The composite chart is a different layer of the astrological chart; it is a chart dedicated to relationships. It looks at the midpoints between the planets and points of each person and creates a chart that shows how they will interact with one another. However, like with any astrological chart, the people in the relationship must not allow these energies to rule over them. Instead, they should look at the chart as a map that shows potential strengths and weaknesses, areas where they will need to work hard together to make their relationship work.
What’s the Purpose of a Composite Chart?
A composite chart is different than a chart of synestry. It’s purpose isn’t to explain how both people interact with one another, but to analyze the relationship from a more impersonal perspective. Rather than giving an explanation for why each person will probably behave in a certain way, it looks at the relationship almost as a separate person, a third person in the relationship, and expresses what that third “person” will experience because of the two people involved.
Building and reading a composite chart is a combination of hard and easy. While the same basic pieces are there, rising signs, ascendants, houses, etc., rather than being able to view them in the scope of a single person, the astrologer putting together the composite chart has to combine two most likely opposite signs and pieces and create one explanation of how those two things will come together to create the third piece. A composite chart won’t just show areas where the couple will struggle, but also places where each person will have the more dominant dynamics. To analyze the challenges and growth that the couple will undergo, the astrologer will look predominantly at the planets in aspect to the ascendant of the composite, or the aspect in ascendant to the point between the two people, as well as whether or not there is a challenge in the North Node. Without a challenge in the North Node, an astrologer can say with some certainty that the relationship will struggle to find ways to grow and may stagnate and die.
Reading a Composite Chart
When looking at the houses in a composite chart, the astrologer is looking for any house of Astrology that has three or more planets in it. This means that the house is particularly emphasized and will have a strong influence on the relationship. This helps to identify other areas of challenge or positivity that the couple will want or may need to be aware of.
Many astrologers will recommend that both members of the couple go ahead and have a natal chart reading done as well as a composite chart reading. Without the understanding of the natal characteristics of each person, the composite characteristics found in the composite chart can be difficult to understand. Spending the time to come to an understanding of ones own astrological influences before looking to see what will be influencing you as a couple is a good way to maintain control of your life, rather than falling prey to the energies of the universe.
