I. Introduction
"... Yet everything that touches us, you and me,
takes us together as a bow's stroke does,
that out of two strings draws a single voice.
Upon what instrument are we two spanned?
And what player has us in his hand? ... "
Rainer Maria Rilke, Love-Song
The wisdom of the soul reveals itself most explicitly when we
enter into a union of souls with another person. This person is
waiting with a message, a lesson for us, which we urgently need
for our further development. It is solely for this purpose that
we fall in love, it is only for this reason that we bind our
being to this individual and allow ourselves to become
emotionally or existentially dependent on this person. The
encounter with a person who exerts a great influence on the rest
of our lives, however, only comes about when we are ready for it
in our deepest being. In respect to experience, our conscious
will and our most pressing desires have little effect on what
"happens to us" in a general sense. Whether it is a matter of
encountering our own child for the first time, or whether it
concerns our partner for life or a business partner, this is of
lesser significance at the level of the soul. Experiences with
our siblings, with long-standing friendships, with our roommates
or with business rivals offer us opportunities - pleasant or
unpleasant - to grow spiritually and to mature internally. Each
of these persons brings us in touch with a different aspect of
our own nature. In the one case, it can be our independent and
freedom-loving side which gains expression, in the other case,
our steady and conscientious side. With the one individual we
become involved in a turbulent power struggle, with the other we
learn to cope with the demands of daily life. Many themes in our
soul's curriculum are easier to deal with in the form of
intensive teamwork among colleagues as opposed to an intimate
relationship. Other persons, on the contrary, require the deep
union of souls typical between parents and their children.
But what are we internally ready for at the moment of our first
encounter? Which experiences are possible with this individual?
What role should they play in our life and what role should we
play in theirs? What kind of conflicts can we expect and where
does our potential lie?
All of these are questions which we attempt to approach with the
help of astrology. This horoscope analysis can not only help find
answers to such questions, it can also help us to view our
relationships from a different perspective for the first time.
II. Role Casting
Like any two-person piece performed on stage, it is not only the
roles of the two actors which are set beforehand. The theme
preoccupying the two protagonists, as well, is at least sketched
out in advance, allowing them to bestow a conscious orientation,
a character to their figures. When the soul proves to be the
director of our private two-person dramas in interpersonal
relationships, it utilizes the symbolic power of archetypal
images and themes. The dramas within ourselves revolving around
passion, self-assertion, responsibility or the ability to gain
insight are as ancient as humanity itself. Every new partnership
awakens such an ancient myth within us and thus gives us the
strength and wisdom of its heroes and heroines for our further
journey.
Your need to belong somewhere, for protection and emotional
security demand special attention in this relationship. On a
subconscious level, both of you are searching for a family, a
home, carried by the hope of finally arriving one day. Nothing is
more essential than time so that the two of you can grow and
ripen internally. Time will allow the past, the present and the
future to meld into a whole, and then it will be insignificant
whether you adopt the role of the child both eager to learn and
to be protected, or the role of the steady and supportive adult.
Each of you possesses the potential to nourish your partner
emotionally and to guarantee her a hold and long-term support. It
will be primarily Hillary's task, however, to create structures
in your relationship which serve your common orientation. Without
her ability to draw limits, establish order, set schedules and
demonstrate both steadfastness and perseverance, your
relationship would hardly be a stabile one in the long run. This
is so because Bill often moves in an unpredictable world of
emotions and instincts where moods, emotional atmospheres and
fears of being hurt are at home.
In the course of her relationship with Bill, Hillary will come
into contact with her active and sometimes aggressive sides. It
is important for her to show initiative and to put her plans into
effect as well. In this partnership, Hillary would like to learn
self-assertiveness and achievement in life. This will function
best if Bill allows himself to be enthused by and involved in
Hillary's constantly new plans, instead of feeling left out and
ignored.
When Hillary is brought down to earth again and again by Bill,
and he helps her to concentrate on the essential things in life,
a certain strict sobriety and seriousness cannot be avoided. In
the role of the advisor and reliable companion, Bill will often
seem to be the veritable cliff against the waves, but there will
also be times when he feels blocked, inhibited and hindered in
his activities.
In this partnership, however, he can become conscious of his
deep-seated anxieties about not receiving true recognition and
attention from other people, and thus, not being truly respected
by them. For this reason, Bill probably takes on more duties and
responsibilities than he can actually handle, in the secret hope
of being loved and admired for doing so. By learning first and
foremost to value himself and to pay attention to his own needs,
Bill can develop true sovereignty and a mature sense of self.
III. Main Theme
The deep desire for mutual complementation unites both of you -
including the hope it brings of harmonious togetherness. Each
partner represents personality aspects which the other is
lacking. The tension generated by your contrasts aims to be and
must be discharged - it produces the amount of energy both of you
need to deal with essentials within your relationship, with all
its pitfalls and challenges.
Every relationship between individuals who feel bound to each
another by a union of souls and who, as a result, become
implicated in emotional and material dependencies, is
characterized by a life theme extremely important for both
partners. The main theme of a relationship runs through the
partnership like a gold thread. It shows what has brought two
people together at an unconscious level and what they would like
to learn together and further develop in the course of their
partnership.
During your first encounter both of you had the deep,
subconscious wish to take on responsibility for another person or
for an important task. Together, you will find it easier to
develop the discipline and necessary sense of duty for this
purpose. You have found each other in order to master difficult
times and not everyday challenges, however. "Bear the burden of
your fellow man" is not only a biblical phrase for each of you,
but an expression of loyalty and allegiance.
As difficult as it might be to accept, at a subconscious level
neither of you is actually concerned with experiencing the light
and joyful sides of life. For this reason, you will be repeatedly
confronted with difficult, perhaps even severe states of affairs.
However, your will to succeed, your competence and your
perseverance will allow you to master these obstacles. Your
ability to stick together through thick and thin and not to
overemphasize personal problems grants you the necessary
emotional detachment from those areas which - seen superficially
- present difficulties, but which also await you with a treasure
of experiences and opportunities.
As a pair you possess the ability to present yourselves in a
positive light with charm. You enjoy the respect of your fellows
and even under difficult circumstances you can count on the
sympathies of your social environment. The fact that you value
each other highly is hardly a secret to anybody. Nonetheless, you
repeatedly enter situations which ignite your fighting spirit as
well as the desire to conquer each other anew.
The Most Important Sphere of Life
Even though the main theme of a relationship touches all spheres
of life for both partners, one very particular area acquires
special significance through this union. This area determines the
life stage upon which the partners act, it determines the
backdrop for the plot and, finally, it shows where the most
intensive and formative experiences are possible for both
individuals.
In your common activities contact with other individuals -
privately and professionally - has a special significance. As a
result, both of you have a strong orientation towards social
life, and it could be the case that you spend more time with
other people than alone with each other. In your thoughts and
conversations you will also be concerned with the behavior and
problems of other persons to a great extent, which can have the
effect of distracting from the actual situation which exists
between the two of you. As long as this creates no problems for
either of you and as long as you understand each other well, you
undoubtedly make a great team capable of giving advice to others
and supporting them. However, the danger cannot be ignored that
your colleagues might repeatedly attempt to disrupt your
relationship and to "disturb the peace". In such cases, it is
essential that you discuss matters with one another and address
the source of disturbance directly and together. Otherwise, a
wedge could be placed between the two of you capable of seriously
damaging your sense of togetherness. In the end, the most
important thing is not what others think and say about you, but
rather that you deal with one another openly and honestly.
IV. The Fundamental Nature of Your Relationship
Just as in the case of any solitary natural being, the energy
generated by the union of two individuals possesses its own
unmistakable character. It determines whether the two partners
attempt to pursue their common interests dynamically and single-
mindedly, or rather, cautiously and reservedly. Correspondingly,
the fundamental nature of their relationship will become
especially evident in one sphere of life, granting both
individuals the opportunity to cope with the demands - together
with chances and challenges - awaiting them there.
In only a very small number of partnerships does money play no
role whatsoever. If merely scant financial means exist, the
partners must learn to budget and gauge their resources to
survive on a monthly basis. Individuals with means and
possessions, on the other hand, usually expend much energy in
administering their ownings or investing their finances
profitably.
In your relationship, values and conceptions of value, income as
well as material or immaterial goods are of significance. Your
joint energies can best be cultivated in areas concerned with
establishing a mode of existence or means of livelihood, or with
utilizing your abilities in an advantageous manner. Each of you
is in possession of a potential which would make it possible to
lead an individual and independent life. Often, however, a
partnership, intensive interaction with another person or even a
shared struggle for existence can be necessary conditions for
uncovering latent talents which can then be cultivated.
Whereas Bill will concentrate more on the practical and concrete
aspects of consolidating his means of subsistence, it can be
helpful for Hillary to turn to the inner treasures within
herself. A good many abilities may not be known to her, in which
case a prior phase of abandoning outdated conceptions or
circumstances may be required in order to develop these.
The character of your relationship is exceptionally dynamic, and
for this reason you will seldom avoid confrontations. In striving
to fill your lives with energy and vigor, it will be especially
helpful to direct your respective abilities towards a common aim.
This aim should not, however, lie in the too distant future. Both
of you are good sprinters, but over longer distances you can
easily lose your stamina. Since both of you are constantly open
to new challenges, it will often be the case that each of you can
be blamed for neglecting and occasionally forgetting your
partner. Each of you falls all to easily into the role of the
maverick who is intent on personal interests, to the detriment of
your shared solidarity. Marching into battle and asserting
yourselves "out there" in life are much more promising than
wasting your energies in fights and disagreements.
Both of you possess the ability to master the highs and lows of a
partnership without letting its stability suffer as a result. The
bonds between the two of you are extremely resistant and have no
danger of breaking should one of you go your own way. It is
possible that you are bound together by other persons or by a
common project, so that more than your own personal interest are
involved in the relationship. A clear distribution of tasks and
responsibilities will not be difficult for you, especially since
each of you values order and manageable circumstances in your
common activities.
V. The Emotional Sphere
Every relationship needs an atmosphere suitable to its own unique
character in order to allow feelings to express themselves. The
ability to communicate with the other partner on an emotional
level, to surrender oneself to the other partner with trust, to
accept intimacy and to enter into a caring relationship with one
other is influenced by the respective childhood experiences.
Nevertheless, the interaction between the two partners creates
new possibilities which allow them to begin a dialogue between
their deepest levels of being.
Spontaneous activities which awaken your initiative and
assertiveness give both of you an enormous emotional charge. Now
and then you might lack real enthusiasm and consistency when
routine and monotony creep in, but you will always be in a
position to find new challenges which manage to satisfy your
instinctive compulsion to act and to conquer new territories.
The emotional needs in your environment are a deeply felt concern
for both of you. For this reason, you probably attract people who
desire your care and attention in some manner or other. Here, it
is much less a question of providing material help than of
granting others emotional fulfillment through your knowledge and
experiences. A deep sense of friendship develops between the two
of you - and gives you emotional satisfaction - when you are able
to spend even a brief time alone in complete relaxation. You are
capable of coping with hectic circumstances, domestic unrest,
constantly ringing telephones and surprise visitors better than
most couples. What you may consider disturbing also keeps you
mentally and emotionally alert, and grants you the opportunity to
derive knowledge and new perspectives from the interactive
dynamics involving other people.
In this relationship, Bill can develop the sensory capabilities
of perceiving and observing things in his environment in a highly
subtle manner. Even if he does not articulate these impressions
immediately, they will express themselves in his behavior or mode
of action. Hillary is able to place Bill's perceptions in a
greater context and to find a deeper meaning in even everyday
occurrences. Emotional depth is the gate to new insights for
Hillary and will help her develop an instinctive confidence in
the meaningfulness of existence.
You most definitely felt very much attracted to one another
during your first encounter. The affection you feel for one
another helps you remain fair and maintain mutual respect in even
difficult times. You have no difficulties empathizing with your
partner, and thus being able to recognize his true needs and
motivations, and learning to accept them. In this way, you are
able to establish a harmonious balance between care and attention
for your partner on the one hand, and representing your own
interests on the other. This keeps your partnership in a state of
equilibrium which helps each of you feel well and emotionally
nourished on a long-term basis.
VI. The Mental Sphere
For mutual understanding, it is necessary that the two partners
can make themselves understood to each other. The ability to
communicate, to maintain contact and an intensive, thinking
interaction with the other partner determines the extent to which
the one partner can respond to the needs of the other. Even when
two individuals do not speak the same language in an intellectual
sense, common interests, flexibility and openness can always
build a bridge between them.
Each of you possesses the ability to intuitively sense what your
partner thinks or wants to say in advance. In conversations, you
are able to empathize with your partner to such an extent that it
sometimes becomes difficult to distinguish your opinions from one
another. This can cause one partner to absorb the fears and
insecurities of the other, which can obscure your perception of
concrete events from time to time. Your talent to capture the
hidden essence of a situation and to read between the lines also
gives you the capability of recognizing wide-reaching, meaningful
connections between things. Your mode of communication includes
fantasies, images and sensations, and for this very reason you
have the skill of interpreting each other's dreams and, in this
way, drawing conclusions about still latent subconscious
potentialities. Interaction with the realm of the psyche can give
you the ability to become your partner's helper, and both of you
can help each other bring deep-seated existential anxieties fully
into consciousness.
Your thoughts and conversations probably center on financial
matters quite often. Establishing and maintaining a material
foundation for your lives demands a great amount of ingenuity and
flexibility. A common source of subsistence will offer the best
chances for success when it involves writing, language, media and
information, or instructive skills. You sense of self-worth can
also be strengthened in this way.
You probably find it difficult to integrate your thoughts and
conceptions into concrete action all too often. As a result, you
might make agreements or plans which you are not in a position to
follow up or actually carry out. This is certainly not
intentional, however. On the contrary, each of you has the
definite intention of not only formulating ideas and conceptions
within this relationship, but acting on them as well. If this is
entirely impossible or only in another form, it could be the case
that you were not concerned enough with the concrete
circumstances beforehand.
VII. Hillary's Role in the Relationship
In a close and binding relationship where the partners either
live together or spend a great deal of time together on a daily
basis, the concerns which they contribute to the partnership will
certainly become very evident. The less binding a relationship
is, on the other hand, the less evident these themes will be in
daily life. The following description will more precisely
characterize the role which Hillary plays in this relationship,
and above all, center on those themes which she will be concerned
with in a deeper sense.
In the relationship with Bill, Hillary would like to express her
caring nature, protective instinct and personal commitment.
Therefore, she will especially concerned with her empathetic,
sensitive and cautious sides. The "family" receiving Hillary's
attentions could be rather large, then it is not limited to
actual relatives in the traditional sense. People with similar
ways of thinking, close colleagues at work or others who mean a
great deal to Hillary emotionally can also be counted among her
family members. Hillary would like to be there for all of these
individuals, offering them support and giving them the feeling
that she can be relied upon. It is also important for Hillary to
know where she belongs. For this reason, she has a significant
need for a safe and secure place as a base of operations where
her position is not in question.
In the relationship with Bill, Hillary's knowledge and the
steadily growing insightfulness connected with it have
significance. Freedom of thought - but also personal freedom and
independence - are very important to Hillary in this
relationship. She will reject any and all curtailments in her
freedom of movement as well as her desire for growth and
expansion. Involvement with philosophical, religious or cultural
themes could widen her world view tremendously, and also serve
her search for meaning in general. Bill can learn a great deal
from Hillary, and Hillary will feel highly inspired by his
inquisitiveness, hunger for knowledge and readiness to approach
new areas of knowledge without prejudices. In the end, both will
motivate each other to continually learn new things and to pass
this knowledge on to other people.
In the relationship with Bill, Hillary's charming and lovable
sides will be expressed to a significant degree. She desires
harmony and emotional security, especially in the intimate and
domestic spheres. If arbitration and negotiation become necessary
in this connection, her reliable intuitions of other people's
needs and her sense of fairness will acquire special
significance. With her caring nature, Hillary is able to accord
every side involved the appropriate attention and estimation. In
this way, Hillary can learn a great deal about herself, and in
the end this partnership will also serve the function of
increasing Hillary's awareness of what she needs herself in order
to feel loved and accepted in relationships with other people.
Hillary does not take this partnership at all lightly. Her
readiness to assume responsibility is tremendous, but she must be
careful that she does not overextend herself. Otherwise, she
could be surrounded by obstacles and antagonists one day, and
forget to enjoy the pleasant and cheerful things in life.
If Hillary parts with old dependencies and sometimes withstands
violent crises as a result, this will not leave Bill unaffected.
In the end, Hillary will have showed him how satisfying letting
go can be, and how little spontaneity and liveliness remain when
one is trapped in life circumstances no longer corresponding to
one's own inner truth.
VIII. Bill's Role in the Relationship
A description now follows of the role which Bill plays in your
relationship. Here, too, those themes will be emphasized which he
will be concerned with during the course of the relationship.
In the relationship with Hillary, Bill would like to demonstrate
his sense of responsibility, conscientiousness and steadfastness.
It is obvious that Bill will not choose easy tasks and will only
be satisfied when he does justice to them despite sundry
hindrances and obstacles. The reasons for the difficulties often
confronting Bill do not necessarily lie in his external
environment - he probably feels physically and internally
inhibited and burnt out from time to time, and as a result his
vitality and joy in living can only be expressed to a greatly
reduced degree. Bill places great demands on himself. If he is
not yet certain his achievements will be above average, he will
most probably prefer to do nothing at all in certain situations.
His apparent inactivity is usually a sign that important
learning and developmental processes are taking place internally,
however. What he sets out to do might well take longer than
planned to be completed. But "good things take time", and as long
as Bill possesses the necessary perseverance, he has good chances
of achieving his goals.
The relationship with Hillary will prove to be an extraordinarily
important experience for Bill. Bill's team spirit and the
readiness to cooperate are important qualities in a partnership
with Hillary, which inevitably leads to his taking a closer look
at his own desires and conceptions regarding relationships at a
deeper level. Hillary is a fitting companion in this connection,
then she most probably corresponds to Bill's conception of an
equal-ranking ally through the ups and downs of life. However,
it is Bill who openly or secretly claims the role of the actual
authority in this partnership. this may well be true one day, but
Bill should recognize the fact that Hillary - in some capacity or
other - has accompanied him along his way. Without Hillary's
belief in Bill, his abilities and orientational help, the danger
would exist that Bill would only see hindrances and obstacles
before himself, and lack the initiative to overcome them.
In this relationship Bill will not find it difficult to confront
the realities of life openly and with acceptance, while
nevertheless pursuing the realization of his goals in a lively
and sovereign manner. He will also be able to count on the
competent support of other people. The good will and the ability
they place at his disposal without competitive behavior will
serve to promote Bill's interests in a significant way.
Provided Bill retains a sense of his own attractivity and
provided his sense of self-value does not stand or fall with
Hillary's acceptance or rejectance, Bill's winning charisma will
always triumph. The sympathies and good will of other people are
very important to him - they prompt him to show himself from his
best side.
– – –
Appendix
Astrological Techniques
There are a number of astrological methods which enable us to
view a partnership more effectively. The oldest method is that of
horoscope comparison, called synastry. Here, two birth horoscopes
are investigated and interpreted on the basis of shared aspects.
Composite and Combined Horoscopes, on the other hand, are
relatively new. Robert Hand is considered to be one of the
pioneers of composite horoscope research. His comprehensive
interpretative work, Planets in Composite, appeared in 1975. We
owe the Combined Horoscope to the work of the Viennese astrologer
Philip Schiffmann, and independently of him, the Englishman
Ronald Davison - the "Horoscope for Two" is based on their
research. In the English speaking world the Combined Horoscope is
often called the 'Davison Relationship Chart'. Whereas the
composite horoscope does not reflect an actual astronomical
constellation, the Combined Horoscope unites the birth horoscopes
of the partners in space and time, in a new and real
constellation. That point in time is determined which lies
exactly between the birth dates of the persons involved, while
the geographical longitude and latitude are established in the
same way. Mona Riegger has been investigating both interpretative
possibilities since 1980 and published her findings for the first
time in her book, Handbook of Combined and Composite Horoscope
Interpretation. With the help of the Combined Horoscope, she is
able to identify which role each partner occupies within the
relationship and which opportunities for development present
themselves during its further course.
For the interpretation of the "Horoscope for Two", however, Mona
Riegger presupposes a high degree of commitment between the
partners in question. The more casual the character of the
partnership is, the more the interactive aspects and personality
features described here recede in the background - the more
intensive the relationship is, the more the partners will have to
come to terms with the themes reflected in their common
horoscope. The type of relationship is not the decisive factor.
Even when a "Horoscope for Two" involving close friends, co-
workers or even business rivals reveals a strong emphasis on
emotional or domestic themes, or when professional themes are
especially emphasized in an intimate relationship, it is
worthwhile to come to an understanding of the matter at this
deeper level. A professional rival can confront us with feelings
of being threatened quite effectively, causing us to react
emotionally in an extremely injured manner. Excessive rivalry and
faulty decision-making are all too often a result of this
process. In the interpretative passages, however, the author
assumes a relationship which is positively affirmed ; for this
reason, competitive relationships often "get away with too much".
Recurring Themes in Different Horoscopes
It becomes obvious when reading various "Horoscopes for Two" that
certain themes recur and are interpreted in text blocks with a
similar content. This is a necessary consequence of the computer
text method utilized for casting the horoscope. The same factors
(ascendant, house positions for planets ruling a sign, etc.)
occur repeatedly in different horoscopes. First the synthesis of
these various factors - in respect to the entire horoscope -
allows every relationship to reveal its individuality and
uniqueness.
Related Literature
The "Horoscope for Two" is an independent partnership horoscope
which is cast on the basis of each partner's date of birth, but
which makes no reference to individual themes in their respective
birth horoscopes. Perhaps after reading this horoscope analysis
you will be interested in a more comprehensive analysis of your
own personality, not only from the perspective of
"relationships". In such a case, we recommend the Psychological
Horoscope Analysis by Liz Greens (available from the same place
where this report was ordered).
Literature recommended for partnership themes :
Mona Riegger, Handbook of Combined and Composite Horoscope
Interpretation. A comprehensive guide for casting and
interpreting partnership horoscopes with clear and accessible
interpretative statements, plus a multitude of fascinating case
studies (currently available only in German).
Liz Greene, Astrology for Lovers. An amusing but insightful look
at zodiac signs and their role in personal relationships.
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