How to Read a Synastry Chart! The Big Questions Answered

Synastry is a way of stacking two astrology charts together to see how they interact with each other. It is a common technique for assessing relationship compatibility in astrology.

What does synastry say about soulmates and twin flames? How do you sort through all the squares and conjunctions to see if you really are compatible? Read further to find the answers to your big questions about synastry charts.

Table of Contents

Synastry Basics

Use the widget below to generate a synastry chart for yourself and your partner. The chart is free. This article will also give you some guidance on how to interpret your synastry chart.

Once you’ve created your synastry chart, you have the option to purchase a 20-page detailed interpretation report with diagrams and interpretations exploring the planetary aspects that you share with your partner. Press the “Get Report” button to purchase for $25.

(Before doing that, you can scroll down to discover how to do some of the interpretation yourself.)

If you need a refresher on the planets and other celestial bodies included in an astrology chart, please see 7 Most Important Aspects of a Natal Chart.

The synastry tool highlights aspects between charts in different colors. Aspects are basically connections between celestial bodies within a chart or between celestial bodies in multiple charts.

One aspect that needs no color coding is the conjunction. In a single chart, a conjunction is when two celestial bodies are depicted right next to each other. In a synastry chart, a conjunction is when a celestial body in the first chart is depicted right next to a celestial body in the second chart.

Of the hard or more difficult aspects, squares are coded as red, and oppositions are coded as blue. Of the harmonious aspects, sextiles are coded as purple, and tries are coded as green.

The yellow lines refer to the quincunx or inconjunct, which is a type of connection that can best be described as awkward. The grey lines refer to minor aspects used by advanced astrologers.

To read the synastry chart, start going through the significant points one by one: the Sun, the Moon, the Moon’s nodes, and each planet. 7 Most Important Aspects of a Synastry Chart gives all the details on these.

Synastry Example: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex

For example, let’s look at the synastry between Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, who was formerly known as Meghan Markle. We will start with one of the two charts – Prince Harry, on the inner ring of the diagram – and go through it point by point.

Firstly, Prince Harry has his Sun in Virgo. The green line extending upward from it is a trine to his Moon in Taurus.

Meghan’s Chiron in Taurus is closely conjunct with Prince Harry’s Moon and is, therefore, trine his Sun as well. The symbolism of the asteroid Chiron is based on the wounded healer archetype, so Prince Harry likely finds that this relationship brings up old wounds for him.

A trine is generally a harmonious aspect, so perhaps he finds that the relationship heals those wounds.

Now that we have discussed Prince Harry’s Sun and Moon, let’s go through the planets in his chart in order. Mercury is the first planet, but Prince Harry’s Mercury near the beginning of Virgo is not making major aspects with Meghan’s chart.

Next, let’s look at Prince Harry’s Venus, which is in Libra. Meghan’s Pluto in Libra is very close to that. A conjunction between Venus and Pluto in synastry can be a powerful attraction.

As noted in Who Is Venus in Libra Compatible With?, Venus in Libra is overall not very compatible with Venus in Virgo, which is what Meghan has.

However, Who Is Venus in Virgo Compatible With? points out that it is common for people who have the Sun in Virgo, as Prince Harry does, to have Venus in Libra. In that case, incompatibility with someone who has Venus in Virgo is not a huge concern.

The next planet is Mars, and Prince Harry’s Mars in Sagittarius is square Meghan’s Venus in Virgo. While squares in synastry can show tension in a relationship, a square between Venus and Mars in synastry can be good for physical passion in a sexual relationship.

What remains now are the outer planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.

Prince Harry has Jupiter at the beginning of Capricorn, and this is square to Meghan’s Moon, Saturn, and Jupiter, which are all at the beginning of Libra.

Jupiter can be associated with high status, and Meghan definitely gained status by marrying into the royal family. With Prince Harry’s Jupiter square so much in her chart including her Saturn, however, the increase in status has probably not been all fun for Meghan.

Meanwhile, Prince Harry’s Saturn in Scorpio is square Meghan’s Sun in Leo. Saturn aspects in synastry can hold people together for the long haul even if they don’t enjoy every minute of it.

Prince Harry’s Uranus in Sagittarius is at least trine Meghan’s Sun and Mercury in Leo, so being with him may be liberating for her in some ways in spite of the pressures of royal life.

Prince Harry’s Neptune at the very end of Sagittarius is not doing much for Meghan’s chart. His Pluto at the very beginning of Scorpio, however, is square Meghan’s North Node at the very beginning of Leo. North Node connections in synastry can show a relationship that is very important to your life purpose.

The most obvious North Node connections are conjunctions, but the other aspects can be significant as well. Prince Harry’s North Node at the beginning of Gemini is trine Meghan’s Moon, Saturn, and Jupiter at the beginning of Libra. This big trine gives her the ability to support him in his life path.

One could then go through all of the planets and points in Meghan’s chart in the same way to get her side of the story.

How Do I Know If I Have a Twin Flame Synastry Chart?

MindBodyGreen reports that twin flames are two halves of one soul who mirror each other’s strengths and weaknesses. This idea is not anything that astrology has the ability to prove or disprove.

If you wanted to find someone who mirrored your strengths and weaknesses like a twin flame is said to do, you could look for someone who has their Sun, Moon, or Ascendant opposite your Sun, Moon, or Ascendant. Opposite signs are typically looking at two sides of the same coin.

For example, the opposite of Aries, the first Zodiac sign, is Libra, the seventh Zodiac sign. Both Aries and Libra are focused on issues of self and others in relationships, but Aries tends to focus on the self, while Libra tends to focus on the other.

What Are Synastry Aspects for Soulmates?

MindBodyGreen reports that a soul connection is when you and another person feel extraordinarily linked on a soul level. You can have connections of this sort with multiple people throughout your life, and these people are your soul mates. These connections may or may not have a sexual or romantic component.

Some of the most intense connections possible in synastry involve the Moon’s nodes in one or both charts. While astrology cannot definitively say whether or not any given person is your soul mate, synastry connections to the Moon’s nodes can have that feeling.

As discussed in 7 Most Important Aspects of a Synastry Chart, the North Node and South Node are two points in a natal chart that are exactly opposite each other. For example, if you have your North Node at 0° Aries, you have your South Node at 0° Libra.

The South Node is basically where you are coming from. It refers to things that come easily to you, although you may feel like you are in a rut or not growing when you focus on these things.

The North Node is where you are going, even if it involves things that are hard for you to learn.

If one person has a planet or luminary conjunct with the other person’s North Node or South Node in synastry, these intense issues of life purpose can be triggered. That can definitely feel like a soul connection.

If the conjunction is around one person’s South Node, the relationship might be comfortable, but the person whose South Node is involved might feel held back by the relationship like it is preventing them from growing somehow.

There might also be a dynamic where one person feels that they owe the other person something.

If the conjunction is around one person’s North Node, this might be a challenging relationship, especially for the person whose North Node is involved.

The relationship may be very important for their personal growth, but it is not a relationship where things can be taken for granted. Every little thing has to be hashed out the hard way.

What Are Synastry Aspects for a Significant Relationship?

The planet Saturn has a bad reputation for causing limitations and restrictions. However, in some relationships, Saturn may be exactly what you want in synastry.

In a significant relationship, Saturn can be very valuable in synastry, as it holds people together. This is true whether the relationship is sexual, friendship, family, or business.

For more information on how synastry aspects might play out in different types of relationships, see Mother-In-Law Problems Explained By Astrology, Relationship Birth Chart Compatibility Report, Do You Belong Together?, and Birth Chart Compatibility Explained.

Commitment is a form of limitation that has a good reputation. If your synastry chart has one person’s Saturn respecting the other person’s Sun, Moon, or Ascendant, you two are committed to staying together and working through the tough stuff.

It is possible that this could be a relationship that lasts until death does your part. If it is not, you can feel confident that it was a relationship that lasted until you two learned absolutely all of the lessons that you needed to learn from each other.

Are Squares Bad in Synastry?

Squares in synastry show that there is a connection between two charts that has some tension.

Whether squares are bad in synastry depends in part on the planets involved. Some individuals are also better equipped than others to handle a relationship that has squares in synastry.

A square in synastry between aggressive Mars and restricting Saturn, or between Mars and underhanded Pluto, could result in control issues and manipulation. At worst, such a square could be expressed in physical violence.

A square in synastry between pleasure-loving Venus and expansive Jupiter, however, would not be as bad. The worst case scenario there would be that you and your partner have trouble staying within your budget, or that you two party so hard together that you neglect your responsibilities.

Whether squares are bad in synastry also depends on the people involved. If you have a lot of trines and sextiles in your natal chart, you might be a person who is drawn to a calm and peaceful environment.

You like things to be easy, so you would probably want to get out of a relationship where you and the other person had a lot of squares in synastry.

If you have a lot of squares and oppositions in your natal chart, though, you need some excitement in your life to be happy. You would probably be bored out of your mind in a calm relationship that had no squares or oppositions in synastry.

In a sexual relationship, a square in synastry between one person’s Venus and the other person’s Mars might increase the physical passion, so some might find that square desirable.

How Do I Know If My Birth Chart Is Compatible With Another Person’s Chart?

How do you sum all this up and determine whether your chart is overall compatible with another person’s chart? It depends on what you hope to get out of the relationship.

The synastry that would be compatible for a light and happy friendship or a fun fling might involve a lot of Venus aspects. The synastry that would be compatible for a long-term commitment might instead be more focused on Saturn and the Moon’s nodes.

Much unhappiness in life comes not so much from what actually happened as it does from a mismatch between what actually happened and what you expected was going to happen. Looking at your synastry with another person can at least give you an idea of what to expect.

If it is important to you to have a relationship that lasts a long time no matter what, look for Saturn connections between your charts, especially from one person’s Saturn to the other person’s Sun, Moon, Ascendant, or Venus.

If it is important for you to have a relationship that maximizes pleasure at the moment regardless of how long it lasts, look for Venus connections between your charts. One person’s Venus connecting to the other person’s Sun, Moon, or Ascendant can just feel good.

For sexual passion specifically, one person’s Venus connecting to the other person’s Venus or Mars could fuel that.

If it is important for you to have a relationship where communication is easy, look for Mercury connections between your charts. Trines or sextiles between one person’s Mercury and the other person’s Sun, Moon, Ascendant, or Venus would be especially helpful.

If it is important for you to have a relationship that pushes you to grow, even if the growth is not always comfortable, look for the other person having planets or other significant points conjunct with your North Node.

Chiron or Pluto connections in synastry can also be involved in finding and healing old wounds, though sometimes they can create new wounds too.

If it is important for you to have a relationship where there is a lot of activity, so that you are never bored, look for Mars connections between charts. Good Mars connections, especially trines, and sextiles, can help you and a partner get things done together.

This would be ideal if you hope to, for example, renovate a house with your partner.

Conjunctions, squares, or oppositions in synastry between Mars and Saturn or Mars and Pluto can be more trouble than most people are equipped to handle, though. Saturn and Pluto tend to hold things in, which is not bad in some circumstances, but the aggressive force of Mars is better off having an outlet.

Uranus connections between charts can provide excitement and new perspectives, though a relationship where the most prominent connections are Uranus connections could end as suddenly as it began.