Aquarius Compatibility in Love, Friendship and Work

Even if you weren't born in late January or early February, you still have Aquarius somewhere in your chart.

"Aquarius is serious — but they're also serious about their friendships," Aganza says. The traditional ruler of the 11th house of the zodiac, Aquarius is about the collective and groups of friends.

"You have to accept that an Aquarian is going to put value in all their friendships, so if you're feeling insecure [in a relationship] (i.e., 'They like their friends more than me'), don't try to stop any of that, or you will be broken up with," warns Aganza.

Aquarius Personality Traits

A simple way to understand compatibility? Elements. In astrology, there are four: fire, air, water and earth. Fire and air are the Yang-type elements (active) while water and earth are the Yin-type (passive).

Aquarius is an air sign, just like Gemini and Libra. When two Aquarius suns come together, that forms a conjunction, a (typically) positive, harmonious placement. When Aquarius and Gemini or Libra come together, the two signs form another harmonious aspect called a trine. Simply put, air signs play well together — it's easy for them to find common ground.

Air also plays well with fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius); these are the two Yang-type elements in astrology. When Aquarius meets up with Aries or Sagittarius, this forms a sextile, which again, is (typically) positive. (Sagittarius-Aquarius can be a good mix.) With Leo, this creates an opposition (Leo-Aquarius are on opposite sides of the zodiac wheel), which can go either way, but can be great (sometimes opposite signs attract).

This simple concept of elements allows you to better understand general compatibility. "You can already deduce that the other air signs (especially Gemini) and fire signs inherently desire the same things as Aquarius," says Aganza.

This doesn't mean that an Aquarian won't get along with the two other signs — water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) and earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn). It depends on other aspects in the charts. "There's so much more to look at," says Aganza. "Different signs, even in 'disparate' elements, can find commonalities that are beneficial, and learn from each other's differences." So, maybe there's some Virgo compatibility!

Again, two people might have different sun signs in different elements (like Aquarius and Cancer, two signs that on paper don't "work together"), but those same two people could have plenty of other placements that make for brilliant chemistry and compatibility.

"When it comes to Aquarius compatibility, it's important to know that to them, friendship and love are the same thing," says Aganza. "With Saturn as their governing planet, they build the structure and foundation for a long-lasting relationship by building it upon a strong friendship. Saturn builds things for the long haul, the long-term, so with an Aquarius, you have to be friends for a long time before any potential romance comes into the picture."

Whether you or your partner is an Aquarius, it's important to keep this energy in mind, regardless of complementary placements or compatible signs. "People come to me [for readings about potential relationships], worried that things aren't progressing fast enough," says Aganza. "But if you've made the cut friend-wise, you're in. Everyone, to an Aquarius, has to be a friend first, and these relationships can take quite a bit of time."

For Aquarius compatibility in a love match, there are keys to finding a loving partnership, according to Oak, founder of Oak Astrology School (who supports fellow queer, Filipinx and BIPOC astrology students and clients). "Some of the most immediate forms of [romantic] attraction are not the same sun sign pairings," they say (meaning it's not always two Aquarius suns in love), "but rather the beautiful and reciprocal connection between the sun and moon, or Venus and Mars."

In this case, for compatibility clues, look at your sun/their moon or vice versa. You could find Aquarian harmony between these luminaries. If you look further into the chart, you can see where your Mars/their Venus are placed or vice versa. If both placements are in Aquarius, you may see some Saturn-inspired sparks flying.

Coming back to the concept of friendship-rooted romance, know that a friendship will be more important than physical chemistry to an Aquarius. Additionally, "You'll have to pass the approval of all the friends," says Aganza.

When it comes to romance, you could have success with Sagittarius compatibility. "Aquarians like people with broad minds, who can think bigger than just themselves," explains Aganza. "Sagittarius thinks of the impact of how things affect everybody, but they still like to have fun, so this makes a solid match."

And when it comes to Gemini compatibility (it's quite similar to air sign Aquarius), you can find some romantic success here, too. "Aquarius and Gemini? Absolutely!" says Aganza. If you're a Gemini with your heart set on an Aquarian, keep in mind that "they can get tired if [conversations are] too surface-level," she says.

The Libra-Aquarius combo is also a fun one. "Libra will debate with them – and it's a productive debate where they can get somewhere and problem-solve," says Aganza.

Want to be BFFs with an Aquarius? Look at the rest of the chart to find Mercury and Venus, too. "Friend groups are tight-knit when they're orbiting an Aquarius," says Aganza. The final air sign of the zodiac tends to weave together close groups of like-minded people. So, you won't just be befriending an Aquarius, but all their friends as well.

Aquarius is a fixed sign and similar to the other fixed signs (Leo, Taurus, and Scorpio), it puts in the work over time, and is solid and reliable when it comes to friendship. Aquarius and Taurus compatibility might not work as well though for friendship.

If Your Sun Is in Aquarius...

"Keep it cute, interesting and in motion," says Oak. This means befriending someone with their sun in another air sign. "Sun in Libra or sun in Gemini is so natural, that you'll probably notice that most of your immediate friends have these placements [or other Gemini and Libra placements]."

If Your Mercury Is in Aquarius...

"Who doesn't love good discourse?" asks Oak. "If you're ever so lucky to find a friend with Jupiter in Aquarius, you're in for non-stop convos and the most clever and captivating meme exchanges of all your friends."

If your planet of communication and thinking is in the sign of the water bearer, you're probably quick on your feet, mentally speaking, that is. "Mercury in Aquarius tends to think quickly and is constantly inspired," says Oak. "The sun in Aries would definitely stoke that intellectual flame."

If Your Venus Is in Aquarius...

When Venus is in the 11th zodiac sign, the "best bet for a satisfying friendship is to share the same virtues socially and politically," says Oak. Other zodiac signs like Sagittarius, Pisces and Libra, "will often live according to the Aquarius's social beliefs, which will lead the way to a good basis for friendship," they say.

Added bonus if you're looking deeper into the charts: "For a long lasting friendship that will stand the test of time, check to see if your friends have Saturn in an air sign," says Oak.

While you may not always have access to your coworker's entire natal chart, you may be able to use this tool when forming business partnerships.

One easy-to-see partnership in the workplace would be if your colleague is an Aries. Despite being theoretically compatible elementally (remember that whole thing about air and fire?), with friendships and romance, Aries can be a little too self-centered for a collectively-minded Aquarian, explains Aganza. But — this is a big one — Aries and Aquarius make ideal business partners, she adds.

"If we're thinking in terms of Aquarius as an activist, this works really well with Aries," she elaborates. "Aquarians tend to have big, bold ideas — but sometimes they have no follow-through. That's where Aries is good for Aquarius," she says. "Aries is ready to ride at dawn, mount up and says, 'OK, let's do it!'"

If Your Sun Is in Aquarius...

Compatibility in this arena can be on the simpler side — look to the business partner or colleague's sun to find common ground. If you're ready to bounce ideas off one another, look to a fire sign. "Aries or Sagittarius can bring an upbeat and compatible quality to the work environment, meeting the inspired Aquarius with action," explains Oak.

If Your Mercury Is in Aquarius...

"If you're in a creative or social industry, the moon or Venus in either Gemini or Libra would help to draw out brilliant ideation with ease," says Oak.

If Your Mars Is in Aquarius...

Sometimes, opposite zodiac signs can find real harmony. "A partner with their sun or Mercury in Leo can be a wonderful contrast to the high-minded Aquarius," says Oak. Though center-stage Leo is typically the opposite of collective-minded Aquarius, "This polarity can create an amazing result, as Leo knows how to make information and presentation more digestible and relatable to an audience. This pairing can create brilliant ideas with wonderful packaging."