There is presently a tendency in astrology to pick everything apart and analyze things from there when a more united or integrated view would yield a better understanding. The four basic categorizations in astrology -planets, signs, aspects, and houses all basically mean one thing -twelve planetary positions. These twelve positions, in turn, also mean only one thing -the individual as a twelve fold or twelve-bodied being.
When we understand that the Ascendant is planet Earth and that the Houses are nothing more than the Earth's relationship to the other planets, and that these relationships are based on gender, mode, element, or sign more than by degree, and that a planet's integral nature is based primarily on its sign placement, what we have left are the twelve planetary positions.
When we also understand that each of these twelve planetary positions or layers of the self can interact individually amongst themselves or with someone else's planetary positions, either through default or free will, and that they are tempered or modified by sex, creed, and culture, then we have a solid understanding of the basic principles involved in synastry (the astrology of relationships).
In this work we shall deal with eleven bodies or planets, the twelfth of which is still unconfirmed or undetermined. These eleven bodies or planets are:
All eleven have proven to be important and observable astrological influences. The Midheaven and/or Planet X as candidates for either Gemini or Virgo are still under study.
Thanks to Linda Goodman and others, we all know how Sun signs (egos) relate to one another, but we are not just our Sun signs. We are also our Moon, Ascendant (Earth), Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and X signs. We are twelve-fold beings, capable of interacting in twelve different ways. How each of our twelve parts interact with someone (or something) else's twelve parts is what astrology is all about. Even Paul, in the New Testament declares that "we are all parts of one another".
With twelve planets capable of expressing through twelve signs, there are a total of 144 astrological "parts" or planetary positions in astrology, all of which encompass the totality of human or animal experience, good or bad, here on Earth and elsewhere. Each of us comes with twelve of these parts at birth, depending on the time and place.
To describe how all - 144 planetary positions interact with one another would be too much to list here, but some rules and examples will suffice.
Rule 1: Mutual comparisons (Sun-Sun, Moon-Moon, Mercury-Mercury, etc.) are the strongest.
Rule 2: Interfunctional comparisons (Sun-Moon, Sun-Mercury, Sun-Venus, etc.) can make up for mutual incompatibility.
Rule 3: The sign, element, or gender should be used in terms of assessing the harmony or discord between two planets or signs. Aspects by degree intensify the effect.
Rule 4: Both the planets and the signs should be compared when assessing compatibility.
Example 1: Jupiter in Leo versus Neptune in Scorpio:
Not only are both planets incompatible, but so are the signs involved. Jupiter(Sagittarius) represents the 10th house for Neptune(Pisces), While Neptune represents the 4th house for Jupiter. Likewise, Leo is the 10th house for Scorpio, and Scorpio is the 4th for Leo. What this all means is that Jupiter in Leo is the ultimate boss or dominating influence for Neptune in Scorpio. Neptune in Scorpio, on the other hand, is the ultimate mother figure or nurturer for Jupiter in Leo.
In turn, Neptune in Scorpio would completely dominate or control Mercury(Gemini) in Aquarius, which would in turn have a similar effect on Mercury(Virgo) in Taurus, and so on. It's cyclical and requires a knowledge of ruler ships and how the signs, elements and modes relate to one another.
The diagram below outlines the zodiacal relationships between planet-in-sign placements that are in their home signs.
In general, the sign or element ahead always has power or dominance over the sign or element before. This means that Earth dominates Fire which dominates Water which dominates Air which dominates Earth. The upper square or 10th house(cardinal/Capricorn) is the most dominating or controlling, followed by the 2nd and 6th. 12th, 8th, and 4th are submissive. This is on both a planetary and sign level. In the above diagram, Saturn in Capricorn is most dominant over Mars in Aries while Neptune in Pisces is most submissive. 1st, 5th, 9th and 3rd, 7th, 11tth are basically equal in power. Dominance/submission equates to the negative or discordant aspects while equality equates to the positive ones
There is also what is known as mutual reception and dispositorship. Mutual reception is when one planet is in the sign the other rules. An example is Sun in Aries and Mars in Leo. If examined with the methods already outlined, both the planets and the signs will be found to be very compatible. Mutual reception strengthens this compatibility even further, as each planet holds the key to the other. Mutual reception can work natally, by transit or progression, or between two or more persons.
Dispositorship occurs when two or more planets are linked by ruler ship often forming a chain. An example is Sun in Aries/Mars in Gemini/Mercury in Pisces/Neptune in Sagittarius/Jupiter in Sagittarius. In this chain the Sun disposits Mars, which disposits Mercury, which disposits, Neptune which disposits Jupiter. It cannot go further because Jupiter is in its own sign. All five of these planets work together and must be interpreted that way. Dispositorship can work nasally or between two or more persons.
The effect of any planetary placement on any other can be known using the above methods. These methods, however, will remain somewhat ambiguous until every sign has its own definite or individual ruler.