The eighth house is a very powerful point of contact when it comes to synastry and composite charts. Ruled as it is by Scorpio, many will see this overlay and think to themselves immediately “woohoo, sex! Deep passion! Soul bonds!”
But of course, there is much more to the eighth house than this when it comes to relationship astrology- for good or for ill!
Astrology is comprised of many different layers of symbolism, and first of all I would like to direct the reader’s attention to the number eight. Of course, in numerology this is often seen as the number of abundance and growth. It is also the number of karma, of binding, of cycles. What goes in must come out- which is also the secret to wealth. No true abundance ever comes of nothing, it is always comprised of a blending of energies- an alchemy that breaks things down in order to form anew. This ties into the whole Scorpio process of burning things down to break out of the ashes, the Kundalini process of transmuting crass old energies into making something new. Here, you pour two things into the pot and mix them around- and what comes out depends on what you put in in the first place!
This is a water house, and very much a two-way flow because of that. There is nothing clear cut in regards to the question “who feels it more”. The answer to this is in the individual natal charts, to see who will be more sensitive to this kind of energy.
With eighth house overlays, there is often a desire for a sharing of energy, an energy bond. There is a sense of being able to create a mutually advantageous partnership that goes into deeper and darker territory than the Libran seventh house of the intellectual exchange. As this is the house of secrets as well, there is often a lot of hidden information here into the bargain. Let me give a bit of an example:
Person A meets person B, and gains the sense that here is someone who is somewhat lonely and in need of someone to connect to. They have a sense that if they initiate and nurture a connexion between the both of them, they can mould Person B into someone who will be pleased to share that emotional bond with them. Person A initiates a friendship, and the both turn into confidantes of one another, sharing secrets and hidden pains and desires between them. There can be some instances of jealousy when one of the two gives attention to other friends, as the depth of the bond dredges up hidden insecurities- especially as both now have sensitive information about each other.
Person A’s Moon is in Person B’s eighth house.
Now whether this is a good thing or a bad thing for a stable relationship or friendship depends on the people involved, of course- their motives, and the rest of the synastry and the individual natal charts.
Person A can of course enter into this scenario with an energy-vampire consciousness, with a feeling (conscious or otherwise) like they wish or need to make Person B dependent on them in order that they can feel powerful. Person B can likewise be in a state of low boundaries and happy to let themselves be co-opted in order to feel appreciated. In this scenario, we have imbalance and a lack of truth which will not survive the rigmarole of the eighth house alchemy. Sooner or later, there will be a lab explosion!
If Person A and Person B are compatible in the rest of the chart and are willing and ready to pursue a spiritual journey within themselves in concordance with the eighth house energy that is happening between them, this can be a powerful and transcendant bond. This allows them to work strongly together as a team that is greater than the two individuals within it. When a true and honest give and take of energy that both are in agreement with is able to take place, this can be beautiful energy, where both draw strength and renewal from each other. But when the motives are less than stellar and more about lack- and one or both are stubborn about that lack mentality- then this bond can be painful and difficult and more in the territory of ouch-inducing karmic lesson.
Nothing in synastry is in itself a bad thing, in my opinion- it is the expectations that can make things painful for us. If you have an eighth house bond overlay or a Pluto contact with someone important, leave your expectations at the door. It will either make you stronger together as a pair, or stronger as separate individuals, or both- but what happens is up to what you two bring into the cauldron, which can often have nothing to do with what you might actually want!
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