Zodiac compatibility: signs, synastry and guna milan
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Compatibility in astrology is about how two people's charts fit together. The quick version compares Sun signs. Fuller methods compare whole charts: synastry in Western astrology and guna milan, also called kundli matching, in Vedic astrology. Use them as conversation starters, not verdicts.
Zodiac compatibility chart
The chart is built from the classic angles between signs. Same-element signs (a trine) flow easily, signs two apart (a sextile) are friendly, opposite signs attract and balance each other, and signs three apart (a square) rub but can push each other to grow. Real relationships depend on much more than two Sun signs.
| Sign | Ari | Tau | Gem | Can | Leo | Vir | Lib | Sco | Sag | Cap | Aqu | Pis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aries | = | · | + | △ | ★ | ~ | ↔ | ~ | ★ | △ | + | · |
| Taurus | · | = | · | + | △ | ★ | ~ | ↔ | ~ | ★ | △ | + |
| Gemini | + | · | = | · | + | △ | ★ | ~ | ↔ | ~ | ★ | △ |
| Cancer | △ | + | · | = | · | + | △ | ★ | ~ | ↔ | ~ | ★ |
| Leo | ★ | △ | + | · | = | · | + | △ | ★ | ~ | ↔ | ~ |
| Virgo | ~ | ★ | △ | + | · | = | · | + | △ | ★ | ~ | ↔ |
| Libra | ↔ | ~ | ★ | △ | + | · | = | · | + | △ | ★ | ~ |
| Scorpio | ~ | ↔ | ~ | ★ | △ | + | · | = | · | + | △ | ★ |
| Sagittarius | ★ | ~ | ↔ | ~ | ★ | △ | + | · | = | · | + | △ |
| Capricorn | △ | ★ | ~ | ↔ | ~ | ★ | △ | + | · | = | · | + |
| Aquarius | + | △ | ★ | ~ | ↔ | ~ | ★ | △ | + | · | = | · |
| Pisces | · | + | △ | ★ | ~ | ↔ | ~ | ★ | △ | + | · | = |
Key: = Same sign · · Neighbours · + Friendly · △ Challenging · ★ Harmonious · ~ Adjusting · ↔ Opposites. Built from the classic angles between signs.
Synastry: comparing two charts
Synastry lays one birth chart over another and looks at the aspects between them. Contacts between one person's Venus and the other's Mars are read as attraction, Moon contacts as emotional ease, and Saturn contacts as commitment and lessons. A full synastry also checks which house each person's planets fall into in the other's chart.
Guna milan (kundli matching)
Guna milan, or the Ashtakoota system, compares the two partners' Moon nakshatras and Moon signs across eight factors, called kootas. Together they add up to 36 points, called gunas. In tradition, 18 or more points is seen as acceptable, and higher scores as better.
Many families also look at the whole chart, not only the score. We share the system for information only and do not offer matchmaking services.
| Koota | Points | Compares |
|---|---|---|
| Varna | 1 | work style and temperament |
| Vashya | 2 | mutual attraction and influence |
| Tara | 3 | birth star harmony |
| Yoni | 4 | nature and intimacy |
| Graha Maitri | 5 | friendship of the Moon-sign lords |
| Gana | 6 | temperament (Deva, Manushya, Rakshasa) |
| Bhakoot | 7 | Moon-sign positions from each other |
| Nadi | 8 | constitution, by nakshatra group |
| Total | 36 |
Frequently asked questions
Which zodiac signs are most compatible?
By tradition, signs of the same element get on most easily: Aries, Leo and Sagittarius; Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn; Gemini, Libra and Aquarius; Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. Fire also pairs well with Air, and Earth with Water.
What is synastry?
Synastry is the Western method of comparing two full birth charts by the angles between one person's planets and the other's. It goes much further than Sun signs.
How many gunas should match in kundli matching?
The total is 36. In tradition, 18 or more is considered acceptable, 24 to 32 good and above 32 excellent. Astrologers also look at the rest of both charts.
What are the eight kootas in guna milan?
Varna (1 point), Vashya (2), Tara (3), Yoni (4), Graha Maitri (5), Gana (6), Bhakoot (7) and Nadi (8), for 36 points in all.
For reflection and fun, not fate. We explain astrology as a tradition and a tool for reflection. It has not been shown to predict events.