Composite Charts

The quote below is taken from Cafe Astrology.com:

Through studying the composite chart of a relationship, we can gain important insights into the dynamics of a couple. The composite chart is the chart of the relationship itself. It is derived by determining the mathematical midpoints between each person’s planets and points, and is an entirely new chart altogether—the chart of a relationship. Basic relationship dynamics can be seen in the composite chart.

I've not made any serious use of the composite chart in understanding the dynamics of the relationship between two people. What I've been doing is to superimpose one chart on another. In Astrolog (the astrology software that I use), this means opening a first chart and then choosing a second chart. I then choose Transit and Natal under Info and then the two charts can be viewed within the one wheel. This is the traditional approach to synastry and I've found that it works well enough.

Its disadvantage however, is that the interactions can be quite complex. There are now two sets of every astrological element, each element in one interacting potentially with every other element in the other. The advantage of a composite chart is its relative simplicity. There is only one set of astrological elements: an astrological element in one chart and the corresponding element in the other chart being replaced in every case with that element placed midway between the two.

The convention is that a midpoint is chosen in terms of the smaller of the two angular separations between the two astrological elements. For example, a Sun in 0° of Aries in one chart and a Sun in 0° of Sagittarius in another chart can be considered to have an angular separation of 240° anticlockwise or 120° clockwise since the relationship exists within a circle of 360°. In such a case, the midpoint of 0° Aquarius is chosen and not 0° Leo for the placement of the composite Sun (although the latter will remain a sensitive point).

The composite chart is thus an artificial, hybrid chart and in this post I want to gather together some various views as to the validity and usefulness of such charts. The Real Astrology Academy makes the following valid point:

Astrology charts are maps of the positions of the planets in the sky at a specific place and time. Composite charts look like an actual chart, but they're not. In reality, Mercury can never be more than 28° from the Sun, and Venus can never be more than 46° from the Sun. But a composite chart can include impossible aspects, such as Sun opposite Venus or Sun trine Mercury.

The same site goes on to say:

In the context of a natal chart, a midpoint is a sensitive point half-way between two other points in the chart. In theory, when that sensitive point is activated by a transit, progression, or direction, it will simultaneously trigger both points. Midpoints in a natal chart have some practical value, especially when working with planetary pictures and the 90° dial. But midpoints in a natal chart work because they're a part of a self-contained system, as it were. 

The composite chart is meant to be the chart of the relationship, but it's not experienced by either person in the relationship. A trigger to a planet in a composite chart, which theoretically activates some part of the relationship, may not be felt by either person in the relationship because it may not trigger either of their natal charts. 

It was the astrologer John Townley who began promoting the technique in the early 1970s and was the first person to publish a 48 page book, The Composite Chart, on the subject in 1973. He is generally recognised as having popularised the technique. Here is a link to a nearly two hour 2017 podcast in which he is interviewed about his technique. In it, he makes some interesting points. For examples, in arranged marriages there may be little synastry between the two charts of the couple being married but the composite chart may show clear planetary interactions. It is also the case that certain midpoints in a composite chart may align with planets and angles in one or both of the natal charts. John Townley felt that such interactions were especially important.

Importantly, he feels that the composite chart grows in power as the length of the relationship increases. He sees it as influencing the basic synastry that exists between the natal charts. Sometimes seemingly favourable synastry can be undermined by the interactions between the composite chart and the two natal charts. The opposite can occur as well of course. There is mention made of a Davidson chart and I'll add the show notes related to this type of chart below:

• Davison chart as a midpoint in time versus composite midpoint in space.
• Davidson creates a chart for a location and date halfway between the natals.
• Ronald Davison (1914-1985)
• First introduced Davison chart in synastry book in 1977.
• Very late in his career, thus probably not central to his work.
• Maybe “off-the-cuff response to the sudden burst of interest in composite charts”
• John calls this part of the “why not” approach that many partook in at the time, including himself in his first volume on composites.

Townley doesn't think much as the Davidson chart and I tend to agree. He has written a second book called Composite Charts: The Astrology of Relationships published in 2000. Liz Greene has also written a 2002 book titled Relationships and How to Survive Them which is divided into two parts: the composite chart and the eternal triangle. Here is a link to a review of the book. There is a lot more on the Internet about composite charts that I've yet to look at. Clearly the chart has its fans and its critics. What I intend to do now is to look at some composite charts of my own and continue to research further on the topic.

Apart from Astrolog, the online site Astrodienst allows for the creation of composite charts and has this to say about them:

The technique consists in calculating the mid-point of pairs of planets, angles, and foci of the partners' natal charts. 

This technique, as well as that of the mid-space mid-time chart, must be taken with caution since its reliability has not been established yet, contrary to the traditional Compatibility Report which is based on the comparison between two natal charts and the analysis of their inter-aspects. 

A composite chart should be read similarly to a natal chart, but with the difference that planets, angles, and houses only are considered. Signs are not relevant. The angular houses (1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th) are the most important ones and, for a couple, it is a better omen when planets are posited in these houses. The 5th and 11th houses are favourable for the blossoming of the relationship, and the 2nd and 8th houses, for sexuality and emotions. The 6th - 12th houses axis is a bit trickier. Aspects are interpreted in the same way as with the natal chart, bearing in mind that they define the relationship and not an individual. The usually accepted orbs are the same as those used in the natal chart. 

The advantage of the composite chart is that it shows the dynamics of the relationship in a quick and simple manner, almost at a glance. It always sheds additional and interesting light to the classical synastry technique of charts comparison.

Once registered with Astrodienst, a composite chart can be created using the following interface (details shown are of myself and my granddaughter):

This is the resultant composite chart:

Here is the same composite chart rendered in monochrome using Astrolog: