It occurred to me while working with synastry charts that it might be interesting and astrologically informative to set up these charts using only the natal planetary declination longitude equivalents (referred to throughout as the "l.e.'s"). The results were quite revealing.
Using my own chart set up with only the natal cusps I entered only the l.e. positions of the natal planets, including the solstice point equivalents, and I was amazed at the results. The l.e. Neptune moves into my 7th house and receives a wonderful trine from my natal Sun (there is no aspect at all between these two planets before converting Neptune to its l.e.) Neptune's move to the angle increases its power considerably. I have gravitated towards counseling all my life.
Pluto and Mars have no aspect relationship in their natal longitudinal positions. Pluto's l.e. moves it to square Mars. I do have an explosive temper and a definite attraction for intense men.
Mercury's natal longitude makes no aspect to my natal Moon and only a semi sextile to Saturn. As ruler of 10th I would expect these aspects present since I have worked in real estate. Mercury's l.e. moves it to a conjunction with natal Moon and a trine to Saturn.
These aspects seem more correct to me than the natal positions.
Then I took my ex-husbands chart (we are still rather close) and set it up using only the l.e.'s. Amazing. His natal Venus at 2 Gemini doesn't make any strong synastric aspects to my chart. But by l.e. it is exactly conjunct my natal Mercury (chart ruler) and very close to my Moon l.e.. There is much more in that combination of longitude equivalents than in the two original charts themselves. Plus the l.e.'s indicated the marriage in my chart, which had never been found by conventional methods.
The next chart I examined was of a young friend who was going through severe depression and emotional turmoil. No birth time was available and a natural chart was not helping me find the problem. His natal Mercury is nicely aspected but out of bounds. I intuitively felt he was suicidal and he spoke of this himself. Transiting Saturn had been squaring his natal Mercury off and on the past year to produce serious problems, yet had moved on, so he should have been more optimistic, but using the l.e. of Mercury made it possible to see a tie in with the progressed chart. By secondary progressions there was an Eclipse at 20 Capricorn. There were events in his life that were significant in view of an eclipse, but no aspect to natal planets to explain the suicidal tendencies. The natal l.e. Mercury, however, at 20 Capricorn had been "hit" by this Eclipse. Even without a birth time, this was obviously the trigger. It was this progressed Eclipse that created the crises activating mental instability, magnified by the conjunction to his o-o-b natal Mercury and allowed emotion to color his mentality. Transitting Pluto also on his l.e. Venus was contributing to the emotional upheaval and feelings of abandonment.
I am using two separate charts now: the natal and the longitudinal equivalent chart based on declinations. I compare the progressed chart with both. I think the l.e. chart can almost stand alone. And the synastric comparison charts using the l.e.'s seem to be more informative overall.
What I am seeing is that the l.e. chart will show where the native can handle squares and oppositions. It explains why some people do so well with miserable squares and manage to build and shine rather than give up in defeat , and why some people utilize trines so well , yet others just become lazy. I see ways "out" with the l.e.s.
With synastric comparisons the interactions between the charts by using the l.e.s becomes exceedingly important as well as fascinating.
The charts presented here are of a couple married since July 11, 1964, and as this marriage has lasted over 30 years I think it's a wonderful sample. This is a warm, happy, loving couple. Linda and Tom have some basic compatibility as shown by the ordinary chart comparison and both charts show the potential for successful marriages. Her Saturn, an indicator of longevity in relationships, trines his Venus . Her Venus in the 11th house is conjunct his Mercury, his Mars is within 5 degrees of her Mercury (her 7th house ruler) . They do seem to have very good communication.
There is a worry here using conventional synastric comparison that his natal Venus square to Saturn , and that same Saturn opposing Linda's Mars, would cause coldness and eventual problems in the relationship.
By conversion to the declination equivalents, l.e. Mercury is on his 7th house cusp, so Mercury should be important to relationship. The traditional chart shows Sun in Tom's 7th yet it doesn't make strong, exact aspects to Linda's chart. However, Mercury does.
His l.e. Mercury is in exact aspect to her Venus, as in the natal chart, but now we see why that aspect is important since Tom's Mercury is so close to his 7th cusp. And Linda's l.e. Mercury, ruler of her 7th house, is exactly square his l.e. Venus . Also involved is her l.e. Mars, co-ruler of her first.
Further, his 7th house l.e. Mercury trines her 7th house Neptune.
When you look at the declination equivalent charts you'll notice that his l.e. Saturn moves to trine her Mars, instead of opposing it as in the natal comparison, and that his Mars l.e. at 6 CAP / 23 SAG is within 2 degrees of her Venus at 4 CAP / 25 SAG. So, although the links in natal charts are mostly Mercurial, this relationship is not all talk! Nor is it cold!! (They still hold hands like teenagers!)
Also, notice that in Tom's declination l.e. chart both Venus and Jupiter trine his 7th house Sun, creating more potential for a happy, loving marriage that is not seen with the natal chart.
There are many more contacts between these two charts to explore, including his l.e. Moon trine to her Sun. We're told in synastric books to look for signs that blend, but how much more interesting when by conversions those blended signs actually make an aspect!
Home
