These are synastry overlay interpretations for the Sun in the partner’s 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th houses. (See instead: Sun overlays in 1st–7th houses.)
Sun in 8th House Synastry Overlay
The Sun in the partner’s eighth house of a synastry overlay is not for the faint of heart. This synastry overlay creates a bond between you that is more like a chain with a spiked collar around both of your necks.
The Sun person has been captivated by the eighth house person. As the Sun person, you may feel very unsettled, psychologically, by the house person, and yet you are powerless to leave. There may be something deeply disturbing, dark, or mysterious about the eighth house person. Your instincts may tell you to run, but that only makes you remain fascinated by the house person. They awaken something deep inside you that you never even knew existed. You sense that the eighth house person has the power to transform you. This can be disturbing, and not everyone will enjoy this type of relationship.
It may be that the house person has walked into your life at a time when you (Sun person) have hit rock bottom. The house person, in this case, will be able to help you rise out of your ashes.
The eighth house person feels a strong bond to the Sun person. The house person will not let go of the other under almost any circumstances. There’s a level of emotional dependence here that can be scary for both of you.
The sun in the partner’s 8th house is unsettling for both partners. Both partners initially feel afraid of this relationship, and yet bewitched at the same time. You’re drawn to each other the way people are drawn to watch horror movies. You know you shouldn’t look, but you look anyway. Then, somehow, you enjoy the horror.
Sun in 9th House Synastry Overlay
The Sun in the partner’s ninth house of a synastry overlay means that you share similar world views. You may have similar philosophies on all kinds of things, ranging from how people should dress in public to how the public school system should be run.
You stimulate each other mentally. You teach each other. You influence each other to be more culturally aware. You can work well together in in areas of religion, politics, law, and education.
Your similar views ensures that the two of you will have a great and enduring friendship. This doesn’t mean that you can’t be more than friends. A strong friendship is a great base for marriage.
Sun in 10th House Synastry Overlay
The Sun in the partner’s tenth house of a synastry overlay is powerful because of the effect it has on the perception of the Sun person.
The Sun person sees the tenth house person as someone of authority. You (the Sun) believe that they deserve respect and that they’re a great leader. You accept the house person almost without thinking. You think they know better than you. You think that they see things more clearly than you do. If you argue with each other, you end up thinking they’re right. The house person fits your image of authority and everything right and acceptable in society.
The house person notices and enjoys the respect they receive from the Sun person. Whether or not the 10th house person actually deserves this much admiration would depend on their own birth chart. If the house person is not naturally authoritative, this relationship would boost their leadership skills. In this case, you would very much enjoy the approval of the Sun person. If the house person is naturally an authoritative type, this relationship would simply feel comfortable and like “business as usual.”
This may be a work-related relationship.
Sun in 11th House Synastry Overlay
The Sun in the partner’s 11th house of a synastry overlay creates an atmosphere of friendship between you. Your relationship usually begins as a friendship, or as “friends with benefits.”
In this relationship, you tend to accept a “no strings attached” arrangement from the beginning. The Sun person sees the 11th house person as someone they can hang out with.
With the Sun in the partner’s 11th house, both partners can enjoy a rewarding and hassle-free relationship without a lot of nitpicking. You treat each other in a friendly, non-judgmental manner. Other couples may wonder how the two of you get along so well.
You accept each other’s differences and flaws. You tolerate their idiosyncrasies. Because you create this non-judgmental environment, you both feel free to confide in each other regarding any problems or anxieties that you face.
You are good sounding boards for each other’s pipe dreams — you encourage them rather than put them down.
Even in marriage, you have the tendency to treat each other as friends. This is not a deep, emotional overlay for relationships, but a positive one, nevertheless.
Sun in 12th House Synastry Overlay
The Sun in the partner’s 12th house of a synastry overlay creates an atmosphere of mystery in your relationship.
The Sun person sees the house person as exotic, fascinating, and even other-worldly or strange. You have a strange fascination with the house person that you can’t quite understand since the house person seems so different from you. You are drawn to them, perhaps, out of curiosity. Maybe you desire a strange experience, or to flirt with the unknown.
You (the Sun person) are attracted to the house person almost against your good judgment. The house person is a mystery to you. You can’t read them, you can’t understand the way they think. You find them unpredictable. You think they don’t understand you, nor approve of you.
There is a foggy barrier of confusion over this relationship, and you simply don’t understand each other. The misunderstandings go both ways. It’s as if you each are speaking a different language trying to manage a conversation. You have no idea why you’re together.
Marriage is not impossible with this overlay. (Actually, watch a few sitcoms and it’ll seem like every married couple on TV has this overlay.)
Maintaining this type of relationship would require lots of patience, of course. This is not impossible. It may feel like a sacrifice, but some of the best rewards in life require lots of patience.
Jane
So bloody true
S
This is off, way off. Why would the Sun person have the 8th house feelings triggered? It is not their 8th house, necessarily. It is the other way around.Stop writing things that make 0 sense. That is the reason why people think astrology is bs. Take this text down and learn basic synastry.
Corinne
We are triggered by first impressions. It’s similar to entering someone’s actual home. When you enter someone’s home for the first time, you immediately perceive and form expectations based on the surrounding environment.
For example, is the house too messy? Extremely fancy? Does it smell bad? Is the furniture nice? Are kids running around?
We react upon entering someone’s home because we get that first impression.
Similarly, the planet person enters your birth chart house and perceives you according to the environment of that specific house.
Yes, house overlays reveal the areas of life of the house person that will be affected by the other’s presence (planets). But it begins with the perception of the planet person, who is first affected by what they find in your house.
More info: House Overlays. This idea is not new. It’s common in synastry books from several decades ago.
Asher
I think you don’t understand how these overlays work. 8th house is sexual chemistry right out of the gate, but typically leads to power struggles, and eventually ends in repulsion. One or both parties are extremely serious about a commitment to go along with the sex in the 8th house, and if one party gets overwhelmed and steps back from the connection or if one party wants their independence, then jealousy and power struggles will ensue with an 8th house connection.
12th house is feeling drawn to someone without understanding why you’re so drawn to them. You can’t come up with a logical explanation, there is probably some sex involved (12th is the house of bed pleasures), but unlike 8th house that’s not the primary motivation. The 12th is a strange and confusing compulsion, it’s a beautiful drunken hook up with someone who you don’t understand why you’re drawn to them. It’s getting drunk with someone on champagne in the dark month of December while basking in the glow of Christmas lights, and ending up in bed with them in a soulful embrace and having a beautiful one night stand, followed by soulful pillow talk and sharing of secrets in the hours before sunrise, then a slipping away at dawn.
You can’t reach a lot of consensus with someone that you have 12th house connections with either, they feel like a soulmate, but it doesn’t feel secure. Typically the house person doesn’t see the planet persons feelings for them. Maybe the planet person feels too good for the house person, maybe the planet person is on a different level, is formally educated, comes from a wealthy background, etc; and the house person rejects the shared feelings because they feel like maybe they’re being used, like maybe this isn’t real, what does this person (the planet person) want from me? Think of Camilla and Charles, he loved her passionately, he knew she was his soulmate, but with that pile up of her planets in his 12th he couldn’t trust that it was real. Camila was more experienced sexually, she was easy to talk to, she was a great listener and Charles was extremely rigid and awkward, and deep down he didn’t feel on her level and didn’t believe she could ever truly be in love with him. But she was. He felt like she must feel sorry for him. 6th and 12th house connections are usually prominently unbalanced, so one party can be more powerful in a certain way (6th and 12th house are traditionally houses associated with servants, and those of lower stature) but the planet person is actually falling in love with that house person in a big way in those quiet moments with the house person, like hands intertwined in the dark. They accept one another unconditionally. But both people can end up feeling used actually, because the planet person isn’t fully trusted by the house person. The house person doesn’t open their heart all the way, they don’t trust that this is real love. There is regret and sadness when it ends. Because they were soulmates. There is unrequited love when it ends, because they know that in the harsh light of day they’re just not meant to work out on a worldly, earthly level. But that one night stand was beautiful, and it haunts them at night when they’re alone. That is the movie and the soundtrack to the 12th house.
8th house endings are more about compulsion vs repulsion, obsession vs possession, love/hate dynamics, and with immature parties can end in hate and potentially disgust if things were taken too far. If the sex was too much. If the sex involved risqué things like swinging or orgies. If risky decisions were made. If money was stolen, If infidelity happened. 8th house would resemble more the relationship between Charles and Diana than between Charles and Camilla. 8th starts with some obsession, which feels like love, and then ends sometimes in hatred or repulsion.
12th endings don’t happen with a bang, it’s more like poof! Now it’s gone, but barely anyone knew about it to begin with, it was a special, secret love. Sometimes one party sacrifices their love to let the other one go because they don’t feel like they can meet their expectations. The only super lovely and positive water house for building a successful long term relationship is the 4th house. In fact 1st and 7th, sometimes 5th and 11th (especially if friend groups and children are involved), and 4th and 10th are absolutely the most positive placements for enduring relationships based on love and identity, fun and friends, and home and status in the world. Those houses produce the best and most long term relationships.
But 8th house doesn’t own fascination or magnetism, it just owns primal sex and possessiveness (and on the dark side obsessiveness) of one another. Wanting to carve your initials in their bed post, wanting to put your name on an apartment lease with them, wanting to bind them to you, wanting to wear their blood around your neck, those things are not fascination or longing, that’s just possession and ownership of one another. 12th house can actually feel like you’ve met a soulmate, but it takes a ton of willpower to handle the nebulous undercurrents, and typically heavy emphasis on that house doesn’t work out in the physical world, because it’s a spiritual connection – which is why it’s not consciously understood by the two parties. It’s actually an incredibly magnetic and beautiful connection. Just nearly impossible to maintain in the physical world. It lives on in your dreams though, because it’s a spiritual connection.
GK
Asher. Bit late but thanks. You’re spot on. I’m a 12th houser. She’s the Sun.
While not really above my level, I’m thinking “What’s she doing with me?”, which is confusing the hell out of me.
Now I know
Lilith
Hi, bit late too. I’m the sun and he’s the 12th house. Can you please explain it to me how exactly do you see your girl (the sun)?
Betty
Geez Asher, this is an incredible write-up, thank you. Circle back if happen to write more and share the link! I’ll revisit this again I’m sure months or years down the line.
Betty
Do you offer readings?
ash
So accurate! I was in a relationship where I was the sun and he was the 12th house, you literally described our relationship.
violetvision
the description was actually scary accurate. possibly the most accurate thing I’ve read. i actually almost had a panic attack, it felt like someone had been spying on me. my partner and I have 8h sun overlays with each other. we were triggered by each other when we met but bc it was too good to be true and we continue to trigger each other in ways that are actually healing.
S
There are all kinds of books out there, but not all of what’s been suggested works. It is simply silly to say the planet person gets the house vibes. The house person gets the planet vibes in the areas of life ruled by the house. I’ll read a synastry for you for free, you must learn so you would correct your article, because you will mislead people if you don’t do this.
Astrology Library
I’m not sure what part you find misleading. If you’re referring to the “Sun in 8th House” section above, perhaps you missed the last 2 paragraphs, beginning with:
If you’re suggesting that the planet-person doesn’t get any effect because only the house-person gets the effect, that would be wrong. I go deeper than that here to discuss the effect on both people.
It would be great if anyone out there that has had this Sun in 8th House synastry overlay could share their experience.
Em
I just wanted to say that I have my sun in my husband’s 8th house and I can’t leave him, even when I want to, but he is far more effected by me. He says he is obsessed and possessive and it is unhealthy how much he finds me attractive- I will say however I have been able to see straight through his BS since the first day I met him. However, his sun and venus are in my twelfth house ( and my pluto is in his 12th house) so that may ramp up the obsessiveness he has for me ( i assume).
I am also the sun in a friends eight houses he and I are long-distance penpals (my mercury is in his 8th also). I can read his body language and tone of voice very easily (phone calls and zoom calls), and he does seem to be fascinated with the things I say and the way I say them (that could be Mercury though). With him, I am a bit obsessive about and possessive ( i am a Taurus that is how I roll naturally) I start to worry if I have not heard from him ( my pluto is in his first, so sometimes I think it is just that??). I notice he tells me more than I think he would like too sometimes, but he is a Scorpio so it could just be that!
In both cases of meeting both my husband and my friends I have felt like I know them and comfortable with them, I feel absolutely NO need to pretend to be anything but myself, and I know that they felt comfortable with me on meeting too.
I hope this example or two helped in some way. As I would say the house people SEEM to feel it more than I but I definitely feel it – maybe I can just SEE the effects it has on them? ( and I do feel very possessive if someone else seems to be liked by either of them similarly to how they ‘like’ me… but I have a fair bit of pluto natally so I always assume its that.)
Lea
My (adopted) child has their Sun in my 8th House.
I agree with what was said that the relationship started when the Sun-person was at rock-bottom (birth family life was dire and baby had to be placed for adoption, it was literally felt to be a life and death situation if baby wasn’t placed for adoption).
My child and I are deeply connected. (not saying everything is always easy!)
And I know I will find it very hard when child is an adult and is ready to leave home! (can’t say I’d never “let them go”, if it’s meant physically. but emotionally – very true – will always have a lot of love and care, just like any parent).
Marielle
It was exactly like that.
I have 5 planets including the Sun and an ASC in His 8th house.
It was a disturbing experience. Invisible bond. He fascinated me. He came into my life when I was in a very bad time in my life. And it did awaken in me what I did not know existed. And then I also became interested in Astrology. I had to find out what it is?
But of course, this amazing bond is not only about this 8th house. We are both highly plutonic and had many other aspects with us, including the Nord Node on the ASC / DSC axis.
Today, after many years, I am smiling.
Sorry for English, but I don’t know much and google translator had to help me. I don’t know if he translated it well enough.
Leanne
You know what brought me to this article?
My own “impossible situation”with somebody who is my “8th house person”. My sun and venus fall in his 8th house and what happened was a silly infatuation on my side. At first sight…
After a year or so I have had enough of this rollercoster of passions, and backed off. Nonetheless,I cannot give up on him totally, it feels like a drug, so I have been seeing him on and off for some time now. Silly infatuation for somebody who is not used to losing their head due to their Venus in Virgo (lol…the joke’s on me).
Not to mention the disappointment by the fact that for him…it was/is purely sexual.
Anyway, I found our story fits Corinnes interpretation, I found myself trapped in the abyss of his 8th house.
Maybe the planet person has more power over the house person in other houses, but not in the 8th.
Ella
My partners sun falls into my 8th house. As well as his Venus.
This overlay is no joke. I’ve never been more captivated/curious about someone..and when we first met, I was a tad bit scared of him. His energy was just foreign to me. It pierced through mine, I felt as if this man could see right through me. Which he can. This synastry overlay is highly sexual and very binding. We have to make sure we don’t loose ourselves in each other when we’re together. It’s magnetic, consuming, intoxicating, in the best way possible. I could definitely see how this overlay could turn toxic if both parties are not emotionally matured. However if both parties are matured enough to handle the energy between this overlay..it’s hard to let go of. It’s down right addicting. And I do believe both parties feel it. To the commenter with the name of S, I’m sorry but you are incorrect. It’s you who needs to get more versed in your astrology.
Ron
Lol cope harder. This was spot on for me. Maybe you are delusional cupcake.
Any case. This ain’t the only article you need to loom over😂
Aparna reddy
Lol… But my would be have his sun, moon, mercury, Saturn, Lilith in my 8th house. He is literally obsessed with me to the point of stalking. We are going to have arranged marriage set by our parents. I feel guilt so many times as I often forget about him when he needs attention. He always feel emotional and I can read him like an open book. He is Capricorn sun, Capricorn moon. I’m Capricorn sun, Pisces moon. Other scenarios are when my male best friends who I friend zoned after they confessed their feelings to me as I don’t feel the same. Both have their Mars in my 8th house. I my self was an 8th house stellium woman with sun, mercury, Venus, Saturn in 8th house.
So this is how it played for me. May be it can vary to some others. I can’t talk for every one.
Renee
Hello to anyone who will like to listen!
I have compared me and my partner chart in synastry.
Apparently I have my Sun, moon, and Mars in his 8th house. And he has mercury in my 8th house.
I have heard having personal planets in the 8th house synastry is a bad thing/overwhelming/obsessive and just overall too much.
Can someone tell me what each of these synastry in the houses means individually then just overall judge all these crazy placements as a whole?
Like is all of these placements will be too much for us to handle? We just started dating so nothing really happened yet but I’m just mildly concerned.
I can just tell some of the small things I do set him off a bit, like he is really trying to hold himself back, like he is afraid to hurt me. I am a very sexual person like sex is our main topic most of the time. He never tells me his sexual interest and desires but he loves to hear mine, but he knows that I don’t want to have sex yet because I am not ready. He is such a sweet and timid guy like I really don’t see how he can have those negative qualities to him like the synastry says he could.
Yet there are other aspects in our chart that says otherwise like my sun square his Pluto and a few more karmic aspects
PhiloSofia
I have my moon in my partner’s 8H and can relate to a lot of what you’re describing. My partner is also timid, and shy to talk about his sexual interests but loved to hear about mine.
It sounds a lot like how our relationship started. Maybe you can use these positive, energetic, benefic planets (your sun and mars) to shine a light on his sexuality and desires and help him understand them and feel free to express them.
Just a thought :)
Also: try not to be concerned at this stage of the relationship. Karmic and 8H connections might feel scary and we might want to predict them but we can’t change them. If we become obsessed with trying to figure it out we could alter how we feel about the relationship unfairly before it has a chance to start.
This person and their energy (astrological or otherwise) has entered your life to teach you something. Try not to judge or guess what that is yet, you will eventually find it out.
PhiloSofia
Hello,
I have my natal sun and mercury in the 8th house and my partner’s sun and Venus lie in my 8th house.
I found your paragraph on sun in 8th overlay difficult to read, but not completely untrue. I did meet my partner when he was at rock bottom, in fact we both were, but I did feel like I helped him come out of that dark place and be transformed (while almost ignoring my own situation? Maybe because of having Virgo in the 8th so I naturally want to give?)
By nature I am not a possessive person (strange for an 8H sun native I know) although I can get obsessive about my ideas and thoughts and my mind never seems to shut off (mercury 8H). I might also obsess about my identity, who I am and how people perceive me.
The only time I’ve been jealous or felt deeply betrayed has been in friendships, but not really romantic partners (probably due to my Pluto in the 11th and my happy, unchallenged Venus in the 7th.)
However when first getting to know my partner I felt like there was something dark and scary about him (rather than the other way round as your paragraph suggests.) In reality there isn’t, he is a sweet sensitive soul but I often get a sense that I never know what he is thinking and that he is keeping deep parts of himself locked away, from himself, from me, from the world.
I am always trying to get him to be more intimate with me, with my native 8H sun I want to shine a light on his psychological state, his childhood memories, his sexuality. In some ways I have helped him deal with these issues which he is thankful for, but at other times he puts up so many walls and barriers between his inner self and me.
He also has an 8H Saturn, hence his difficulties with intimacy. This is particularly painful for me as his Saturn is directly in opposition to my 7H Venus and also my 8H sun. His Saturn sits in my first house.
I struggle to feel loved or desired by him, as he is so guarded and restrictive with his intimacy. Sometimes I don’t know if he is even attracted to me. I feel like I always help him transform and come to deep realisations but I get very little in return. My self esteem is really starting to suffer right now (he is having his Saturn return atm.)
At the same time I feel so secure with him and have a really positive relationship with his family. He has supported me through sickness and grief when my father died. He has witnessed the most intimate and vulnerable parts of me.
I can’t imagine life without him and I know he loves me. I find myself wanting to marry and have children (I used to always be against the idea of having children) – but I don’t feel this with him. The 8H is also about shared resources and marriage – and I want to share everything with him, give him all of me. But I’m not sure he feels the same.
I know he is deeply serious and committed to me but he is holding back a part of himself which stifles our union. This is the best and most stable relationship of my life but it is hurting me in many ways too.
Sorry if this is too long, I don’t have many people to talk to about these feelings. I hope it provides a useful perspective on this overlay.
PhiloSofia
One more thing that I’ve remembered: my moon is in my partner’s 8H.
While I don’t feel obsessive about my partner like this article may suggest (his sun in my 8H) I do feel like he is jealous and possessive of me.
I had a friend a few years ago who I was pretty close to and had a lot of nice conversations with (their sun was in my 3H so very mentally stimulating) and my partner got extremely hurt and jealous and insecure of this friend. He didn’t feel like he was smart enough or good enough compared to them.
I was so surprised because the two of them couldn’t be more different, and whatever I found in this friend is not was I would ever be looking for in a romantic partner.
Another thing to note about my moon in his 8H, is I get pretty moody when I feel like he is holding back or not being intimate with me (emotionally or sexually) and often his holding back of intimacy makes me feel so mentally vulnerable and usually triggers me to have panic attacks.
Wow, 8H synastry is not easy!
tete
I wonder what happens with the ones (as me) that have 12th house packed as me… Is really bad to have other sun or personal planets in our 12th? Do we make nice couples between us? Or are we dammed?
Thanks for the insight.
Blessings
Meriem Hssaini
Hello o have a question i had read before that the Sun Sées thé 10th house as a little boy and help thème to achieve their goals and hier you Saïd that hé will se thenth house in an authoritative way strong one
tija
I have my sun in his 12th house and he has his sun in my 12th house!
It is indeed a very mysterious relationship but also feels like a soulmate connection..
DaDa
Marriage…??? I doubt it…Patience? Indeed…a lot! The fact is that is true, I have no idea where this going to. Like no direction and it also makes me think that this guy is looking to get into the female (venus) collective (12H) and I just feel that I am part of this…and not in a good way.
Kat
this is extremely accurate! the guy I had this type of synastry placed his stellium of 4 planets (sun-mercury-mars-saturn) in my 12th house. I was a foreigner in his country and it created an exotic, elusive and strange aura around me for him. But mostly because of the secret that I didnt want to reveal. That brought a barrier between me and him and communication seemed to be very confusing. Let alone the fact that we spoke different language. The chemisty and attraction were almost palpable.
Oana
So I have his sun in my 8th house but he has my sun in his 3rd and 4th house and I am a cancer sun and his moon in in Cancer, any help with the interpretations?
Aaciya
If someone Scorpio sun, Scorpio Venus, Scorpio mercury, Scorpio mars, Scorpio Jupiter fall in my 8th house Scorpio
And also I have Jupiter and Pluto placements in 8th house in Sagittarius
I am Aries rising in western astrology
What happened?