Venus Smiles on Another Royal Couple

When Harry met Meghan a royal romance predictably followed

Thanks to advances in information processing technologies astrologers today are better equipped to find answers for many of life’s more perplexing questions. Like why and when do couples become couples and what drives them apart?

In an ongoing study Australian astrologer Paul Westran says he continues to find statistical support for the relational roles played by the Sun and planet Venus as they progress through the compared birth charts of couples. The latest evidence for Venusian involvement in affairs of the heart can be observed in the birth charts of Britain’s newest Royal couple, Prince Harry and his American fiancée Meghan Markle.

“Like Prince William and Kate Middleton before them, Prince Harry and Meghan will have the planet identified with love and attraction celestially supporting their union for a period of time that extends well into the future,” he said.

One of the main methods astrologers use to evaluate compatibility in couples is called synastry. In a synastry consultation astrologers typically evaluate and compare the angular relationships formed between the Sun, Moon and planets in the compared natal birth charts of romantically linked couples.

Some of the angles or aspects formed between planets in these charts are favorable or easy while others are hard or challenging.  At issue is whether the Sun, Moon and planetary placements in her natal birth chart favorably align with the Sun, Moon and planets in his?

Impressive Results

In a scientific study of more than 1,300 public record relationships, Westran was able to statistically demonstrate that planet Venus appears to significantly impact compatibility in couples in predictable ways, a trend that persisted as the number of couples tested in this manner climbed above 3,000.  

 Early on, Westran noticed that favorable synastry aspects between the Sun and Venus were turning up in the compared natal birth charts of romantically involved couples more frequently than expected by chance.   But he also observed that planets in compared natal charts are fixed and remain the same while people and relationships change and grow closer – or drift apart.

How does astrology explain this?

Westran thinks a plausible answer to this question continues to emerge from a systematic research effort aimed at merging synastry aspects with another well established technique astrologers call secondary progressions.

When astrological students are first introduced to the subject they learn that astrology deals with angles the Sun, Moon and planets form between each other as they hurtle through space at orbital speeds dictated by the varying distances between them.  “Different angles symbolize different relationships, correspondences or outcomes,” he said.  

Astrologers use secondary progressions to help time events in people’s personal lives.  Simply, with this technique, they calculate how far the Sun, Moon and planets have progressed around the horoscope wheel using a day for a year formula.  For every year that passes, the Sun, Moon and planets are advanced the same number of degrees on the horoscope wheel that they have actually traveled through space in a single year, either forward or backwards (if retrograde).

The Moon orbits the Earth – and the planets orbit the Sun – at widely varying but predictable speeds. The Moon makes a great deal of progress around the horoscope wheel in a single year; distant Pluto not so much, he explains.  

In the information age, high-speed computer programs make it relatively easy to create progressed birth charts.  For example, for someone who just turned 30, the astrologer simply counts forward 30 days from the individual’s date of birth and casts a progressed birth chart for this date.  It’s the astrologer’s task to compare and analyze how the progressed planets interact with natal planets in the individual’s birth chart.

Westran thinks a plausible answer to this question continues to emerge from a systematic research effort aimed at merging synastry aspects with another well established technique astrologers call secondary progressions.

When astrological students are first introduced to the subject they learn that astrology deals with angles the Sun, Moon and planets form between each other as they hurtle through space at orbital speeds dictated by the varying distances between them.  “Different angles symbolize different relationships, correspondences or outcomes,” he said.  

Astrologers use secondary progressions to help time events in people’s personal lives.  Simply, with this technique, they calculate how far the Sun, Moon and planets have progressed around the horoscope wheel using a day for a year formula.  For every year that passes, the Sun, Moon and planets are advanced the same number of degrees on the horoscope wheel that they have actually traveled through space in a single year, either forward or backwards (if retrograde).

The Moon orbits the Earth – and the planets orbit the Sun – at widely varying but predictable speeds. The Moon makes a great deal of progress around the horoscope wheel in a single year; distant Pluto not so much, he explains.  

In the information age, high-speed computer programs make it relatively easy to create progressed birth charts.  For example, for someone who just turned 30, the astrologer simply counts forward 30 days from the individual’s date of birth and casts a progressed birth chart for this date.  It’s the astrologer’s task to compare and analyze how the progressed planets interact with natal planets in the individual’s birth chart.

Sophisticated Software

However, relying on progressed synastry charts to check out compatibility in couples is problematic because, as noted, people and relationships change.  Westran addressed this conundrum by creating a sophisticated software program to track changing planetary positions in the compared birth charts of couples.

 He says progressed synastry aspects create a new dynamic.  For example, when comparing natal birth charts, Venus in her chart may not be forming a favorable synastry aspect to the Sun or Venus in his.  However, years later when the couple first meets, Venus may have progressed to form a favorable progressed synastry aspect with either his Sun or Venus.

“We often see relationships begin when hen this happens.  Also, how long the progressed aspect remains in orb (operational) has been shown to influence the relationship’s longevity,” he added.

In his study Westran compared synastry aspects between natal Sun and natal Venus, natal Sun and progressed Venus, progressed Sun and natal Venus, and progressed Sun and progressed Venus.  He found that when couples become involved in romantic relationships a favorable 120 degree trine aspect between the Sun and Venus turns up in one of these combinations far more often than expected by chance.  The same applies to the conjunction and 180 degree opposition aspects, but the stressful 90 degree square is conspicuous by its absence.  

Westran says the odds that progressed Sun – Venus synastry aspects turn up as often as they do at the start of relationships are 900,000 to one against chance.  Certain synastry alignments of Venus with Venus and Venus with Mars also present at the start of relationships with statistical significance, but the results are less impressive.

“With an increased level of certainty we can now say why couples become couples. We don’t know with certainty what keeps people together but we have a better idea about what gets them together,” he said.

Royal Evidence

The research astrologer reports that aspects involving the Sun and Venus have turned up regularly in progressed synastry charts for couples in Britain’s Royal Family.  For example, Prince Charles and Diana came together when Charles’ progressed Venus was forming a trine to Diana’s progressed Sun.  However, the relationship began to unravel once this aspect became exact and started to wane.

In contrast, for Royals William and Kate, a long-lived trine involving Kate’s progressed Venus and William’s natal Venus was forming when the couple met in 2000.  Due to retrograde motion this aspect will not separate until 2030, at which time the couple will be able to rely upon other helpful aspects. 

Westran notes that Wallis Simpson, an American, had already been married twice when she met Prince Edward Windsor in 1934.  At the time a progressed Sun – Venus conjunction in the couple’s progressed synastry chart was exact.  

The Prince became King Edward VIII in 1936 when his father, King George V, died.  Wallis divorced her second husband Ernest in 1937 in order to marry Edward, but the House of Windsor created impenetrable roadblocks.  Edward chose to abdicate the throne and marry Simpson.  Although the couple was ostracized by the establishment they enjoyed a happy marriage in Paris until Edward’s death in 1972, Westran said, adding:

“Their story is most often seen as a triumph of love over duty.  But, while grieving by his coffin, Wallis reportedly was overheard saying: he gave up so much for so little.”

Harry and Meghan also began their relationship under the same progressed Sun progressed Venus aspect when it was exact.  These combinations “act like windows of opportunity for relationships to begin, but also tend to fade when the when the Sun and Venus move on,” Westran said.

“Like Wallis, Meghan is an American divorcee.  Only in 2017 this, apparently, is no longer an issue for the British establishment. Indeed it might be seen as a major plus. In a world of inclusivity and merit the world expects its icons to show an example of realism and understanding of the problems faced by people everywhere. 

“This is the case for human relationships, including marriages, as the world now understands that relationships don’t always work out, that people change and marriages fail.  For all the promises made with authenticity and good intensions circumstances will prevail.  What astrological connections give you is a little advantage.

“Astrology provides an exceptional tool to explore human consciousness.  It’s exciting that we can use it to help understand why people change and the element of timing associated with it,” Westran said.

In addition to developing a software program to track progressed synastry aspects Westran created a unique graphing system to visually display when the progressed synastry aspects begin, become exact and separate – as shown below.

Additional examples for Royals William and Kate and Charles and Diana can be found on Westran’s website: http://positiveastrology.com/ANS.asp