Can I just say Bob Marks is amazing?! No, he really is, and if I got a chance to meet him, I’m probably combust into a million glittery pieces because he is fabulous!  What an intelligent and insightful man.  Through his synastric research partnered with detailed analysis of composite, Davison, and Marks charts (yes, his OWN creation *swoon*), he has set a basic protocol for astrological relationship analysis that I have been anxious to drool over.  And now, I get my chance.

The steps are as follows:

1. Do a separate relationship analysis of the individual charts
2. Do the synastry and find potential strong/weak points in chart
3. Compare aspects of individual horoscopes with Davison chart, more strong and weak points between the two
4. Check the Marks charts to see how the relationship affects each person
5. Put it all together

 
And so, using myself as a guinea, but changing it to the 2^nd person (because I am so modest), I have began the first step of the process….
 

The Separate Relationship Analysis

Subject:  Self

Chart:  Natal

 

My Natal Chart

In this natal, Uranus is rising with the sign Sagittarius on the Ascendant. Right off the bat, we can assume this is a strong willed, independent woman who needs a lot of freedom.  Sagittarius is the sign of the wanderer; the one who doesn’t want to be tied down, who needs to be free to explore the world and all life has to offer. Uranus near the Ascendant influences an individual to be extremely independent and original, with a strong degree of detachment and instability. 

            Neptune also sits in the first house, rising behind Uranus. Neptune rules illusions, along with spirituality and compassion, but the influence on the personality can  be one where the individual is a “dreamer”, out of touch with reality, and a bit spacey. The chart ruler, Jupiter, is disposed of by Neptune, which puts Neptune in charge of the “personality”.  This woman is very hard to pin down, with her head in the clouds, marching to the beat of her own drum, and seeking her own faith, by nature she’s more likely a loner than not.  In essence, she is the person in a room full of all her adoring friends, who at the end of the day, still feels alone.

            Her Sun, by aspect and sign, reiterates this. The Sun rules our expression and our individuality. Sitting in the 11^th house of friendships and love received, she is more than likely to be surrounded by people who love her, especially those of the opposite sex.  However, the Sun is in Scorpio, an intensely private sign, and this is energy fueled by Pluto, its ruling planet and the planet of extremes.  At the very least, she has tremendous will and is a formidable contender.  With the Sun conjunct Pluto in the 11^th house, she wields great power over the groups she is associated with and commands a tremendous amount of respect. However, this aspect can also drive people away, as those with the Sun conjunct Pluto tend to pack a consuming desire to control their lives as well as others.  For those who experience life on a much lighter plane, the constant challenges and “tests” of her friendship may be too much. 

To add- The Sun/Pluto conjunction receives a square from Mars in Aquarius. Mars rules motivation and energy, as well as violence.  Mars placed in Aquarius can influence the native to live a life of utter lawlessness, the person who answers to no one but themselves.  They do what they want, when they want, and refuse to live their life any other way. At best, the individual is extremely bright, intelligent, and independent, with a tremendous need for their own space.

With Mars stressfully activating the Sun/Pluto conjunction, we get a picture of a woman who may seem to be far more trouble than she’s worth.  What’s even better is that Mars is exactly opposed by her Moon in Leo from the 8^th house.  If you thought it couldn’t get any worse, it just did. 

Planets in the Pluto ruled 8^th house operate with incredible intensity and power.  The Moon rules the emotions and individuals most basic needs.  Leo is known for its dramatics and need to be in charge.  This is a woman who commands respect, power, and admiration.  She’s courageous, ambitious, and quite dynamic.  However, the Moon placed in the 8^th house exactly opposite Mars in Aquarius makes for an unbelievably violent temper when she doesn’t get her way.  This aspect creates a T-Square, a challenging configuration that forces an individual to find a release from their “pent up” energies.   The Sun/Pluto (extremely powerful self expression) squaring (activating) the exact Moon/Mars opposition in Leo/Aquarius (the need to get her own way at all times, no matter what) is the configuration that sets the basis for the relationships she develops for the rest of her life.  The way to find a balance is in the empty leg of the T-Square…which in this case is Taurus and the 5^th house.   Stable romantic relationships and calming hobbies like shopping, cooking, and even massages can help her mitigate the intensity she carries around with her everyday.

For the right man, this woman is a catch. She is the epitome of the warrior-woman- sexy, strong, confident, powerful, compassionate, fearless, independent, intelligent, and of high moral caliber.  However, let me look closer at how she experiences relationships to determine if this one is in fact, the right one for her.

To research how an individual approaches and develops relationships, as well as the kind of partners they attract, we have to look at the natal chart.  The 5th house and 7^th house are of prime importance, as these are the romance houses of the horoscope.  I would also look to the angles (Houses 1, 4, 7, 10), the Sun and Moon for basic compatibility, and Venus and Mars as they are the natural rulers of relationships.

I already mentioned that the individual has Taurus on the cusp on their 5^th house.  Taurus is a sensual sign, known for its romantic nature. Its placement at the beginning of the 5^th house suggests that she thrives from romance and seeks to experience it physically as well as sensually.  The 5^th house represents how we seek and experience romance, as well as the kind of people we are attracted to. With Taurus on the 5^th house cusp, she seeks partners who are strong and silent types, down-to-earth, with beautiful voices, a taste for good music and wine, and a strong nose for finance.  Her mates will tend to have significant Taurus and/or Libra placements, as well as strong Venus influence in their charts.

 

She has no planets placed in the 5^th; however, its ruler is Venus in the 11^th house, suggesting she attracts many of her romantic interests through group activities or friendship interactions.  In addition, Venus trines Jupiter; so she is graced with many romance opportunities, however, she may seek men who possess Sagittarian qualities. Venus also widely squares her Moon/Mars opposition, hinting that she seeks men who will give her what she wants, no questions asked.  With a loose conjunction to Mercury, these men must stimulate her mentally, and good communication is a must.

Graduating to her 7^th house, Gemini is on the cusp with Chiron placed not too far away. The 7^th house rules committed relationships. Often we look here to see what kind of people we attract in general; however, I feel it has much more significance.  See, the 5^th and the 7^th house are connected.  The 5^th house is the “honeymoon/courtship” phase; it’s where we find ourselves attracted to our ideal partners, courted and romanced by them, and where we have fun.  In between the 5^th and 7^th houses lies the 6^th house of service.  The 6^th house is also daily activities, and thus in many ways, the process that comes between casual dating and serious commitment.  When it is looked at from this perspective, the 7^th house becomes a much bigger deal.  Many couples don’t even make it through the 6^th house, or they choose to remain in the 5^th house stage, never truly submitting themselves to a whole-hearted commitment.  This is why I feel the 7^th house should be approached with great consideration in a relationship analysis.  The 7^th house tells us about what we would need in order to make that serious commitment.

Gemini on the cusp of the 7^th house reiterates her need for a strong communication base and a mentally stimulating partner.  Its ruler, Mercury, sits in the 12^th house, suggesting she’s very private about her relationships in general, and tends to keep them to herself. She needs someone who will allow her that amount of privacy and intense spiritual commitment.  Mercury only makes one aspect, a separating conjunction from Venus, the ruler of her 5^th house. 

This suggests a few things:  she tends to date with the idea of long term commitment in her mind at all times and she doesn’t take romance lightly, she gets involved with the same people over and over again (Mercury is separating from Venus-  it’s already “been there, done that”, and Venus is retrograde meaning past lovers make recurring appearances), and at the very basic-  in order to make a commitment, she needs to feel loved, beautiful, and always “in” that honeymoon phase, regardless of there being a long term commitment.  This is tough, as it shows that when the spark dies out, she may look for affection elsewhere (Venus (love affairs) is close to the 12^th house of secrets, square Moon/Mars (selfishness/instant gratification), and trine Jupiter (indulgence and risk).

When we identify ideal partners, Mercury (7^th ruler) conjunct Venus would represent partners with prominent Taurus and/or Libra in their natal, strong Venus placements especially those to the angles, Sun and/or Moon, or those with the 2^nd and 7^th houses emphasized.  Partners will be charming communicators, often with lovely voices and some kind of artistic ability, who can offer financial stability.

Aspects to the 7^th house can influence ones’ partners as well.  In this case, she has Saturn and Uranus opposite the Descendant (7^th house) and Jupiter squaring it.  Saturn’s influence there shows she tends to seek partners who are older, either by age or in manner, mature, and paternal.  This stimulates attraction to partners with strong Saturn placements, Capricorn AC, Sun and/or Moon, or prominent 10^th house placements.  This also shows that she tends to seek for the long term right off the bat, and doesn’t take romance and relationships lightly.

Uranus opposing the Descendant gives the need for someone highly independent, intelligent, and original.  With her Uranus exactly opposite Chiron in the 7^th, she has recurring issues in relationships revolving around her need for her own space and freedom.  She needs a relationship where she can be free to be herself and do her own thing, and that offers excitement and intellectual stimulation as well. Her relationships will tend to be highly unconventional and she may go through many short-lived affairs before settling down.  Lastly, Jupiter squaring the 7^th house suggests that she seeks partners who will help her intellectual development (Jupiter in the 3^rd), and who have strong Jupiter/Sagittarius/9^th house influence in their charts.

As exhausted as I’ve made this, there’s one last theory I must add.  The Sun and Mars in a woman’s chart describe the way she’s experienced men in her life, and the men she’s attracted to, respectively.  Her Sun is part of a strong conjunction with Pluto, it being the dispositor of her Sun and in its own sign hints that she may feel men have too much power.  She’s experienced them as controlling, sexist, power-hungry, and quite extreme, to be honest.  The configuration squares Mars in the 2^nd, which whispers to me something about possessiveness and tells me she butts heads with them often.  However, at the same time, the Sun and Pluto sits in the 11^th house….she has more male friends than females.  Since the aspect configures well with her Moon/Mars (Apex of the T-Square), it tells me she actually gets along with men pretty well.  Mars in Aquarius says she wants men who are as independent and original as she is. She lives in a day of tomorrow and she seeks that in her romantic interests. Mars sextiles Saturn, reiterating a mature mate, preferably older than her. The square to her Sun/Pluto shows that she wants someone who lives as intensely as she does. The opposition to the Moon represents men who are either tough on the outside, soft on the inside, or soft on the outside, tough on the inside.

All of this information will help us determine how compatible the current relationship is, however, it is a one sided observation. Now we must delineate the man’s view and experience with relationships, before making a detailed synastric comparison.