A Guide to Aspect Compatibility
- NSE RVA
- Apr 15, 2020
- 6 min read
Using Major Aspects to determine which Zodiac signs are most compatible with your Sun, Moon, and Rising signs.
Understanding the Wheel
Major Aspects – Chart Wheel Guide
It’s important to understand that the degree at which the planet falls within a sign, determines if a Major Aspect is even present at all. Most free Natal Chart Reports that are available online will include a degree next to each planetary placement – and they will also list all of your personal Major Aspects for you. That’s a great way to quiz yourself when learning Aspects.
Take a look at the Chart Wheel Guide above. Each of the twelve signs are 30 degrees in diameter and total a sum of 360 degrees, like a circle. Imagine that all 12 zodiac signs are sitting at a round table. Now, consider how many degrees apart the signs are, the easier/harder it may be to communicate or work together. That’s pretty much what astrologers are looking at when they compare your natal chart with your partners. Someone with a Sun sign sitting at a 180 degree angle from yours would be sitting directly across from you, or opposite you. At a table, you could make direct eye contact with each other and probably read each others lips over the chatter around you; but it could be like a game of charades trying to carry on an hour long conversation or work together that way – just the two of you. However, trying to get to know someone seated at a 90 degree angle of you, would mean there are two other signs conversing in between you. This suggests a bit of a challenge, having to work around those two signs. If someone was seated 60 degrees from you, there would only be one sign in between the two of you, and technically for the purpose of this example – that one sign would have no choice but to converse with the sign on either side of them.
A Guide to Aspect Compatibility
Example Chart
A guide to Major Aspects based on what Sun, Moon, and Rising signs would be most compatible with your Sun, Moon and Rising placements! Use this example chart above as a guide throughout this reading. Notice that even your own Sun, Moon, and Rising signs can create Major Aspects to each other. In our example chart, this person’s Big Three have both Oppositions and Squares. Pay attention to which planet falls within each sign on your wheel and how many degrees apart – grab a calculator. Your Sun sign is who you aspire to be (the person you’re trying your hardest to be more like on a daily basis), your Moon sign represents your emotional self (how you feel on the inside, your emotional self), and your Rising sign (aka Ascendant) is how you present yourself or come off to others. It’s the sign you’re most likely to get mistaken for. It’s your cover art.
Aspect Compatibility
The easiest way to figure out if aspects are compatible is to identify planets that form a favorable aspect to yours. Favorable aspects include: Trines and Sextiles. Conjunctions are neither good or bad, as this means you and that person share planets in the same sign. Oppositions can sometimes be challenging, depending on the element involved (Fire, Water, Air, Earth.) One thing is clear, the least favorable aspect is a Square. In this guide, you will learn that favorable aspects can be applied to your entire natal chart, as we look for planets (i.e. Mercury, Venus, Mars) that live within a particular sign (i.e. Cancer, Virgo, Aquarius.) You’ll quickly start to see just how compatibility works through a natal chart! When using the Major Aspects, you have a variety of options. Try writing out your Sun, Moon, Rising combinations at the next New Moon to help manifest the person you’re most compatible with, into your life.
Major Aspects – Sextile, Trine, Opposition
A 60 degree (+/- 6) aspect is known as a Sextile and suggests harmony and opportunity. Sextiles’ may require a little effort to work in your favor but are worth it for the long term.
Ex: Scorpio Moon is Sextile to a Capricorn Moon and Virgo Moon
Ex: Aries Moon is Sextile to a Gemini Moon and Aquarius Moon
A 120 degree (+/-9) aspect is known as a Trine and suggests advantage and ease. It is considered the most favorable major aspect. Your Trine buddies are all the zodiac signs you share the same element with – Fire, Air, Water, or Earth. (See Element Compatibility below for more on this aspect.)
Ex: Earth – Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Ex: Air – Aquarius, Gemini, Libra
A 180 degree (+/-9) aspect is known as an Opposition. I consider this aspect your fail safe for compatibility. This is the sign you are placed exact opposite of in the zodiac and the old saying is, opposites attract. This is the one sign you are best suited for Marriage and/or Partnership (Business, Work, Friendship) with. An opposition aspect also challenges growth and achievement.
Ex: Aries is opposite Libra
Ex: Cancer is opposite Capricorn
Other Major Aspects – Conjunction, Square
Simply dating your own Sun, Moon, and/or Rising sign is also an option. This aspect is known as a Conjunction – when two zodiac signs are zero degrees apart (+/-10), and therefore right on top of each other. A Conjunction aspect is considered extremely powerful and can either be extremely beneficial or create a very intense energy between the two of you. I’ve dated more of my own Sun sign than any other zodiac sign. It’s easy to understand, accept, and interpret someone who shares the same Sun, Moon, and/or Rising sign as you.
Signs that fall 90 degrees (+/-9) away from yours form a Square aspect which suggest stress and challenges. All of the signs you share the same Quality (or type of energy) with would be in a Square aspect to you. The twelve zodiac signs are divided into three Qualities:
Cardinal – Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn
Fixed – Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius
Mutable – Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces
Therefore, it is not recommended you date a sign of the same quality as you. If there are two Fixed moon signs, it may be hard to compromise or convince one of how the other feels due to stubbornness. You will only have two zodiac signs that form a Square aspect to yours, the third sign for your Quality actually forms the Opposition aspect to your placement.
Ex: A Gemini Sun forms an Opposition aspect with a Sagittarius Sun, and therefore may be recommended for marriage or partnership. However, a Gemini Sun would form a Square aspect with a Virgo and Pisces’ Sun, because these signs are within 90 degrees of Gemini and share the same Quality.
Element Compatibility (The Grand Trine)
Elements are the four fundamental substances under which the signs of the zodiac are classified – Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. On the Zodiac Wheel, signs of the same element are positioned 120 degrees apart, creating a triangle, aka the Grand Trine.
Leo possesses the element of fire. The signs that are most compatible with the Leo are zodiac signs who possess the same element, Aries and Sagittarius, the remaining two Fire signs. Fire signs are known to be energetic, aggressive, enthusiastic, and impulsive. By dating someone with a similar personality to yours, you are more likely to have similar interests or enjoy doing similar activities together; or in this case, having the same zest for life.
A Scorpio is ruled by the element of water. If a Moon placement houses a water sign, such as Scorpio, Pisces, or Cancer, your emotional self is best suited with those who also have a water sign for that placement. Water signs are known to be emotional, imaginative, and sensitive.
Earth signs are known to be practical, conservative, and stable. These characteristics would also be ideal to a water sign, helping to balance them out. However in this case, a Rising Taurus would be best suited with a Rising Virgo or Rising Capricorn, the remaining two Earth signs. Remember, dating your own sign forms a Conjunction, whereas dating one of your fellow elements forms a Trine aspect.
Air signs are known to be intellectual, reasonable, and communicative. The Air signs include: Aquarius, Gemini, and Libra.
It’s important to note what Element (Fire, Water, Earth, Air) or Quality (Cardinal, Fixed, Mutable) is dominant in your partner’s entire natal chart for compatibility, not just their Sun sign. Fixed signs are known to be quite persistent, determined, and resistant to change. An individual with a variety of Fixed placements in their natal chart may identify with those qualities more than those of their Sun sign alone – which may be Cardinal or Mutable.
Even though I can exhibit a lot of energy and enthusiasm on the outside (fire Sun), my emotional self is the complete opposite (water Moon.) A fire Moon would not be compatible with a water Moon, because eventually water exhausts the fire, emotionally. An earth sign would be compatible with a water sign, because water replenishes the earth, figuratively. Air and Fire combined together; think fire and oxygen, literally. A heated combustion of high intensity and high energy. This isn’t necessary a bad thing, as destruction excites both these elements for different reasons. Depending on the planetary placements for those Air/Fire signs, the dynamic could be fireworks or explosives.
Print Source: Woolfolk, Joanna M. (2006). The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need. Lanham, Maryland. Taylor Trade Publishing.
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