In my 35 years as an astrologer, the question I am asked most often is, “Larry, when will I meet someone for marriage?”

Look no further—the 7^th House of your birth chart holds the answer to that question. It may also hold the answer to, “How long will I stay married?”

This is the House of intimate partnerships such as marriage, where there’s a deep commitment of love between two people.

Understandably, most everyone is curious about knowing more about their partner (or, who might be their ideal partner). When I do a personality analysis for clients who are single, they’ll often ask, “Can you describe the characteristics of the man (or woman), I would want to marry?” Well, the house of your birth chart will answer that question and give you insights as to the needs you’ll have within that relationship.

Often a person is attracted to someone who just does not satisfy their needs—have you ever heard a friend say, “He’s so brilliant, but I need someone who wants to have more fun,” or “She’s gorgeous, but I am so bored in her company. I need someone more intellectual,” or “I like so many of his qualities, but I really need someone who can express what he’s feeling inside, emotionally.” So, it’s important to get a firm fix on not only the qualities that are attractive to you, but also the ones you need in a partner—they may not be the same.

This House foretells the unique “identity” of your relationship, based on the merging of your personality and character with the other person’s, to produce a new entity known as a partnership. As in: The two of you “make wonderful music together.” You’ve probably heard someone exclaim, “They make a lovely couple.” That person is noticing the special qualities two people exude when they’re together as a couple. Let’s face it, your partner can have a dramatic affect on you, for better or worse. Thus, this House raises a serious question: Who do you become when you’re in close partnership? After all, there are partners who bring out your best and your worst side. This House raises serious questions about you and your relationship.

The seventh House of your Horoscope is known as the House of relationships, marriage as well as divorce. It also pertains to other partnerships such as business, legal, personal, as well as contractual relationships (e.g., attorneys, accountants, doctors and professional consultants).

On a broader basis, this area of your chart indicates how you’ll express yourself in relationships, especially in committed relationships. Will you become more assertive, aggressive or timid; or, perhaps, you’ll become more confident and forthright because your relationship makes you so secure.

This House can show the kind of marriage partner you’re likely to be and the unique qualities you’ll seek in a partnership. Do you need to be the “alpha dog,” desiring a partner you can dominate? Or, do you need a thoughtful, cautious partner who can restrain your impulsive tendencies? This area of your birth chart can provide you with an understanding of whether or not being in partnership is compatible with your needs.

Why Do Partnerships Fail?

Personality incompatibility is one of the main reasons that marriage partnerships (or business partnerships) fail. Prospective partners have different personalities, values and needs, and when they clash it can lead to failure. Before entering a serious partnership two people must analyze if they are truly compatible for a long-term relationship. They must avoid the crucial mistake of underestimating their relationships needs.

Let’s face it, when we’re 22, we have simpler and less refined needs than we have at 32, 42, 52, or 62. As we mature and accept more responsibilities, our relationship needs grow and change as well. That means that the qualities that attracted you to a partner at 22 might not be satisfying enough for you 10 or 20 years later.

So, it becomes necessary to dig under the facade of each person’s personality to see if there’s true compatibility over the long-term. After all, every couple starts out saying the same words: “We love each other.” However, can they live with each other? As the great soul singer, Tina Turner exclaimed, in her poignant song: “What’s love got to do with it?”

We’ve come a long way in the evolution of how marriage partners are matched for long-term relationships. It wasn’t that many generations ago when parents arranged a marriage based on religious, social, economic, or political considerations. (Obviously, it’s still done that way in certain countries.) For many years, parents preached that marriage success was based on two people having, for example, religion in common, “Have I got a nice Jewish girl for you!” or social compatibility, “Where do his people come from?” or, financial status, “Darling, this young man you want to marry has no wealth to take care of you.” Eventually, most people started making their own decisions about whom they wanted to marry (or live with), independent of parental pressure.

Here we are today, with relationship connections being made in many unorthodox ways. You can look for a mate “online” by joining a whole variety of Internet dating websites. You can even find a mail-order bride by looking at pictorial ads of available mates, then flying to a foreign country to meet your future spouse. Additionally, there are the many services offering to match you with a love connection, using personality profiles and compatible tests, which they say will improve your odds of finding an ideal partner for a long-term relationship.

The Secret to Finding a Compatible Relationship

Using astrology for matchmaking is an extremely accurate analysis technique for determining long-term relationship compatibility. If you’re seriously considering marriage—comparing your birth chart with a potential partner helps determine whether you’re likely to have a successful relationship (or business partnership). It reveals the likelihood of your relationship being a harmonious, day-to-day living experience. It shows how well you’ll communicate, feel an emotional connection, find domestic living comfortable or stressful, have similar financial goals, enjoy sexual compatibility, or share spiritual values.

Oh, and did I mention whether or not you’ll have great sex together?

This analysis can reveal if you’ll be close friends or competitive. It can show whether one of you will be the teacher and other the willing student. Or, will the wiser partner who tries to teach, be resisted by the other, causing personality clashes and friction? Will there be power and control issues between you? Through this analysis, you’ll learn what areas you and your partner complement each other, so that you can play to each other’s strengths and support each other; or whether you’ll become codependent through your mutual weaknesses. It will reveal in what areas of life you’ll have to compromise and where you’re likely be challenged.

If you’re single, dating, and interested in a committed relationship, you should ask the question: “Is he (or she) the right one?” Single people often spend months and even years dating each other or living together, only to find out in the end they are basically incompatible. That can be a painful way of discovering reality and the truth. So, before you invest a great deal of time together, why not find out whether you are mutually compatible for a long-term relationship? The solution is to have an astrologer compare your birth charts to see if you are really compatible by doing a “chart compatibility analysis.”

A compatibility analysis reveals your individual strengths, weaknesses and compatibilities, thus allowing you to fully understand the dynamics of your partnership. You can then decide if the qualities that make up your relationship will be a positive complement to the partnership you envision, likely resulting in a successful marriage together. Additionally, you can decide if you can live with the personality differences that may cause you and your partner friction and disagreement. By the way: We are not talking about looking for the perfect partner—just one you can love, grow with and enjoy a satisfying life. My old astrology teacher, Hannibal used to say, “Everyone is a little crazy. The key is to find someone whose ‘crazy’ works for you.”

When two partners have differing approaches to life they tend to complement each other by bringing a different perspective to the relationship. However, be careful because while polar opposites may attract each other, they tend to make each other crazy.

At first blush, you may think these opposite approaches may balance a relationship. The reality is they usually polarize partners and result in arguments and stalemates. These differences can stop a marriage from growing and even cause it to decline. Many people are attracted to their opposites and imagine that two halves make a whole.

The truth is: two wholes make a whole.

When Will I Get Married?

The planets that are transiting your 7^th House (and that aspect this House) will provide you with the timing for when you will get married (or divorced). If you want to find out where they are in your birth chart, go to the Free Transit Calculator and enter your birth date. You may find out that your personal transits are affecting your marriage prospects right now.

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Editor: Bryonie Wise

Photo: Flickr