It’s nice to be back. Today we’re beginning a series on interpreting composite charts.
Of all of the misconceptions regarding synastry (and there are many), one of the most striking to me is the misinterpretation of composite charts. I know students who were perfectly capable of reading a natal chart, who, when faced with a composite, missed the boat entirely. There are many reasons for this, but the main one stems from confusion about what the composite chart actually IS. We have to think conceptually about composites. We say, offhand and casually, ‘Oh, it’s the chart of the relationship itself,’ but what does that mean, exactly? That particular description has always struck me as being more than a little vague.
First of all, you have to ask yourself, can a relationship have a chart? Is there an actual beginning where it becomes a relationship? And how do I time that? Some astrologers ignore the composites and stick to the chart of the first meeting, if a time and place is known. I like comparing progressed charts for the meeting time. All these techniques are valid and will tell you a great deal about the flavour of a relationship, where a relationship may be going and how long it may last. But composite charts are something else entirely.
When two people come together and exchange energy in any way, shape or form, a third thing is created. This is a deeply metaphysical principle that is reflected in tantric philosophy. That third thing which is created can be, if used correctly, a map towards transcendence, towards releasing the inherent conflict and resistance between two living entities. Used well, a composite chart is a powerful tool, a guide to partnering through spirit. But first, we have to figure out what it’s telling us.
The two main popular forms of composite charts are, as most of us know, the midpoint composite and the Davison composite. (Please note that it’s called the Davison and not the Davidson chart.) The midpoint chart is the one we are most familiar with. It takes the midpoint of each planet or point in the chart and finds the midpoint between the two–Sun to Sun, Mars to Mars, Saturn to Saturn, etc.. As anyone who has worked with them knows, midpoints are powerful. The midpoint between any two entities is where the rubber meets the road–there is a flash, an energy point that is attractive, magnetic, that creates experience according to the expression (or expressions) involved. Midpoints are about essence. It is also where the two entities can resolve their differences, where they can merge. And lastly, the midpoint shows action; it reveals where the blended energies will take form. What we end up with is a chart that is it’s own entity. It reveals, not the interaction between two people (i.e. my Pluto conjunct your Moon makes you cry) but the action of the relationship itself (our composite Pluto conjunct our composite Moon reveals an emotionally tense, perhaps fraught, relationship where power plays and emotional manipulation from both parties may be the norm). The good news about midpoint composites is that, with work and the cooperation of both parties, all difficulties are resolvable. Our composite Moon/Pluto conjunction may lead us to explore the deeper side of our interaction, which may lead to cleansing us of the manipulative behavior that emerges when we’re together. Our relationship may never be a walk in the park emotionally, but our desire to dig may lead both of us to our soul-path via Pluto’s action on our essential awareness. The first Moon/Pluto pairing, with the conjunction between the charts, will have a much harder time of it because one person’s Moon will be fighting another person’s Pluto, and vice versa. (Conjunctions are not the happy, stable things many assume them to be.)
The Davison chart is a midpoint chart in time and space. We say that a lot, too, without explaining it. Davison discovered that if you calculate the exact point in time and the exact point in space between any two birth charts, the resulting chart was a powerful tool. It’s a midpoint chart that is not theoretical but anchored in real space and real time. If you were born in 1950 and I was born in 1960, our Davison chart would occur in 1955. The chart is calculated from the adjusted birth time and place. (The birthplace may end up in the middle of the ocean; it doesn’t matter.) Is this also a chart of the relationship? Yes, it is. Is it different from the midpoint chart? Some say no, just work with them and pick your preference. I say yes, they are different, for a good reason.
The midpoint chart is a powerful map of an energetic pattern–our hotspots as a couple. It’s our charisma, our union, who we are when we are together. It is inner-oriented, focused around the pure expression of the energy that occurs when our two like planets meet. The Davison, like all time/space charts, is anchored not in pure expression, but in physical reality. It describes who we are together within our particular life circumstances. Therefore the Davison chart is expressed through the physical reality of our lives. It sees our relationship being acted upon by circumstances, places, other entities/beings involved in the partnership. It has a life of its own, and can be progressed the way any normal chart is progressed because it has a real time and a real place to anchor it. (Progressed midpoint charts consist of taking the two individual progressed charts and making a midpoint chart from them.) Now here comes the big question, which is more valid? I say both, and I use them both, in different circumstances, depending on the questions being asked of the partnership.
Since Davison reflects the physical here and now (it’s still a theoretical chart, but it’s grounded in mundane reality) I prefer to use it for physical here and now questions. Mother-in-law issues, or kids driving you both crazy? Davison. Is a move going to affect our relationship? Davison. A third party invading our relationship? Davison to get the picture, and the midpoint chart to figure out why. We feel as if we’re coming apart at the seams, everything is dissolving. Midpoint. We’ve headed into a good patch in our relationship, how long will it last? Midpoint (and Davison if there are specific causes for the good vibes–new job, etc.).
Both charts are highly sensitive to transits (both the actual composites and progressed composites). And both charts are extremely revealing when you put the natal charts around the composite in a bi-wheel to see how each person reacts to the relationship dynamic (more on this later). Putting a tri-wheel in place with transits and one of the natal charts will give you an instant, clear picture of one person’s experience of the relationship, and show you how the transit affects both the individual and the partnership.
But again, we must first interpret the composite chart itself. This can get complicated, because sometimes the two composites look very much alike, sometimes they’re flipped, and sometimes one looks nothing like the other. This is not as confusing as it seems, and we will get to that next time. The most confusing thing in composites is in the subtle difference between natal houses and composite houses, and we will explore more of this next time.
Thank you Dawn – a very clear explanation of the difference between the two composite charts. I always wondered how to choose which one to work with.
Having studied both midpoint and Davidson for my own relationship, I have to say they are radically different and I don’t relate to the Davidson one at all – just doesn’t seem to fit.
Perhaps because there is a lot of moon/IC/node/Pluto connections in our synastry we are geared for a more transformative inner journey in the relationship.
The midpoint describes our relationship very well, but Davidson changes the moon from cancer to capricorn and instead of opposing a tight Saturn/Jupiter conjunction has the moon conjunct with Saturn and Jupiter. The sun and asc signs seem really off as well and whereas in the midpoint Venus is the chart ruler and trines mars, in the Davidson it is conjunct the Desc (still chart ruler though from Libra not Taurus.
If we accept the spiritual law of as within so without, how do we reconcile an inner relationship chart that is so different from the outer one?
Hi, Jay. I’m going to tackle this a little bit in the following articles, but frankly it’s too complicated to explain in the course of a blog. It has a lot to do with people misunderstanding the way the houses function in composites. (I’ll be teaching a new course dealing strictly with composite charts later in the year.)
But look at it this way–relationships can seem very different on the inside than the outside. The Davison chart—and oops, you called it Davidson–I’m going to start fining people a penny for every time they do that, so watch out!–what a couple IS, together, emotionally, spiritually, creatively, can be very different from the realities of life that they must tackle together. Also, a great deal of reconciling the Davison and the midpoint chart has to do with polarity. For example, if we have a lot of first house planets in the midpoint chart, and we feel very strong as a couple, almost insular, then the challenge will come when we have to cope with the ‘others’ in our life, and the Davison may focus on the Descendant. The nodes are flipped in the Davison, which will describe the challenges experienced in bringing the South Node to balance with the North Node. I know these are subtle differences, but important ones. I will get into this a bit more, but over the years I’ve come to the conclusion that the midpoint chart is the essence and the Davison chart provides the details. The Davison comes into its own when we work with progressions–it becomes an invaluable tool.
Wow, what a difference a “Da”vison makes! No penny for you Dawn – sorry. Although maybe you should fine me for my bad joke.:) Welcome back.
When I pulled up the Davison chart for my mom and me, it kind of shocked me how accurately it described the way our relationship played out in terms of actual events. The first thing that struck me was how the Ascendant/Descendant axis lined up with my natal Chiron-Uranus opposition in my natal 6th/12th! I managed my mom’s care at the end of her life, so this was very telling. Caring for my mom also provided the catalyst for later changes related to my life and work. There’s a strong Virgo signature in both charts, but in our midpoint chart, our 6th house sits empty. In real life that wasn’t the case.
Then also, there’s a notable switch from a focus on self -via a 1st house/Aries emphasis found in the midpoint chart- to an even greater emphasis on the 6th house of daily routine, health and service in the Davison. Our Moon switches from Aries/7th house (conjunct Mars) in the midpoint chart to Virgo/7th house in the Davison and is now conjunct the North Node and Neptune, as well as Vesta and Juno, all still trining Saturn. Our relationship was certainly fiery and volatile (as indicated by our Moon/Mars in Aries in the midpoint chart), but our arguments never accomplished much or led us anywhere but right back where we started.
Then there’s that Davison 6th house Sun/Pluto/Chiron conjunction in Leo – which opposes my natal 5th house Moon, teaching us both how serving others can be one of the most rewarding and loving forms of self-expression. In some ways, I think this was the way in which my mother was always most comfortable giving and receiving love, so at the end (when I finally stopped trying to get what *I* wanted and she was no longer able) was when we finally found some healing. Our love was expressed through all the little things and little ways (often practical) in which we connected with one another throughout the day.
With a Sun/Pluto conjunction in both composite charts, there’s no escaping how powerful our connection was, although the Davison chart seems to offer a more accurate picture of the specific *area* in which that connection found its healthy expression and ultimate transformation.
Hey Dawn, do you use a similar approach to determining orbs in the Composit and Davison Charts as in the Synastry Chart? I remember you mentioning that you used smaller orbs for Synastry than for natal aspects.
Hi Lorie. There shouldn’t be a cut and fast rule for orbs. All aspects are phasal. The first thing to note is whether the aspect is applying or separating–applying aspects tend to manifest more readily, because the lessons of that aspect haven’t been learned yet. Separating aspects are about the consolidation of those energies. The next thing to consider is, how important are the planets. If the Sun or Moon are involved, they carry more weight. The faster moving planet calls the shots on the aspect. (Except for the Sun–no one calls shots on the Sun.) Planetary weighting is the single most neglected talent in astrology, and it separates the men from the boys and the women from the girls. If Neptune is a crucial planet in your chart, and is aspecting another’s, then yes, its impact is going to be heard from far away, and resonate loudly and long after impact. On the whole, if you’re looking for a number, five is a safe number for synastry orbs. Tighter orbs will be more strongly felt, unless we’re talking the Sun or the Moon or an important angle ruler.
Oh how I missed ur writing….
Thank u! 🙂
Another great article. Can’t wait for more to come!
I have two questions regarding composite charts:
1. When would you consider the composite to come into being for a relationship? Does it kick into effect when the couple makes official commitment to one another or when they first meet perhaps?
I have heard theories that the longer the two persons interact or have known each other, the more powerful a composite can be felt since it is been tested by various transits.
2. A friend of mine is a bit skeptical towards midpoint composites as the concept of midpoint itself suggests meeting the other person halfway. I partially agree with her since no relationships are perfectly balanced with the same give and take as far as I am aware. But I have also noticed that the composite does tell a story of its own, so I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts.
Thanks in advance!
The more interchange between the couple, the more the composite chart resonates. Otherwise, it will only show the potential of the relationship. It will be felt, though less acutely, at the beginning of a relationship and does find its voice as time moves on. A common problem comes when only one person is involved in a relationship–one is obsessed, perhaps, and the other isn’t. The crazed person keeps looking at the composite for answers, and the answers won’t be there. Once there is a commitment, and two are seen as a unit, the composite chart really kicks in. However, the composite is always valid in potential–you can do a composite between you and an historical figure, and it will seem ‘right’ in some way. But we have to remember that, if there is no relationship, then we are only looking at what might be. I’m going to get into this a bit later in future articles.
As for #2, well–if we only measured an astrological chart by the parts we use consciously or willingly, we would have a very poor showing indeed. The reason astrology works is because it’s based on mathematical principle (I see all my Basics Redux students smiling). The half way point between my Mars and your Mars is an absolute point, and will show how and where the Mars interact, no matter if I am aware of it or not.
Thanks for clearing that up. Looking forward to reading more on composites.
Hello Dawn
I always had this doubt about composites.
Why is it that only the midpoint between similar planets are given importance?
When two people interact why is the sun/sun and moon/moon midpoints more important than say A’s sun and B’s moon?
There is something called composite sun and composite moon and their aspects are important and reveal something about the relationship. Doesn’t the midpoint between different planets and their aspects say anything. If so aren’t we missing a huge deal in not having a chart for all these midpoints?
You are such a clear writer Dawn. Whenever I am looking for inspiration on themes that noone else seem to be able to cover in any depth, I come to you..:D
Thanks for sharing. It is so generous..
BTW how do you read Juno in the composite. ?
Hi Sol. Thanks for the kind words.
If Juno is strongly and positively placed in a composite, the couple will be one of those who make good executive decisions together about the partnership. They can usually see it in perspective and garner strength and support from it. They know they are on equal footing, especially in the house it resides in. Aspects to Juno can often reveal how the partners regard the relationship itself. Square to Pluto, for example, there may be power plays that arise that threaten the health of the partnership. A strongly placed Juno will strengthen the sense of partnership and belonging, no matter the aspects.
Thanks…I finally found back to the post where I posted the question..hehe…
I am still pondering the asteroids; not knowing quite how to approach them in a reading.
Still learning…
Hi Sol–I’m going to be teaching a class on the asteroids in synastry in the spring. We’ve learned a lot about them over the past couple of years.
Hi Dawn, I have a question on the composite comparing to the natal. If person’s chart ruler that is at the same time 8th house ruler falls on the composite moon in the 8th house how this moon will play out for the person? Thanks in advance
The eighth house becomes emphasized in the partnership, and in the person with the 8th house stimulated. The rest depends on aspects to the Moon.
Dawn ,
I am sorry but since English is not my mother tongue I would like to specify the meaning of the expression” and in the person with the 8th house stimulated.”? Does it mean that the 8th house of relationship will be stimulated BY this person?
OR the 8th house person will be stimulated by this relationship? Thanks again in advance.
Both. The 8th house of the composite will be stimulated, and the 8th house of the person whose chart ruler is conjunct the composite Moon.
Thanks, Dawn)
Hello Dawn,
Just to understand the difference in the two composites:
What does it mean if the midpoint composite chart shows a stellium in 6th house but the Davison has 7 planets in first house which includes, Sun, Moon,chart rulers and both the nodal rulers??
😐
Sorry, D, I can’t really elaborate on this without taking both charts into consideration. The Davison chart puts more emphasis on the ‘here and now’ especially the ‘here and now’ problems that any couple will have to face. The midpoint chart is more of a chart of the essence of the couple–showing it’s general potential and liabilities. It’s a bit ‘lofty’ compared to the Davison, which is very ‘warts and all.’ I use the Davison to tackle real-world issues and the mp to tackle spiritual or psychological issues. But again, this is not always cut and dried.
dear Dawn
for draconic composites, do you simply take the tropical composite and move the nodes to 0 Aries and subtract the same no. of degrees from the planets or do you take midpoints from each indiv draconic natals?
Coz astro.com does the latter and the shape of the dr comp chart becomes different than the tr composite.
Thanks
I’m afraid that both systems work and each astrologer has to work it out for his or herself. This is a new branch of astrology, and I admit that I am still in the experimental stage with draconic composites. I use both.
Great article.
Can composites manifest if you have never physically met the person, but have communicated via long distance for years?
Can “first meet” mean “first contact” (via messaging/Skype)?
Yes to both.
What about planets/luminaries conjunct the nodal axis? Comp Saturn conj. My natal NN, opposite comp Moon conj. my natal SN? The relationship feels very easy and comfortable, for sure. I’m assuming it’s karmic stuff…your thoughts? Also assuming that comp. Saturn/moon opposition will not be an easy thing to manage…
It’s complicated business, comparing the Composite to the Natal. On the whole it’s about the way the relationship affects individual growth, especially where the nodes are concerned. The Saturn/Moon opposition will indeed be difficult, and the resultant tension will develop the North Node.
Makes sense! Tr Uranus conj. NN currently highlighting things! Thank you.
Hello Dawn
Do moon phases matter in composite? Whats a New moon in a composite chart couple like?
We have Sun conjunct Moon in 23 Libra 1st house in composite.That would mean our Moon- moon midpoint is the same as Sun- sun midpoint.
It matters, but not so much as in individual charts. This is how a couple behaves together, how they process experience as a couple. It can be a very delicate perception.
What do you think of a composite that has Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn all conjunct?
Hi Sam –
Sadly, Dawn won’t be able to answer your question. She has passed away. Note the latest couple of entries of this blog.