Maressa Brown (she/her) is a journalist, author, and astrologist who acts as one of Shape’s resident astrology experts covering topics such as retrogrades and full moons, and predicting weekly and monthly horoscopes. She has nearly two decades of experience as a writer, reporter, and lifestyle editor for a variety of digital and print publications including InStyle, Parents, and Cosmopolitan. She graduated from Emerson College with a B.S. degree in journalism and is currently based in Los Angeles while she works on her first book.
The recent boom of interest in astrology can likely be attributed to the fact that we love learning more about ourselves and bolstering our self-awareness. But what we adore just as much (maybe even more sometimes, if we’re being honest) is learning about the objects of our affection 
and whether or not we’re destined for a cinematic love story – or at least, a satisfying romp between the sheets. And the planets – specifically your natal chart (or birth chart) – can offer helpful intel.
Here, several planetary factors that can provide insight into your zodiac sign compatibility as well as which sign pairings are the most compatible, the most challenging, and the those that are just hit-or-miss.
These Planets Help Shape Zodiac Sign Compatibility
When considering whether you and a potential or existing partner are going to hit it off, you’ll want to compare the following celestial bodies. (To get your natal chart – which contains all this info and can help you determine your astrological compatibility, among many other things – you can consult an astrologer or plug your info into an online service such as astrology.)
Your sun signs: Whether you’re filling out a dating app profile or buying a pretty new zodiac sign pendant, the sign you identify with is the sign that the sun was moving through at the time of your birth. The sun oversees your self-image, self-esteem, identity, and how you experience confidence. It can also influence your life path.
Your moon signs: The shimmering, mysterious moon is considered your inner emotional compass. It’s tied not only to the experiences, people, and material items in life that offer you a sense of security but it also impacts how you connect emotionally with others. That’s why it’s so helpful for identifying someone who shares your values and how you experience intuition and emotion. (
Your Venus Signs: The planet of love, romance, beauty, and money speaks to what you most value in a relationship, how you demonstrate desire, how you attract others, and the way you experience pleasure. It can very much characterize how you behave in any of your social interactions and relationships – romantic or otherwise – and color your love language. For those reasons, it’s a key player when looking at zodiac sign compatibility.
Your Mars Signs: Mars, the planet of action, influences the things in life that drive you, your energy, your strength, your inner fire, and yep, your sexual style. Chances are, you want your partner to be on the same (or at least a similar) page in terms of all of those aspects of life, so it’s a major planet to look to when determining how well you’ll vibe with someone else – in and out of bed. (
How to Decode Zodiac Sign Compatibility
A big-picture must-know: You’ll want to think about how all of these planets interact with one another to really investigate astrological compatibility – not just like with like. For example, your sun might technically be square (the harshest angle – more on that in a sec) your partner’s sun, but your Venus signs are trine (the sweetest angle), and your moon signs are cone sign). Harmonious aspects like those can significantly rosy up what might, at first glimpse at sun signs, seem like a problematic picture.