The Astrology of Relationships: Fated–the Yod in the Composite Chart

History and Hollywood are littered with famous lovers, people who left behind spouses and families and careers–the devil to take the hindmost—so that they could be together.

Usually when the two pair, family and friends are incredulous. Sometimes it is because there is a seeming mismatch in age, personalities, social status, education or professions. Sometimes there is enmity shown to the person perceived as taking control of the other’s person’s life. Jennifer Anniston’s fans hated (and still do) perceived interloper Angelina Jolie.

What makes these relationships so special? What draws two people so inexorably that nothing matters more than being together?

Even an astrologer looking at a synastry chart may not see where the two feel as if they are fated to be together. It is not until we use a Composite Chart that we would see the configuration known as the Finger of God, the Yod. This is the configuration that lends a sense of destiny to the couple.

A Yod is made up of two inconjuncts that share a planet at the apex and separated by a sextile between the planets at the base. With inconjuncts one end of the configuration is of one gender and the other end the other. The inconjunct is a stress aspect because of the polarity of gender at either end. The planet in the masculine zodiac sign wants to take direct action, while the planet in the feminine sign wants to work things indirectly. It is a nagging and annoying energy, and often with the inconjunct, people swing wildly from one extreme to the other.

With a Yod, the two planets at the base drive energy to the apex, pinning down the energy so it does not swing back and forth. However the energy is now also locked into place and the person with a Yod is forced to deal with the issues presented, often by focusing exclusively on the issue. This dynamic works the same way in relationship charts, and the couple with a Yod in the composite chart have to be together, whether it seems like a good idea or not.

The feelings for the individuals in this relationship configuration are frighteningly intense, highly charged sexually, obsessive in the desire to seek each other out and many times fly against all sense or reason. Many times one or both of the pair has to make painful choices. One or both may be panicked by the intensity of their feelings and either try to deny the pull or try to leave the relationship. Like a rubber band they always come back, sometimes many times. This type of relationship is a romantic’s dream and a pragmatist’s nightmare.

Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman are a famous couple with a Yod in the composite chart. Paul Newman left his wife and children to be with Woodward. Here the planet of love, Venus and Uranus form the base of the Yod, while dreamy Neptune, the patron star of Hollywood is at the apex. Theirs was a romantic union, fueled not just by a love of freedom that they both shared, but a love of their profession. At a time when it was not usually done, Paul Newman whole hearted supported his wife’s professional ambitions to the point of funding and working on her projects himself. Eventually their marriage became known one of the longest lasting Hollywood marriages.

Pitt Jolie Composite ChartAnother example is the composite chart of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, a story most of the world is agonizingly familiar. Meeting on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith the electric chemistry of the two sparkled on the screen making a ridiculous plot almost palatable. One scene where they tear up their beautiful house in trying to kill each other spoke eloquently of the violence of their own emotions in sorting through a literally explosive relationship. By the end of that scene each submits to the intensity of their emotions and decided to fight deadly odds to stay together. Here life imitates art and true to the Yod, stories of Brad and Angie breaking up and getting back together fill national and world wide gossip rags. There is probably some truth in these stories, but with long lasting Saturn and the heart of the relationship, a romantic Moon in Pisces at the base of the Yod, with Uranus at the apex, this a relationship with highs and lows, temporary break-ups and glorious reunions. But it has just as much chance of lasting as Woodward and Newman’s.

When Shakespeare said in Midsummer Night’s Dream “the course of true love never runs smooth” he could have been talking about a relationship with a Yod in the Composite chart. The stakes are high for both individuals since the words “What God has put together let no man put asunder” are never truer. Should the relationship fail to stabilize and became permanent one or both of the participants will be seriously and sometimes irreparably heart broken. One or both could be dogged by feelings of failure that could poison future relationships. Rarely does either party escape without a wound to their soul or a serious bruise to their ego. But it seems in terms of attaining intense romantic love, the fated nature of the Composite chart containing a Yod makes it one of the best bets around.

If you would a question answered on these pages, please send your birth date, birth time, and birth place to starrynightastro@aol.com. I regret that time limitations do not permit full horoscope readings on these pages. Queries without all the required information will not be answered.

Photo remixed and used under a Creative Commons License from Flickr


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34 Responses to The Astrology of Relationships: Fated–the Yod in the Composite Chart

  1. Marina says:

    Hi Beth,
    I was very pleased to see something written about my favourite couple Edward & Mrs Simpson! And I’m passionate for yods too so when I saw you had found a yod in the composite, I thought how could I have missed that?! In the composite I have there is no Yod. But we have different charts here. I used the data from Astro data bank, so I know its correct.

    I have found destined couples often complete yods between them, or a planet might sit on the others reaction point or apex.

    Wallis has a Yod of Mars (sex) sextiling Venus (love) to her Uranus up in the 9th. Which points to contraversy with foreigners or or religious institutions, like marriage prehaps? Edwards Venus/Part of fortune conjunction sits bang on her reaction point. So he whipped this Yod into action with his love.

    My composite chart for them is here: http://funkastrology.co.uk/?p=399

  2. bturnage says:

    Hi Marina,

    Its always good to hear from you! So I am not sure how you have a composite chart without the Yod. Maybe it is a difference in software? In the composite chart I have Mars is in Aquarius, while in yours Mars is in Aries. Very curious. Obviously I used sunrise charts for both of them, but even with the data from AstroData Bank, the yod in the composite chart is still there. Interestingly the change in time in both charts throws the Sun, Venus and Mercury combination into the fifth house, but if you’ve noticed I was talking straight aspects here, not house placements, something I only do when I have confirmed birth times.

    Wallis’ birth date is listed as DD, dirty data, though Edward’s is AA, from a primary source.

    For those that are wondering a Composite Chart is considered the “Chart of the Relationship”. It takes a planet from one chart and the same planet from another and plots the midpoint between them. The Ascendant and Midheaven are calculated the same way (generally, there are different methods) and with the house placements falling in line with the angles, the planets are arranged around the chart.

    I like your analysis of a “reaction point” and will look into that further myself.

  3. Marina says:

    Hi Beth,

    I really wanted to see a Yod because that would be great to look at with the transits that occurred at the abdication, wether they were hitting the Apex or the reaction point.
    Thanks for alerting me to the fact Wallis’s chart is DD. I overlooked that!
    I’m still confused why I have no Yod tho. The time shouldn’t effect it that much.
    I did mine as composite midpoint, I thought maybe yours was Davision, but even with the Davision still I don’t get it. On the composite midpoint I have the Sun the same as yours,but Mars is at 11 Aries and Uranus is at 16 Scorpio.

    So unfortunately no Yod for me, but there IS a lovely grand trine between Lilith in the 1st (the taboo woman in the spotlight), the Sun in the 5th (Royalty, strong in its natural house) and Uranus (unconventional, shocking relationships) in the 9th house of foreigners. It fits SO well I am tempted to stick with the “Dirty Data” chart.

    This is not the first time I have noticed discrepancies between Astro.com charts and other astro programs tho. I did my mates chart on Timepassages and then on Astro.com and her part of fortune was completely different by 3 signs yet everything else matched. Weird!

  4. Beth Turnage says:

    Marina,

    Sigh. Then I suppose the only thing to do is to actually do the math. I hate math. Yet, I became an astrologer anyway.

    Blessings,

    Beth

  5. bturnage says:

    So in doing the math, the near midpoint for Mars, (the one you usually use) is 1 degree of Aquarius, affirming the Yod. The far midpoint is 1 degree of Leo, so where the result in of 11 degrees Aries in the software Marina is using is unusual. Does anyone have an explanation for this?

  6. Marina says:

    Astro.com AND Timepassages say Mars is at 11deg 03 Aries.
    Wallis: Mars at 21deg 43′ Aries, Edward: Mars at 0 digs 23′. The midpoint of that cannot be 1 degs Aries. Anyone can see that. I just did it on the midpoint calculator to be precise the midpoint is 11 degs 2′ Aries.

    The birthdata I’m using from Astro data bank is:
    Edward. 23rd June 1894. Richmond England 9.55pm
    Wallis, 19th June 1896, Blue Ridge PA. 10.30pm.

    Double check your data?. The 11 deg midpoint is correct for these dates.

    • bturnage says:

      So I wrote to the software provider who was just as stumped as you. They reproduced the results I got in the version of the software I have, but couldn’t figure out why. They sent me an updated version, gratis.

      In any case, I found another royal example of a yod in the composite chart, which I will be posting shortly.

      Thanks.

  7. funkstar says:

    hi Beth, i just noticed in your composite for Edward and Wallis that Pluto is at 21 leo. that equates to early 1950’s. something must be playing up with the software you are using. i hope it’s not Solarfire because we just got that delivered today, Jamie

  8. funkstar says:

    anyway, back to yods and relationships, i haven’t noticed this yet in composite charts, but i haven’t really studied many. i have noticed that if there is a yod in the individual chart that it has a lot of weight when looking at the synastry.

  9. Marina says:

    Great you’re getting an upgrade!! And thanks for letting me know I wasn’t missing a Yod. One day I plan part three of Edward & Mrs Simpson, transits for the abdication on their composite chart so I really needed to know what was going on here.
    I’d already put a lot of work into parts one and two which was why I got so het up about this.
    All’s well that ends well :)))

  10. Shady says:

    Hi bturnage,
    I just happened to find your great entry about the yod in composite charts. It’s so striking true.

    What could it mean to have an amor (apex), nodes and vertex yod (all 0 degree orb) in the composite? Or wouldn’t you count that as a Yod for any reason maybe because nodes and vertex are axis’? Additionally, there is an opposition between amor and moon… I already read some quite unfavorable comments on this pattern (?)

    In my own natal chart there are two 0 degree Yods either – or only one, if axis wouldn’t count: Pallas (apex), Saturn, Jupiter and Saturn (apex), Pallas, Nodes. Do you see any connection to the composite pattern?

    I’d be so grateful for a clue what to think about it. I never experienced a love like that. And I’m not yet sure I like it.

  11. bturnage says:

    Shady,

    I am going to refer you to Julie Demboski’s great article on Amor to help you understand it’s energy:

    http://juliedemboski.wordpress.com/2008/05/17/amor/

    Stuck in a Yod, I am sure the energy is incredibly frustrating.

    Good luck,

    Beth

  12. Shady says:

    Thanks for this, it’s a great article! And I’m afraid: Frustrating hits the nail…
    Let me just contribute a comment for the Amor moon opposition in the composite from a cafeastrology.com report that I find quite enlightening, too: “You swing back and forth in comfort with this relationship, where you are trying to make ideal love real together. There is a polarity in your creative challenge to also satisfy deeper, more hidden emotional needs and desires, so that you can achieve a sense of union on a higher level. In this union you both need to identify your individual boundaries and honor and accept them. Any emotional vulnerability that
    emerges from past relationship wounds, needs to be accepted within this ideal love.”
    Thanks!

  13. Karla1908 says:

    Would a a very tight yod in a synastry chart be significant?

    • Beth Turnage says:

      Yes, a tight yod in a synastry chart is significant. However, many times you will find that yod repeated in the composite chart.

  14. Andrea says:

    Hello, i would be most grateful if you would put up another email address, because i would like to speak to someone privately with regards to the Yod post. hank you so much Andre

  15. melanie says:

    Hello,

    I really enjoyed this article! I can never find any info on yods in composite. I have two in my composite with someone. I’m still trying to figure out what they mean. The one has saturn in taurus as the apex with uranus in libra sextile to mars in sag. The second one has uranus as the apex of the yod with saturn in taurus sextile sun in pisces. So…both focal points of the two yods (uranus and saturn) are part of another yod. I think this is significant in some way.

    It’s a very difficult relationship, but like your article says, we keep hanging on and coming back to it.

    • Beth Turnage says:

      Melanie,

      In trying to parse the meaning of any aspect configuration use keywords to get the heart of the matter. For instance, Uranus in Libra sextile Mars in Sag, apex Saturn in Taurus

      Respecting the individuality of each in the partnership (Uranus in Libra) is facilitated by actively seeking (Mars) higher philosophical values (Sagittarius) to establish a secure home base (Saturn in Taurus).

      There you go!

      Beth

  16. melanie says:

    Thanks, Beth! Problem with the Uranus is it’s part of another yod, as the apex, with a quincunx to saturn and sun in pisces. Maybe that’s why nothing with these yods can be solved. If one is solved it just causes problems with the other one to stand out.

  17. Debbera says:

    There is a yod in a composite chart of someone I cared deeply for. He is not in my life right now, but I did see him a month ago. We were at the same place at the same time. Strange because it was across the street from where I work, and he had no idea, and he lives 2 hours away from there. I pulled into a parking place, and he was in the car next to mine, and when he pulled out, I looked up, and we both looked at eachother for a few seconds, and he drove off. I haven’t been able to get him off my mind since. I always felt that our relationship was somehow fated. I recently dug out our composite chart, and saw the yod. Wow! The configuration is Jupiter in Taurus in the 3rd inconjunct Pluto in the 8th Inconjunct Neptune in the 10th, and pluto and neptune sextile eachother. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

  18. Beth Turnage says:

    We may have “contracts” with people with who we agree to work out certain karmic issues. These people show up in our lives at inexplicable times. However because of free will we always have the choice of opting out of these contracts.

    Check to see if the yod is touching a personal planet in his chart and yours. If not, then I wouldn’t see this a love relationship but maybe a relationship to work on other things. That fact that you are thinking about him shows the issue that was predominant in your relationship is not resolved. Is there a way to do this yourself?

  19. jade says:

    Hello,

    I was wondering… what to make of a yod in both the composite and davison chart with the SAME planets? (Moon and Sun at the base pointing to Jupiter)

  20. jade says:

    Ah sorry, correcting myself, these aspects don’t seems to be “yods” but they’re the same (aspects) in both charts.
    Can asteroids be counted in yod though? (Pallas and Jupiter with Sun at the apex for example) it touches both ascendants.

    Thank you for the article btw.

    • Beth Turnage says:

      If you have an asteroid as part of the yod, then it describes an extra dimension, but for those looking for a yod with an asteroid I say “forget about it!”

  21. Jen says:

    Hi,

    Would you happen to have any information on a golden yod in the composite chart? It involves a quintile aspect in place of the sextile, and two biquintile aspects in place of the quincunxes.

    • Beth Turnage says:

      I wasn’t familiar with the term. But then again I tend to not to deal with minor aspects, so I’m afraid I’m not going to be much help to you here.

      Here is a lovely explanation of bi-quintiles by Cafe Astrology

      Like anything else with a relationship chart, it is probably best not to place too much emphasis on one small aspect of such a chart. Minor aspects (usually) reaffirm a chart pattern, a “yes” in the background noise of the chart.

  22. Yod of the ages says:

    I have a yod with a girl who is unavailable for complicated reasons. Our sextile is from venus to mars/saturn conjunction, with moon in 12th house (on ascendant) at the apex.

    This is exactly correct:

    “The feelings for the individuals in this relationship configuration are frighteningly intense, highly charged sexually, obsessive in the desire to seek each other out and many times fly against all sense or reason. Many times one or both of the pair has to make painful choices. One or both may be panicked by the intensity of their feelings and either try to deny the pull or try to leave the relationship.”

    We have both worked to repress our feelings about this so we can maintain a professional platonic relationship. The effect this had was to create such intense energy and magnetism between us that it became impossible to ignore when we were sitting in the same room together. In fact I never felt anything this intense in my life.

    The feeling overwhelmed me first, and I had to ask for us to stop seeing each other at all, and even tone down our texting to just work related issues. Her response was flat out denial. She at first admitted to sensing this energy and then walked it back to saying we just really clicked and got on.

    In this case for various reasons there is little chance of us completely cutting contact for the forseeable future. We are stuck with each other, and basically anything we do, whether it’s talking less, talking more, not seeing each other or seeing each other just seems to drive up the intensity of the relationship.

    For the moment there is no chance at all of being in a relationship together, but as you can imagine this kind of energy exchange with someone of the opposite sex is not going to be conducive to any other relationship you are in. The intensity just won’t match up, and the illicit energy is almost mesmerizing.

    Would have been quite something if we could have consumated our relationship, but with the moon sitting in the 12th that seems unlikely. Could have done without it to be honest – it feels like the soulmate I can’t be with but can’t escape from.

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  24. Maria says:

    Hi, could you help me figure out how my composite yod plays out on a daily basis? Neptune is in aquarius in the 11th house and makes a sextile with the conjunction of mercury and mars, both of them are conjuncting midheaven in sagittarius, and the moon is in cancer in the 4th house at the apex, hope your answer, thanks!!

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