Here’s How To Tell Whether You’re Compatible With Another Zodiac Sign

In astrology, there are so many different ways to tell whether you’re compatible with another person. Zodiac sign compatibility — which usually translates to simply sun sign compatibility — tends to be the first thing people look at when trying to determine whether they’ll be instant besties or like oil and water, but there’s a lot more to understanding your dynamic with another person besides the sign the sun was hanging out in the day you were born. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that sun signs have the least to do with overall compatibility, so the next time someone tells you that they’re a Scorpio, you shouldn’t write them off just yet.

If you want a full idea of how well you’re likely to get along with someone, you need to consider how their birth chart interacts with your own, which means it’s important to have a good idea of what’s going on in your own chart first. Once you have a strong understanding of your natal chart, it’s fairly simple to determine how someone else’s chart works with your own.

You’ll want to start with your rising sign, since this part of your chart determines how the rest of your chart is set up. If you’re a Gemini rising, for example, you can immediately know that you’ll have Cancer in your second house, Leo in your third house, and so on (the houses always follow zodiacal sign order) by using the Whole Sign house system, which is what I personally recommend. Understanding the signs that are in each of your houses makes understanding the synastry between you and another person pretty simple.

What Is Synastry?

Synastry is how your own personal chart works with someone else’s. For example, if someone has Venus in Libra, and you’re a Gemini rising, that person’s Venus falls in your fifth house of pleasure, creativity, and romance, since Gemini risings all have Libra in the fifth house (using the Whole Sign house system). Someone having planets that fall in your fifth house is a strong indicator that you’ll experience a lot of fun and pleasure with this individual, in a romantic or platonic sense. The planet itself can offer further insight into how this energy will show up in the dynamic between you and this person, so continuing with the Venus example, you can expect this to be a very pleasant relationship since Venus is the planet of love and connection.

On the other hand, if you’re a Scorpio rising, and someone has Venus in Libra, this would mean that their Venus would fall in your 12th house of isolation, withdrawal, and privacy, so it may be more of a challenge understanding how this person seeks connection and intimacy. Though this isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker (synastry very rarely is), it can describe some of the issues you may have in a relationship with this person.

How To Tell Whether You’re Compatible With Another Zodiac Sign

When it comes to synastry and understanding whether you’re compatible with someone , it’s important to consider what kind of relationship you have with this person. If it’s a romantic relationship, you’re going to want to identify where the person’s moon, Venus, and Mars fall in your own chart, as well as vice versa, to understand how you’re able to support each other emotionally, whether you can clearly understand the person’s love language, and gather insight into how that person handles anger or stressful situations. Fifth house and seventh house synastry tends to be ideal since these are generally the romantic houses of the chart, but it ultimately depends on what you are personally looking for in a relationship.

• If you’re looking for strong communication, you’re going to want third house synastry (so your partner’s moon, Mercury, or Venus falling in your third house, since this is the house of communication).
• If you’re looking for a partner who can teach you things or someone you’re compatible with when it comes to spirituality, you’re going to want ninth house compatibility (moon, Mercury, Venus, etc. falling in your ninth, since this is the house that governs over these topics).

While a lack of synastry doesn’t mean you won’t be able to connect with the other person on the aforementioned ideals, synastry will be able to pinpoint some of the major themes you’ll notice amongst your dynamic.

How To Use Synastry (Or Lack Thereof) With Another Zodiac Sign

While synastry can provide in-depth insight into understanding the dynamic you share with another person, I don’t recommend using it as means to determine whether you should pursue a potential connection with someone. Though it can be tempting, especially if the synastry looks a little bleak, it’s always worth giving someone a try, even if your Venus falls in their eighth house, or theirs in yours. It’s important to consider the synastry as a whole as well; it paints a complex, nuanced picture, closely resembling how relationships tend to play out in real time. There’s no good or bad synastry, so be sure to keep that in mind.