Karmic Ties, Relationships, & Astrology

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Astrology provides fascinating insights into the dynamics of our relationships, whether with a partner, friend, or family member. In this video, recorded at a recent Twin Cities Astrology Meetup, I introduced three types of relationship charts that astrologers use to understand compatibility, challenges, and karmic connections.

The first type I discussed was the “synastry” chart, which overlays one person's birth chart onto another's to reveal how their energies align or clash. I then explored the “composite” chart, a symbolic blending of two charts that uncovers a relationship's psychological and karmic essence. Finally, I introduced the “Davison midpoint” chart, a practical tool for interpreting the relationship and understanding events in the life of the relationship. To illustrate these concepts, I used the charts of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry as examples, highlighting possible strengths, challenges, and deeper purposes of their connection.

This presentation offered a beginner-friendly overview of how astrological charts can clarify emotional connections, karmic ties, and potential relationship conflicts. Whether you're curious about the role of planetary alignments in compatibility or looking for tools to understand your relationships better, this teaching offers valuable perspectives. If you enjoy the video, please like and subscribe—it helps others discover this content. A revised and expanded transcript is available below for your reference.

Transcript (revised and expanded)

As an astrologer, one of the most common questions I’m asked is how to interpret relationships—whether with friends, partners, or family members—through the lens of astrology. Just yesterday, at the Twin Cities astrology meetup, I had the pleasure of teaching a class where I introduced the various types of astrology charts.

There are three types of relationship charts: the “synastry” chart, the “composite” chart, and the “Davison midpoint” chart. The synastry chart places your chart next to another person's chart to see how you might vibe together—where you have energy that works, where you might have some conflicts or not understand each other, and how to sort of understand the planets as they play out in your lives.

Then we have the composite chart, which can relate to the inner, more psychological karmic connections between two souls. It's a symbolic chart.

The last type of chart is the Davison midpoint chart, which represents the relationship and is helpful for timing and predictive work.

The following video is from yesterday's meetup, where I taught using Harry and Meghan's charts as examples. I hope you enjoy it! If you do, like and subscribe—it helps folks find me. Thanks.

So, relationship charts: what you can do is take your birth chart, and there are a few different ways you can compare it or combine it with the birth chart of, you know, a partner, or maybe a family member, or a friend. If you have something going on in a relationship and you're trying to get underneath it—or say you've met somebody new and want to understand where you vibe or where you may have difficulties—you can use relationship charts to give you some perspective.

So, I'm going to introduce the types of charts. There are three types of relationship charts. There's the synastry chart, which is the birth chart on the inside and then the chart of another person on the outside. We'll use Meghan Markle and Harry, the Duke of Sussex—I never know what to call him; I feel like calling him Prince Harry still—as examples. Whoops, let me go back there.

A synastry chart is straightforward: two charts next to each other. We'll see how to use that in a second.

The second type of chart we have is a composite chart. You create this new chart by blending the charts and finding the different planets' midpoints. It's a symbolic chart that can help you understand the soul purpose of the relationship.

And then we have the Davison midpoint chart, which you blend—they literally take the birth times for the two people, find the middle period, and then create a new chart. That chart more represents the relationship as such. It's a real-life chart; it’s not symbolic, so you can use it to understand relationship timing.

So, this is a little deeper dive into each chart type with some examples.

Synastry Chart

You can use the synastry chart to look at dynamics and compatibility and find challenging points to do predictive work. (Predictive work involves a more advanced method where we would include a third chart as the outside wheel, a “transit” chart, that is a chart representing where the planets are in the sky at any given moment. This is a more advanced method that I did not discuss during the talk.) One of the ways you can understand—whoops, I’m going to go to this example—how people's energy works together, where they might have difficulties, and where they might do well is by looking at how the planets in each chart relate to each other.

Synastry Chart

One way I look at it is by looking for themes around the positive energies that may bind the two together. What are the strengths of their karma? Here, for example, with Meghan and Harry—I'm just going to get my little guy, my little laser pointer—with Meghan and Harry, we see that they have Moon and Venus connections.

You see a repeated pattern. Whenever we see a repeated pattern in a chart in astrology, it tells us this is something to pay attention to.

It tells us this is something to pay attention to. So, here we see that Harry's Moon is trining Meghan's Venus. The Moon can represent emotions, the mother, and what makes us feel safe and comfortable. Venus is the goddess of love and relationships; a trine is this lovely, flowing energy. So, there’s something about how he is emotionally that helps support Meghan's sense of receptive love. She probably finds it very easy to connect with him and receive some nurturing energy from him.

Then we also see that his Venus is with her Moon. So, that's a repetition of a Venus-Moon connection. It’s the same thing: how he relates to the world fits with how she nurtures, and vice versa. Of course, he's got some other energy that binds her Venus, and we can discuss that more.

You know, this Venus-Pluto contact—whenever you see an inner planet like Venus, the Moon, the Sun, Mars, or Mercury connected to a planet like Pluto, there's almost this karmic draw, like, "I must be with you," right? The Pluto person vibes with the Venus person's way of relating, and the Venus person may have a little bit of a difficult time if they want to pull away. There can be a little bit of a push-pull. So, that's a little extra energy in there that's not necessarily binding them in a way that feels loose and easy, but this is maybe more of a karmic bind, where sometimes you meet that person, and you have to be with them.

Another energy that binds the pair is that they have some Saturn-Venus contacts. Saturn-Venus can lead to, depending on the situation—right?—Venus is the goddess of love, and Saturn is the god of commitment, hard work, responsibility, and time, what’s practical. When Venus and Saturn are together in a nice, flowing relationship like this sextile, it can indicate a capacity to commit to a relationship.

Then we also have Venus here with her Saturn as well. So, we see again some sense of seriousness around relationships. Venus-Saturn contacts make you a little bit more serious around love. For example, if Venus and Saturn are “conjunct” (right next to each other) in your birth chart, you may also feel this seriousness.

Of course, we see Venus with his Jupiter—or excuse me, with her Jupiter. So, there’s a little optimism along with that love connection. That’s a nice, sweet connection. But then we also see that, likely, they’re bound together by a little bit of her wound, right? His Moon is right there on her Chiron, nurturing whatever her wound might be.

You might imagine that with Chiron in the 11th house in Taurus, something around financial stability might sometimes be the wound. Or, it might have something to do with how you are in groups. There might be unconscious struggles, or perhaps you might not necessarily share them with the world, but you could have difficulty being out in groups somehow.

Then, of course, we see that her ascendant is in Cancer, and his is in Capricorn. This doesn’t always happen, but we tend to be drawn to people who have 7th house energy. For example, I’m a Scorpio rising, and many clients I get are Taurus rising. Why? Because Taurus is drawn to the slow and careful nature of Taurus, which can be drawn to Scorpio's more dramatic and deep emotional energy.

I love Scorpio—I’m a Scorpio rising—but you can talk about Scorpio in many ways. Scorpio has a lot of emotional depth. You could say they bring a little bit of the drama, and Taurus is the base to that acid.

So then, in addition to looking at what might bind the pair, you can look at what might separate the pair. There, you might look for oppositions and squares. When we have an opposition in a relationship, it’s "me against you." We might be facing off as equals around that particular topic. It doesn’t mean we can’t get along; it just means we might disagree. We might have to work through things in an even-handed manner.

Here, we have Meghan's Mars in Cancer opposite his Jupiter in Capricorn. It is interesting—each of those planets is in their fall, so that’s an intriguing idea, but I won’t go into that. There might be a way in which she brings the warrior energy a bit, and he brings the optimist, right? With Jupiter on his ascendant, naturally, people will see him as that optimistic, happy-go-lucky person. Although it is Capricorn, so there’s a seriousness to it.

Meghan has Mars, the god of war, on her Ascendant, and she has a little bit of that warrior energy. If you’ve ever seen when she was young, as a young woman, she was already advocating for women, children, and women’s rights, all of which fit with having Mars in Cancer in her first house, representing who she is as a person.

As a teenager, Meghan Markle appeared on the Nickelodeon show Nick News in 1993. During her appearance, Meghan spoke out against a TV commercial for Ivory Dishwashing Liquid that she felt was sexist. The ad stated, "Women all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans," which Meghan found unfair because it reinforced gender stereotypes.

In her passionate response, Meghan said, "I don’t think it’s right for kids to grow up thinking that mom does everything."Her letter-writing campaign to Procter & Gamble, the company behind the ad, contributed to the wording being changed from "women" to "people." This early advocacy showcased her commitment to gender equality, even as a young girl.

Here, we see Mars and Venus in a square aspect. While this isn’t necessarily a negative thing, it does add some spice and the potential for conflict in the relationship. It’s generally beneficial when Mars and Venus connect in a chart, as it brings energy and passion, even with occasional tensions. Harry’s Venus is in Libra, a sign that Venus rules, which enhances its influence. This suggests that he likely values balance and harmony in relationships and may have a natural talent for diplomacy and maintaining fairness with others.

Another aspect to consider is where they might not fully connect. As Nicole mentioned when discussing the last lunation chart, this happens when planets are in what’s known as “aversion.” In this case, the planets are positioned in signs that cannot "see" each other, meaning they lack a direct relationship or common ground. This creates an unconscious dynamic where the planets operate independently without much mutual understanding or interaction.

Planets are considered "averse" to each other when they are in different elements (fire, air, earth, or water) and modalities (cardinal, fixed, or mutable). This occurs when planets are in adjacent signs, such as one planet in the 1st house and the other in the 2nd house. It can also happen when planets are five houses apart, for example, with one planet in the 2nd house and the other in the 7th or 9th house.

Planets lack common ground when they are "averse." In contrast, planets in the same element, such as two Moons in water signs, share a natural connection—they form a trine and resonate emotionally, feeling at ease in that watery space. Two Moons in earth signs might approach emotions more practically or reservedly, creating a "drier" dynamic. However, even in this case, the shared element helps them understand each other better than if they were in entirely different elements.

Meghan and Harry’s Sun signs illustrate the concept of being "averse" to each other. Meghan’s Sun is in Leo, a fire sign, where the Sun is at its strongest. This gives her an intense, vibrant energy that is playful and magnetic and naturally draws others in. On the other hand, Harry’s Sun is in Virgo, an earth sign, next to Leo in the zodiac. Virgo’s energy is more grounded, humble, analytical, and practical, contrasting with Leo’s bold and expressive nature.

This difference means they may not naturally understand each other’s perspectives on the world. However, having Suns in aversion doesn’t prevent a successful partnership or marriage. It simply requires recognizing and respecting that each partner approaches the world from a distinct and unique viewpoint.

You can use the knowledge of where each of your Sun signs is to help you understand if you’re just not getting your partner—you’re not understanding where they’re coming from.

Meghan and Harry’s Mercuries are also in aversion, highlighting differences in their communication styles. In astrology, Mercury represents communication and is symbolized by Hermes, the messenger of the gods. Meghan’s Mercury is in Leo, giving her a solar, expressive way of communicating. She naturally wants her voice heard and seeks recognition for what she says. Mercury in Leo often speaks with confidence and charisma, desiring others to honor their perspective.

On the other hand, Harry's Mercury is in Virgo, where Mercury rules, making it particularly strong. His communication style is pragmatic, humble, and focused on clarity. Unlike Leo, Virgo doesn’t seek the spotlight but emphasizes ensuring that others fully understand what is being communicated. While Virgo’s approach may be less dramatic or attention-seeking, it is highly effective and detail-oriented.

Their Moons are also in aversion, further reflecting their differing emotional needs. Harry’s Moon is in Taurus, where it is exalted, giving it a natural affinity for comfort, stability, and sensual pleasures. The Moon in Taurus thrives on security and enjoys physical and emotional warmth. Meghan’s Moon, however, is in Libra, the sign of diplomacy and harmony. For her, pleasant and balanced communication is essential for emotional safety and comfort.

Despite these contrasts, there is room for connection. Harry’s strong communication skills and clarity can help him speak to Meghan in a way that makes her feel seen and heard, which aligns with the needs of her Sun and Mercury in Leo. Similarly, Meghan’s emphasis on kind and harmonious speech can resonate with Harry’s Virgo Mercury, creating a bridge between their different styles of expression. This dynamic demonstrates how understanding and adapting to each other’s perspectives can foster deeper connection and mutual respect.

Composite Chart

Now, I’ll describe what is called a “composite” chart. I won’t go into as much detail with this. When we do examples from the group after I’ve finished presenting, we’ll look at synastry charts, where we put one person’s chart next to another because it can get pretty confusing quickly if you’re throwing in a lot of different types of charts.

Composite Chart

The next type of chart you can look at is the composite chart. That can tell you a little about the relationship’s soul meaning, the karmic purpose, and the shared goals and challenges. It’s an abstract chart.

An excellent source I highly recommend for learning more about relationship charts is an astrologer named Jewel. She has a YouTube channel with hundreds of videos and breaks down the different meanings of different connections in each chart. It’s a good way to get some background—I love her work.

This is Meghan and Harry's composite chart. We can quickly see that if we’re looking at their soul purpose or vision, it’s super interesting that the Sun is in the 12th house in Virgo.

The 12th house is often associated with themes of exile, hidden places, and leaving one’s home country, which makes it particularly interesting here. While Harry wasn’t forced to leave his homeland, he did choose to move to the United States, Meghan’s home country. They faced significant challenges, particularly with how the British public and the Crown treated Meghan. Harry has since moved to California to be with her, and depending on future political developments in the United States, Meghan may one day have to move to England with him.

The Sun in the 12th house can symbolize being in exile or even seeking asylum, as the 12th house governs hidden, isolated spaces. This placement often speaks to unconscious struggles, shame, or the need to confront heavier psychological themes. It brings a certain gravity, highlighting work that addresses deeper, more complex issues. For Harry, this is evident in the way he’s been open about his mental health challenges and the therapeutic work he’s done. This focus on bringing light to hidden struggles is a key part of who they are as a couple.

Looking at the chart, we see Libra rising, with Venus as the ruler. Libra is associated with diplomacy and balance, and despite the controversies surrounding their relationship—particularly negative press about Meghan standing up for herself—there is a distinct desire to frame their message carefully. They seem focused on presenting their relationship to the public in a way that emphasizes fairness and mutual respect, which aligns with Libra’s diplomatic energy.

However, on the ascendant, we also find Pluto and Saturn together. These planets carry themes of confinement, restriction, and even karmic struggles. When the world went into lockdown during COVID, Pluto, Saturn, and Jupiter were all aligned, reflecting a collective experience of limitation. In the context of Harry and Meghan’s relationship, this conjunction on the ascendant suggests they may carry the weight of cultural and historical forces. Harry grew up within the strict confines of the Crown, and Meghan faced the challenges of trying to fit into a system that resisted change. The oppressive weight of this history is reflected in their story.

The Moon in this chart forms a square to Pluto and Saturn, adding an emotional layer to these themes. The Moon governs emotions, home, and family, and in this case, it’s in Cancer—a sign it rules, making it especially strong. This placement emphasizes the importance of home, family, and healing in their identity as a couple. Harry and Meghan have spoken openly about wanting to create a safe, nurturing environment for their children, free from the oppressive structures they’ve experienced—symbolized here by Pluto and Saturn.

In multiple charts, we see a strong Moon-Cancer connection, reinforcing the centrality of family and emotional security in their lives. If you’ve watched any of their interviews, their stated priority is creating a home where their children can grow up free from the burdens of the past. This focus on family and healing is integral to their shared identity, as seen in these astrological placements.

Davison Midpoint Chart + Wedding Chart

Lastly, let's consider the relationship's karmic path and purpose. The South Node in Capricorn speaks to a foundation of heaviness, responsibility, and obligation at the root of their connection. However, the North Node points toward a forward movement focused on home, family, and emotional fulfillment, aligning with the greater purpose of their journey together.

Do you have any questions before we move on to the last chart? I know I’ve covered quite a bit.

To wrap up, I’ll finish this final piece, and then we can open up for questions and explore examples from people’s charts at the end.

The following chart is the last type of relationship chart we’ll look at. It’s created by combining the birth data of both individuals to generate a single chart representing the relationship as a whole. This chart type can also be connected to specific events, offering more profound insights.

What I’ve done here is precisely that. The inner wheel represents the combined chart of Harry and Meghan. You can think of it as another way to interpret the meaning of their relationship. While a composite chart often reflects the inner work required to resolve shared karma, this chart is more about answering the question, "What is the relationship itself?"

Davison Midpoint Chart + Transit from Wedding Day

Part of what we see here is Chiron on the ascendant. While this placement suggests that their relationship may be healing for both of them, it also highlights a wound they may carry together. In astrology, Chiron is known as the "Wounded Healer," named after the centaur in Greek mythology. He was a wise and skilled healer but could not heal his wounds. Chiron represents the areas where we experience deep pain and can achieve profound healing and growth through facing those wounds.

In this relationship, Chiron on the ascendant suggests that the union may be both a source of healing and a reflection of shared vulnerabilities. The love and connection they share may help them address the pain caused by external challenges—such as the scrutiny and judgment they’ve faced from the outside world—but it also means their relationship inherently carries this wound. It’s as though the relationship was always destined to include a degree of struggle and the potential for transformation.

Beyond this, we see a recurring pattern: the Moon in Cancer. In their composite chart, the Moon was in Cancer, and it appears again in the relationship chart. On the day they got married (represented by the outer wheel), the Moon was also back in Cancer. This repeated theme highlights a strong focus on home, family, and nurturing. Both of them value creating a safe and loving environment, and this priority is deeply rooted in their relationship, symbolized by the Moon’s placement at the Imum Coeli—the foundation of the chart.

On their wedding day, Jupiter, the planet of optimism and expansion, was retrograde and “applying” (moving toward) the Descendant point in the chart. Jupiter’s influence suggests a sense of hope and growth in their partnership. Yet, its retrograde motion and placement in Scorpio hint at something hidden or private about their relationship. This could indicate that they must keep certain aspects shielded from the public eye for their relationship to thrive.

Additionally, the Sun was near the ascendant on their wedding day, bringing vitality and visibility to their union. However, Chiron was also tightly aligned with Venus in the 12th house of the relationship. Venus, representing love, beauty, and harmony, in the 12th house, suggests that their love carries an element of secrecy or sacrifice—perhaps a love that has endured challenges behind the scenes. Chiron’s connection to Venus reinforces the theme of a wound within their love story, but it also suggests that the relationship itself has the power to heal.

Altogether, we see a dynamic mix of joy, positivity, and meaning in this union, alongside the weight of challenges and wounds they’ve faced together. The presence of Chiron throughout their charts underscores the transformative power of their relationship—not just for themselves but perhaps as a reflection of healing on a larger scale as they navigate the difficulties of public life and their journey toward creating a family and safe harbor.