In the game of love are some signs born to lose?
In truth, zodiac compatibility is a constellation of qualities and challenges, elemental energy and ancestral trauma and takes into account the whole of the birth chart, aspects formed, and houses occupied.
Synastry is the art of comparing the birth charts of two people to determine compatibility and predict challenges.
Within the birth charts, the placement of the moon which serves as our emotional touchstone, Mars, the planet of sex and aggression and Venus, the planet of love and attachment help divine whether a relationship is rock steady or destined for certain ruin.
In my experience, anything can happen, anything can work and I root wholly and heartily for any and all couples that beat the odds or defy the stars.
Ultimately, a truly successful relationship is measured not by longevity or public perception but in orgasms, vulnerability, honesty and its capacity to push all parties towards evolution, expansion and actualization.
With this in mind, we bring you a list of the least compatible, worst zodiac love matches.
ARIES (March 21 – April 19)
Worst match: Aries
Aries folk burn bright and while this attraction will be a full send exercise in firepower and sport f–king, it is likely to burn out with equal brevity and intensity. Aries is big-time gladiator/action hero energy and in this dynamic, neither party is satisfied playing the role of sidekick, prey or damsel. This match is one of formidable opponents and incompatible long-term lovers. The sex will be incendiary and the fights will be legendary. Examples of Aries on Aries relationships that burned bright and burned themselves out include Ali McGraw and Steve McQueen, Sarah Jessica Parker and Robert Downey Jr. While there is little flexibility in this pairing there is deep respect and thus these exes stand a better chance of remaining friends and allies after the dust settles and the scorched earth ceases its smoking.
TAURUS (April 20 – May 20)
Worst match: Sagittarius
Taurus rules the second house of self-worth and worldly possessions and natives exhibit a tendency to treat their lovers like the latter. As a fixed earth sign, the bull heart of a Taurus craves comfort and consistency in the vein of television reruns and Olive Garden breadsticks. Bulls are drawn to the defiant, bon vivant, flee-the-pasture energy of Sagittarius but are ultimately turned off by the archer’s disinterest in building or providing a solid foundation. Add to the mix that loyalty is a mafia-style non-negotiable for Taurus and a foreign philosophy to Sagittarians who are avowed only and ever to themselves. We see this dynamic at work in the brief union of Taurus queen Cher and her second husband the mutton-chopped, freedom-loving rock n roll outlaw Mr. Gregg Allman.
GEMINI (May 21 – June 20)
Worst match: Scorpio
Gemini is a deeply curious sign and there is no limit to the intrigue found in the sex and psyche of the average Scorpio. Trouble springs from the fact that Scorpio is a deeply possessive sign with a strong interest in intimacy and a zero-tolerance policy for small talk, topical issues and evasive conversation techniques. Gemini wants to be free to flirt and Scorpio wants to keep a close eye and an iron claw on their beloved. Not a lot of promise, ease or understanding to be found here, folks. Examples of failed Gemini/Scorpio couples include Donald Trump and Marla Maples, Russell Brand and Katy Perry, and Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder.
CANCER (June 21 – July 22)
Worst match: Aquarius
Aquarius is the most fiercely independent sign in the zodiac, one that thrives on autonomy, a staggering amount of solitude and preferably, living quarters separate from their partner. By contrast, Cancer is a water sign that seeks to merge body, soul, house and home with their beloved. As an air sign, Aquarians intellectualize their emotions and Cancer is all but governed by theirs. Elementally, there is no common ground or easy communion to be found in this match. An example of the challenge of this pairing can be found recently split couple Jeremy Allen White (Aquarius) and his ex-wife and card-carrying Cancer Addison Timlin.
LEO (July 23 – August 22)
Worst match: Virgo
Leo is a sign that needs to be acknowledged and adored and for all their bluster and perceived confidence lions harbor deep-seated fears about their worth and the amount of space, attention and adulation they deserve. Sensitive to criticism, they will find the insights of Virgo cutting rather than constructive. Virgos, whose tarot card is the Hermit, will meanwhile be exhausted by Leos’s need for validation and mixed company.
VIRGO (August 23 – September 22)
Worst match: Libra
The energy of Virgo is investigative and efficient, these people want to get it on, get it done and get to the bottom of issues and the motives of others. By contrast, Libra is a sign defined by their side-stepping, sweet talking and preference for the pretty over the gritty. Virgo wants to suffer for their pleasure and Libra would rather not. Virgo rules the sixth house of labor and service to others and Libra avoids both at all costs. Libra will be annoyed at Virgo’s inability to surrender to wanton indulgence and Virgo will bristle at Libra’s indecisive, non-committal energy.
LIBRA (September 23 – October 22)
Worst match: Aries
Libra is concerned with likability, decorum and other such pleasantries that Aries folk give approximately zero f–ks about. Libra is social and Aries is primal, opposites on the zodiac wheel and in general disposition. Yet, Aries likes danger and Libra likes the finer things in life, making these two a perfect pair of criminal accomplices, a fact made manifest in crime spree couple Bonnie Parker (Libra) and Clyde Barrow (Aries).
Astrology 101: Your guide to the star
- The 12 zodiac signs
- What are the astrology houses
- Here’s what each planet represents
- Sun, moon and rising signs: Get to know your Big 3
SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21)
Worst match: Gemini
The honeycomb mind and silver tongue of Gemini will call to Scorpio but the former’s inability to commit fully or pledge a blood oath to forever will cause the Scorpion to scheme, retreat or seek revenge. At their highest expression, Scorpios are about transcendental intimacy and loving a lover completely. The effervescent, distracted, here for a good time not for a long time vibe of Gemini activates all of a Scorpio’s well-guarded insecurities and darkest impulses. Scorpio is about control and Gemini will never submit, plus it’s hard to practice mind control/hypnosis on someone who can’t maintain eye contact because they keep checking their phone. Examples of this failed fling include Eddie Cibrian (Gemini) and Brandi Glanville (Scorpio), Lisa Bonet (Scorpio) and Lenny Kravitz (Gemini), and Blake Shelton (Gemini) and Miranda Lambert (Scorpio) — all couples whose separation was predicated on infidelity. `
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 21)
Worst match: Cancer
Cancer is vested in the creation and protection of a sense of home and Sagittarius was born to leave, ramble, drift and ever seek strange shores and questionable company. In brief, the Cancer need for roots is counter to the Sagittarius imperative to roam. One party will always feel abandoned/affronted and the other stifled/rebellious. For evidence of this dicey dynamic, look no further than Cancer Frida “I will paint you into my self-portrait” Kahlo and her Sagittarius husband Diego “I will sleep with your sister” Rivera.
CAPRICORN (December 22 – January 19)
Worst match: Leo
Capricorn, ruled by the restrictive planet Saturn, represents the archetypical daddy of the zodiac. By comparison, heart forward, jazz hands and drunk at brunch Leo is synonymous with the indomitable spirit of the inner child. More often than not, the Leo feels policed and unworthy and the Capricorn feels cast in a very non-sexy parental/provider role. This coupling prospers if and when the Cap recognizes a spark of genius in the Leo and gets to the business of feeding the flame for the mutual benefit of all.
AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18)
Worst match: Taurus
Aquarius and Taurus are a pair of fixed signs who consequently hold tight to their opinions and boundaries and are prone to rigidly defend them without apology or the slightest hint of compromise. Both are low key very stoic and when cooler heads and feigned indifference are always prevailing, hot passions tend to fall by the wayside. Aquarius lives in the mind and Taurus is grounded very much in the tactile body. Aquarius is the natural domain of cult leaders and Taurus of dictators, when applied to the bounds of a relationship, this equates to a kind of unsexy stalemate famously played out by Taurus Cher and Aquarius Sonny Bono.
PISCES (February 19 – March 20)
Worst match: Capricorn
Ruled by Neptune, Pisces folk are born to dream and prefer to live in the possibility of what could be. By contrast, Capricorn is a Saturn-ruled sign that is concerned with the tangible and the buildable. Here we have an esoteric water sprite whose equity amounts to a handful of quartz, four yellow Skittles and a dream journal trying to make it work with a staunch capitalist that was pulled from the womb cradling cufflinks and stock options. A recent example of this pairing/warring can be found in Cap daddy Kevin Costner and his soon-to-be ex-wife Christine Baumgartner. This combination of earth and water can work only if the Pisces is independently wealthy (likely the result of luck, accident or a rich relative) and the Capricorn in question has a philanthropic streak and a drinking problem.
Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture and personal experience. She is also an accomplished writer who has profiled a variety of artists and performers, as well as extensively chronicled her experiences while traveling. Among the many intriguing topics she has tackled are cemetery etiquette, her love for dive bars, Cuban Airbnbs, a “girls guide” to strip clubs and the “weirdest” foods available abroad.