Subpersonalities - Synthesizing and interpreting your Birth Chart

The problem with trying to synthesize charts is that we try to find the personality of a person.
But charts, as you have probably already noticed, can be extremely contradictory.
One part of the chart might show that you are ruthlessly ambitious, while another part of it shows that you are spiritually sensitive.
So what's the truth? Which part is the real you?

You probably know, from watching yourself and others, that people have different personalities depending on who they're with or what situation they're in.
But that does not mean that only one of them is the true and real personality and the other ones are fake facades.
The reality is that we all have subpersonalities.
Different psychological complexes which come out in different situations.
And they may overlap and influence each other.
But everyone is complex and has different sides to them.

How does one find subpersonalities in the birth chart?

When you look at the big picture of a chart you can sometimes see certain groupings of planets which are distinctly separate.
That's the case in my chart, for example.

For this approach, at least two planets need to conjunct to form a subpersonality.

Here's my chart as an example:

1. 

The major part in my natal chart is the big 11th house scorpio stellium which also includes my sagittarius sun in the 12th house.
All planets conjunct each other and create a huge focal point.

2.
Then there's my moon/mars conjunction in the 8th house Leo.

3. 
In my first house, I have Neptune and Uranus conjuncting in Capricorn.

Interactions between subpersonalities

It's also interesting to look at how the subpersonalities interact with each other by aspects.
Although my Scorpio stellium and Leo placements create tension, both these subpersonalities have supportive aspects to my first house neptune/uranus conjunction.
So the conflict between my two major subpersonalities can find common ground, or find a mediator in my third minor subpersonality.

How do you know whether a subpersonality is major or minor?

First of all, the bigger the stellium (accumulation of planets), the bigger the psychological complex. Obviously.
Another important point is that the personal planets, and especially sun and moon, are very important parts of the personality.
If only social planets (Jupiter, Saturn) and/or collective planets (Uranus, Neptune, Pluto) are involved, it's likely more so a generational, collective trait and not a very conscious part of your personality.
Lots of people in my generation have the Uranus/Neptune conjunction, so it's not very unique to me.
But planets in angular houses or on the angles (Ascendant and 1st house, Immum Coeli and 4th house, Descendant and 7th house, Midheaven and 10th house) are very important parts of the personality.

Counting with the astrological alphabet

Then there's another way of finding themes in a chart:
Looking at the signs, planets, and houses in terms of different letters of the astrological alphabet.
These are the ones that rule each other or are associated with each other:

1. Aries, 1st House, Mars
2. Taurus, 2nd House, Venus
3. Gemini, 3rd House, Mercury
4. Cancer, 4th House, Moon
5. Leo, 5th House, Sun
6. Virgo, 6th House, Mercury
7. Libra, 7th House, Venus
8. Scorpio, 8th House, Pluto
9. Sagittarius, 9th House, Jupiter
10. Capricorn, 10th House, Saturn
11. Aquarius, 11th House, Uranus
12. Pisces, 12th House, Neptune

Your chart, at first glance, might look quite scattered and all over the place but if you have two planets in aries, another one or two in the first house, and your mars receives a lot of strong aspects (conjunctions, squares, oppositions), then the first letter of the astrological alphabet may be a strong theme in your chart and, consequently, one of your subpersonalities.
Planets in their own signs and/or houses are especially strong and create a dominant archetypal theme.

Now try finding themes in your own chart and think about how these subpersonalities manifest in yourself and when they come out, what triggers them.

Also try giving them names, because it really helps you be self-aware.

You can catch yourself thinking "oh, my self-righteous know-it-all came out in that reaction".

It helps you understand your defense mechanisms and the complexity of your being.

Sometimes you get to stuck on one part of your chart and define yourself mainly through your sun sign or something and reject any part of your that does not match those traits.

But it's important to allow each of them to come out and realize that they are all parts of you.

Thank you for reading,

I'd love to hear your thoughts :)

Marina