East-West Compatibility Analysis

The East-West compatibility analysis looks at two people through two astrological traditions at once. From each birth date it works out the western sun sign, an estimated moon sign and the Chinese animal sign, then compares them layer by layer. The result is an overview with an overall score, separate western and Chinese views, and a list of strengths and challenges for the pair.

What you enter

For each person you enter a birth date and, if you know it, a birth time. A name is optional and only used to label the result. The birth time matters for one thing: the moon moves through a whole sign in about two and a half days, so without the time the moon sign can only be estimated. If the result shows a moon sign you do not recognise, that is the most likely reason.

Layer 1: the western sun signs

The sun sign brings two pieces of information. Its element (fire, earth, air or water) describes temperament: fire and air tend to feed each other, earth and water tend to support each other. Its modality (cardinal, fixed or mutable) describes how someone deals with change: starting, holding on or adapting. A cardinal Aries and a fixed Taurus, for instance, often clash over pace: one wants to begin now, the other wants to be sure first. The zodiac sign comparison explains this layer in detail.

Layer 2: the moon signs

The moon sign describes emotional needs: what makes someone feel safe, how they react under stress and what they need after an argument. Sun signs that look like a hard match can still work in daily life when the moon signs are in harmony. You can read more about each of the 12 moon signs.

Layer 3: the Chinese signs

The Chinese animal comes from the birth year, with the year starting at Chinese New Year rather than on 1 January. The analysis looks at the relationship between the two animals, for example whether they belong to the same traditional trine (such as Tiger, Horse and Dog), which earns a harmony bonus, or form one of the classical clash pairs. The element traditionally linked to each animal (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water) and the balance of yin and yang add nuance. The Chinese zodiac comparison and the 12 Chinese zodiac signs give the background.

How the layers come together

No single layer decides the result. A pair with clashing sun signs but matching Chinese signs gets a different picture from a pair where everything points the same way. When the layers disagree, that is often the most interesting part: it can show where a relationship feels easy and where it asks for effort.

Reading the result as reflection

Treat the score as a summary of patterns, not as a grade for your relationship. A lower number does not mean two people are wrong for each other, and a high one does not guarantee anything. Astrology cannot see your history, your values or how you actually treat each other. Our guide on what astrology can and cannot do explains these limits.

A good way to use the analysis is to read the strengths and challenges together and ask: "Which of these do we recognise? Which do not fit us at all?" The conversation that follows is usually more valuable than the number at the top.