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“But he’s a Pisces! I’m a Scorpio. We’re supposed to be compatible,” my friend Kayla wails over Facetime.

Her new boo was supposed to be so different from the other failures that she’d encountered. Before I could calm her down, my phone pings. She sent an entire thread of screenshots from the astrology websites she’d been stalking. Site after site clarified what she had been saying, well, yelling: Pisces and Scorpios are generally compatible. So why are they not planning their wedding right now? 

Because sun signs are not enough to define an entire person with completely individualized traits and experiences, sis. You need sun, moon, and rising combinations!

In an article for Glamour, astrology-expert Jessica Lanyadoo explains, “astrology is not just about sun signs; it also reveals the conditions you were raised in, how you felt about those conditions, and your tools for setbacks when coping. You still have free will.”

Think about it. There are roughly 7 billion people in the world and only twelve potential options for zodiac sun signs for all of them. Sounds unrealistic to base your compatibility on just that, right? 

However, not all is lost. Just because one planet placement isn’t enough to help you find Prince Charming doesn’t mean that astrology isn’t helpful.

In every birth chart, the sun, moon, and rising combinations serve as the major influences in someone’s identity and can help explain why yesterday’s Tinder match may be more problematic than you thought. 

Sun

Entity shares Gif of rising sun
Via Giphy

Lanyadoo explains in an interview with HuffPost that “the sun is your identity; it’s your will and your sense of self.” Sun signs represent your deep core self, the most authentic expression of you. These traits can be more or less prominent at different stages of your life, depending on the individual. 

Moon

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The moon sign represents your internal, emotional world and how it affects your reality. Astrologist for The Cut, Clair Comstock-Gay, says “Your moon sign shapes your deepest emotional self. It can highlight not just how you feel your emotions, but how you express them and work through them. Are you comfortable expressing your feelings or do you prefer to bury them? Is your inner life steady or is it chaotic?”

Yes, you may be a Libra that met the perfect Gemini, but what happens when your Gemini love interest is a Cancer moon, and you’re an Aquarius moon?

Rising

Entity shares Gif of sun moon rising combinations
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The rising sign is an interesting portion of the puzzle. It represents our outward personality– basically how other people perceive us. This may explain why you’ve met an unorganized Virgo or a Leo that isn’t entirely self-absorbed. @SparklyResults, a popular astrology page on Instagram, posted a chart of common rising sign qualities.

Entity shares photo of rising sign information
Via Instagram/@sparklyresults

Astrology is extremely insightful and can help many of us decode why we are the way we are. But although this information can be a learning experience, it isn’t exhaustive. There are several components that determine personality, emotional stability, relationship compatibility. Focusing on one section of astrology can fail to shed light on another. Not to mention, people are allowed to make their own choices, choices that may not align with what your favorite Twitter astrologer told you in her weekly prediction thread. Give yourself and others the space and the leeway to truly be an individual; let astrology help you, not hinder you.

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