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Synastry overlays to your 1st House create an immediate reaction. If someone’s planets fall in this house, they are standing at your front door, insisting that you let them in. Or, they might insist on remodelling your front door. Maybe they leave flowers, treating it like a shrine. Their energy impacts your external identity and social mask. They actually have a say in what defines your public persona. How you respond depends on what’s happening with your 1st House, and which of their planets are involved. You may welcome the planet person into your life, or you may treat them as an unwelcome intruder who challenges your identity. These overlays do not guarantee romantic attraction, but for this article we’ll assume that an attraction already exists.

Your Ascendant is the most sensitive point in your 1st House, because it represents the gateway to your identity. A partner’s planet that falls within 5 degrees of your Ascendant will have the most powerful impact. If their planet falls anywhere in your 1st House, you’ll still feel their influence, but a conjunction to your AC is the most potent. Note that I am not including planets that fall behind your AC (not even by 1 degree); these are technically in your 12th House, which is a whole different category of synastry overlays.

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The Partner Who Improves You

With the right overlays, a partner’s planets can bring out your best side, or make it even better. If your partner’s Venus (how they give and receive love) conjuncts your AC, your physical appearance and style fits perfectly with what she finds attractive. Simply put, you look good to her. And she probably make you feel pretty good about yourself. When you’re together, you feel more appealing and flirtatious. This is a lovely contact, but Venus (a passive planet) doesn’t push you into developing the full potential of your AC. In order to stimulate that, a more active planet on your partner’s side would need to be in play.

Let’s say his Sun (ego) falls in your 1st House. His solar energy acts like a spotlight, bringing you out of yourself and boosting your confidence. The Sun person emphasizes the qualities of your AC. Being with him is like having the transiting Sun in your 1st House. Or, maybe his Jupiter (expansion and optimism) falls in your 1st House. Talk about a boost! Not only does he accentuate your 1st House qualities, he exaggerates them. He may encourage you to step over a few socially acceptable lines, or take some risks that would never have occurred to you if he wasn’t around. He has faith (Jupiter) in who you are (1st House) and his faith feeds your will to be yourself.

Your partner’s Sun, Moon, Venus and Mars conjunct your AC are contacts most commonly associated with attraction. They can, under certain circumstances, trigger physical attraction. But there needs to be other romantic contacts to guarantee a full-on relationship.

The Partner Who Challenges You (or Are They Improving You?)

Some 1st House overlays are a mixed bag of tension and positive energy. If your partner’s Saturn falls in your 1st House, he applies his rules and limits to your identity. If his Saturn conjuncts your AC, he feels some responsibility for you. Is this a good thing? Well, if you have Cancer Rising, Capricorn (ruled by Saturn) is on your Descendant. The Descendant represents qualities you admire in a partner, which are also your projected qualities. How have you dealt with responsibility in your life? Your partner’s Saturn could help you grow up, or he could act like an overbearing father figure. Much depends on how he wields his authority, and if you’re ready to own your natal Saturn energy. If you have Sagittarius Rising, you may find his Saturn to be a wet blanket. Maybe he tries to get you to tone it down in public, because he’s embarrassed by your jokes.

A Mars overlay (action and energy) can spur your competitiveness, or it can feel annoying and intrusive. If you have Capricorn in your 1st House, with natal Mars there, you’re already openly ambitious. Capricorn’s focused determination takes Mars’ energy and makes you a powerhouse. But then you meet Mr. Capricorn, and his Mars conjuncts yours. There will be sexual attraction (Mars plus Mars equals heat) but there will also be rivalry. Whenever Mr. Capricorn is around, he’s stepping on your turf. He pushes you to excel, but his relentless, in-your-face challenges make you angry. Whether you thrive under this onslaught — or find it too tense — depends on the rest of your chart and his chart.

A Pluto overlay (power and transformation) can be especially tricky. Your partner’s Pluto may push you to open up much more quickly than you’re accustomed to. Your outer identity is probed, and there’s nowhere to hide. Transformation is almost unavoidable, because that’s how Pluto works; she zeros in on what’s weak or hidden, and ferrets it out. You may embrace this radical evolution, or you may push the Pluto person away. Again, it depends on how she handles her Pluto. She’ll be compelled to question who you are (especially if her Pluto conjuncts your AC) and that questioning may or may not devolve into manipulation. This can feel frightening, overwhelming and/or essential for you. Maybe you need someone who pushes you to examine why you act a certain way in public. Or, maybe you have natal Saturn in your 1st House, and her Pluto conjuncts it. Power struggles are a given as force (Pluto) meets an immovable object (Saturn). Do you freeze the Pluto person out, or does she find a chink in your armor? With this (and any) 1st House overlay, your partner is treading on your territory.

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