Love Signifiers in the Birth Chart
In honor of Valentines Day, we’re taking a look at a few love indicators in the birth chart. How you practice astrology is up to you; This analysis focuses on the self-awareness and interpersonal gains that comes with working with your universal archetypes.
In sum, there is no sum.
It’s easy to want to slap a label on a theology to make it more digestible. Our brains like patterns, and things that have consistent applications… Traditionally, astrology is not that. Modern and evolutionary astrology tend to take larger philosophical concepts from ancient traditions, and narrow them into constructs that we can use to broaden our introspection and self-awareness. When pertaining to love in particular, I’ve heard a few different new-wave methodologies that seem to be resonant for many modern practitioners:
Venus is what you want in love, while Mars is how you act in love
Venus is what you’re attracted to, and Mars is how you attract others
For women, Venus is how you flirt and Mars is what you’re attracted to; for men, it would be the inverse
The fact is, all of these may be true. There’s undoubtedly more than one signifier when examining topics like love and romance in an astrology chart. Any trusty astrologer will tell you that, unless we have your full birth chart in front of us, we can’t tell you many details about your love life. This is because of the Mandala Effect…
No, not the Mandela Effect.
The Mandala Effect here is referring to the interconnectedness of all astrological philosophies. If we were, for example, going to look at how Venus influences your love life, I would have so many questions beforehand. What sign is Venus in? What house is it in? What relationships does Venus have with the rest of the planets in your chart? Are any other planets nearby? What relationship does Venus have to your 7th house? And so on, and so forth.
This is all to remind you that astrology is a two-way street. YOU need YOUR context in order for the astrologer’s translation of the star language to be relavant.
Venus’ Symbolism and Significance in the Birth Chart
When you ask a modern astrologer, “Who’s my best match?” They’ll often point you to your Venus placement. This is because, in mythology, Aphrodite was the divine embodiment of femininity and grace. While her keywords can be summed up with, “love” and “romance”, this Goddess is very much alive, and has deeper underlying motivations.
Put yourself in a garden, and picture it’s female caretaker… Notice how her hair billows in the sun and her lewd and free body moves about the plots, tending intuitively to the flora? That is an embodiment of Venus, and the feminine essences of grace, sensuality, fertileness, harmony, and balance.
For reasons tying back to her essence, you can and should look to Venus in a birth chart when dissecting your “love body”. In a birth chart, Venus is going to represent everything from your friendships, to your relationships, to your aesthetic, to creativity, pleasure, sensuality, recreation, and pleasure.
Just like the Goddess in that garden, Venus is going to be concerned with keeping the peace and maintaining a harmonious, fruitful balance in her environment. This, for our human lives, translates to which environments we feel safest in (and how we interact with them), how we express our creativity, and where we find pleasure or allure.
For example, an individual with Venus in Aries may become a rockstar, expressing themselves and their artistry through fiery guitar riffs and an angsty demeanor. While someone with Venus in Taurus would take on more of a folk singer mentality, preferring their life to be filled with slowness and Earth-born beauty.
Mars’ Symbolism and Significance in the Birth Chart
When speaking about Mars, modern astrologers will most likely use words like “action” and “assertiveness”, referencing the planet’s association to the mythology of Ares, who was the divine embodiment of masculinity and drive.
Think about a medeival prince, and all of the context associated with him. He’s strong, noble, courageous. He acts out of a larger mission and belief system, making decisive choices or going into battle for his kingdom when necessary. That’s a manifestation of Mars, and the rulership that masculinity has over action-oriented movement, high-energy physicality, unbounded assertiveness, and empowered confidence. Because of his essence, and the intense association between Mars and our physical bodies, you can and should look to Mars in a birth chart when dissecting your “love body”.
In a birth chart, Mars is going to represent everything from how you make decisions, to the energy behind you actions, to the doggedness of your conviction, to how you pursue your desires, to your body and sexual drive. Much like the prince of a kingdom, Mars is going to be the driving force behind outward motion. On Earth, this trickles down into what motivates us to take action, what kind of action we’re taking, where we put our energy, and how our bodies work.
For example, a native Mars in Aries will likely have high energy and stamina. They’ll be concerned with starting projects and initiating movement, much like David Letterman’s fiery interviewing style and his incessant need to frequently shake things up in his personal and professional lives. On the other hand, a Mars in Taurus will prefer grounded undertakings and take larger, structure-based action, like Kanye West’s empire construction and the relentless expression of his personal political stances.
The 7th House
Why the 7th house? Why did I mention it at the top of this article? Why does it come up when talking about love and relationships? What is a ‘house’ anyways?!?….
Houses divide the sky into twelve different sections relevant to the time of day at any given point. This is why having an accurate birth time is crucial for the most valuble astrology insight. These twelve sections signify twelve realms of human life and, in a birth chart, provide more context into what the planets’ energies will focus on throughout your life.
The 7th house is deemed the realm of partnership, where your soul learns to collaborate and harmonize with others in a fruitful way. Whether the fruit bared is a loving relationship, a productive business, or a literal child, this is the place in the chart that we look to for more insight into partnerships and intimate relationships (not necessarily romantic, this place can also denote potent business collaborations).
Planets in your 7th house in your birth chart will have something to say on the topics of love. The ruler of that house (the planet that rules whichever zodiac sign it’s in) will also have a large say in the vibe of it all.
Example #1:
7th house in Cancer with Mars in Cancer (ruled by Moon)
you’re likely to act out of your love, passion, and empathy for others
you’ll probably experience lots of movement, and undertake many actions, within your relationships
Moon in 4th house, Aries (ruled by Mars)
enjoys starting things
finding emotional satisfaction through assertive action
intertwines romance into your home life (this is the 4th house realm)
Example manifestation? You and your partner start a marriage counseling business together, and turn the first level of your home into a beautiful office space.
Example #2:
— 7th house in Scorpio with no planets (ruled by Mars)
in relationships, you’ll be motivated to act on your emotions, which are strong and intuitive
— Mars conjunct Moon and Jupiter in the 9th house, Capricorn (ruled by Saturn)
likely to experience losses and gains that greatly impact your spiritual perspective (9th house realm)
— Saturn in Pisces in the 11th house (ruled by Jupiter)
you’ll be supported by and find purpose in community, building a network of connections that feel like family to you, while embracing and channeling your emotional mentalities
the connection between Jupiter and Saturn lend an ebb and flow to relationships, as they instigate a cycle of expansion and contraction
these ebbs and flows are likely to involve paternal figures, elders, and those older than you (Saturn)
— Example manifestation? You're raised more by friends and neighbors than your parents during childhood, thus creating and maintaining your own personal spiritual views becomes very important to you. As an adult, you’re involved in relationships with people older than you or with those in positions of authority that provide and make you feel safe. Your relationships, romantic and communal, contribute to your expanded world view and provide you with opportunities to grow and explore.
All of the Other Factors
Like I said at the top of this article, astrology charts are mandalas. When you're looking at topics like love and matchmaking, it's important to consider the entire person, which means their entire chart. There are general philosophies set in place, of course, such as air and fire signs getting along better than an air and a water sign would, but how will you know if you're fire or water?
