Whether you’re scrolling through Instagram, searching on Safari, or talking with your friends, you’ve probably seen or heard about astrological compatibility. People say the day you were born can impact who you get along with romantically, sexually, and in friendships. While this may be true, there’s much more to astrological compatibility than what your sun sign is (we’ll explain that in a little bit). I sat down with reiki practitioner, astrologer and tarot reader Jasmine Beck to dive deeper into just how significantly our personal astrology impacts our relationships and how you can use astrological knowledge to your advantage when dating.
Q: How would you explain the difference between sun signs, rising signs, and moon signs?
A: “ I use the house analogy. Basically, the outside of your house is your rising sign. That’s the first impression that you give off. Once you go inside of the house, you see the core of the house and it’s decorations. That’s your sun sign. Then, the most private room that not many people go into. That’s your moon sign. You only show a few people this side of yourself.” This could help to explain why some people resonate with their moon sign more than their sun sign, as that’s more who you are when you are on your own, Jasmine says.
Q: How much does each person’s astrological profile impact their relationships?
A: Jasmine begins by clarifying that someone’s sun sign, which is the sign that most people refer to, is solely calculated on which day you were born. The sun sign does offer a peak into part of your personality, but if you look at your natal chart, which is calculated based on the time and place you were born, you can gain deeper insight into how your astrology impacts your relationships. “It’s more their Venus and their Mars,” Jasmine says, referring to placements found in one’s natal chart, “Venus, for example, is the goddess of love, so she’s going to represent how you love and also what pleasures you.” This placement is where you can look for information on how your intimate relationships may pan out and how you give love to others. After you’ve examined your Venus placement, Jasmine explains, you can look to someone’s Mars placement, “This will give insight into your sex drive and also who you’re attracted to.”
Q: Do you think people’s “type” when dating is reflected in their natal chart?
A: “Yes. That’s more what Mars is, if you identify as female, as the feminine, then who you’re attracted to is going to be identified by that Mars placement. For example, if their Mars is located in Cancer, that type is going to be softer, with a doe-eyed look, and more feminine in the way that they express themselves. They will tap into their emotions when they’re with you, because you’re attracted to someone who is emotionally mature.” This is the opposite if you identify as masculine, as you would then look to the Venus placement to catch a glimpse into the type of person you’re attracted to. Jasmine clarifies that this depends on how you identify yourself, not the gender you were assigned at birth.
Q: What do you think about astrological compatibility scales?
A: “In general I think pop culture astrology is everywhere and I think people can get too wrapped up in their sun sign. But, your sun sign does not relate to who or what you attract in terms of love and relationships.” In addition to the two planet placements we discussed earlier, those being Venus and Mars, your seventh house placement plays a large role in your relationships as well. “Astrology in your natal chart is split up into 12 houses, each house represents a part of your life.” Jasmine gives the example of how your first house is you: it reflects self, identity, and where your rising sign comes from. “You know how the saying goes, ‘opposites attract,’ and that’s true because the opposite of your first house is your seventh house, which again the seventh house is about love, relationships, one to one partnerships. If you want to know what kind of partners you attract, the sign that the seventh house is in will give you insight into who you attract in your love life,” Jasmine explains.
Q: When you’re examining your natal chart for relationship insights, how should you interpret friendships?
A: “If you’re thinking about friends in the terms of a friend group, that will be the 11th house. If you’re thinking of friendship as a one to one relationship, that will fall in the seventh house. The most intimate you can get with another person, that will be in the seventh house.” So, this may serve as an explanation as to why your significant other and best friends have many of the same qualities.
Q: How can knowing and understanding your own personal astrology help in dating?
A: Jasmine explains that having access to your personal birth chart is just as helpful as having access to another person’s chart. “There’s something called squares, and that’s a negative aspect. It’s when one of your planet placements is 90 degrees to another person’s planet. That will be a clash between you two.” Jasmine further explains that there is something called a synastry chart, which is used to analyze yours and another person’s birth chart together and that is how you can truly see compatibility between two people in terms of astrology, she says. This is where the squares (negative aspects) will be shown. She goes on to explain that, “If you have access to your natal chart, you can look at your shadows, otherwise known as your negative traits, and if another person can compliment these negative traits you have then that would be a good match for you.” So if you’re active in the dating world, it’s worth becoming familiar with your own shadows so you can find someone who compliments those. In addition, once you begin seeing someone more seriously, finding those squares, or potential clashes in the relationship, can help you be more prepared to work it out or steer another direction. Jasmine explains how this information is easy to access using the internet, but it can help to get an official reading so all of the placements and astrological terms can be interpreted and easy to apply to your own life.
Q: So if you’re talking to someone you are romantically interested in and you ask for their birth time… which many of us are guilty of… how should you interpret that information?
A: “Once you get that information you can search online for a synastry chart and look at the compatibility. In the middle of the chart there are a bunch of crazy looking lines, and if you look for red lines, those will be red flags, you could say.” Jasmine clarifies that this is in no way an end all be all, but it can show potential areas of difficulty for your relationship. The synastry chart Jasmine refers to is completely free on Astro.com, in addition to other resources regarding personal astrology.
Q: Do you think it’s valuable to know another person’s natal chart? If so, is it useful to interpret it together?
A: “It can bring up feelings of anxiety and worry about the future, but on the other hand, it can make you aware of said traits so you can work on not taking them personally, or work on addressing them with your partner.” Jasmine suggests getting to know someone’s shadow side so you and your partner can get closer emotionally and strengthen your relationship. If you’re looking for a good tool to use for compatibility, Jasmine suggests using the app The Pattern which has a section titled “bonds” that helps you look into that information.
Q: Is there any way your natal chart can relect your sex drive or pleasure preferences?
A: “Each house represents the steps in life. The seventh house represents the one on one, meaning connection and relationships. After that comes the house that represents sex and pleasure,” she says. This house can serve as a clue into what pleasures each person sexually. Jasmine explains how having activity in the 8th house can represent how you may have an unseen side of yourself that only comes out in the bedroom. Jasmine dives into how the 8th house is ruled by Scorpio, which is the most sexual sign, so having any placements in Scorpio can reflect one’s sex drive and pleasure preferences. So, if you look at your natal chart and see Scoprio in the 8th house, that can serve as a sign that you may have a higher sex drive or enjoy exploring new things in the bedroom. In addition, the 12th house is what is unseen and hidden, so that’s another place you can see signs into someone’s pleasure preferences.
Q: Do you think it is a good idea to do relationship counseling utilizing astrological profiles on each partner?
A: “Totally. I know that some therapists utilize the personality test and if you think about it, astrological compatibility tests are such a similar thing. Your astrology chart and your personality test will likely align very closely. So, using a synastry chart can show where a couple is struggling in terms of communication, for example, and where their healthy areas are. It is a very useful tool that relationship counselors could use.” These charts do take some interpretation, so you could also see an astrologer and get your and your partner’s natal charts interpreted together as a way to kick-start your healthy relationship practices.
Q: How do you feel about people who see their chart and don’t resonate with it?
A: “I’ve actually never run into that, but I’m sure i will. People that have been the most skeptical have had their chart resonate with them once I analyze it.” Jasmine explains how going into the process of learning about your personal astrology requires an open mind. She insists that if you are completely against the idea, that close mindedness can hinder you from reaping the potential benefits.
If you want to learn more about your personal astrology and potential compatibility, you can utilize tools like Astro.com or the app The Pattern. And If you’d like to take a deeper look, book a (virtual!) session with Jasmine here when appointments are available to dive into learning more about how astrology impacts you, and those you interact with. Jasmine also has a Tiktok page where she posts short educational videos on all things astrology here!