It seems to me that the biggest trip-up in interpreting composite charts stems from not understanding the meaning of the composite houses, including the angles. While they are, in fact, very similar to natal houses and angles, in interpretation they are somewhat different and have variations that need to be recognized. For example, one of the biggest mistakes is to turn to the seventh house to see how healthy (and/or romantic) the partnership might be. For some reason, we naturally incline to that house for all of our information about the give and take in a partnership–and it’s understandable, given the Libran bent of the seventh. But think about it logically–if the Ascendant represents the “I” of the relationship, what does the seventh represent? And if the seventh house in the natal can contain the Shadow of the psyche, our unconscious projections, where do you think the seventh house of a composite is taking us?
So, before going any further with composites, I think it’s a good idea for us to review composite houses and the areas of experience they represent in a composite chart. It makes sense to know the general shape of a thing before adding in the details.
I’ll begin, of course, with the Ascendant and the first quadrant of the chart. We understand what the Ascendant represents in a natal chart. It’s the degree on the horizon at the time of birth, the place where earth and sky meet. All of the angles are symbolic of the vortex created when spirit whorls with matter. The Ascendant is the conscious “I”, the vehicle we use to negotiate the world, our point of first reference. It is marked by the time and place of birth–but how does this work in a composite chart? How can two entities meet in the middle?
The composite Ascendant, including the composite first house, is the strongest point in the composite chart. Anything that hits it affects us deeply, because it is the very identity of who we are as a couple and, in fact whether we are a couple. Do we feel as if we belong together? Are we a good fit? Does this feel like a natural partnership? Strong, unsullied aspects to the Ascendant, or strong positive planets in the first house, like the Sun, Moon, or Jupiter, are going to give us a sense of belonging together. (Squares to these planets are telling us that we may have to work for it.) I’ve seen couples with strong first house composites overcome many things that would tear other couples apart, because their sense of what the partnership is to them is so strong. No question that they would stay together. This is also true, in a larger sense, for the composite chart in general. I’ve seen many cases where the inter-aspects between charts are terrible, the two should drive one another insane. But the composite chart is so strong and positive that the relationship thrives. Sure, they annoy one another. To them, it’s just part of who they are together. The sense of ‘we,’ of ‘us’ is never tainted.
The Ascendant and first house of a composite can also be a dangerous place, because when threats come to the partnership in terms of outer planet transits or difficult progressions, the entire relationship can undergo a major crisis. This is true of any of the composite angles, but particularly the Ascendant, on which the whole thing hangs. Outer planet transits often are a wake up call saying, “We aren’t who we thought we were.” These are most often the times when relationships need to change to survive.
The first house can also show us indicators of one-person ‘relationships,’ cases of fascination or obsession or just simple old unrequited love. Usually, the person who is hooked by the relationship has a planet (or more) conjuncting the Ascendant of the composite chart very tightly. If it’s the Sun, or Venus, that person values the relationship intensely, and it holds great meaning for their self-development, whether it lasts or not. You will usually see conjunctions between the natal chart and the composite Moon, Venus or Saturn as well. We can get into real difficulty when a person’s Venus/Neptune natal square falls on the angles of the composite, or Mars/Pluto. The relationship will become a focal point for the person working out this natal dilemma, and will fuel the fires of deception, disillusionment, longing and ego-oriented desire. The other ‘partner’ , the one who isn’t interested, will likely not have anything touching the composite in this intense way.
The second house in the composite, the Taurus house, has to do with our sense of resources and ownership. A good second house will enhance our feelings of security and belonging when we are together. If well-aspected, the material side of our lives will flow easily. We most likely will agree on the way our money should be spent and how much we should pay for car insurance. On a deeper level, the second house will reveal whether or not we perceive our relationship as a resource–whether we value and cherish it. If we have an emphasis there, we may be able to do things together, to make things happen together, that we could never do alone. Well-placed planets in the second house boost our resourcefulness together–but if there is too much of an emphasis on the second, we may incline to be materialistic and not see the forest for the trees if we begin to have spiritual and/or psychological differences that challenge the partnership. Hard aspects to the second, or difficult planets there, may mean that we have to work for our stability and security. Jupiter there might be lucky, but a challenged Jupiter might reveal that, together, we fuel the flames of overdoing things in all areas, and losses may be involved. Our second house contains what we believe is ‘ours’–on all levels. If Venus is there, for example, we may have a talent for togetherness and value our time together. Good aspects will cause things to flow towards us–difficult ones will make us aware that we can’t take anything for granted where the partnership is concerned.
The third house in the composite chart is much more important than it’s given credit for. It’s a bit difficult to get a handle on the third house because it represents so many things, but if you think in the largest, widest terms possible, they’re all related. The third house is about connecting. It’s like a baby naturally reaching out to connect with what is nearby, what it can grasp. Take that further, and it’s about the mind reaching out to make connections, to understand its environment. And it represents the environment itself, the mundane circumstances of our lives. Which is why, in classic astrology, it represents our neighbors, our close relations, our brothers and sisters (who are just there, like the furniture, we have no choice about it). The third house is everything around us, all those things we just accept. In a much larger sense, and given the mental connotations of the third, it’s about how we get around, both physically and mentally–it’s about the way we think and act when we are at ‘home’ with our selves. All those things we don’t have to think about because they’re just ‘there.’
The third house can describe a couple’s mindset about their environment–and how they move within it, as a couple. It can also describe the things that concern them on a day to day basis–not in a philosophical sense, but the sense of where they put their awareness, where they spend their mental time. It can also describe how they move about together–are they a stay-put type, hardly going out (Saturn) or do they rush around like the proverbial chicken with its head chopped off (Uranus). Are they articulate and conversational (Mercury/Sun) or vague and unforthcoming (Mercury/Neptune). If an outer planet is in the third, they may, as a couple, feel that their status quo is continually threatened. Saturn there may cause them to be very serious about their calendar, always planning and organizing things well ahead of time. The describes how we interact with life on a day to day basis–are we always challenging things (Mars) or happy taking it easy (Venus)? A person who doesn’t like surprises and disruption will be very uncomfortable in a relationship where the composite third house is emphasized in a disruptive way (a Mars/Uranus conjunction, for example). There may also be disruptions with siblings, neighbors and an unfortunate tendency for electrical appliances to break down or explode (not kidding here–I know a couple of couples with this type of aspect who have a hard time controlling their electrical flow.)
The third house is important in a composite because it describes the kind of things we need to think about in the partnership, and what occupies a great deal of our attention and time together. This may be very different from our long term goals and plans and our very philosophy of life as a couple, which are shown in our composite ninth house. But the third house, on the whole, is not a house that involves a lot of conscious awareness–we deal with what we need to deal with, and that’s that. The fourth house is where we really start acting as a unit (or not) and are forced to define the partnership in terms of others.
Next time, composite houses Four, Five and Six.
Painting above, Yin Yang is by Paula Manning-Lewis and is used with her kind permission. For more of her work, please click on the illustration.
Hello, Dawn. I really enjoyed your article and I’m looking forward for the next part of the series. I just wanted to ask you if you take into consideration composite Lilith (in my particular case, it conjuncts composite Asc. in Gemeni) and what does it mean?
Thank you,
M.
Hi Monica. I do use the Black Moon Lilith in my composites, but what she represents there is a whole article of its own. It’s complicated, because BML splits down the sexual divide–men react differently to her than women do. Amongst other things, BML represents a place of sexual power and transformation. I’ll be writing a lot more about her in the near future.
thanks for the great article, it makes me understand more in composite chart. thnks dawn .
As always – so clear and illuminating. Thank you Dawn – wonderful to have you back online again – hope you are recovered from your illness.
What does it mean when houses in the composite chart are empty? Obviously there will be transits from time to time, but apart from that does it mean that those areas in a chart are fairly neutral or non-problematic?
If I look at the composite with my partner, the signs of the houses do accurately describe the flavour of those areas. Taurus for ascendent – very stable and definitely a couple when we are out in the world, but actually preferring the comfort of home – see third house Cancer – yes the relationship and our home is a womb – and we are both happy to be silly and in our child selves! This would be emphasized by the composite moon tightly conjunct the IC from the third house. Gemini in the second – we talk a lot before we buy anything and have very similar values around money and possessions.
The main challenges seem to be from a t-square with the moon opposing a tight Saturn/Jupiter conjunction both squaring the AC. We did have a lot of collisions in the early years and both had to dig deep and do a lot of inner work – but we are still together 9 years later and happier than ever – the reward of taking on the challenge of the square. – A quite famous astrologer said that if you have Saturn square AC in a composite basically find someone else – I guess our Jupiter does soften that Saturn square – but it seems a bit sweeping for any astrologer to advise against a relationship – how do they know what karmic necessity we have incarnated with?
Hi Jay. Thanks, I’m improving slowly but surely. Basically, if houses are empty, there are no specific issues there. They will certainly be affected by transits and progressions, but whatever that house rules is, as you say, non-problematic on the whole. There may be little glitches, but usually nothing life-changing.
I haven’t gotten around to explaining this yet in this series, but aspects have to be interpreted slightly differently from the way we do in the natal. If your composite Saturn is square your composite ASC, it means that work will have to be done on the whole question of freedom and restrictions within the partnership (especially with Jupiter there as well. You will be compelled to grow and explore when you’re together, but you also will, at time, feel as though the relationship is holding you back in some way. Your most mature selves will have to emerge if you are to grow and have any longevity as a couple. You’d have to look at the house Saturn rules to see what the specific issue might be, and look at Saturn’s relationship with the chart ruler. Both of you will feel held back at times, and you’ll have to dig deep to find out where that comes from. I hate when I hear influential astrologers make sweeping statements like the one you mentioned. It denigrates what we do. No one can get a complete handle on the soul’s reasoning. Couples come together for a reason–for the short or long term–and that has to be respected.
Thank you for your answer, Dawn. In my case, we have a first house Mars in Gemini which tightly conjuncts my natal Moon (activating my natal Moon-Sun square and Moon-Uranus opposition). So far I have noticed that we argue about planning our activities together, I feel safer knowing in advance the things we have to do, but he is more spontaneous and careless and that sometimes makes me feel nervous, insecure. I think Mars becomes an important planet in our composite considering that it is the dispositor of our composite Jupiter, Moon, Sun (they are all conjunct in Aries) and Mercury.
I feel like I have to learn a few lessons about feeling free, enjoying life more, being spontaneous and confident, but do you think that composite Mars puts too much pressure on my natal Moon, knowing how sensitive this planet is?
M.
Yes, that Mars is going to make your Moon very uncomfortable. It can be very sexual, but irritating in other areas of life. Prepare to have your feathers ruffled by the relationship–all the time.
Hi Dawn, thank you for the great article and great series. I can’t wait for the next one!
My question is about the nodes and chiron. What is the meaning of the north node and chiron in the composite and what does the house placement indicate?
Currently transiting north node is conjunct the composite south node in the third house gemini, and opposite chiron. We are going through a really tough time and I’m trying to figure out what the purpose of the relationship is… This article cannot come at a better time!
Hi mmcq. I’m smiling to myself because you’re jumping the gun here–I’m trying to stick to house meanings only, and we’ll get to planets and points later. The transiting Nodes shed light on issues and pull us in different directions–the South Node sucks us in to old behaviours and patterns, and the North Node forces us to look at things in a new light. With the transiting North Node on your composite South, you’re being forced to confront the limitations of the old patterns of the partnership, in order to move forward. A Gemini third house composite node can indicate that too much time was spent on the trivial and the mundane, and in order to move forward you need to find common goals and visions that are meaningful for both of you. There are other possibilities, but there is no time to discuss them in this space.
Thanks for your reply Dawn!
This is interesting because the composite south node is actually in the sign of sagittarius… and we both have many natal planets in sagitarrius… feels like another balancing act.
I will be patient now 😉
Wonderful series, Dawn! I know virtually nothing on this topic and am eager to learn more.
Quick thought: my boyfriend and my best friend are born a month and a day apart and within 30mins of each other. So our composite charts are nearly identical. But the ascendants are about 11degrees apart (26 and 15 degrees of capricorn respectively). So far, it seems like the aspects and house placements are very similar too.
My question is, does this imply some sort of cosmic lesson to be learned for all three of us?
I can’t wait to continue learning about this method of chart interpretation and any ideas you may have are certainly welcome!!!!
Hi Anna. Similar is not the same. A slight difference can mean a great deal, particularly where the angles are concerned. It certainly shows an affinity with both your friend and your boyfriend. You, personally, are very attracted to whatever energy is dominant in those charts. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the three of you are tied together in a karmic sense. That would need a careful analysis of the charts. Sometimes it happens that the chart ‘splits’ between the two–you will react strongly to different planets in each chart, even though they are similar. Mainly, in a composite chart, a strong karmic tie is indicated in the 12th house, or in the other water houses 4,8.
Hello Dawn!
I am so excited that you are finally writing on the composite chart 😀 Thank you !
A question. How do you interpret contacts from composite planets to the natal nodes. ? I know in synastry Venus/SN is considered past lover and what not.
Our composite Mars/Venus conjunction falls right on his South node and the composite Chiron right on my SN.
Waiting for your articles on the rest of the houses too 😀
Hi Keteki,
I’m afraid we’re only handling houses right now. You can imagine how complicated things would get if I started answering all questions about composites. While I won’t go into cookbook interpretations, we will certainly go over the Nodes and Chiron in composite later on. Composite planets falling on the South Node generally indicate that this part of the relationship (represented by the planet) had something to do with evolving the person’s awareness, their perceptions of life as it is now. It isn’t necessarily positive or negative, it depends on the planets involved.
Thank you again for giving a general idea on how to interpret it. Thats what I was looking for 🙂
Hello! Great article 🙂
You write about a planet (sun in this case) conj. the composite Asc. and from my pov I very much agree with your interpretation of it, but what about sun and moon switching places between a composite and a natal? Or a planet conj. the IC? (did not see that mentioned in the 2nd part of the series)
Regards
Hi Elaryen. I’m not quite sure what you mean when you say the Sun and the Moon switch places between a composite and a natal. Please elaborate. A planet conjunct the IC will provide the energy that anchors and roots the couple in their essence. If the Moon is there, their bond will be primarily emotional (as opposed to sexual, with Mars there or intellectual, with Mercury there, or a sense of duty and responsibility, with Saturn there). It’s something other people might not see, (we can hide from the world in our 4th) but is felt and understood with the couple themselves.
Thanks for your reply and sorry for not being clear. The planet conj. the composite IC is a natal venus.
And the position of the sun in the composite is the position of the natal moon of one of the people involved as well as the comp moon being at the position of the natal sun of the same person. Plus minus 1°. They just switch places in the composite respective the natal chart.
Well, now we’re talking about the delicate business of comparing the natal chart to the composite to see what each partner’s response to the relationship might be. This is not done lightly, this is very powerful synastry tool. This is one of those cases where you don’t really need my response, just follow the symbolism. We all know that the union of the Sun and Moon is one of the most powerful conjunctions. If it happens twice between a natal and a composite, imagine the intensity and attachment of the person to the relationship. The relationship can become a potent vehicle for integration and transformation. You will find the details in the charts, but unfortunately we don’t have time to go into them here.
I brought it up because you talked about a planet being conjunct to the comp. asc here in regards to house 1, which in this case would be my sun. Whilst the other person has sun conj. moon and moon conj. sun and the venus conj. the comp IC, I cannot speak for them in regards to attachement to the relationship, but for me, the sun conj. the ascendant, it really is very important for my self-development, so I wouldn’t want to miss it, even if it’s a bit of a drag, comp. Saturn is conj. Uranus which is conj. Pluto in the 7th. But that’s something for the next part of the series 🙂
Hello Dawn,
I am only asking since you mentioned that couples do stay together inspite of terrible synastry because they feel good together coz they have a strong and positive composite.
What do you mean when you are referring to a ‘strong and positive composite’?
I have composite charts of some 20 people around me. And some of them look so very attractive.. Sun, Moon angular, Venus mars conjunct, They look intense too -oppositions lying along the angles – but these composites belong to people who are just ‘hello/bye’ friends.
Like with one girl who s a good( not great) friend of mine(and we have a good enough synastry)- we have in our composite , a stellium, a sun-moon trine . etc but I dont feel much of a bond with her.
Another guy with whom I share Composite pluto opposing personal planets along an angle. Moon with healthy trines and I dont think I am attracted to the relationship aura.
A significant relationship of 5 years between a couple I know have composite Sun making only one aspect..and moon making only minor aspects. ( Though they do have a house emphasis)
Hi Nobody. This is what I mean about the way many people misinterpret a composite chart. The synastry between two natal charts determines attraction. The composite chart only kicks in once a relationship of sorts becomes established. A composite chart can’t tell you whether two people will find partnership material in one another. That belongs to the delicate business of the psycho-sexual analysis of the planets and angles. If we put one of the natal charts against the composite, we get a better idea of how that person will react to the relationship–but without a relationship, even this technique will fall to bits.
Hey Dawn, Thank you so much for all of your illuminating articles. I always find your insights to be so helpful.
I am about to move in with someone — a bigger deal to me than an engagement (!) — and lately his relationship with his ex has been coming up. On their composite, my Sun falls exactly on the AC… regretfully/alluringly leading to a cascade of romantic sextiles. Does this mean I will “set off” their relationship, as in I am the first domino to fall? I can’t help but be haunted by the idea that I am the “enabler” to their relationship having failed to get off the ground.
With your Sun on their composite Ascendant, you are shedding light on that relationship. It means you are a significant figure to them, providing insight. It can take a lot of different interpretations, depending on the rest of the way your chart hits their composite.
Hello, Dawn, it’s quite an interesting topic and well explained. Thanks!
What came as a shock to me was looking at the composite of me and my ex. He has his natal sun conjunct the composite ASC as well as moon conj composite moon. You called it obsession/unrequited love indicator. The thing is I was and still am very much in love with him, so it wasn’t unrequited definitely and he was the one who broke up the relationship. Could it mean that he was more obsessed by the relationship while I was more realistic perhaps?
Thanks,
Natasha
Dawn, this blows my mind:
“The Ascendant and first house of a composite can also be a dangerous place, because when threats come to the partnership in terms of outer planet transits or difficult progressions, the entire relationship can undergo a major crisis. This is true of any of the composite angles, but particularly the Ascendant, on which the whole thing hangs. Outer planet transits often are a wake up call saying, “We aren’t who we thought we were.” These are most often the times when relationships need to change to survive.
Composite Sun, Jupiter, Neptune conj mid Scorpio ASC along with Mercury and the Moon further in the 1st house in Sag. When Saturn came along mid 2014 the whole thing started to crumble into a pile of dust. The Saturn steamroller, I should say.
What do you say of a composite chart where, Sun, Moon and Mercury are all conjunct in 1st house, but is square to Saturn, Neptune ? Actually though there are difficult aspects – where composite Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus all forms squares to Saturn and Neptune.