HI Linda
Could you please explain how to tell the relationship phases from a
birthchart, say the Composite or Progressed Composite?
To determine such phases always use the SLOWER MOVING of the two planets being considered as your baseline. Thus, if Venus were at say 10 Aries, and Mars were at 10 Cancer Mars would be the slower moving of the two. So this would equal a Last Quarter Phase.
What method does EA use to find out if a couple are just beginning
to sort out their karma together, or whether they're at the end
phase and have sorted it out already and are moving away from
each other?
Do we look at Venus, Saturn and Pluto?
First, one can't tell from just the birth charts alone. One has to do the traditional astrology thing which is to observe and correlate the symbols to the observation. Thus, if I have a couple in front of me that feels from within themselves that their relationship is culminating, coming to an end, that they feel they have done all they can do with one another this is the relevant observation to make based on their feedback. I then would look at their charts individually and combined. If I then observed in so doing a lot of planetary phases that are indeed culminating, as in balsamic phases, I could then confirm to them there own observation/ feelings. Conversely, if they made that observation about themselves and I looked into their charts and did not see a lot of planets in a balsamic phase then I would offer my view that I didn't feel that to be true. I would then explore with them why they felt this way and would point to the areas/ dynamics within themselves as individuals, and how they come together in relationship, that still needed to be worked on together. If I did see planets in a balsamic relationship to one another I would also talk to them about the dynamics that are specific to those archetypes that are indeed culminating and why, and what the new seeds are for those dynamics to come: future lives.
There is no one signature in EA that says , absolutely, that any relationship is totally over.
Rad