The planets and houses of a birth chart cover all the aspects of human life. The different stages of a love affair are no exception. We can study the life cycle of a love affair through the lens of astrology. Love affairs can be studied through both the natal chart as well as the transits that occur over the chart.
At first, we need to study the background of the culture that the person belongs to. In Indian culture arranged marriages are predominant and in Vedic times, romantic entanglements and love marriages were not acceptable. In Western society, dating is the accepted way of life through the level of permissiveness is varied. So, the magnitude of the indications of a horoscope will vary according to the cultural background of the person being studied.
Planets And Houses Of A Love Affair
Certain placements of planets indicate that a person has an above-average interest in romance and love. There are also placements such as the strength of the Lagna, the ninth house and benefic aspects upon troublesome planets that negate the yogas for affairs. The logic is that having a very strong moral compass keeps one from falling prey to romantic urges. When a person is married and has a tendency to stray, it leads to affairs. It is only when the end of one marriage is signified that one can read this as a possibility for a subsequent marriage. There is also the exercise of free will. When we are destined to face tests of our morals and determination we can always decide to walk away. However, to have this level of determination, there need to be other sources of strength in the chart.
The primary house of love affairs is the fifth house. The other houses of desire are the 3rd, 7th and the 11th houses. The 12th house is the house of bed pleasures. Venus signifies romance while Mercury is the overactive intellect. The Moon governs the emotions. A 5th house that is afflicted with either Rahu, Ketu, Saturn or Mars while the lord of the 5th is weak can indicate that the person has a tendency toward love affairs. Venus and Saturn connected to each other indicate love affairs. Venus is in the 12th house of the horoscope indicates secret love affairs.
When there are unfavourable planets in the 3rd, 7th and 11th houses it can indicate that there will be an affair. The 9th house indicates the person’s ability to stick to the right path. A weak 9th house that has malefics in it shows that the person tends to be unfaithful and may have affairs. This can be further compounded when Jupiter, the planet of wisdom is not well placed.
The planets Venus and Mars together or in each other’s sign individually or by mutual exchange also creates a tendency for multiple relationships. This combination creates too much desire and overindulgence in physical desires. The 8th and 12th houses when involved in such placements add an element of secrecy to such affairs.
The Timing Of An Affair
The Dasha of any one planet that is causing the predisposition to affairs is usually the trigger for a relationship. A transit or Antardasha can be used to narrow down the time window. Most love affairs start in the Dasha of Mercury, Venus, Rahu or Moon. Mercury makes the person’s intelligence overactive and they become restless. This restlessness and dissatisfaction lead the person to an affair. Venus is the natural significator of love and romance and it is obvious that this Dasha would be the start of more romantic inclinations in the person.
Rahu amplifies the desire for all unconventional things and clouds the emotions and judgement of the person. It also creates a series of wants and desires that never seem to be satisfactorily fulfilled. The Moon is the seat of emotions. The Moon Dasha makes a person more emotional than otherwise and if the Moon is weak it can result in affairs.
Sometimes a difficult transit puts pressure on relationships. This can cause either an affair or a break-up that leads to the next relationship. The prime example of this is the Sade-Sati transit of Saturn that is notorious for playing havoc with a person’s life.
The End Result Of An Affair
Ideally, an affair would result in a happy marriage for life. When there is a connection between the 5th house of romance and the 7th house of marriage, this relationship can culminate in a marriage. However, in a union triggered by the strong influence of a Dasha, the change of the Dasha to the next can end the relationship. The sub-periods of the Dasha also have a role to play.
Sometimes we can see that the chart shows a tendency for multiple relationships. This may create a pattern of serial monogamy in the period that indicates an affair. The continual dissatisfaction with partnership leads to multiple relationships.
No Dasha or transit can trigger an event that is not indicated in the birth chart.
