Relationships are a central part of the human condition. While they often involve a spouse or lover, they can involve a family member, business associate, friend, or someone else, too. Regardless of the nature of the relationship, we spend an enormous amount of our time and energy involved with other people.

Sometimes those relationships are quite wonderful. Other times problems emerge, or we may be concerned about the potential unfoldment of a relationship. That's when astrology provides a fast and incisive look at what is going on between two people.

A relationship reading involves not only looking at the natal charts of the two individuals, but to quickly cut to the chase and get the big picture of the relationship itself -- its realities, potentials, and any mud puddles to look out for.

Sometimes karma or dharma may be involved, but not always. Sometimes the individual may be with you again from a past life, but not always. While at a high philosophical level we can see that any interaction with another individual has some sort of spiritual content, in practical terms some relationships have a profound spiritual dimension for your soul, and others are significantly less so. It's useful to know which is which.

Clients usually book relationship readings for one of two reasons. Very often a specific issue has arisen in an existing relationship and an individual is looking for guidance as to whether this is just a temporary rough spot or a much larger issue. This reading answers that sort of question and also looks at options for constructively dealing with the situation.

The other common reason I have found for this reading may be politely termed pre-emptive. A client has just met someone wonderful and is looking for a quick summary of the potential inherent in a possible relationship before investing a lot of time and emotional energy.

I encourage people to pause and look before they leap. This reading is designed to be a time of sober reflection as to what might be on the horizon. This allows a person to coming into a relationship to have their eyes wide open knowing the kinds of issues are likely to emerge, or to take a pass if that is the individual's free choice. Often larger issues of spiritual evolution are commonly at work in this kind of situation and we look at them, too.

Ideally I prefer to do the reading with both people present or on the phone. However, the reality of the modern world is such that that is not always possible with people's busy schedules. I do insist, though, that if you are doing the reading alone with me that you have at least the verbal permission of the other person and that you share the information from the reading with that person. That's one of the reasons you get the tape recording of the reading. Fair is fair. The other person is entitled to know what's going on, too.

My preference in looking at a relationship is to use the composite chart, a 20th century technique discovered (or possibly rediscovered) in the 1960s. It is the chart of the relationship itself, and not the chart of either individual.

Loosely speaking we take the natal chart of Person A, add it up with the natal chart of Person B, and divide by two to get the composite chart. More technically the composite chart is a midpoint chart. For example if Person A has Sun in Leo and Person B has Sun in Aries, the midpoint between the two Suns is in Gemini, and that Gemini midpoint is the location of the Sun in the composite chart. This is done, in turn, for each planet. The math is fearsome, but happily a good computer program can make short work of it.

The resulting composite chart bears little if any resemblance to either natal chart, which is appropriate. We are looking at the combined energy of the two people, the relationship. By definition it is different than either individual.

My experience is that it is the composite chart which tells the tale in the relationship, sometimes rather bluntly.

Over and over I have seen the composite chart clearly and succinctly delineate the strengths and weakness in any sort of relationship: spouse, lover, friend, relative, business colleague, etc.

It is an impressively accurate tool to show not only what a relationship is but the directions it could easily move towards if no intervention is taken by either individual.

A second astrological approach to looking at relationships is called synastry. Synastry involves a direct comparison of the natal charts of two individuals. Until the development of the composite chart it was the "industry standard" in astrology for looking at relationships. Dozens of books have been written about it, some of them quite good. Many are still in print.

Simply put, in synastry the natal chart of Person A is compared to the natal chart of Person B. The various planets and mathematical points in the first natal chart are compared to all the planets and mathematical points of the second natal chart. For example in the chart of two lovers the sign and house position of Person A's Mars can be compared to the sign and house position of Person B's Venus. If those two planets form a trine, a 120 degree aspect, it is an indication of sexual compatibility. A square aspect, 90 degrees apart, between those same two planets could be an indication of sexual incompatibility.

The biggest advantage of this system is also its biggest disadvantage: a huge amount of data is generated. Yes it can be thorough, but it is also easy to get lost in the avalanche of astrological numbers which tumbles forward. I find the big picture of what the relationship is about often is obscured the mountains of detail. I'm a Virgo, and if a Virgo is complaining about too much detail then you know there's a problem. Hence my preference for the composite chart.

A single one-hour reading usually covers all of the main points in a relationship in abundant detail. But kindly understand what an astrological reading of a relationship does and does not do.

What the reading does:

It does delineate the strengths, weaknesses, easy spots, and difficult spots in the structure of the relationship itself. It can identify times of stress and harmony in a relationship. It can identify the areas where the two individuals can work together to build the relationship, and the reading can identify areas where effort needs to be made in a relationship to make it work. The emotional investment required to do that is spelled out.

What the reading does not do:

There is no astrological technique which can indicate the direction of free choice any individual might make. Two people can freely choose to do whatever they wish in a relationship regardless of the energies involved.

I have seen relationships split up quickly even though there were very positive astrological indicators because of a lack of commitment (free choice) on the part of one person or the other (or both in some cases) to invest constructive energy into the relationship. On the other hand I have seen relationships with highly stressful astrological indicators which have lasted for years because the two individuals made the commitment (free choice) to work through their difficult issues.

While the reading I do for you can indicate whether you have smooth or rough water in front of you, you and your partner have to decide what you are going to do about the water, whatever that might be.

Complete birth data is required for both individuals for this reading at the time the appointment is booked. The date you met the other person (month, day, year) for the first time is VERY helpful but not required. If you met on the internet, it is the date you first connected in the chat room and *not* the date you first met in person.

Unless you have an unusual relationship situation, the reading lasts an hour. Included with the tape recording of the reading you also receive the full colour copies of the various natal and composite charts. Click here for fee schedule. As is the case for all my astrological services, gift certificates are available.