8th House Synastry
The 8th House is a deep, dark place. It’s one of the most sensitive areas in your chart, representing sexual and emotional intimacy. But it’s also where you hide your compulsions and obsessions. It’s the house of instinct, endings, and rebirth that follows those endings.
The 8th House is where you do not have complete control, so when someone’s planets fall in this area, it can be an intense experience.
Loss of control is an important theme with this house; the person that activates it will confront you with this issue. That’s a frightening concept, but it’s an essential component of 8th House synastry overlays. The purpose of an 8th House connection is to teach you to deal with buried issues that you may not want to confront.
You may be intensely attracted to or repelled by, this person. Maybe you’ll feel a combination of both. Much will depend on how you handle your 8th House; the sign on the cusp and the condition of its planetary ruler will tell you more.
Before we look at examples, I should clarify that the 8th House person will experience the greatest intensity with this connection. The planet person will probably be aware that they have a deep impact on the house person.
How they feel about this will depend on which of their houses are impacted by the 8th House person’s planets. I’ll be writing an article on this (the potential differences between two synastry house overlays) at a later date.
Venus in 8th house synastry
Edith’s Venus in Libra falls in Jim’s 8th House. Her flirtatious way of approaching relationships (and expressing her femininity) triggers some complicated reactions in him. He’s intensely attracted to her, but something about her light and airy approach bothers him.
He finds her superficial and difficult to pin down. He wants her, but that whole flirtatious/friendly vibe she gives off (to everyone) really gets to him. This causes him to react with extreme fits of jealousy that seem to crawl out of nowhere while criticizing Edith for being artificial.
Let’s look further
Unbeknownst to Edith, she is confronting him with his Shadow (which lurks in everyone’s 8th House). Perhaps his Venus (which rules Libra, and his 8th House) sits in possessive, materialistic Taurus. He has issues with ownership and security, while being stubbornly entrenched in his personal values.
He wants substance in a relationship, and he wants assurance that his partner belongs to him. But he didn’t realize he felt so strongly about these issues until he met Edith.
Where Jim and Edith go from here depends on how he handles this 8th House energy (that she has activated). If he isn’t ready to confront his Shadow, Edith’s harmony-loving Venus might find all of this too heavy, and she’ll break things off. Jim will be devastated. But maybe Jim is interested in self-transformation, so he’ll confront what Edith has unearthed.
Jim may discover that a broader definition of “personal values” exists, and the social sugar that Edith sprinkles around is not the poison he thought it was. He might even get to the root of why he needs to hang on so tightly to his lover.
There’s no guarantee that they’ll live happily ever after (Edith might still be freaked out by Jim’s reaction to her) but at least he’ll be taking steps to deal with the behavior that she triggers. He’ll become conscious of his 8th House issues, rather than functioning on autopilot.
Sun in 8th house synastry
Trish’s 8th House cusp is in Aquarius. Uranus (her 8th House ruler) is conjunct her Moon (needs and emotions). Along comes Ken, and his Aquarian Sun/Mars conjunction falls in her 8th House. Trish’s Moon/Uranus conjunction is an uneasy mix of comfort (Moon) and disruption (Uranus).
She needs excitement but craves safety. She’s drawn to Ken’s detached way of expressing his ego and actions, but he also triggers her insecurities about being abandoned. He’s not always available, and that’s what she wants (while dreading It simultaneously).
A deeper dive
Let’s take the connection a step further. Ken’s Sun/Mars forms a harmonious trine with Trish’s Moon/Uranus. He triggers her abandonment fears, but she’s able to work through them (with him) because his energy is in harmony with her needs (Moon).
Maybe he insists on having his own space, but reassures her that he still loves her. He’s there for her, but he takes a lot of time for himself. Gradually, Trish realizes that she’s not going to be abandoned.
She grows to trust Ken, while enjoying the electricity in the space between them.
But maybe Trish’s Moon/Uranus conjunction is hit by a tense square from Ken’s Sun/Mars, instead. The same abandonment issues are triggered, but this time Ken is more unpredictable. Perhaps he says he’s going to show up at Trish’s place, but he’s two days late (with no phone call).
Trish is stuck on a rollercoaster of sickening anxiety, because Ken does this all the time.
Someone else might have given Ken the boot the first time he pulled this, but Trish is tied to him because of that binding 8th House connection. She’s addicted to the excitement, dreads the anxiety, but loves the thrill when he finally does show up (apologizing) and they have passionate, make-up sex.
Trish is still confronted with her dual needs for excitement/nurturing but in a much harsher way.
Eventually, Trish may realize that she needs (Moon) to detach (Uranus), but will only be able to do so when her passion turns to revulsion. She’ll dump Ken, finally having reached her limit. And she’ll never look back.
Sometimes an intense, 8th House attraction can flip to repulsion if the 8th House person is pushed too far. Ken will be confused; he won’t understand how Trish’s white-hot feelings for him could wither away to nothing.
Mercury in 8th house synastry
Not everyone is drawn to their 8th House guest. Bev’s 8th House cusp is in Virgo, her Mercury (8th House ruler) in uncompromising Aries. She barrels forward with her opinions, never slowing down to consider how others might react.
Here’s Mark (who she works with), and his Mercury falls in her 8th House. Everything he says seems to get under her skin.
He’s constantly challenging her, but not in an overt way. His quiet observations and probing questions just seem to push her buttons. While it’s true that he gets her thinking (when no one else does) Bev doesn’t want to think. She finds him invasive, and he makes her angry.
Their interactions never go beyond tense conversations (that are peppered with Bev’s snarky responses). Mark is always a bit surprised at how strongly she reacts to his suggestions. She’s aggressive when she talks to everyone in the office, but she seems to respond almost violently to Mark.
Final thoughts
No matter who activates your 8th House (or with what planets) they are guaranteed to set off a depth charge in your chart. If you’re the 8th House person, know that this relationship is your call to face down your Shadow.
You’ll learn more than you ever imagined, but it’s up to you if you want to go there (not everyone is ready for an 8th House relationship). If you’re the planet person, know that the 8th House person’s reactions to you will not always be rational. Try not to take it personally: it’s more about them than you.
Related Posts:
- For the Love of Money: A Study of the 8th House
- Real Sex … With Saturn in the 8th House
- Mars in Eighth House Synastry
- Pluto in the Eighth: Practical Magic
