If You’re Into Astrology, Asking Someone’s Sun Sign On A First Date Isn’t Enough
Let’s be real: Asking someone’s sun sign on a first date—while quite common these days—simply isn’t enough to get to know them. I mean, yeah, you should probably also ask about their hobbies, personality, etc. But what I’m really talking about is the fact that your sun sign is only *one* part of someone’s personality. That’s why you’ll need their entire natal chart to get a good look at whether you’re astrologically compatible.
“The sun sign is your life force, and it's your kind of core energy,” says Kathryn Andren, a New York-based astrologer at The Love Astrologer and creator of The Love Astrologer podcast. But to determine your compatibility with someone, you should also check your moon sign and “where your Venus and Mars points are, because it's going to give you a strong clue about relationships.” Basically, don’t get discouraged if your astrology app says you and your crush’s Sun signs aren’t compatible, because there’s way more to it.
Ready to do a deep dive into natal chart compatibility? Ahead, find out how other parts of your natal chart can shed light on whether you and your Hinge-hottie-turned-partner are written in the stars.
Meet the Experts: Kathryn Andren is a New York-based astrologer at The Love Astrologer and creator of The Love Astrologer podcast. Jess Campbell is an Indiana-based professional astrologer at Spicy Gemini Astrology. Marissa Jackson is a Florida-based professional astrologer at Marissa Leigh Astrology.
Elemental Compatibility
The natal chart has four elements: Water, earth, fire, and air. Complementary elements can create even more compatibility between natal charts, as “many fire and air signs get along well together, as well as many earth and water signs,” says Jess Campbell, an Indiana-based professional astrologer at Spicy Gemini Astrology.
If you think about how these four elements work together in the world around you, it’ll clue you into how they work in astrology. For example, if you throw water or dirt on a fire, it puts the fire out. If you blow on a rock, it’s not going to move. But when you blow on fire, the flame grows, and when you mix earth and water, you get a whole new substance that you can use to build things.
When it comes to compatibility, even signs falling opposite each other in someone's chart should get along in theory, since their elements always complement each other. (More on this later!) But sometimes “they can bring a little bit of tension to one another, even though by element, they should get along,” Campbell adds. For example, the independent, pioneering spirit of fiery Aries can clash with airy Libra’s focus on collaboration and connection.
However, elemental compatibility doesn’t just apply to your sun sign—so you’ll also want to pay attention to where your other placements fall. Say you have a Cancer moon (a water sign), Mercury, and Venus, and a Gemini sun (an air sign). You still might be attracted to water placements in a potential S.O. because you have water energy in your chart, even though you don't have a water sun sign.
Compatible Elements
Aries: Air signs (placements of Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius)
Taurus: Water signs (placements of Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces)
Gemini: Fire signs (placements of Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius)
Cancer: Earth signs (placements of Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn)
Leo: Air signs (placements of Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius)
Virgo: Water signs (placements of Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces)
Libra: Fire signs (placements of Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius)
Scorpio: Earth signs (placements of Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn)
Sagittarius: Air signs (placements of Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius)
Capricorn: Water signs (placements of Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces)
Aquarius: Fire signs (placements of Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius)
Pisces: Earth signs (placements of Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn)
Moon Sign Compatibility
The moon is “your feeling of emotional safety and emotional connection,” Andren says. So, in terms of compatibility, it can give you strong clues about how you might feel safe in a relationship. Moon signs are compatible either if their elements get along, or if both signs have traits that mesh well, like the big feelings of a Cancer moon and the emotional depth of a Pisces moon.
If you have a compatible moon sign to your partner, congratulations: That can make you feel secure and valued in your relationship. However, there are a couple of other aspects of the moon sign to look out for in your chart that might cause trouble. First, see if you have square signs or oppositions, which can make for discomfort and arguments.
Pause for an astrology lesson: Your natal chart looks like a wheel. That wheel gets divided into twelve equal sections—one for each Zodiac sign—and each section has 30 degrees. (That’s because the entire circle is 360 degrees, and divided by 12 for each sign, you’ll get 30 degrees for each section.)
Astrologers can look at the chart and use this math to see where you’re compatible (or not) with another person. For example, a square is three signs apart—or 90 degrees—in the wheel, making Leo and Scorpio square signs and…incompatible. Oppositions fall, well, opposite each other, or 180 degrees apart, like Cancer and Capricorn.
Here’s where things get interesting. Modalities are important, too, because they help you understand each other, says Marissa Jackson, a Florida-based professional astrologer at Marissa Leigh Astrology. “The modalities represent the seasons,” she says.
There’s the cardinal signs—Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn—which kick off the season. Then, there’s the fixed signs—Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius—which maintain each season. Next are the mutable signs—Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces—which “represent the ending and the transition of one season to another,” Jackson says.
Signs in the same modality just get each other—like how most fixed signs want to do things their way, or mutable signs are open to change and go with the flow. And even “if the moons are squaring each other, there's still compatibility,” says Jackson.
Here’s where things get interesting: Signs that are square and opposite each other share a modality, so there’s still some understanding. Cancer’s emotional nature might clash with Capricorn’s practical, down-to-earth vibe, but they both share certain cardinal values, like loyalty and work ethic.
For instance, while a Taurus moon and a Leo moon are astrologically incompatible, they can still vibe with each other because they’re both fixed signs. So, they have that natural understanding of one another despite the square aspect.
Compatible Moon Signs
Aries moon: Gemini, Leo, Sagittarius, and Aquarius moon
Taurus moon: Cancer, Virgo, Capricorn, and Pisces moon
Gemini moon: Aries, Leo, Libra, and Aquarius moon
Cancer moon: Taurus, Virgo, Scorpio, and Pisces moon
Leo moon: Aries, Gemini, Libra, and Sagittarius moon
Virgo moon: Taurus, Cancer, Scorpio, and Capricorn moon
Libra moon: Gemini, Leo, Sagittarius, and Aquarius moon
Scorpio moon: Cancer, Virgo, Capricorn, and Pisces moon
Sagittarius moon: Aries, Leo, Libra, and Aquarius moon
Capricorn moon: Taurus, Virgo, Scorpio, and Pisces moon
Aquarius moon: Aries, Gemini, Libra, and Sagittarius moon
Pisces moon: Taurus, Cancer, Scorpio, and Capricorn moon
Rising Sign Compatibility
Your rising sign, or ascendant, determines how you process the world around you and integrate your experiences into your identity. It factors into your sense of purpose and affects how you connect with people. Your rising sign compatibility can come in the form of complementary elements and common personality traits, like a Sagittarius rising who jumps at impromptu plans and a Gemini rising who’s happy to join them.
Unlike moon signs, rising signs in the same modality are often romantically compatible, according to Jackson. For instance, Jackson herself has a fixed rising sign, and it helps her get along well with other fixed rising signs.
But you’ll also want to check out the sign opposite to your ascendant to tell you even more about your compatibility: This is your descendant sign, which represents what you look for in the people around you. The ascendant and descendant signs actually tend to have similar qualities, but they’re expressed in different ways. It turns out that opposites do attract—when it comes to your rising sign, at least.
That’s because whatever sign falls on the descendant in your natal chart can show the kind of personality and values you look for in a partner, as opposed to your rising sign, which determines your own sense of purpose. So, if your descendant sign is a Taurus, their personality traits, such as stability and comfort, are what you’re looking for in a partner.
An example: Aquarius and Leo both love their independence and creativity, but they show it very differently. You might have an intellectual and quirky Aquarius rising and feel drawn to bold and expressive Leo sun people.
In this case, with Leo on the descendant, finding a Leo sun partner for an Aquarius rising means finding someone who truly embodies the qualities they’re looking for. Since the sun represents your core personality and expression, seeing someone else expressing the qualities of the sign on your descendant can really draw you in.
Compatible Rising Signs
Aries rising: Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius rising
Taurus rising: Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces rising
Gemini rising: Aries, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius rising
Cancer rising: Taurus, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces, rising
Leo rising: Aries, Gemini, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius rising
Virgo rising: Taurus, Cancer, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces rising
Libra rising: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Sagittarius, and Aquarius rising
Scorpio rising: Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Capricorn, and Pisces rising
Sagittarius rising: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, and Aquarius rising
Capricorn rising: Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, and Pisces rising
Aquarius rising: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, and Sagittarius rising
Pisces rising: Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, and Capricorn rising
Sun-Moon Compatibility
When the sun and moon come together, it can feel like you’ve known each other forever, even though you just met. The sun represents the ego, while the moon deals with how you feel. So, when the two understand each other, it creates harmony.
If your Sun sign shares an element with your partner’s Moon sign (or vice versa), this means you’re trines—and it’s a big indicator of compatibility, says Campbell. In those cases, “there’s a common language already established,” she says.
Sextiles and conjunctions can also make for a natural connection. In other words, if your and your partner’s sun and moon are two or four signs apart in the chart, or even in the same sign, your inner and outer worlds can align juuust right.
Let’s go back to that picture of the natal chart wheel for a sec. Conjunctions, sextiles, and trines all make for happy, comfy aspects in the natal chart. Conjunct placements fall right next to each other, usually within the same sign—like planetary cuddling.
Sextile placements fall two signs apart, and they’re always complementary elements. For instance, Taurus and Pisces (earth and water, respectively) are sextile signs and get along so naturally that they don’t even have to think about it.
Compatible Sun-Moon Signs
Aries sun: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Sagittarius, and Aquarius moons
Taurus sun: Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Capricorn, and Pisces moons
Gemini sun: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, and Aquarius moons
Cancer sun: Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, and Pisces, moons
Leo sun: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, and Sagittarius moons
Virgo sun: Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, and Capricorn moons
Libra sun: Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius moons
Scorpio sun: Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces moons
Sagittarius sun: Aries, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius moons
Capricorn sun: Taurus, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces moons
Aquarius sun: Aries, Gemini, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius moons
Pisces sun: Taurus, Cancer, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces moons
Venus-Mars Compatibility
Can you say magnetism? Venus is the planet of love, and Mars is the hot, passionate planet of action. If your Venus sign is compatible with your partner’s Mars sign—or the other way around—this can signify a steamy and sensual connection.
“Venus gives us clues about ‘what I’m naturally attracted to’ or ‘what are my innate values?’” says Andren. “The Mars placement in the chart gives us clues about ‘what turns me on?’ or ‘how do I go after what I want?’” Venus and Mars are some of the most important placements to look at to understand what your partner values, and they can help you work through disagreements.
So, what creates a Venus/Mars match? Trines, sextiles, and conjunctions between Venus and Mars make for a gentle, emotional connection, while squares and oppositions crank up the heat for a quick and fiery fling.
Compatible Venus-Mars Signs
Aries Venus or Mars: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Sagittarius, and Aquarius Venus or Mars
Taurus Venus or Mars: Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Capricorn, and Pisces Venus or Mars
Gemini Venus or Mars: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, and Aquarius Venus or Mars
Cancer Venus or Mars: Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, and Pisces Venus or Mars
Leo Venus or Mars: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, and Sagittarius Venus or Mars
Virgo Venus or Mars: Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, and Capricorn Venus or Mars
Libra Venus or Mars: Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius Venus or Mars
Scorpio Venus or Mars: Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces Venus or Mars
Sagittarius Venus or Mars: Aries, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius Venus or Mars
Capricorn Venus or Mars: Taurus, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces Venus or Mars
Aquarius Venus or Mars: Aries, Gemini, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius Venus or Mars
Juno Sign Compatibility
“When will I get married?” Every astrologer has gotten this question, and Juno can help you pick a date. Juno is an asteroid that offers nuance to what Venus says about your attraction. And you can use it “to see the sort of individual you may be drawn to for more committed arrangements,” says Campbell. While people tend to think of Juno in terms of traditional marriage, it can also point to civil unions and other types of partnerships.
“Juno tends to get activated when people get married and when they meet a significant partner,” says Jackson, referring to the point in life when Juno becomes most relevant in your chart. In general, you want to see happy aspects, like conjunctions, sextiles, and trines, with Juno as you would with any other planet. Conjuncts and sextiles—as well as similar elements, like fire and air or earth and water—point to compatibility in long-term commitments, like marriage.
Compatible Juno Signs
Aries Juno: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Sagittarius, and Aquarius Juno
Taurus Juno: Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Capricorn, and Pisces Juno
Gemini Juno: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, and Aquarius Juno
Cancer Juno: Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, and Pisces Juno
Leo Juno: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, and Sagittarius Juno
Virgo Juno: Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, and Capricorn Juno
Libra Juno: Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius Juno
Scorpio Juno: Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces Juno
Sagittarius Juno: Aries, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius Juno
Capricorn Juno: Taurus, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces Juno
Aquarius Juno: Aries, Gemini, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius Juno
Pisces Juno: Taurus, Cancer, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces Juno
House Compatibility
In your personal natal chart, the houses represent different areas and themes in your life. Now that you’re a pro at identifying your compatibility with your S.O. through the other pieces of your natal chart, you can take it to a deeper level through discovering your house compatibility. To show how the planets and houses interact, combine the synastry and composite charts of both partners.
With synastry charts, lay both partners’ natal charts on top of each other to show where each person’s placements fall in the houses of the other’s chart. This type of chart shows the signs in a circle, like the natal chart wheel, but it will show both your and your partner’s houses divided up separately on the inner part of the wheel. For example, if your sun is in your first house in your natal chart, it might fall in your partner’s seventh house, depending on how the charts align.
Meanwhile, a composite chart takes the placements in each partner’s chart and finds the midpoint between each one, creating a whole new chart for the relationship itself. For example, if one person’s moon is in Taurus and the other’s falls in Sagittarius, their composite moon might fall in Aquarius, since that’s the midway point between the two.
Campbell recommends looking at the fifth house first and seventh house second, as well as the planets in both of these houses. The fifth house deals with initial, basic attraction, while the seventh house looks at partnerships. Planets in the eighth house can go a step further and show the sexier side of your relationship, kinks and all. And, as many positive attributes as these houses can show you about your ‘ship, others, like the twelfth house, can either make or break your relationship by showing how you feel seen.
But house compatibility is more than sex and romance—it deals with other important aspects of a relationship. For instance, the third house handles communication, the eleventh deals with social groups, and the twelfth represents our subconscious.
When determining if your houses are compatible, “it just depends on what you’re looking for someone to bring out of you,” Jackson says. “Some people love having their partners’ luminaries or Venus and Mars in their twelfth house because maybe there are parts of themselves that are hidden that they're not aware of, and that person shines a light on them.”
How compatible should I be with my S.O. in terms of our birth charts?
While natal chart compatibility is a fun thing to think about—whether you’ve just met someone new or have been together for years—you probably shouldn’t take it as gospel. So, do you need to book a compatibility reading as soon as you meet that Hinge Hottie? No way.
Even astrologers agree that your choices matter. You get to decide how committed you are to your relationship, and “there's so much more that comes into play when it comes to putting two charts against each other and blending those two energies together,” Jackson says. So, at the end of the day, you shouldn’t rely on the stars to tell you what to do, especially if you’re happy with your partner—even if there are a few squares in your synastry.
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