posted December 23, 2013 08:42 AM            

Composite describes the relationship as a whole.

Now the fascinating thing is that the composite actually is the result of the synastric and natal configurations in your charts.
Sometimes it is not very obvious, and at other times it hits you like a, well something hard.

For example:
if you both have the same natal aspect in the same phase (waxing or waning) natally, it will come up in the composite as well.
If you have the same aspect, but in different phases, it comes up as conjunction or opposition.

Like if both of you have a Venus-Pluto-square natally, your composite will have one, too.

On the other hand if you have a synastric Double Whammy (it has to be the same aspect though, it will also come up in the composite, either as the same aspect (then the synastric aspects have the same phase, waxing or waning) or as a conjunction, (complementary phase).

Example:

My Mars is 5 Sagittarius, his NN is 2 Virgo.
This is a waxing square (because Mars is behind the NN, which is the slower moving object).

His Mars is 11 Virgo, my NN is 10 Sag.
This is a waning square, cause Mars is before the NN.

In the composite this comes up as a conjunction of Mars with the NN with 3 degree orb.

In both cases, if the natal aspects or patterns are repeated, or if a synastric aspect gets repeated, it is very clear to see that these are important themes the people in question cannot avoid, as it will run like a red line through their interaction.

What I pay most attention to after that hough, is conjunctions of the composite to the natal charts; often it seems to be even more clearly indicating how people are affected, or if one is more affected than the other, by the rlationship as a whole.

As for the house question, a lot of philosophical debates or even wars have been led about this.
There are good logical reasons for using equal, I also see the logic in most of the other housesystems.

For me personally as I work with houserulers a lot, Placidus or more precisely the topocentric system (which gives similiar results to Placidus, at least in medium regions), has proved itself over and over again. But it can be that it is only because I can work with it, or it "speaks" to me. Maybe other astrologers will find more validity in equal or any other. Many will work with Koch houses, too.

However, personally, for me, it`s Placidus.
But ask 10 astrologers about that, and you miht get 12 answers.
Similiar to the question on orbs. lol

posted December 23, 2013 10:50 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Ceridwen:
Synastry describes the affect you have on each other, or more precisely, the natal configuration you trigger off by being around each other.

Composite describes the relationship as a whole.

Now the fascinating thing is that the composite actually is the result of the synastric and natal configurations in your charts.
Sometimes it is not very obvious, and at other times it hits you like a, well something hard.

For example:
if you both have the same natal aspect in the same phase (waxing or waning) natally, it will come up in the composite as well.
If you have the same aspect, but in different phases, it comes up as conjunction or opposition.

Like if both of you have a Venus-Pluto-square natally, your composite will have one, too.

On the other hand if you have a synastric Double Whammy (it has to be the same aspect though, it will also come up in the composite, either as the same aspect (then the synastric aspects have the same phase, waxing or waning) or as a conjunction, (complementary phase).

Example:

My Mars is 5 Sagittarius, his NN is 2 Virgo.
This is a waxing square (because Mars is behind the NN, which is the slower moving object).

His Mars is 11 Virgo, my NN is 10 Sag.
This is a waning square, cause Mars is before the NN.

In the composite this comes up as a conjunction of Mars with the NN with 3 degree orb.

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Well if that's the case Ceri, we would have an exact Mars/NN conjunction in the Composite.

My Mars at 19 Aqua. My NN at 14 Aqua.
In your case the waning phase (applying to a conjunction), in my case the waxing phase (separating from a conjunction) which would form an exact conj. in the composite.

posted December 23, 2013 01:05 PM            

"Well if that's the case Ceri, we would have an exact Mars/NN conjunction in the Composite."
Yes, we do. on 12 Capricorn, which interestingly is the exact degree of my 12th house cusp.

"Yea.. these are the things not very obvious in synastry but when you run a Composite.. you may fall off your chair by the synchronicities."
I definitely did.

I never really gave the composite much credit, until I read the article by David Cochrane and started to understand what a composite really is.

" I would def. choose a strong Composite above synastry."
I don´t make this difference.

Though I would choose a composite which has strong conjunctions to both natal charts.
What use is a wonderful relationship, if none of the participants notices it?

I have had strong composites with people, and simply didn`t care for all the beauty there was. In each and every case, the strong points in the composite managed to "miss" my natal points.

However, how different if my natal is triggered by a composite and then a transiting planet wakes it up!

"And I don't buy the whole thing that a composite would only make sense when a relationship has already started. It's all a matter of energies and how would that correlate with a 'time factor'?"
I wholeheartedly agree with that.

BTW bottom line for me is, that you need to asess all these charts and understand, really really understand what they are telling you, which pattern unfolds. It is never about one single aspect alone, it is always about the pattern, the big bells.

posted December 23, 2013 02:22 PM            

quote:

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I never really gave the composite much credit, until I read the article by David Cochrane and started to understand what a composite really is.

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Same here. For the ones encouraged to understand, it all started with this article (takes time to absorb); http://www.astrosoftware.com/Symmetries.htm

quote:

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Though I would choose a composite which has strong conjunctions to both natal charts.
What use is a wonderful relationship, if none of the participants notices it?

I have had strong composites with people, and simply didn`t care for all the beauty there was. In each and every case, the strong points in the composite managed to "miss" my natal points.

However, how different if my natal is triggered by a composite and then a transiting planet wakes it up!

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posted December 23, 2013 04:46 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Delilah423:
If I could butt in here for a moment, can someone explain the difference between the *use* of a Davison chart and a midpoint composite?

I understand the difference in terms of how they are cast, but I don't understand the difference in what they show. All I know is some people say they think the Davison is better/more useful than a composite.

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Vastly different opinions out there.

Some say they have the same meaning.

Some say that the DAvision is about deeper committed relationships (frankly I think that is nunsense though).

Others like Blashke think that the Davison is more aobut outside forces working on the relationship, while the composite is about the combined energies.

Similiar to her take on this:
"The two main popular forms of composite charts are, as most of us know, the midpoint composite and the Davison composite. (Please note that it’s called the Davison and not the Davidson chart.) The midpoint chart is the one we are most familiar with. It takes the midpoint of each planet or point in the chart and finds the midpoint between the two–Sun to Sun, Mars to Mars, Saturn to Saturn, etc.. As anyone who has worked with them knows, midpoints are powerful. The midpoint between any two entities is where the rubber meets the road–there is a flash, an energy point that is attractive, magnetic, that creates experience according to the expression (or expressions) involved. Midpoints are about essence. It is also where the two entities can resolve their differences, where they can merge. And lastly, the midpoint shows action; it reveals where the blended energies will take form. What we end up with is a chart that is it’s own entity. It reveals, not the interaction between two people (i.e. my Pluto conjunct your Moon makes you cry) but the action of the relationship itself (our composite Pluto conjunct our composite Moon reveals an emotionally tense, perhaps fraught, relationship where power plays and emotional manipulation from both parties may be the norm). The good news about midpoint composites is that, with work and the cooperation of both parties, all difficulties are resolvable. Our composite Moon/Pluto conjunction may lead us to explore the deeper side of our interaction, which may lead to cleansing us of he manipulative behaviour that emerges when we’re together. Our relationship may never be a walk in the park emotionally, but our desire to dig may lead both of us to our soul-path via Pluto’s action on our essential awareness. The first Moon/Pluto pairing, with the conjunction between the charts, will have a much harder time of it because one person’s Moon will be fighting another person’s Pluto, and vice versa. (Conjunctions are not the happy, stable things many assume them to be.)

The Davison chart is a midpoint chart in time and space. We say that a lot, too, without explaining it. Davison discovered that if you calculate the exact point in time and the exact point in space between any two birth charts, the resulting chart was a powerful tool. It’s a midpoint chart that is not theoretical, but anchored in real space and real time. If you were born in 1950 and I was born in 1960, our Davison chart would occur in 1955. The chart is calculated from the adjusted birth time and place. (The birthplace may end up in the middle of the ocean; it doesn’t matter.) Is this also a chart of the relationship? Yes, it is. Is it different from the midpoint chart? Some say no, just work with them and pick your preference. I say yes, they are different, for a good reason.

The midpoint chart is a powerful map of an energetic pattern–our hotspots as a couple. It’s our charisma, our union, who we are when we are together. It is inner-oriented, focused around the pure expression of the energy that occurs when our two like planets meet. The Davison, like all time/space charts, is anchored not in pure expression, but in physical reality. It describes who we are together within our particular life circumstances. Therefore the Davison chart is expressed through the physical reality of our lives. It sees our relationship being acted upon by circumstances, places, other entities/beings involved in the partnership. It has a life of its own, and can be progressed the way any normal chart is progressed, because it has a real time and a real place to anchor it. (Progressed midpoint charts consist of taking the two individual progressed charts and making a midpoint chart from them.) Now here comes the big question, which is more valid? I say both, and I use them both, in different circumstances, depending on the questions being asked of the partnership.

Since the Davison reflects the physical here and now (it’s still a theoretical chart, but it’s grounded in mundane reality) I prefer to use it for physical here and now questions. Mother-in-law issues, or kids driving you both crazy? Davison. Is a move going to affect our relationship? Davison. A third party invading our relationship? Davison to get the picture, and the midpoint chart to figure out why. We feel as if we’re coming apart at the seams, everything is dissolving. Midpoint. We’ve headed into a good patch in our relationship, how long will it last? Midpoint (and Davison if there are specific causes for the good vibes–new job, etc.).

Both charts are highly sensitive to transits (both the actual composites and progressed composites). And both charts are extremely revealing when you put the natal charts around the composite in a biwheel to see how each person reacts to the relationship dynamic (more on this later). Putting a triwheel in place with transits and one of the natal charts will give you an instant, clear picture of one person’s experience of the relationship, and show you how the transit affects both the individual and the partnership." http://theinnerwheel.com/2012/04/18/composite-charts-etched-in-stone-or-sand/

However, the beauty of the composite is, that it depicts the natal and synastric patterns in a crystalized, laser-beam-like way, which is not the case with the DAvison.

posted December 23, 2013 04:48 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by mir:
I remember Cochrane saying that it's a both-sided thing.. so if one has a strong conjunction to the composite and the other not then 'the other' would be inspired to comply. Preferable ofcourse overlaying points for both I would say.

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posted December 23, 2013 05:01 PM            

When two people come together, they create another energy force around them. That third entity, or the energy force, describes the composite chart. When two people commit themselves to loving each other, the whole of that couple is something new, something distinct from either of the individuals. Every couple is a threesome, you, me and what we create together. What we create together is the composite chart. For example, two introverted people start a relationship together and soon enough, they become known for their wild parties. Each of them separately has a strong emphasis on home life, but their composite emphasizes life more towards having a good time and being more extroverted. So this means, that in order for this relationship to work, these two people need to make more time for the party scene. The composite chart says that when you and I conjoin, this is what we create. We create a relationship that says in order for it to progress and flourish, we need this type of lifestyle. So the composite describes the relationship as a whole. Fail to live up to the composite chart, then the relationship falls into a pattern of boredom and monotony. Of course, its a completely different question if the two people actually enjoy doing something that their relationship needs them too. This is where the problems can arise. Its up to the two individuals to make it work because their composite chart says that if you entered this relationship, this is the type of pattern you have to live together to be the happiest. Remember the composite works only when two people are together, not when they are separate. So I hope this made sense In conclusion, synastry and composite are equally important. How can one be not important if one describes your chemistry, the other describes what needs to be done for the relationship to be truly its happiest?

In terms of placidus and equal house system, it doesn't matter which one to use. You use the one that makes sense the most to you. Both of them are correct. Just experiment with both and see which is the most true for you.