How sign compatibility works
Traditional astrology reads Sun-sign compatibility from three things. The elements: fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius), earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn), air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) and water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces). Fire and air feed each other, as do earth and water. The modalities: cardinal signs start things, fixed signs sustain them and mutable signs adapt. And the ruling planets, which colour what each sign wants.
Together these give the angle between two signs, and each angle has a classic character. The labels in the chart are those traditional readings, not scores:
- Mirror (the same sign (a conjunction)): deeply familiar.
- Neighbours (neighbouring signs (a semi-sextile)): different but curious.
- Friendly (a sextile (two signs apart)): an easy, supportive flow.
- Dynamic (a square (three signs apart)): spark with friction.
- Flowing (a trine (four signs apart, same element)): the most natural harmony.
- Adjusting (a quincunx (five signs apart)): an unlikely but intriguing pull.
- Magnetic (opposite signs (an opposition)): opposites that complete each other.
Sun signs are only the start. Your Moon sign shows what you need emotionally, Venus how you love, and your Rising sign how you meet the world, which is why two people of “difficult” signs can be wonderfully happy together.