The Best Relationship Astrology Books

There are thousands of astrology books available, including texts that go back over a millennium. Most of the books offer insights about special techniques, timing, and various uses of astrology in daily life, relationships, and career. And, of course, there are many, many beginner books, which offer the foundational, “all-in-one” knowledge to get started with astrology at a level that is far more sophisticated than the daily horoscope. This article will suggest some of the relationship books, ranging from gently accessible, “on the lighter side” reading to very complex, “make your head explode” tomes.

On the Lighter Side

The books in this section will help you understand the complexity of synastry astrology with a “gentle” hand, using non-technical language, fun examples, and the best blend of accessible reading for a complex subject.

Gary Goldschneider’s Everyday Astrology: How to Make Astrology Work for You by Gary Goldschneider

Published in 2009, this book stands out among the many more modern books by offering complete sections that break down the many ways to understand roles based on Zodiac signs. Want to know how to raise an Aquarius child or deal with an Aries lover? How about the best way to succeed with a Taurus boss or make a Leo employee happy? This book provides one of the most comprehensive looks at the Sun sign in all its different manifestations in everyday life.

Lyn Birkbeck’s Do It Yourself Relationship Astrology

First published in 1999 by Element Books Limited, it was picked up and published in 2008 by Harper Collins. This book stands out among the many more modern books by offering very readable information displayed in two basic sections per point and sign (such as Mercury in Aries). The two sections are “You See Life in Terms Of …” and “But Tend Not to See …”. From the back cover: “Learn the golden rules of relating according to Planetary and Zodiacal Law in this complete and practical guide to successful relationships.”

• The Best All-in-One Astrology Books

Jan Spiller’s Cosmic Love: Secrets of the Astrology of Intimacy Revealed

Published in 2007, this book could go in one of the higher categories, but Spiller is such a wonderful writer that she has that rare gift to make complex ideas digestible for a layman’s audience. Spiller is such an excellent writer and astrologer that you would do well to purchase and read all her books. From the back cover: “In this power guide, astrology expert Jan Spiller shows you how the practical science of astrology can lead to real-life results in the realm of intimate relationships. Moving beyond the commonly known sun-sign profiles, Spiller delves into the meanings and mysteries of your personal North Node to help bring love into your life.”

Intermediate Books

These relationship books are great for someone seriously considering doing astrology for others, but maybe not professionally. If you want to “get serious” about relationship astrology, these books will help take a much deeper dive.

• Great Minds in Astrology: Jan Spiller

Robert Hand’s Planets in Composite: Analyzing Human Relationships

Originally published in 1975, this book holds up and is still one of the best “cookbooks” for understanding the chart two people create when their charts are merged using midpoint calculations between every point in the chart. Hand makes no bones about the value of the composite approach, saying in his introduction, “In reading composite charts I have found little or none of the ambiguity that occurs with conventional techniques of synastry. Creative and positive relationships are recognized clearly and unambiguously, and so are difficult and relatively unrewarding ones.” (3)

• Book Review: Planets in Composite by Robert Hand

John Townley’s Planets in Love: Exploring Your Emotional and Sexual Needs

Originally published in 1978 and republished in 1997, this book is another example of an older text holding up over time. This book is also in the “cookbook” format, which makes it more accessible given the complexity of the subject. In her forward to the book, Amy Shapiro writes, “Planets in Love is not a book to read from beginning to end in one sitting. Rather, it is a guide in the ongoing process of exploration and discovery of one’s sexuality. The 550 delineations present in the main body of the book can be valuable catalysts for couples who want to open up their communication about sexual and emotional needs.” (xi)

Academic Tomes

These relationship astrology books are really aimed at professionals and scholars.

Stephen Arroyo’s Relationships and Life Cycles: Astrological Patterns of Personal Experience

Originally published in 1979 and revised and republished in 1993, this book is not long but is dense. The material is some of the best for understanding and delving into the true complexity of the astrological study. The work is based on workshops Arroyo lead and he states, “More than half the material in this book deals with relationships and compatibility. I urge the reader to refer often to the Systematic Outline of Synastry in Section 1 as you read the first three sections of this book. This outline was handed out at the workshops, and it gives some sense of the order and structure of the workshops that might not otherwise be immediately apparent.” (11)

• Great Minds in Astrology: Stephen Arroyo

Alexandra Mark’s Marriage Made in Heaven: An Astrological Guide to Relationships

Originally published in 1988 and republished in 1997, Mark’s work relies heavily on statistical modeling from her studies of astrology before entering graduate school to earn her Masters and PhD (in comparative literature). From the back cover of the book, “In a time when many people find themselves in troubled marriages and the society is experiencing an unprecedented rise in divorce, this book is an important tool for those who are thinking about marriage and those who are already involved in a relationship. Not a simplistic answer book, it takes the matter seriously and offers astrological insights for improving the present situation.”

Erin Sullivan’s The Astrology of Family Dynamics

Originally published as Dynasty: The Astrology of Family Dynamics in 1997, it was updated and republished as just The Astrology of Family Dynamics in 2001. Sullivan, like other recommended authors, has written many books and it is worth it to own them all. In this category, she addresses an aspect of synastry that is as important as romance but does not have very much material devoted to it. On the back cover, it says, “This book fills a gap in astrological literature as one of the very few books dedicated to family patterns – the psychology of family dynamics – in natal astrology. It also adds an essential new dimension to the psychology of families and groups.”