is followed for all the planetary pairs (composite Moon, composite Mercury, etc.) and for the angles. b: The Davison horoscope, named after its discoverer, Ronald Davison, is an actual horoscope and not just a collection of midpoints. First you find the midpoints between the birth dates and times of the two people involved. Then you find the midpoint of their birth places. Form that, you calculate the horoscope in the usual manner. Dont worry. Nowadays the computer does all the math. All you have to do is enter the birth data. The two methods frequently give similar results. However, I tested both out on relationships for several clients. Every time the two methods gave different answers, the Davison chart won out. This was by no

means a statistical sample and I do not offer this as proof. The best procedure is to use both and see what results you come up with over a period of years. This still doesnt tell us how each person is affected by the relationship, or if the relationship will go or not. (4) The next step is to compare the charts of both people to the Davison chart. In other words, do synastry for each person with the relationship! This method almost always gives a better, more accurate picture of what is going on in a relationship than doing the synastry between the charts of the individuals. Why? I dont know. Perhaps the Davison chart has more of an effect if the two people actually have a relationship going. It could be that the whole is more than the sum of its parts here. A bunch of cells behave differently if they are swimming around separately in a flask than they do if they are linked together in an organism. The organism has a life of its own, apart from the individual cells. Its possible that something similar (not identical of course) could be going on with relationships. A relationship could somehow have traits of an individual entity. (5) Now if this is the case, why not do two more Davison charts for each persons horoscope with the original Davison chart! That should show how the relationship affects each one individually. After all, many times the two people involved are affected differently. Perhaps one wants to continue the relationship while the other wants out. Or one benefits from the relationship while the other gets the short end of the stick. Ive tried this in dozens of cases over the last few years and I believe this is the missing key to finding out whether or not a relationship works. I modestly call it a Marks Chart. To do a complete job, all of the above steps must be followed. The first step is very important because if someones birth chart shows relationship difficulties, they will be having problems no matter what the comparison says. Give a greater weight to the Davison and Marks Charts than to the synastry because these horoscopes get to the heart of the matter. Be certain to have accurate birth times for both people or the analysis could be thrown way off. The horoscope angles (the Ascendant and Mid-Heaven) are extremely sensitive to birth time (a four minute difference will change them by one degree) and these are vital to getting accurate results. So be careful here. I frequently have people come to me with the birth date of someone they met, and they want to know if a relationship will work out. I tell them that the synastry can show some things, but without the other persons time of birth, no definitive answer is possible. Composite There is a separate horoscope for the two of you and it was discovered by Ronald C. Davison. This chart shows what happens to the relationship as a whole. The Davison horoscope (sometimes called the Relationship horoscope) is set up for the midpoint between two birth dates, times, and places. The birth date midpoint is difficult to calculate by hand because a year isnt even. It has 365 1/4 days. And then, of course, there is the matter of leap years. But dont worry. There are several computer programs to do the math for you. We can also calculate a Composite of the two individual horoscopes. Composite charts must always be referred to as charts because they are not true horoscopes. A composite is constructed by finding the midpoints between the two birth

horoscopes. For instance, the midpoints between the two Suns, the two Moons, the two Mercurys, etc. The house cusps are found by calculating the composite Mid-Heaven and then using that to find the rest for a particular latitude. One thing I dont like about composite charts is that the Ascendant you get by this method is usually different than the one you get by simply finding the midpoint of the Ascendants in the two birth charts. So which one do you use? And which latitude do you use when figuring out the house cusps? These things have never been determined with any accuracy. Many astrologers use both the Davison and Composite charts when giving a relationship reading. I have found the Davison horoscope to be more accurate overall. Important point! Both of these charts are for the two of you as a couple. They show things that will tend to happen in the relationship as well as how you act towards the outside world when you are together. They have no effect when you are apart. Lets take a look at some examples. The first couple is Phil and Bryn Hartman. For any couple that lives together, the 4th house (domestic environment) and the ruler of the sign on the cusp (beginning) of the 4th house are very important. It is also necessary to check the Moon, which is the natural ruler of the home. In the Davison chart, Pisces is the sign on the 4th, and Neptune, the ruler, is in the 11th house. Look at the aspects. Neptune is in close conjunction with Saturn, the planet of difficulties and depression. Both of these planets make a square aspect (90 degrees, an aspect of obstacles and challenges) to Uranus. What effect would we expect here? Neptune rules illusions and delusions. When Saturn is involved, the two people as a couple may find it difficult to face reality. Its too depressing for them, so one or both may try to escape. One of Neptunes negative ways of doing this is through drugs and alcohol. Of course with Saturn there, they cant escape. The Saturn/Uranus square always produces tension (Saturn says no, Uranus says yes, so they clash). The combination of all three planets together obviously leads to problems. Neptune, in this horoscope, is what we call the accidental ruler of the 4th house, because it is just an accident of the birth times and places that Pisces happens to be on the cusp (beginning) of the 4th house. The Moon is called the natural ruler of domestic environment because it rules the sign of Cancer, sign of the home. In this relationship chart, the Moon is in the sign of Aries, sign of action and aggression. That by itself isnt bad. It simply means a lot of activity as a couple. But Mars, ruler of Aries, makes a square aspect (90 degrees, a stress factor) to the Moon, and that significantly increases the chances of arguments. The Sun and Moon are also square. In a relationship between a man and a woman, that shows them to be moving in different directions. This is a really basic incompatibility. Usually, Davison charts with this aspect indicate a brief fling. There would have to be some really strong favorable aspects to counterbalance this one if a marriage is to be beneficial and long lasting. This horoscope doesnt have them. The Rising sign is Scorpio, sign of extremes. All or nothing. Pluto, the ruler of Scorpio, squares the rising degree. This means that the relationship will tend to swing from one extreme to another (I love you to I hate you). This was more of an obsession than a marriage. Venus opposite the Ascendant is a strong and favorable influence and indicates affection. Venus is singleton since it is the only planet in an Earth sign. This means that the energy of the chart is drawn to the 7th house (marriage) and this is a powerful indicator that the two would get together.

But even here there are problems. Venus at 26 degrees of Taurus is near Algol, a fixed star that shows deep subconscious forces coming to the surface (Algol comes from the Arabic El Goul, the demon). On top of that, Pluto squares the Venus and that means power struggles. Love, with this aspect, tends to become manipulative if the two people involved are not careful. When there are stress aspects to Pluto, if the relationship ever breaks up the two people are not likely to be friends. Love turns to hate. But as long as there is a relationship, the sex is usually great. This is, of course, a Pluto specialty. Great sex is also shown by the triple conjunction of the Sun, Mars (energy) and Uranus (electrifying) in the 8th house. Unfortunately, Mars also rules arguments, the Mars/Uranus combination rules guns, and the 8th house rules death. And thats how the relationship ended. Another type of relationship is shown by the Davison horoscope of Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. In any chart, the Angles, the Ascendant, Descendant, Mid-Heaven, and Nadir, are of vital importance. So are the planets that rule the signs on the cusps. The Ascendant ruler is of particular importance. Libra is the sign on the Ascendant and it is ruled by Venus. Venus is making a strong conjunction with Saturn, planet of difficulties, obstacles, delays, and just plain bad luck. Throw the chart away right here folks. This relationship sucks (pun intended). Astrologers frequently get clients with Davison charts like this claiming that the other person is their soul mate and asking for a good wedding date. Sometimes these clients know a little about astrology and these are the worst one to read. But doesnt Saturn have a good side? they say. Isnt it the Lord of Karma?. Cant it teach us important lessons? Well Bill and Monica certainly learned a lesson, didnt they? Venus, the Ascendant ruler, makes conjunction aspects with both Saturn (difficulties) and Mars (action). All three sit on the Nadir (the end of the matter) and square the Ascendant. Of course, anything that is at the bottom is opposite the top, the Mid-Heaven, the public image. Both Bill and Monica did have their public images go through changes. Oh yes. Venus rules two signs, so it usually rules two houses. The other Venus sign is Taurus and it is found on the cusp of the 8th house. Thats the house of sex. So far, we have the ruler of the Ascendant and the house of sex conjunct Saturn, planet of difficulties, and Mars, (action) and all three are stressfully configured with the Mid-Heaven so that everything comes before the public. The Sun is the heart of the horoscope and is important in any interpretation. It sits in the 5th house (romance) and shows that the two people can have fun together ( at least until its time to pay the bill). Uranus is opposite the Sun. Another stress aspect and it wont be the last. This one makes people tend to do crazy, impulsive things. By itself, Sun/Uranus stress aspects show a relationship that is exciting but unstable and short lived. Sometimes these relationships can go on for a long time, but only intermittently. The two people involved see each other at short intervals and then spend long periods apart. The Moon shows the relationships emotions, the mutual emotions shared by the two people as well as their instinctive reactions. Should we be surprised to find it in the 8th house, the house that rules sex? And what are the Moons aspects? A square to Uranus, planet of unusual, sudden, and unexpected changes. That aspect usually means that an intimate relationship wont last too long. The emotions flare up for a brief time and everything is exciting. Then, like a lighting flash, its gone. By the way, the Moon rules the Mid-Heaven (public image) and this makes it more likely that what these people do sexually will be noticed. Surprise! The Moon also has a square with Mercury, planet of reasoning, showing that both of them werent exactly models of rationality. Incidentally, Mercury rules the sign of Virgo, and Virgo is on the cusp of the 12th house. Thats the house of self-undoing, the house that shows how we can mess ourselves up. Mercury, ruler of self-undoing, sits in the 5th house, making a connection between self destructive actions and romance.

Lets not forget the effect of chart shape. The Moon is isolated from the other planets so it acts like the spout on a funnel and focuses all of the charts energy. This means that the thrust of the horoscope is towards emotions (the Moon) and the house of sex. Ive included the planetoid Chiron here because it adds to the picture (like it really needs to be added to, right?). Chiron shows were we have problems that never seem to go away. It is located in the 5th house (romance) and squares the Moon. Remember, the Moon rules the Mid-Heaven (public image) and the square is a stress indicator showing the negative effect on public image to be permanent. Ok, do we notice any trends here? It is important to remember to check everything before jumping to conclusions about a relationship. In this case though, you dont have to jump. There are so many indicators, you are pushed. There is still the question of the specific effect a relationship has on each of the participants. That will be covered in the next chapter, the Marks Chart. Davison Charts for Events: I gave a lecture on the astrology of relationships at the June 2000 NCGR conference in New York. While I was preparing the talk, I had an idea. Synastry, comparing the aspects between two charts, can show us a little of what goes on in a relationship. The Davison chart shows us even more. Now astrologers have, for centuries, used transits to make forecasts. This means looking at the planets for a particular time and checking the aspects they make to the planets in the birth chart. That reminded me of synastry. If you took someones horoscope and the chart for the time and place of an event in their lives, you could make a Davison chart for the event. Would that Davison horoscope give us some more information about what went on? I thought of this while I was running off the Marks charts for Phil and Bryn Hartman. The horoscope for the murder was right next to theirs in my computer files. It only took a few clicks to make Davison charts for each of them with the murder time. The results were dramatic. The chart for Phil Hartman and the Murder (the Davison chart made from Phil Hartmans horoscope and the chart for the time of the murder) has the Ascendant in Aquarius. Uranus, the Ascendant ruler is in the 8th house (death) and it makes a close opposition to Mars (action, aggression, violence) in Aries. Stress aspects between Mars and Uranus are associated with sudden, violent accidents and gunshots. Mercury squares both planets forming a T-Cross in Cardinal signs (action). Mercury rules the signs of Gemini and Virgo. Gemini is on the cusp (beginning) of the 4th house (home). Virgo is intercepted in the charts 7th house (partners). The Moon forms a close conjunction to Saturn (depression, bad luck) in the 4th house (the home). The Sun was forming a close square to Neptune. Aspects that are forming are increased in strength. Neptune rules illusions and dreams. It also rules the substances that can bring these about: drugs and alcohol. Phil Hartman was shot while he was sleeping by his wife who, according to the autopsy report, had alcohol, antidepressants, and cocaine in her blood. He never knew what hit him. The Chart for Bryn Hartman and the Murder was equally chilling. This is the Davison chart made from Bryns horoscope and the chart for the time of the murder. Any planet in the 1st house has a strong effect on the whole chart. This one has Neptune there (dreams, illusions, drugs). The Sun (the heart of any horoscope) is forming an opposition to Uranus. Any aspect within one degree from exact is considered to be powerful. This one is just 1/10 of a degree from exact! Mars (action, violence) squares both of them forming a T-Cross. Guess where Mars is. The 8th house. The house of Death. Added to that is Mercury (the mind) opposite Pluto (obsession).

Ironically, Venus, the planet of love and affection, is opposite the Ascendant. She loved him even while she was killing him. Two anecdotal cases, no matter how dramatic, dont constitute conclusive evidence that this method works. They do, however, show that there may be something here worth investigating. Try it out with events from your own life. Make Davison charts from the horoscopes of those events with your own chart and see what you get. One word of Warning though. Be sure to have the exact time of the event. If you dont, the results could be thrown off. If Davison event charts work, then when you make an Election Horoscope (a horoscope constructed in advance for something you want to do) you should also make a Davison event chart from the election horoscope and your own to see the effect that his event will have on you. It goes without saying that if you see Saturn on one of the angles, pick a different time. Mark method of comparation

A Davison Chart shows many things about a relationship as a whole. But how many
cases are there of one person wanting the relationship and the other wanting out? How many relationships where one person benefits and the other winds up holding the short end of the stick? A few years ago, I started doing "Synastry" between the charts of each person involved in a relationship with their Davison horoscopes. As I mentioned in Synastry (Chapter 25.0), that frequently gave better results than comparing the charts of the two people themselves. That was when I got the following idea. You can compare the horoscopes of two people aspect by aspect (synastry) and you can make a Davison chart for the relationship. Now if you can also compare each chart with that Davison horoscope (more synastry), could you then make another Davison chart from each persons horoscope with the original Davison chart? First of all, what would such a chart mean? Well, it could show you how the relationship affects each person individually. I tried it in over two dozen cases and it worked. Not a statistical sample, to be sure. However, I havent yet seen a case when this technique gave incorrect information. In my opinion, these horoscopes supply the missing piece to relationship readings. Naturally I had to name them after myself.

To repeat, the Davison chart is made from by taking the midpoints of the birth dates, birth times, and birthplaces of the two people involved in the relationship. It shows what happens to the relationship as a whole. The Marks Chart is made by taking the midpoints of the Davison chart with the horoscope of each person. Marks charts show what happens to each separate individual in the relationship.

To do a complete relationship reading, you have do the following:

(1) Look at the between the two horoscopes. This tells you something (but not everything) about potential strong and weak points in the relationship. (2) Check the Davison chart. This shows what the relationship itself (as an individual entity) will tend to be like. (3) Compare the aspects of both persons horoscopes with the Davison chart (more synastry). This can indicate more strong and weak points between the two people. (4) Check the Marks charts to see how the relationship affects each person. (5) Put it all together and get the complete picture.

Can you take it further? Can you make another midpoint chart for each person with
the Marks chart? Or how about a midpoint chart for each Marks chart with the original Davison? In that case, we would be on our way to an infinite regress because we could then make midpoint charts from these charts, and so on, and so on..... But this couldnt happen. All we have to ask is What would such charts show you? What information would they give? The answer is they wouldnt tell you anything. They would have no meaning. A Davison chart tells about the relationship as a whole. A Marks chart shows the effect on each individual. Nothing is shown by making other horoscopes. Marks charts are the limit of this technique. They are as far as it goes.

Lets take a look at some examples;

Phil Hartmans Marks Chart with Bryn: shows the effect the relationship had on him.

(1) Notice a T-Cross involving Pluto (extremes, obsession, all-or-nothing, death, rebirth) in the 8th house (sex, death, rebirth). Pluto is the ruler of the 8th sign, Scorpio so it would gain strength in the 8th house. (2) The Sun is the heart of the horoscope. The Moon shows the feelings, emotions, and instinctual drives. Pluto making stress aspects with both indicates that as far as Phil was

concerned, this was more of an obsession than a marriage. The Moon rules women in general. That square between Pluto and the Moon shows the woman involved to suffer from extreme mood swings. (3) Neptune, planet of illusions, is high in the chart and conjunct the Mid-Heaven (career, public image). In this case, that can give a public image which is an illusion. They seemed to be the perfect couple. Until she killed him. (4) Finally, Pluto is Singleton. It is the only planet in a Fire sign. The sex may have been great (this was probably one thing that kept them together) but the relationship was tumultuous, going from one extreme to another (I love you, I hate you) until it finally ended in a sudden volcanic eruption.
Bryn Hartmans Marks Chart With Phil: shows how the relationship affected her. Remember

that Bryns own horoscope wasnt too stable to begin with. Now we have a Marks chart that has afflictions on its afflictions. Where do we begin? How about.... (1) Saturn (difficulties, obstacles, ambition) making a conjunction with her Sun? This is a very strong tie, not always easy to live with, but difficult to break. And it is part of a TCross. (2) Pluto and the Moon are opposite. This means that the relationship will make Bryns emotions go from one extreme to another (I love you, I hate you) and this can happen in a flash. (3) The Sun/Saturn conjunction makes square aspects with both the Moon and Pluto. Saturn wants security but the square to Pluto keeps tearing it down. Saturn making a square with the Moon adds depression to those Moon/Pluto emotional swings. (4) The empty leg of the T-Cross points to the 8th house (sex, death, rebirth). A positive solution would have been intensive psychotherapy. The negative solution was murder and suicide. (5) Mars and Neptune make a conjunction aspect right on the Ascendant. Mars is action, Neptune is drugs. (6) Now here is a case where the so-called good aspects, the sextile and trine, can be no good. Mars and Neptune both make sextile aspects with Pluto and trine aspects with the Moon. This means that Mars and Neptune can mitigate that stressful Moon/Pluto opposition. By using Mars and Neptune, those emotional swings can be calmed down. Bryn chose to do this with drugs. (7) The sign of Aquarius is on the Nadir (bottom) and so it rules the home and, the end of the matter. Uranus (sudden, unexpected events) is the ruler of Aquarius. It is right at the top of the chart making a conjunction with the Mid-Heaven (career and public image). The end of the relationship and the home was sudden. Whenever we feel

threatened in the area ruled by Uranus, we tend to suddenly eject from the situation. Uranus also makes a minor stress aspect, a sesquisquare (135 degrees) with the Moons North Node. Again, an instinctual urge to eject from unpleasant situations, and to do so suddenly without thought. (8) Last, but not least, the planetoid Chiron was right at the bottom of the horoscope, conjunct the Nadir and opposite Uranus. Chiron indicates problems that never seem to go away. Remember that Bryn was born with Saturn on her nadir. She thought that her problems would be solved by marrying Phil. Chiron kept them coming back again and again. The next example is the Clinton-Lewinsky relationship.
Bill Clintons Marks Chart with Monica has:

(1) The Sun and Moon together in Taurus, a stubborn sign. Each makes a square aspect to Pluto (extremes) which is in the 5th house (romance). This wasnt a relationship as far as Bill was concerned. It was an obsession.On top of that, Pluto is both the natural ruler of sex (it rules Scorpio, the sex sign) and the accidental ruler (it rules the sign on the 8th house cusp, which happens to be Scorpio). (2) Always check out the Angles of the horoscope, the Ascendant, the Mid-heaven, the Descendant, the Nadir, and their ruling planets. In this horoscope, Venus planet of love, is making a conjunction aspect with the Ascendant. Not bad. That shows an attraction. Unfortunately, Venus is making three stressful aspects. (3) First of all, it has a Square Aspect with Uranus (sudden, unexpected events). This is not a stable aspect, but it is exciting while it lasts ---which is usually not long. (4) Venus is also forming an opposition aspect to Neptune (illusions and delusions). Neptune is both the natural and accidental ruler of the 12th house. Thats the house of self-undoing. No comment is necessary here. (5) Venus is also opposite Saturn. I have found from personal experience (dont ask for the details please) that Venus/Saturn stress aspects usually work out better for friendships than they do for romances. When it comes to love, there is usually an obstacle (like Hillary!) and it tends to end badly. (6) Now put all this together. Venus (love) is afflicted by Uranus (sudden attraction) and afflicted by Neptune (delusions and self-undoing), and Saturn (difficulties, obstacles, and tends to a bad end). On top of that, Saturn rules the Marks chart Mid-Heaven (career and public image) and Saturn is almost exactly in conjunction with Neptune (self undoing). Hmmm. I wonder what the effect would be on Clintons public image with this one? (7) So what if Venus makes a favorable aspect to Pluto? That just made Bill more hot to trot. In this case, that was not a good thing.

(8) Oh yes. The Ascendant is ruled by Mars (action) which makes a quincunx (a 150 degree aspect) with the Mid-Heaven. The quincunx is a strange aspect. Its off, its on. Its good, its bad. It just keeps switching around, going in and out of phase. In this case, it helped to bring the affair before the public. As did Mercury trine the Mid-Heaven. Trines are lucky. That was probably one of the few things that helped Clinton avoid being removed from office.
Monica Lewinskys Marks Chart with Bill Clinton: Also has the Ascendant in Aries and

Capricorn on the Mid-Heaven. (1) Saturn, ruler of the Mid-Heaven (career and public image) is in the 12th house (selfundoing). Did Monicas reputation suffer at all? Well, she did come (no pun intended) within a hairs breath of being indicted for perjury. And Saturn (difficulties) makes opposition aspects to both Uranus (sudden, unexpected changes) and Pluto (sex). (2) Theres another element here. Uranus rules the sign of Aquarius. In this Marks chart, Aquarius is on the cusp (beginning) of the 11th house (friends). Uranus is opposite Saturn (difficulties) which is in the 12th house. The 12th house not only rules selfundoing. It is also the house of hidden enemies. What was the effect of friends on the relationship and the effect of the relationship on friends? A friend (Linda Tripp) turned out to be a hidden enemy by secretly recording the phone conversations she had with Monica. (3) The Sun makes a conjunction with Venus. This isnt bad. It shows affection and love. Unfortunately, Jupiter makes a square aspect with both. When Jupiter afflicts like this, it leads to overconfidence and a feeling that nothing can ever go wrong. (4) Dont forget to look at Sagittarius the sign that Jupiter rules. It sits on the cusp (beginning) of the 9th house. Long journeys? No. Higher education? Well Im sure Monica learned a lesson. Legal problems? Bingo. Now on the basis of all the evidence so far, if one of these people came to you and said they were thinking of having a relationship with the other, what advise would you give?