In my article, Astrological Compatibility: The Astrology of Relationship, I laid out a foundation of understanding of how astrology can bring awareness to our relationships. In this article I would like to expand on that foundation and show how the individual elemental and planetary makeup of our own astrological chart interacts with that of others. In astrology we call this interaction "synastry", a beautiful word that is used to describe the relationship between the energy fields of two people.
If we look at "synastry" as a dynamic process, a constant flow of energy between two people, it is much easier to understand how the elemental and planetary energies affect our relationships. Like electricity, our relationships flow smoothly when resistance is low. When there is resistance or obstruction of the flow of energy between us then we experience breakdowns or "burn-outs". Astrology provides us with an unique "schematic" or map of how our energy may flow when we're in relationship with another. It also provides us with awareness of where we might "burn" each other out.
In "Astrological Compatibility: The Astrology of Relationship," I showed how the different signs interact or aspect each other. Basically I was speaking of the way Sun signs interact so this might mean that a person with the Sun in the sign Leo would find it more difficult relating to Scorpio, Taurus and Aquarius (the Sun signs that are in challenging aspect to their own). In order to get a broader picture of how one would relate of any of these other signs, however, we would have to compare not only Sun signs but also the signs of the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.
For the sake of simplicity, let's just consider the so-called "personal" planets, the Sun through Jupiter. These six planets (actually the Sun is a star) are called personal because they are faster moving in the sky and affect us more on an individual level, whereas Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto move slower and tend to have more of a collective influence on our lives. Also, in comparing astrological charts of individuals who are close in age, it is much more likely that the outer planets will be in the same sign, thus minimizing the differences between charts.
Since any of the planets can be in any one of the four elements (fire, air, water, or earth), one begins to see how many different combinations of elemental and planetary expression are possible. For example, out of the ten planets in my chart I have four in the fire element, three in earth, two in water, and one in air. This is my "elemental make-up" and tells a lot about how I express my own energy and how I will relate to others.
As you can see, 70% of my planets are in fire and earth. I tend to be most happy when I am doing things, now! In relationship my greatest challenge has been to maintain my patience with those who I perceive are moving slower than me! I am usually at home and fairly comfortable in the emotional realm as I have two planets and my rising sign or ascendant (the constellation rising on the horizon at birth) in Cancer, a water sign. Of course the hardest element for me to operate in is air, as I only have one planet there.
For instance, if I have to read a manual for some sort of mechanical contraption I'll probably never get around to it. I am much happier if I can just rip open the box and start tweaking buttons and twisting dials! One drawback of not having a lot of air in my chart is that I rely more on intuition and emotion to make judgments and decisions and consequently have less objectivity than those who "specialize" in the air element.
Understanding your own elemental makeup is extremely important if you want to get the most out of your relationships. By getting to know your own strengths and challenges you will begin to draw partners to you in a more conscious manner. You would not believe how common it is to find couples or partnerships where one person is all fire and air (intuition and intellect) and the other is water and earth (emotional and physical). The couple or partnership are literally drawn together like magnets so that they can benefit from each other's "elemental specialization". This can be a great learning experience if it's done consciously but a highly co-dependent relationship if not.
In an astrological chart the elements represent basic forms of energy within us while the individual planets symbolize our basic expression of that energy or life force in all areas of life - physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Each planet represents certain fundamental needs or urges that we all express to one degree or another. The way we express these fundamental energies characterizes what we typically call personality.
In other words, each of us has a desire to express our individuality and sense of self (Sun), to be nurtured and to nurture (Moon), to communicate fully with others (Mercury), to express love in relationship (Venus), to assert ourselves (Mars), and to expand our sense of who we are (Jupiter). Naturally we all differ in our ability to fully express our needs in these areas and that is exactly why astrology can teach us so much about how our basic needs can be met or thwarted in a relationship.
James Jarvis, M.A. is a transpersonal counselor, master astrologer, and LifeQwest? Coach who specializes in helping you "Create the Life of Your Dreams." Sign up for James' free bi-monthly LifeQwest? E-zine and receive a 12-page report, "Keys to Right Livelihood," plus monthly horoscope, coaching tips and special discounts on services. http://lifeqwest.com
