Although most successful astrological techniques have long histories of usage which may go back as far as the ancient Greeks and Babylonians, the composite chart is by these standards brand-new. It probably has its origins in Germany in the 1920's, but it only came into use when John Townley introduced it in America in the early 1970's. Unlike the plethora of other new and often doubtful techniques which were being tried out during this period, the composite chart turned out to be so consistently and often brilliantly revealing that it was taken up by virtually every astrologer and a generation later has become a standard technique for analyzing personal relationships.

The concept is so simple it's a wonder no one thought of it earlier. A composite chart is simply a horoscope made up of the mutual midpoints between the natal charts of two different persons - the composite Sun is located at the midpoint between the two natal Suns, the composite Moon is at the midpoint between the two natal Moons, and so on. What results is a new, artificially-produced horoscope that literally describes the interface between the two personalities: the shoreline where one leaves off and the other begins. Like any coastline, it may be even and easygoing at one point and convoluted and forbidding at another. And, like any shore, it is subject to fair and stormy weather.

This astrological "weather" is the repeating transits of the planets and Lights which, as in the case of physical coastlines, have literally created the shape of the coastline to begin with. It is a mathematical phenomenon, described by the numbers themselves that are used to construct the composite chart to combine the two personalities. For instance, we know each person experiences regular daily, monthly, and yearly transits to his/her natal sun, giving that point a rising and falling rhythm. The composite sun is precisely that point where any of these rhythms shift over from one person to the other, shift from relative increase to decrease and vice-versa, one to another. It is really a critical, phase-shift, handshake point where one person (usually without knowing it) hands the ball to the other with a mutual shift of energy and responsibility. It is a point of mutual empowerment, the swing point where one gives over to the other at the most primal level. As the transits roll by, the individual solar rhythms continually recreate this transfer point establishing a separate, mutual rhythm unique to the relationship. This happens not only to the two individual's natal Suns, but to all their other natal bodies as well; and when you connect the points, you begin to describe this composite shoreline.

Like any natal chart, this physical/mathematical combo takes on a life of its own which may be quite different from that of the two individuals from which it has sprung. Two persons who both have easy aspects between the Lights may find they have a composite Sun/Moon square which may be quite difficult to deal with - difficult in ways with which the two are natally quite unfamiliar which makes them wonder just what is going on. Conversely, persons who may have quite a struggle by themselves in certain areas, may find that the relationship all by itself seems to magically free them to function better than either could alone. It is here that the relationship does indeed become revealed as more than the sum of its parts.

Since the composite chart (and by extension the relationship itself) is created by the combination of repetitive individual cycles and their mutual exchange, the longer two people are together, the stronger the effect of the composite chart as it ingrains itself and achieves a momentum of its own. This makes good aspects more reliable and makes bad habits repeat themselves and very much contributes to the long-term strengths and weaknesses of a relationship. Since both strengths and problems in most relationships tend to sustain themselves at an unconscious level and are thus often difficult to control or change, the composite chart becomes a matchless tool for throwing light on the workings of the relationship and opening it to conscious development and growth. It is probably the first thing both partners should look at when establishing a relationship. They should continually refer to it as time goes by during which they will become much more in control of how the relationship develops and will be less likely to be carried away by circumstances outside of their understanding.

It may be said that some marriages or partnerships were meant to be and others not meant to be. Composite charts most certainly indicate this immediately, but using them to begin with gives both partners a kind of control they previously would not have had and enables them to fix to some extent that which should otherwise have been avoided and to maximize benefits that might otherwise have been taken for granted. It enables both partners, if they are willing to take the individual responsibility, not to be controlled by this strange third party, that a relationship itself becomes, but to step in and out of it to their mutual advantage. This is actually quite a modern, revolutionary idea, particularly where marriages are concerned. In the past, both partners have been considered to be slaves to the marriage which must by agreement dominate their lives, however well it is working out. The Reformation's message was: if it doesn't work out, divorce. This new view of relationships, in recognizing that any two persons are dealing with a powerful but manipulatable third party made up by the interaction of the two of them, allows both to slip out and become individuals when it is better to do so and to ride the power of the relationship when both will benefit. Just as the composite chart itself describes the subtleties of mutual empowerment, the use of the technique further empowers those involved and allows them further control over their lives which otherwise would have been unwittingly denied them. In astrology, as elsewhere, knowledge is power: blind fate is the child of ignorance, and destiny is an afterthought of what you should have onsidered (and acted upon) in the first place.

Introducing the Players

When analyzing this composite chart, you will be looking at four different levels of understanding which represent four different sections or layers of the relationship. They are Planets, Signs, Houses and Aspects.

The Ten Planets

The Planets include the eight known planets (besides Earth, Sun and Moon) are the driving wheels of the chart. They are the energy sources that interact to make up the dynamics of the relationship from which everything derives or modifies their natures and influence. Each planet has its own contribution to the whole: Sun gives life force, Mars gives physical energy, Saturn creates limits, and so on. If beneficially interacting or modified, their overall effect will be positive and in concert. If positioned poorly, they may conflict and detract from each other, causing problem areas in the relationship.

The Twelve Signs

Signs may be seen as filters through which the energies and influences of the planets pass, giving them a particular stylistic twist and coloring the overall picture in characteristic hues. The Sun's rays and inner light, for instance, are consistent throughout the signs of the Zodiac; but as they pass through Gemini, they have a special lightness and clarity, through Scorpio, a darker and deeper coloration, and so on, each sign selectively letting more of certain characteristics than others pass through.

The Twelve Houses

Houses are the personal landscapes onto which these influences are brought to earth. Whereas the planets and signs have more to do with energy and style, the houses are, by and large, quite physical and behavioral in nature. They cover physical areas like property, children, partners and behavioral areas like sex, travel, or recreation. Where the effects of the planets fall by house will be where you see them manifested in your immediate lives and surroundings.

The Five Aspects

Aspects are the angles at which the planetary impulses reach earth and either combine, conflict, or pass each other by entirely. These largely determine the kind of action, or lack of it, you will experience in the relationship, because they are the motivating forces in interaction. Mars (energy) blending nicely with Saturn (limitation) can mean well-controlled and focused energy. The same two at odds with one another can mean a debilitating energy drain or limits that are broken when they should not be. Add the signs and houses to these, and you'll find where it happens in life and with what kind of style and coloration.

Combine 10 planets with 12 signs, 12 houses, and 5 aspects and the number of possible blends becomes, appropriately, astronomical - a broad palette, indeed. Add further the Ascendant and the Moon's nodes, each having their own special place in the picture, and the possibilities are numerous and the knowledge you gain becomes exceedingly fruitful. In such an in-depth study many other factors that defy computer analysis come into play: integration of signature planetary patterns, interdependent midpoint structures, symbolic degree areas, elemental and proximity weighting, progressions, transits, cycle phases, and a host of other technologies that add enormously to the detail and background and in some cases may even contradict what a simpler readout might suggest. There is no substitute for human expertise.

The greater use you can derive from this kind of presentation, therefore, is an introduction to a host of intricacies of your relationship that you likely did not know were there. Once these intricacies are spotted, you have the opportunity to take better advantage of what is already going for you and more effectively grapple with problems that were hidden or only partially-revealed before. Perhaps the greatest benefit of all may be an expanded awareness of the structure of relationships and the realization that you have a great deal more power over how they proceed than you might previously have thought. Herewith are some of the most elementary tools for exercising that power; use them well and they will lead you on to higher planes of human interaction and personal empowerment.

The composite Sun, like the Sun in a natal chart, is the heart of the relationship and its primary drive and focus. The sign in which it falls will color the entire relationship, as many of the important events in the relationship will occur when transiting bodies are in this sign. If it is strong in its house position and supported by good aspects from other bodies, the relationship will have a solid center and will tend to sustain itself despite the buffets of adversity. If it is poorly aspected or in a difficult house position, the relationship will be easily damaged and difficult to repair as the natural cyclical transits will tend to reinforce negative qualities of the relationship rather than positive. The Sun's primary quality is restorative drive, the general impetus toward life and its sustenance, rather than any specific traits or areas of endeavor such as are represented by the planets. Therefore its placement will tell the overall thrust and style of the relationship and how well it bears up under fire, rather than give the details of just how it will do so. A badly placed Sun can mean a relationship that is almost certain to fail, because wounds to the partnership won't heal themselves. A very well-placed Sun can mean a relationship that sustains and resuscitates itself so well that it may even be difficult to get out of should either partner choose to do so (as might be the case if the planetary aspects were very difficult or if the two natal charts themselves were in great conflict). It is the driving engine of the relationship and everything else orbits around it and derives life from its energy.

Pride-Awareness

Barring any undue affliction elsewhere, this can be one of the most expansive, creative, fun-loving relationships. It has warmth, breadth, and depth, though others may find it a trifle hard to keep up with at times. When either partner is at a loss for energy or inspiration, the partnership itself will be the well at which to refill with the waters of life. Conversely, however, nobody can party all the time and so you both may need a respite. This is the kind of relationship to which others look for leadership if you're having such a good time, you must know what you're doing! It will be important to receive such attention with genuine modesty, because you may have it right. But you may also not have analyzed exactly how you do it and would be put into a bind if put on the spot. This relationship is likely to have good staying power and will rebound from the collisions of everyday life. Where you may have to step outside of the relationship, you have to play second fiddle to others, as the nature of this relationship is playing it your way, and you will be less happy and less effective doing it otherwise.

Pride-Awareness

This is an ideal place to have the sun, perhaps the best of all. It is perfect for love and romance, fun, entertainment, and creativity and generally having a good time. Friendship will blossom and the relationship will likely involve you with others in a positive and outgoing fashion. Because of the playful nature here, children and their affairs are favored and you can relax and have fun in a more innocent and childlike fashion. In business it is good for ventures that require creativity and originality, especially where speculation is concerned, and the free flow of ideas and enhanced leadership ability is positive, indeed. If there is a down side, it might be an inclination to take on more than you can handle at one time and a possibility of spreading yourself too thinly both emotionally and financially so that you cannot do the job as thoroughly as is required. This applies to the personal side as well, where depth of feeling may be traded for immediate gratification and the more important inner issues become glossed over by the pleasures of the moment. Or, there may be the inclination to enjoy yourselves to the ultimate but hesitation or inhibition in bringing yourselves to your fullest potential. In general, the prescription is just go for it and it will work out fine. Where details get left behind, they may not matter, but you can pick up on them afterward once you've got your rhythm and the juices are flowing.

Teaching Ideas

In a special way, your heads and hearts are in the same place in this relationship, and you will naturally know what the other is talking about whether you verbalize or not. But when you do put it into words, it will be well-expressed as well as sincerely delivered. This is a talent that can be taken for granted. However, there can also be a tendency to assume you have said the right thing. You let your intentions take control over your expressions without seeing them through. On a moment-to-moment basis, this is not a problem, for as long as you're getting the message across to each other, it doesn't matter how it's done or how accurate or complete you are in what you verbalize. When others become involved, however, you can find they misinterpret what you say because you didn't go the distance in making it clear by addressing the other person's viewpoint. It's entirely a question of neglect, arising from applying assumptions you safely make between yourselves to others who don't share your background and information. Therefore, you may have to go out of your way to remember to say it all when you are addressing the outside world, especially when you have to put it in writing. Your communications skills have to be different for each person you are dealing with, something that is entirely within your reach.

Ideas for Effort

There is a high level of energy between you that may be difficult to calm down at times. When you need to rise to the occasion, you always will, but you may also rise when it's not necessary, thus stepping on each other's feet or injecting yourselves into situations you really would rather not get involved with. It's like having an itchy trigger finger it's hard not to shoot at anything you see. A lot of this sort of energy can be siphoned off in a healthy manner simply by providing yourselves with something physical to do for release when nothing else is happening. A little exercise never hurts anyone and can help you stay in shape when you don't have something on the front burner that requires attention. If you don't provide yourselves with outlets for expression in this relationship, this same creative energy which can make you top competitors when you are in high gear can also be turned against each other in the form of anger or frustration. When that happens, and it will, the key is to let it out, vent your feelings, and get on with it. It is only repressed anger that turns into destructive rage, and if you take care of the little problems right away, they don't become big ones. When you have such a creative energy resource, good management is the least it deserves.

Ideas for Success

Your relationship has a wonderful, expansive feeling about it that makes you feel you could take on just about anything. The fact is, you probably can, and you will certainly be willing to give it a try. You are likely to be the eternal optimists, and by simply having a positive attitude you will make things go right for you. Generosity and good-heartedness are never in short supply, and you will always volunteer to o that extra mile without ever being asked. Professionally this is a very good position as it favors creativity and growth even during hard times. If there is any problem here, it might be a penchant for overdoing things or not knowing when to quit because everyone else has run out of steam. Do remember that others may not be quite so fortunate or filled with enthusiasm as yourselves, and that your own physical stamina may not be as great as your emotional readiness to keep on going. But with that one caveat, you can pretty much depend on this relationship being a special resource for both of you to enliven and rejuvenate yourselves with every time you are together, though for the aforementioned reasons, you may also need to take a rest from time to time and catch your breath.

Manage Self and Others

The sheer forcefulness of this relationship may actually get in the way of success as personal issues tend to take precedence over work necessities and the two can get in each other’s way. Take an extra effort to put joint ego aside if you want this combination to get ahead in the world, at least as far as other people are concerned.

The symbolism of the composite Moon in a relationship is that of reflection not in the sense of intellectual deliberation or thoughtful rumination but much more literally, reflective like a mirror. Whereas the Sun represents the primal, outgoing energy in the relationship, the Moon shows how the relationship reacts to situations once they have been presented to it. When someone approaches you with an idea, do you react to it, criticize it, laugh at it or with it? Steal it? Ignore it? Expand upon it? Extending this logic, it, of course means how you feel about a situation, the process and style in which your emotions are stirred. The things to which you react include each other, so the position of the composite Moon will be critical to the emotional well-being and functionality of the relationship, independent of your individual natures. Thus, a well-placed and well-supported composite Moon can lend clarity and cooperation to the most confused and befuddled people who might never expect to get along; whereas an afflicted composite Moon can throw dissension and conflict into the lives of the most well-adjusted and easygoing persons who normally get along with everybody. This is, of course, because this reflective, emotional effect is largely subconscious, and because it does not emanate from either of you in the usual way, you are unfamiliar with its style and rhythms. This accounts for a lot of the magic - both good and bad - that is associated with relationships. On the positive side, it can mean a relationship that seems to heal one or both of you and just makes everything go right that didn't before. This is a marvelous feeling but one that can lead to a mistaken dependency on your partner as the source of the improvement when it is actually the relationship itself that should get the credit. On the opposite side it can lead to mutual blame for making things worse when the fault lies with neither of you but in the structure of the situation itself. The great advantage of having the details of the composite chart available to you is that you can better differentiate the strengths and weaknesses of the situation from those which may lie within yourselves. The former you will have to work around on the exterior, the latter you will have to work from within. In tandem with the Sun, the Moon and its position will make or break most relationships. If the Sun and Moon are well-placed and well- aspected, the relationship is anything from a good bet to a sure thing, regardless of the other positions and problems that need to be worked out. If the Sun and Moon are badly positioned or afflicted, it will be an uphill fight all the way, and one that either or both of you may choose to set aside unless you feel compelled to spend a great deal of time, energy, and emotion rising to the challenge. Life is about choices, and here especially the composite chart can help supply the data you need to aid you in your selection.

Practical Support

You have a great potential to reduce emotional response to its essence and waste no time on feelings extraneous to what the situation merits. This will lend great clarity to your relationship and considerable intensity as it concentrates emotions that might have been unclear or spread about too thinly. It also has an austere side that can leave you wondering if there isn't something more, until you realize that there was and you decided that what you have is what you wanted. Of course, you can go overboard with this, needlessly calcifying and perpetuating feelings that have had their day and are no longer appropriate, so take care to keep checking to see if there is more you would like to add to your palette now and again. This can be an excellent business relationship, as it inclines to a nononsense approach which cleans out deadweight and maximizes what is essential to achieve your greatest potential. It also allows you to make the most of lean times and can be greatly heightening in a spiritual sense as you cleave to the pure core of the matter and abjure the distractions that would otherwise obscure or detract from accomplishment of your final goals. Distractions are sometimes necessary, so take time out and spend some time in fun and frolic alone, as too tight a focus can be wearing and can actually sap your energy and drain you of the long-term stamina that would be your hallmark.

Practical Support

This position could make the two of you do very well in public life, because your first reaction to a situation is to go public with it. To a certain extent, this means your joint heart is on your sleeve, which can make you an easy target, but you also have nothing to hide and your emotional opinions are likely to have strong impact on others as a result. From a personal side this may be more problematical, as it means that where your feelings are concerned everyone is likely to find out about them whether you intend it or not, simply because of the way things seem to fall out. It will be difficult to keep a secret, so make sure you don't have any skeletons in your closet. Your closet might be a display window without your knowing it. You may also find that external opinions of your feelings are very important to you and therefore you may let others rule your relationship more than you ought, based on too much compliance with public opinion. Nevertheless, you are generally blessed here as your feelings can get out easily and will not be tucked away where conflicts cannot be addressed and resolved. Not only will you be able to get your emotions out where they can find expression; you can also use them as a resource for the advancement of yourselves because of the honesty and forthrightness of your repute.

Critical Insight

You have a unique channel between you which can unlock emotional discovery with a kind of ease denied to most others. Whether it be within the bounds of a sexual relationship, friends or business associates, you will not be afraid to try out new directions for expressing your emotional or sexual desires. What is a particular blessing about this position is that while others often get in trouble when they skirt the edge of what is considered normal or acceptable behavior, you will be able to do it with ease, almost as if no one noticed you doing it. That is because you don't feel threatened by or guilty about your actions, and as a result others won't pick up on any bad feelings. Allow yourselves these little excursions to the edge when they seem appropriate and do not try to force yourselves to do something out of the ordinary. The strain will begin to show and there will be trouble. In the end, therefore, it's not so much what you do but the spirit and feeling in which you do it that determines whether it has something to teach and be enjoyed. A natural and safe sense of freedom of exploration is yours to rejoice in and to be a model for others to see how it can be done with innocence, joy, and safety.

Public Control

There can be more than a hint of paranoia in this relationship and you may have to lean over backwards to avoid the suspicion that you are either out to get each other or the world is out to get the two of you. You may or may not have good reason to feel this way, but reason is not the cause of it. Quite the contrary. You tap deep emotions in each other that you might feel safer hiding and as a result fear is never too far below the surface. Nevertheless, it is still not functioning at a conscious level, and therefore its manifestation is a compulsive attempt to gain control over each other or your surroundings because it makes you feel more secure. What you have power over can't threaten you as much. The problem, of course, is separating justifiable fears from groundless ones. In this case, you would do well to go against your instincts and proceed on the principle that it is better to be sorry than safe, because most of your worries will be imaginary and to act on them will isolate and alienate you from each other and your surroundings.

Mercury in the composite chart represents the mutual meeting of minds, or lack of it, between you. It also represents your ability to communicate to others as a couple or as individuals. In the first instance, in which the position symbolizes the shore between two intellects, it will be important to know what kind of communication goes on: by style, substance, and action (sign, house, and aspect). A well-placed Mercury will mean that you can put clearly into words what you mean to say to each other, and such a position can be of great help in alleviating emotional problems that may not easily come to the surface. If you can both say how you feel, you've gone a long way towards being able to change. On the other hand, a badly placed Mercury can have the opposite effect, stirring up emotional problems where there were none by simply getting communications wires crossed. In a professional relationship this can mean all sorts of pointless starts and stops because of faulty information, particularly in an increasingly information-oriented society. The position of Mercury therefore becomes increasingly critical in relationships in general. Its placement also describes how you communicate as a duo with the public at large, so herein lies further opportunities for good or ill. Well-placed, it will mean that you may be able to get yourself across to the world at large through the relationship rather than on your own. Where there are difficulties here, it may be better to speak your own piece and not let the relationship represent you. Nevertheless, knowing the situation in advance can help enormously, as you won't have to learn the communications value of the relationship by trial and error or blame each other for problems that arise from what is essentially a third party with its own horoscope, the relationship itself. Rather, you can take advantage of the best that it offers and avoid what looks like trouble by one or both of you pulling back on your own to handle problems the relationship does not cope with well.

Creative Ideas

You may find that spacious and optimistic thinking is a notable trait of this relationship, a kind of infectious cheer that can carry others along with you. That's a pretty good characteristic, but you should be careful that your optimism is justified, particularly if you intend to bank on it later. That's even more important if you're going to be influencing others in the same direction. Whatever the situation, you will likely be able to put an upward-looking spin on your view of things, perhaps more so than you might do individually, so the relationship can make you feel up when you are down and let you share the brighter side of things, even when you think there isn't one. The only things you are likely to neglect in your communications skills are the nitty-gritty details; the little touches that make the deal airtight or give a conversation a specific personal touch. You may have to make a special effort to do that individually, should the details get lost in the shuffle when you are together with your sights set on broader, more general goals. Similarly, it can be easy to confuse others' goals and intentions with your own and thus make incorrect assumptions about what they are really trying to say. Make the effort to stand back and look at what you are saying as someone else would; this can be easily solved without losing the intellectual energy and drive of the relationship.

Creative Ideas

This is a creative and fun-loving position for Mercury, and where your minds get together, you're going to have a good time. When you're having a good time it's usually because you're communicating with each other and pursuing pastimes which are conceptual in nature: learning, talking, participating in the creative and performing arts. It also allows you to intellectualize and better understand fifth house affairs, especially sexuality, which can greatly benefit by the temporary distance the mind gives it, allowing time to analyze and strip it of preconceptions and prejudices that can so inhibit enjoyment. It is also a good position for education and communication with children, as you will be able to open up to the freedom and playfulness that makes them special and enables them to become interested and learn. You may be accused of all play and no work, but that is because you have the ability to turn work into play, a rare and valuable talent that is opened up to both of you by this relationship. Further, this will lend a more youthful appearance to you when you are together, providing a boost of joy and energy to all concerned.

Ideas to Express

Mental fireworks can be regularly expected in this relationship, and a great deal of energy may be put into expressing yourself forcefully and to the point. It will at times be difficult to keep out of arguments because it will seem so important to get your point across that you step on each other's toes. Nevertheless, you're not likely to suffer from a lack of communication quite the opposite, if anything you and those around you may want to shut off the spigot to get a little peace. It will be difficult to turn yourselves off once you get going, and you may quite rightly be reminded when you feel you're on a roll that you've made your point so enough already. You can find that although you are at your best when stating your position vigorously, sometimes it is best to be more subtle or even to let your partner or adversary think they came up with the idea themselves. In many instances a carrot will get you more than a stick, and that may be difficult to learn when you're so good with the stick. Still, the intellectual energy that this relationship stimulates will carry you far and help you push your way through to levels of understanding you might never have achieved on your own. Just remember to bank your fires when things start to get too hot to handle.

Public Insights

Unusual ideas and opinions abound in your relationship, and the trouble will not be a lack of original views but sorting out which ones are useful and which are just gratuitously different. You can tend to get into a spiral that drives you from the new, to the strange, to well off the deep end. What you will need to do is choose a stopping place on the near side of practicality for your ideas and then cleave to it. The problem is, however, when inspiration strikes, who can deny it? It will be difficult to say no to what really looks like a good idea, but you will have to draw the line somewhere. Another manifestation of this aspect is simple argumentativeness not in its purest form of argument for argument's sake, but honest dispute over what is the truth when in fact there is no reason to get into it so deeply. The fruitful approach to this is to know when to cut off discussion, to sense when you've got it honed down fine enough to be a reasonable facsimile of the truth. At first you may have to do that in a fairly arbitrary fashion, and you must be willing to accept your mistakes. In the long run, you will develop a precision that may astonish you, born primarily of your constant adjustments to reality judged between foresight and hindsight.

Preserve the Spirit

Your rich and fertile idealistic tendencies are not the pipe dreams of others, but spring from an ability to size up what is desirable and what is expedient and express what you see as the middle road to achievement. Whereas you might not individually always know that elusive edge between fantasy and reality, when you are together you balance yourselves and not only recognize it but express it well enough to point it out to others. The highest of spiritual ideals tend to perish when they demand too much too soon and don't recognize the need to understand human frailties in achieving greater than human goals. You can visualize the kind of compromises necessary to make dreams become reality without sacrificing your ideals in the process. This is more than just an aspect that will give you growth and wisdom as the years progress, though it will surely be of great personal inner reward. It is also a teaching aspect, as when you have the natural ability to successfully thread your way through the labyrinth of human hopes and dreams, you will want to leave trail markers to make it easier for others less blessed to follow you. In an area where words so easily fail, you can bring them to success, so see that you leave them in safekeeping for the rest of the world to share.

Critical View

There is intellectual certitude here that can make you powerful advocates for whatever positions you have adopted. When you take a stand, you express it in such a way that it is clear that you don't expect to be contradicted. It is sort of a confidence built on assumption, and by displaying it can often be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Because you are quite sure of the depth of the intellectual insights you have had together, they become quite convincing to others as well. If you do get into a dispute, it will usually be one you can handle without too much hassle, as you're likely to have the reserve firepower to defend your position well. At the most personal level, this aspect allows you to safely bring to light and put into words some of the deeper fears and concerns of life and death and express them in a positive and non-threatening way so that you will be the wiser as you grow together. The key is that you don't reach into your subconscious and yank out monsters kicking and screaming. Rather you tempt them out one step at a time so you get to know each other before they are totally exposed to the light of day. In so doing, you may often find that what might have seemed a raging wolf turns out to be a puppy dog.

Manage Mental Objectivity

Your inclination to get the first word in and be the most clever when together makes you appear witty but may actually lose you some ground where other people are concerned. Nobody likes a smart alec, so watch the tendency to be one when you’re working together. Being brilliant doesn’t always make you popular - though don’t let that stop your brilliance from shining. Just put a shade on it so the glare doesn’t get in people’s eyes.

Thoughts Arise

Communication is the front door of your relationship and when people see you together they see articulation, clarity of thought, which is an advantage in social situations. In fact, you will always find a lot to say, both to each other and to anyone you mutually deal with. You may find that just being together makes you better able to put into words what you might otherwise have had difficulty expressing. Thus you may feel safe from worry about not being able to talk to each other, for you will always be able to say exactly what you think. What you really mean in your hearts may not be what your heads are saying, however, and it would be good to keep that in mind, so that you will not only listen to what you say but attend to what you feel. Professionally, this position can only be an advantage, as communication and the understanding of technology and the manipulation of information is the key to the future and you are bound to improve each other's read on anything in that division. Because you will always be there with a ready word, you will also have an aura of youthfulness when together which can give you a lift emotionally and an extra advantage in a culture where youth is worshipped beyond its merit.

The planet Venus represents desire, attraction, what you physically and emotionally desire and as a composite position describes where your desires meet and either blend or conflict, or a bit of both. This is too often applied to love interests alone, although it covers them as well. It means everything you desire - money, position, beautiful things, property, friends, lovers, anything that you want and believe if you get it, will make you happy. It also has another side which is your ability to appear to provide just such fulfillment for others, thus symbolizing personal charm, beauty, attractiveness, wealth, and so on. It's the two-way wish fulfillment point where dreams are born. When this is viewed between two people as a composite point, it means how and whether you make each other's dreams, on a very basic level, come true. If badly placed, it can mean continual desire and constant disappointment. If strong by position, it will be a buttress to the relationship, as you know you will always get what you want when you come back to it. It is, of course, critical in telling how a sexual relationship will unfold and can spell repeated ecstasy or constant frustration, especially taken in tandem with composite Mars. It also represents how well the relationship as a whole will be able to realize its goals and desires, which will of course be directly connected with its ability to make itself desirable, both of which are described by this composite point. Thus, an afflicted composite Venus is a double indemnity, because it usually prevents either of you from getting what you want out of each other, and it means the relationship will not get what it wants, either. Conversely, a wellaspected composite Venus is like a gift from above, as it means mutual success and satisfaction all around. In judging the overall success of a relationship, this is indeed a very important position.

Talk of Love

A wide variety of tastes will likely mark this relationship, which means you will always find something to satisfy whatever the situation. Moreover, given a multiplicity of choices, it may be difficult to settle on just what it is you want or like best. When it becomes difficult to follow through or when you run out of interest, set one or the other of you on the task, and let that one pursue it until your joint interest and commitment returns. From an exterior point of view, you may find that you have a charming ability to please everyone, mainly because of your tastes and your willingness to accommodate others and still take real pleasure in what is being achieved. If there is any potential problem in this, it comes from spreading yourself too thinly and trying to please too many at once without being able to spend enough time with each. The same goes for your ability to fully pull within your grasp that which you would like to possess be careful nothing slips between your fingers while you are distracted by another. The ability to successfully pursue multiple desires is entirely within your potential, but it will largely depend on your ability to split your concentration, which can be helped by sharing responsibilities between the two of you.

Talk of Love

You may find that your relationship is blest with a charming gift of the gab, a natural ability to put positive expression into words, which makes you pleasant company and draws around you a pleasing circle of acquaintances. Personally it will give you good communication and the ability to always find something good to say about every situation, fueled in part by an innate enjoyment in finding out the best in everybody. You do best what you most enjoy. In a professional capacity, this will give you a leading edge in any field that requires a good face: advertising, public relations, diplomacy, or any form of business where personal relations has a high priority. It also allows you an ability to clearly express and articulate what you want and consider beautiful and desirable, which is a major step in getting it. This manifests on the emotional level as a natural ability to communicate your feelings in a positive and fruitful manner. It may only be problematical where you try to accentuate the positive in a manner that buries the unpleasant side of problems that require facing up to. Nevertheless, leading with the favorable side of issues is always the best start, and a spoonful of sugar does, indeed, make the medicine go down. Your relationship thus brings out the best in yourselves and in others, who appreciate you up showing them their best side.

Mars represents physical and emotional energy, and as such the ability and inclination to get things done, to fulfill desire by taking action. By itself it is really just raw energy, and its placement, particularly in relation to the other bodies in the chart, describes where and how well this energy will be directed. As a composite point, it describes how your two energy directions mesh and whether they will reinforce each other or simply get in each other's way. It will tell whether sparks will fly, igniting random and destructive brush fires, or whether a controlled fire will blossom that will become the engine to power and fulfill your desires under your own direction. Its relationship to Venus, particularly in sexual relationships, is critical, as it will describe whether it will fulfill or deny your sexual needs. In both male and female it describes sexual drive as well as assertiveness and ultimately, aggression. Thus, a well positioned composite Mars allows the two of you to unite your energies naturally toward whatever goal you choose, while a difficult placing will put your efforts constantly at odds, wasting your efforts in mutual conflict or confusion when you should be utilizing them otherwise. As with Venus, this can be the greatest natural blessing or a terrible stumbling block. A strong composite Mars can energize and focus two people who are otherwise at sixes and sevens with themselves, and a troublesome one can throw the most balanced performers into disarray as they wonder what hit them to throw them so off balance. Thus, it will be wise to understand this position well so as to know whether to ride it or back off. It will also portray the power potential of the relationship as it exists in the outside world. A strong Mars has the energy to carry others along with it, whereas a disabled one will tend to break down already functioning operations in the relationships' social surroundings. None of this suggests that a difficult Mars means you should forget about the relationship, however, as if one of you is simply put in charge in certain areas, mutually compartmentalizing the energy flow; the ill effect can be largely disenabled, albeit at the price of local inequality. It is something to be considered with care and attention, however, as herein lies much of your self-empowerment and control over your lives.

Creative Drive

A wide and joyful field of energy is available to you with this position, providing you with the ability to get things done not only for yourself but for others traveling along the same path in life. A generosity not only of intent but of delivery, characterizes the way you proceed in matters which will gain you friendship and gratitude along the way if you are willing to let others share in your accomplishments. The first persons you should be generous with are each other, and when that is done then spread the wealth as far as it will go without endangering your own well-being. A prime talent here is developing your ability to delegate tasks so that others' energies become available to you. This is at the heart of the kind of leadership style this relationship holds within, but it takes practice and self-reminding not to try to do it all yourself just because you know best how it should be done. Give others a chance, under your direction, and you'll get a lot more done with a lot less effort and still get the credit in the end. Generosity brings rewards.

Creative Drive

You are likely to pay a great deal of attention to having a good time together, which can only make you closer and cause the relationship to grow. This is a great position for a love relationship, as love will always be on the front burner and sex will be treated as a primary joy to be participated in freely and often. You will do especially well in areas that require abandon and lack of inhibition, such as the creative arts, sports, and games of all sorts. In general, this is a great position for Mars, although its ability to become contentious will mean that these same areas can become the basis for argument and disagreement as well. But that's natural where you put your main energies is also where your major concerns will be and you will be bound to have disagreements there. Nevertheless, you can usually count on letting your natural enthusiasm for life and each other carry you through, and the less restraints you place upon yourselves, the greater your successes will be. When you give yourselves plenty of freedom to move and express your feelings, you will maximize your creative potential and your energy level will continue to grow. It is only where you try to restrict yourselves that frustrations will enter in to what would otherwise be a carefree relationship.

Career Ideas

There is an ever-flowing, ever-expanding fountain of energy within this relationship which can deliver the greatest of success and more, as long as you are willing to see what you've got and ride it, rather than letting it ride you. The temptation, in whatever you get yourselves into, will be to pump it up, make it bigger, make it perform better, and push it farther. Unbridled, this has all the potential of the sorcerer's apprentice and you could easily let your enthusiasm and energy get you in way over your head before you even noticed it. Therefore it will be important to take this feeling of power and action you get when together and impose on it a plan, a set of goals, and a set of restraints for when it diverges from its assigned path. You wouldn't put a rocket engine on a car and then neglect to install a steering wheel and brakes. The same applies here, when you have got such a gift it deserves the best care and use. In a love relationship, there will likely be a high sex drive and perhaps some difficulty in keeping up with it and the rest of life at the same time. Alternately, depending on the rest of the chart, the opposite may be true, and boundless enthusiasm for mutual projects outside of the home may leave too little time or energy on the inside. Careful steering and hinking will be what determines if you get the best out of the bundle of power and energy that lie within your relationship.

Public Freedoms

There is a quality of intermittence to your energy flow which can make this a stopand-start kind of relationship. Just when you think you've got nothing left in you, a surge comes along and catapults you over the edge. And the opposite when you're going strong, suddenly the bottom drops out and you're out of gas. This kind of choppy rhythm to your lives can be annoying and debilitating, and it will be a good idea to leave extra time and space when you really need to get something done to accommodate the breakdowns and power surges you are heir to. Part of the problem may be that you don't work well within established boundaries, but once outside of them you're not certain what to do so you flail about. The longterm answer is to set up your own rules, however different from the norm they may be, and then stick to them. It is a matter of fine-tuning your lives to a high precision over time. In the individual horoscope, this aspect is often found in watchmakers, with whom high precision and steady hands are a must; but they are not developed overnight, but from a lot of broken watches early on. So it will be with you, and you will have to learn from your mistakes, and have the patience with each other to do so. Modify your inherently intermittent style into a steady, predictable flow.

Manage Acting Objectively

You may find that you can be much more forceful together than either of you can individually, but that may also get you into trouble when others feel threatened and spread ill word about you. The knockout punch is easy, it’s having to defend yourself later for having delivered it that becomes the challenge. Think twice before you make that easy joint personal triumph - make sure it’s not at the expense of someone who will come back to haunt you.

Actions Arise

This is likely to be a very assertive relationship with a lot of energy and drive, perhaps more than is in either one of you alone, so it will be a revivifying experience whenever you are together. It will allow you together to dominate the scene around you and make others back off who might have stood up to you individually. Mars is raw energy, and the Ascendant is the way people see you in person, so it looks like you're always ready for action. Most of the time, this will be the case, and in fact it will always be a good idea to have some direction ready for this energy to take, or else it will feed back on you in the form of argument, dissatisfaction, frustration, and general restlessness. On the other hand, because it will always appear that you are ready to go, it will be expected of you even during those times when you are sick, tired, or just generally fed up with what you are doing. When you hit these lows, it will be a good idea to make yourselves scarce (though not necessarily from each other) in order not to ruin your fairly fierce image and to avoid needless hassle in general. Throughout, the lesson will be one of energy management, how to control what you've got to avoid overdoing it and how to ration what you've got so there'll be some extra left over when you need it.

Jupiter in any chart represents the capacity for growth and expansion in relation to whatever it is connected. It means bigger, better, newer, faster, higher, and more developed. It is usually looked at only in the positive aspect, but it also has the potential to get out of hand if not checked and directed. The composite chart is the area that your mutual aspiration and inventiveness meet, a point where creativity is strong but which may or may not bring its potentials to fruition, depending upon its placement and how you handle it. Well-aspected it allows you to view realistically and act effectively upon what you determine together to make the relationship a spawning ground of limitless opportunity, more than either of you could manage separately. Debilitated, it can mean overblown expectations that come to nothing, biting off more than you can chew, situations that spiral out of control, and projects that perish under their own weight. But these ills aside, Jupiter usually does more good than harm and under most conditions it is the place to look for blessings. A solid composite Jupiter will mean that you can always look to the relationship to pull each of you up another step when you are stagnating and it will mean that others can look to the two of you for inspiration and new ideas. Where it is difficult, you will have to take the opportunity to restrain yourself now and again and develop only that which you think you can use at the time to avoid wasting your energies on unrealizable goals. It will show you where the big picture is and provide the kind of life overview which the relationship teaches that you might not have discovered on your own. It can be the force that carries you both away with each other and raises you to heights you didn't know you had. Its only danger is allowing the relationship to take over you as individuals. Use it as a resource for each of you to draw on, not the other way round, and it will always pay off for you.

Expressive Career

Your developmental style is generous and outgoing; indeed, it will seem like you were born to produce on a large scale. This gives rise to grand schemes and allencompassing plans that have the promise of new kingdoms to rule over and benefit from. If you keep a close watch on the resources you have to implement this sort of thing, you'll find you can cover a lot of territory and make great leaps emotionally and in your dealings with the world at large. Just be careful that you do not commit yourself to unrealistic ventures or leaps of personal lifestyle that are more than you can personally or financially handle. When you build, the foundation must be firm. Although you may envision the splendid exteriors of your castles in the air first, they are the last thing to go on and will only be sustained if you have built a careful structure to support them. Thus, the bottom line is thinking everything through and taking a tally of your materials before you mortgage yourself on the basis of the final result alone. Your best results will come from involving others to help out with the job, so that the burden for materializing your visions does not fall entirely on yourselves. When your style is all-inclusive, you've got to have somebody besides yourselves to include. When you point yourselves outward and share your visions; the returns will be powerful.

Expressive Career

Creativity will be its own motive and its own reward for you, and if you find yourself working on something you don't actively enjoy, you may be barking up the wrong tree. Spontaneity and the ability to laugh and not worry about the final outcome will assure the final outcome is the best possible, and inhibitions are likely to be few at least in major growth and development areas. Thus you will find that professionally you can do well in the creative arts or any other area where spontaneous development of ideas and actions are at a premium. As a love relationship, easy and fearless sexuality will likely hold sway, with an emphasis on fun and pleasure rather than an obsessive passion. Overall you will maintain a kind of innocence and clarity that comes from direct experience of life and where this is emphasized and optimized, you will find your most profitable areas both personally and professionally. The more you make contact with and develop the children inside of you, the more tangible benefits you are likely to receive in the outside world, as well as finding life a lot more enjoyable overall. If you set yourselves goals, rather than limits, your reach will not exceed your grasp and your own enthusiasm will provide the basis of your success. Your limitations are bounded by your imagination and that will be the primary wellspring of your growth.

Manage Career Objectivity

Your overly positive and enthusiastic presentation garners applause all round but it may not get you the press you like by itself. Perhaps that is because it is hard for people to believe how good you are together who have not actually seen you in action. Don’t leave your PR to others, do it yourself, in person.

Saturn is usually considered the bugbear among planets and has an evil reputation that it only partially deserves. It is associated with restriction, contraction, dearth, debilitation, and a host of other adjectives that add up to not getting what you want. That is, however, only partly true. It might be better to say that it describes extreme delineation, concreteness, and finality reality in the most concrete sense. Much of our lives are comprised of hopes, plans, desires, dreams, wishes, and expectation, and Saturn describes what actually becomes of them. So in such a goal-oriented, future-driven society as ours, what actually happens is all too often a disappointment, the result of failed unrealistic expectations. Thus, Saturn in the composite chart is where you both get down to brass tacks and determine (or have determined for you) what actually is to be. If this point is wellsituated, it means that you can rely on each other and the relationship as something that delivers every time. It will lend solidity to the relationship and make it something you can lean on when either of you need to be backed up. It will also make the two of you a haven for others in distress. In a difficult position, it will mean that you tend to fail each other, to bring each other down, and to sap each other's energies physically or emotionally. In this situation it can highlight the insecurities of the relationship and mark for failure what might otherwise have succeeded. But in either situation, like any other planet, it will not touch every aspect of the relationship and so you are free to be selective if you know what areas it is either supporting or restricting. You want to know what the bottom line is everywhere, however; and that is what Saturn will tell you. But you don't have to invest in stocks you think are going to depreciate, either. If you recognize early what the downsides and the support pillars of the relationship are, you can use one to stand on while you either avoid or make repairs upon the other at your leisure. If you do not, ignorance is the ally of the dark side and it will have much greater power to pull you in and cripple you. Find your foundation stones early, so your house will not be built upon sand; and, in time, your temple will rise to the skies.

Obstacle: Care

It will be very important for you both to pick up every stitch and be willing to attend to the myriad details that make up your relationship: as to neglect them could endanger the very basis of why you are together. When you get down to it, it's not the thought that counts. It's the things themselves and how well they are cared for and attended to. This applies not just to physical things but to emotional situations as well, where sloppy inattention will be the stuff of anger and broken hearts and caring means keeping your eyes open on behalf of your partner. But it also puts meaning and comfort into a wide variety of areas in life so that satisfaction cannot be taken away from you even in the hardest of times, since there will always be something meaningful left to hang on to together. Communication on the day-to-day level will be what sustains you in the long run, and it will be important not to lose sight of each other while homing in on the big picture. Although this may seem to make what you have very materialistic in nature, it will be the feelings you put into the materials around you that make the things themselves count so much. As in a child's world where a special toy or stuffed animal can mean so much more than its physical value, it's the little things that carry the biggest meanings here, so take good care of them.

Obstacle: Care

You take your responsibilities and obligations seriously together, and understand the need to work hard to fulfill them. As a working relationship, you will get a lot done and will be both reliable to each other and those you work with. At a personal level, however, you may find it difficult not to take the same approach. Sometimes you find that where it is necessary to make sacrifices for each other it is done less spontaneously, thus putting whatever burden it may create, on the other person as transferred blame. It may be difficult to distinguish the voluntary and natural giving from what is done as obligation, since there is so much fundamental respect for obligation and the security and order it brings. How easy it is to cut free and be yourselves when it comes to things you think you ought to do and will be determined by other factors in the chart. On the other hand, this can be a superior position in dealing with others in the workplace, as you will be able to delineate who does what and separate functions and assignments with clarity and precision conflict or hostility. You will make the details of the game plan self-evident so that everyone accepts his or her position and gets the job accomplished.

Manage Physical Conservation

Taking it slow and easy with an emphasis on fiscal caution and traditional methods works totally in your favor, garnering you praise for your sensible approach together. You may not make an instant million following that path, but you’ll accrue massively over the long stretch if you stay the course, as people trust your approach and feel safe stepping aboard your ship.

Uranus is one of the three relatively recently-discovered outer planets, and all three are marked with a reality common to new experience and endeavor. They are not fully explored and thus not very much under our control. Uranus has been known the longest, (since 1786), and is a bit more familiar. It is associated with sudden events, shocks, realizations, discoveries, and other highly delineated events that sheer off quickly and completely from their previous states or surroundings. For creatures of habit, such as most of us are, this is usually upsetting and generally bad news. But it does not have to be. Your ability to use Uranus instead of letting it abuse you, is directly related to how flexible and quick on your feet you are. It also is linked to how willing you are to accept and welcome change as part of the nature of things. If you accept it grudgingly, then Uranus will always be a symbol of malice; if you welcome it with open arms, it will be a deliverance and an inspiration. In the composite chart, Uranus is where the two of you are repeatedly forced to rise to this occasion, and its contacts will tell in what areas of life it usually manifests. Well situated, it is a mutual window onto the future, flooding you both with light and clueing you into what is coming next. In such a position, it will make the relationship an eye-opener, which you come back to time and again for more. It will also tend to put you both ahead of the game emotionally and socially placing you in a leadership position among others where future thinking is concerned. In a difficult place, it will mean that you bring to each other incidents and accidents in areas where you are the most entrenched and you force each other to come to grips with ideas with which you refuse to deal. This can be a source of great mutual blame: You made me get into this. If it weren't for you, this never would have happened. . . and so on. This is particularly the case in sexual affairs in a society that is at heart so sexually conservative (even backward) and yet ruthlessly courts danger by flaunting it everywhere as if it were an everyday affair. Perhaps the only way to deal with this planet is to expect the unexpected, thus robbing it of harm and providing it with a welcome. If you are ready to harness it - like a wild horse - you can ride it far. If you turn your back, it will surely trample you. Where this occurs in the composite chart, keep your eyes wide open, your stance wide, and your tolerance level on maximum.

Freedom: Business

You may find that your road to self-discovery in this relationship is particularly intense and especially rewarding when you get those sudden flashes of understanding which boost you onto the next plateau. When breaking new ground together, be very serious about it. Take it to the limit in order to get everything possible out of it. Thus, when you discover something new and unusual about each other or your situation, agree that it's OK to pursue it. The only caveat here might be to make sure you don't put on blinders in the process and come to the conclusion that the new truths or approaches to reality are universal and that they necessarily apply to anyone but yourself. It may be easy to foist your own understandings, which will have been hard-fought-for between the two of you, on others to whom they may not entirely apply, since they have their own idiosyncrasies just like yourselves. Instead, open yourselves to new information and partake of the kaleidoscope of reality that exists around you, understanding that everyone has a special and unique battle to fight, each with his own goals and own special equipment to do it with. In the process, apply the same thinking to each other and you will find resolutions between the two of you much swifter and easier to come by.

Freedom: Business

Your relationship in some ways may be compared to a volcano. It will lie quietly dormant for a long while, then without warning sudden eruptions from deep within will rock the calm, bringing things to the surface you had no idea were there. This will apply both physically, in terms of the resources that are available and that you depend on, and emotionally, where strong feelings surprise you with their unexpected intensity. Financially this can mean sudden windfalls and shortfalls, so it's a good idea to stay away from the edge or you might find yourself pushed over when you least expect it. Keep a buffer between yourselves and bankruptcy at all times. Emotionally, and especially sexually, going off the deep end can be an exciting and enlightening ride, so you actually have more to learn than fear in this department, though like being on a roller coaster, those sudden plunges may evoke an hysterical scream or two. Because this house has to do with endings, when things finish up they will do so in a hurry, so be prepared to change horses in mid-stream when necessary and always have an extra mount nearby. Nevertheless, this is an interesting place for Uranus and because it is difficult to get at here, you don't run the dangers associated with trying to tame or resist its sometimes petulant influences. You're along for the ride, so enjoy it and make the most of it.

Objective Insights Arises

You may find it difficult to hold this relationship down and, in fact, you really shouldn't try to. The freer you can be with each other and the more space you allow each other to express yourselves, the more successful you will be. There is a restless quality about the two of you which you may want to calm down over time, but putting a damper on it from in front will not be the way to handle it. In a confined space you can easily get on each other's nerves, so give yourselves someplace to run to separately when you begin to grate on each other and you'll find less reason to argue over pointless issues when you are together. You can find yourselves too often being different or ornery just for its own sake and not because it's any better or has any real advantage for either of you, and to the extent you do so you will be at cross purposes and waste your own and each other's time. New approaches can be desirable, and you will doubtless be full of them, but only when they are steps toward improvement, not just attempts to garner attention. Sometimes it will be difficult to judge which is which, but as time goes on and you get a more experienced feel for each other's style, you will be able to act more in concert together in a more predictable fashion.

The effects of Neptune, another outer planet and a recent discovery, are often largely out of our control both by our unfamiliarity with its effects and the apparent nature of the planet which represents the uncertain, dreams, illusions, ideals, mystery, and the higher unexplored (and perhaps unexplorable entirely) plane of the spiritual world. Its nature is so uncertain, it's not even known exactly when it was discovered; various claims exist from 1810 all the way up to 1846, and we may never know for sure. It may be viewed from afar with a certain amount of analysis, however. When we find an area of mystery, it is our natural instinct to provide something to fill that void. Nature abhors a vacuum and our minds rush in to fill it with every kind of speculation and fantasy, if only to have something to act on in the area. Whatever is actually there will turn up eventually. In the meantime we provide ourselves with an image which may be close enough to the truth to better help us function or may be off in fantasyland and fail us utterly if we are unwise enough to lean on it. We know only in hindsight. Thus, in a composite chart, this point becomes the place where dreams, fantasies, hopes and ideals meet or clash, and inspire us or drag us down in confusion and conflict. Too many wars and personal battles have been fought over it needlessly, because none of these things actually existed until later. That's the crux of it: don't fight over what isn't there, at least not yet. Well placed, this planet will help you aspire to higher, more selfless goals but even they can make you take them more seriously than they are. Badly positioned, it can lead to lies, deceit, and mistrust based on mutual misreading of the unknown and the foolish action taken upon it. In the end, it is a gentle, diaphanous planet that can never be forced. Dreams and fantasies belong to each of you individually; and when they are similar enough to share, whether emotionally, sexually, spiritually, or even financially, they can be the greatest of joys. If one of you tries to enforce any of it on the other, however, everything will turn distasteful and there will be no dreams left; the mist will be blown away and only a charred landscape will remain. Where this point occurs, go gently, expect nothing, and everything will be returned to you.

Embrace: Spiritual

Together you have a breadth of imagination and hope that can encompass the whole world, and inherently you believe that there is little that you could dream of that would not be available to you. As long as you maintain this attitude, this can indeed be a self-fulfilling prophecy. You are likely to be able to let disappointments go by because you know there is plenty else to go after and you're sure to be successful somewhere. Optimism and tolerance will likely be very strong components of your joint style together, especially where future expectations are concerned. The only drawback here might be a certain lack of focus and the ability to let something previously desired go by the boards too quickly without the struggle it deserves to make it come true. If you temper your freewheeling imagination with determination and try to go after one thing at a time before you rush on to the next, you will find your expectations will more likely be met and the satisfaction you will get from them as the result of your effort will be proportionately greater. When you feel your hopes begin to cloy and your dreams run out of steam, hearken back to the feeling and enthusiasm you first had for them and fire yourself up once more to the task. When that becomes a habit, efforts bring results more easily and the figments of your finest imagination become reality.

Embrace: Spiritual

Idealism is pervasive when the two of your are together, at least as far as the philosophies you develop together. In fact, developing philosophies and wraparound views of life and the way it should be run may be a particularly special part of your relationship. This can be a great source of rewarding and uplifting effort, and you will want to somehow make a statement to leave behind so the world will know you were there and had something special to contribute to humanity. At the same time, you may find that you have very high expectations of how people in general should behave, and when they do their usual sloppy, incorrect, and generally human thing, it can not only disappoint you but anger you as well, since so much better could be expected. This may apply to the way you feel about each other, particularly when you have agreed upon how things ought to be and then one or the other (or both) does not fulfill expectations. The answer is twofold recognize the validity of your feelings and aspirations, and at the same time realize the impossibility of human perfection and getting it all right all the time. You can have your cake and eat it, too, if you are willing to take a few imperfections in the mix. Construct the best possible goals, and congratulate yourselves on where you achieve them while giving yourselves a second shot where you didn't quite make it.

Deep Insights

Neptune is associated with aspirations and ideals. It is, in short, a watershed period when a radical new arrangement of world order is being inexorably forced into being. This is a generational aspect, something you share in common with billions of others of your generation. Although in the sky it will have passed on, you will have it for life, which means it will be your inescapable task to be implementors of the new planetary culture born at this time. Therefore, where this is tied in to the rest of your chart by aspect and house, these will be the areas where you have to take your place in this order, to make your own personal contribution to what is perhaps the greatest transformation the human world has ever known. Heavy? Yes, but no different from everyone else your age. Do it well, knowing that you are the founding ancestors of an age undreamed of in human history. Your greatgrandchildren will be looking back on you, hopefully with pride.

Spiritual Conservation Arises

There is a thread of spirituality and idealism in this relationship which allows you to present the higher side of yourselves in a very personal and accessible fashion. Just being together brings out the best in you, and it will show as others may find that you seem to float a little bit off the ground from time to time. This will be true in emotional as well as mundane affairs. Because your focus is not only on the everyday world, you don't appear to be entirely part of it. Depending upon who's viewing, you could be looked at as gurus or flakes, but you will likely find yourselves somewhere in the middle, as you tend to bring a reasonable approach to areas that are mixed with confusion, unrealistic expectation, and unfulfilled desires. In a love relationship, romance is a given and is easier to sustain as time goes by because you don't push it too far or expect too much of it, but just enjoy what comes along. In a professional setting, you will stick to your honesty and ideals and do so in a very visible fashion, expressed as much by your body language as by any statements or declarations you might make. What you believe is not only your bottom line, but is linked directly with your physical expression in promoting and expressing your ideals.

Of the three outer planets, Pluto is the most recently discovered (1930) and least subject to our control. As such, it is even considered the planet of power and control, ultimately because it so controls us in our attempt to overcome it. It is, of course, appropriately named after the ancient god of death, the thing which in the last analysis we cannot control; and at the most basic instinctual level, all the control we try to exercise in life is simply a ploy to cheat death a little longer. It is called the survival instinct. The point at which Pluto occurs in the composite chart is thus, at a deep level, where we meet in our ability to face death. But it doesn't manifest itself that way on the surface. Instead, it shows up as the methods we use to keep control in order to avoid the certainty of personal annihilation. Well placed, it will mean a partnership that simply doesn't worry about keeping in control of the situation, secure in the faith that things will take care of themselves and when it's time to go, you're in God's hands. In a bad place or aspect, it will mean continuous attempts to gain power over each other and the environment (according to aspect, sign, and house) and a penchant for compulsive behavior that easily gets out of control. Or, rather, it was never in control to begin with. In some instances, particularly sexual, this can be heightened to mystic proportions, and though it can be playing with fire it can also be very revelatory. Where prominently placed, for well or ill, it will give the relationship an aura of inescapability and predestination, something that sweeps over you both (like sex or death) and takes you out of yourselves. Similarly, you may find the relationship itself has something of this effect on others, giving you a greater power (a power which you must be careful not to abuse) over those around you. In the end, however, it is the willingness to relinquish control as well as take it that resolves problematic issues. In the meantime, the ability to step away from the relationship and out of its sway, at least in Pluto-affected areas, can be an important safety measure.

Control: Public

It will be a major motivation in your lives to have things work out the right way, and nothing less. Not in a physical or material sense, necessarily, but in the sense of achieving overall fairness and balance, equality and sharing. Thus beauty, presentation, image, justice, and all the things that please in life will have an attraction to you at times bordering on the compulsive. To get things worked out right is to die for. Agreement as to just what this comprises, will make you a dynamic duo working for peace and justice. When you disagree, however, you are liable to cross swords with determination to the detriment of the rest of the relationship. If you are faced, with the ultimate Pluto question : Would you die for it? Would you? Seriously. If so, get it over with; if not make a compromise and get on with things. The order you would like to see in the world is imposed by you from within and can be changed from within. So often the defects you see will be ones of your own vision and not necessarily your partner's or the world's, at least as they see it. Inner communication, despite differences and perceived shortcomings, is the real bottom line, and neither of you is ultimately as vulnerable because of your imperfections as you might believe. When you open yourself to what you may regard as potential harm, you may find yourself surprised that it brings a change for the better and a greater feeling of self-confidence and safety in the long run.

Control: Public

Competition and the elimination of it may be the key factor in whatever struggles arise between you. Attaining and maintaining equality will likely be a major issue, and to disempower one will be to disempower both. That would seem like a strange thing to get in a fight over, but it's entirely within the range of possibility that disagreements may arise over how equal your opportunities are. In fact, there can be a good deal of one-upsmanship here, and very often neither will benefit from the other's well-wishing because it is actually a power play in disguise. The trick is to just let it be and understand that what supports you is not one or the other but the interplay, which needs to be left alone in order to work. Neither false aid nor mutual subjugation will be of any help in making it work, though both may be the first routes taken. Instead, it is the relinquishment of power that brings joint authority and the willingness to bow not to each other but to circumstances that allows you to be in charge of your environment. This approach is more than critical,as this position of Pluto can make for confrontations that are quite intractable, even though seen from an outside point of view they needn't be. If you are willing to cooperate, not just technically, you've got it made.

Examining Power Arises

You are likely to have more control over your environment together than you have separately, and this will be a strong reason for remaining together, especially professionally. You will have the opportunity to lock horns with those around you and be in a position to see your way clear to your goals, as you will have a good sense of judgment as to when to force the issue and when to let others have a little slack. Personally, this may not be as easy, as issues of control within the relationship will always be present and requiring a steady hand so that neither of you overly dominates the other. Generally, however, you will tend to apply an even hand and barring other seriously debilitating aspects here, you will simply build up your muscles practicing with each other. Because of your familiarity with personal power and its uses, you may find yourselves in positions of command, being recognized as well-practiced in the art. Here, again, an even hand is very much in order so that you produce stability in your surrounding environment by your efforts rather than inadvertently destabilizing the order of things by taking out one side or the other. There is as much to learn from refraining from action as there is in taking it here. The more sparingly and precisely you exercise your position, the stronger it will be and the more you will have in reserve for emergencies.

Path of Care

Whatever your individual attitudes toward commitment and responsibility, when you function together you will be particularly demanding about just how your longterm attachments, especially when you know they will make demands upon you later. Even when it feels like inescapable destiny (which it may) you will want to know exactly where that path will proceed before treading it, so that its immediate rewards will be followed by long-term ones as well.

Managed Growth

Other people will take your relationship to be solid and enduring, whatever may be actually happening under the surface. That's because you put a good face on things under all circumstances -- not to hide what's going on inside but because it's the right and joyful thing to do. By giving out a positive look, it reflects a good light back onto your own hearts.

Great Pride

You may notice that when you are together you create a larger-than-life image which at times may be difficult to live up to individually. It is as if you carry your own party around with you wherever you go and fire up those around you to get things moving. Sometimes you may find it more tiring to be the party host than the party guest, and you may need some quality time individually to rest and sort things out. Nevertheless, you are gifted with an energizing facade when you are together which you both can ride to give you an extra boost of enthusiasm, and you may find others looking to you for joint leadership who weren't so supportive of you individually. It would be easy to resent that, but that's politics and to a certain extent you make yourselves into public figures just by the chemistry of being together. Go for the playful and fun side of it and don't take yourselves too seriously. You'll find that your credibility and support in your social surroundings is heightened proportionately. Pride goeth before the fall, but the jester never comes to harm, so keep it light if you want to get good results. You don't have to seek out being the center of attention; just let your feelings radiate and the world will beat a path to your door.