The U.S. Census Bureau reported today that 11.4 million married-couple households, or 21 percent of all married-couple households in America in 2011, had at least one spouse born in another country. About 13 percent (7.3 million) of households had two foreign-born spouses, and 7 percent (4.1 million) had one native-born and one foreign-born spouse.
Other highlights from the brief:
Among the mixed-nativity married-couple households — households with one native-born and one foreign-born spouse — the foreign-born spouse was more likely to be the wife (55 percent) than the husband (45 percent).
Foreign-born spouses in mixed-nativity married-couple households were more likely to be naturalized U.S. citizens (61 percent) than non-citizens (39 percent).
Foreign-born spouses in mixed-nativity married-couple households were most likely to have been born in Latin America and the Caribbean (40 percent), followed by Europe (26 percent) and Asia (23 percent).
Foreign-born husbands in mixed-nativity married-couple households were more likely than foreign-born wives to have been born in Latin America and the Caribbean. In contrast, foreign-born wives were more likely than foreign-born husbands to have been born in Asia.
Among all states, Hawaii (16 percent) had the highest percentage of married-couple households that were of mixed nativity, while Mississippi, South Dakota and West Virginia (2 percent in each state) had the lowest percentages.
Relationships and astrology - a tangled web involved, with lots of ways to untangle it. For many years I lived with the idea that there is reliable compatibility between certain Sun signs, and a definite no-no between others. "Aquarius and Libra are a wonderful match", we were often told. In my youth I, an Aquarian, married a Libran; it was a disaster on every level. My parents were an Aquarius/Libra combination though, and they lasted 55 years, until one of them died. Is there a logical 50/50 chance of success or failure, whatever the astrology? That's the $64,000 question. After the first disastrous marriage I took up with an astrological no-no, a Sun Taurean, and that relationship lasted 33 years, until his death.
Sun sign is but the shadow of the tip of an iceberg. Harmony between certain zodiac signs, and disharmony between others is undeniable, but still is only a basis for further investigation. Harmony, or otherwise, relates to the astrological principle that each zodiac sign is connected to one of the 4 elements - Earth, Water, Air, Fire. Air and Fire are harmonious, as are Water and Earth, whereas for example, Fire with Earth or Water would not be an easy combination. This is the first strand in that tangled web.
Harmonious Sun signs and/or Moon signs are definitely a sound basis from which to start; certainly there will be initial feelings of understanding between two people whose Suns and Moons are in tune element-wise. However, this connection of fundamental understanding, though excellent for business or friendship, might not provide enough of a zing for serious romantic relationship to blossom.
In a booklet called "How to Handle Your Human Relations" by Lois Haines Sargent (Published 1958 & 1970 American Federation of Astrologers) the author stated "It is a law of attraction as true in metaphysics as in psychology and astrology that our attracting or being attracted to certain persons or environments is rarely, if ever, pure chance." A fascinating thought!
A few interesting points from the booklet follow:
"Individuals born in signs ruled by the same planet, such as Libra-Taurus, ruled by Venus; Scorpio-Aries ruled by Mars; Gemini-Virgo ruled by Mercury; Sagittarius-Pisces ruled by Jupiter; Capricorn-Aquarius ruled by Saturn; (using old rulerships for Scorpio, Pisces, and Aquarius) will be easily adaptable to each other provided the mental-emotional-spiritual requirements are satisfied. Many individuals are attracted to others born in signs in which the respective decans are sub-ruled by the same planets".
Another proposition:
The ruler of the ascendant of one partner is in the sign ascending in the other's chart. Example:Aquarius rises in one chart. Ruler is Uranus. Uranus is in Sagittarius in the other chart and Sagittarius is the sign ascending in this chart.
The author lists several other variations on the theme of ascendants, descendants and ruling planets. The descendant (7th house) opposite the ascendant, is the astrological house pertaining to relationship matters; the ascendant and 1st house represents the self we show the outside world, so the two factors are bound to be important when considering relationship issues.
Another theory:
"An excellent sign of understanding and compatibility occurs when rulers of respective Sun signs are in partner's Sun sign. Example: Sun in Gemini and Sun in Cancer -- Mercury, which rules Gemini, is in Cancer in the Gemini's chart. Moon, which rules Cancer is in Gemini in the Cancer's chart. "
The overall message to be gleaned is that simple Sun sign compatibility can be a promising start - or not. Countless other factors, many others not even touched upon here, account for times when, seemingly against all astrological odds, two hearts manage to blend as one.
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| René Magritte's "The Lovers" |
A lesson I learned: it's never wise to discount a potential partner on astrological grounds, at least not before delving more deeply into the matter. Even then there could still be other factors, outside of astrology, exerting a powerful pull outweighing natal charts.
As the booklet's author said - "attraction is rarely, if ever, pure chance".
