Combining Signs of Western and Chinese Zodiacs for Compatibility Astrology

Updated June 24, 2019
Combining two schools of thought.

Combining signs of Western and Chinese zodiacs can give you a new type of compatibility astrology. This blending of two cultures provides additional insight to the cosmic influences shaping your and your partner's lives and possible challenges you might face.

What Is Combined Astrology?

Simply stated, combined astrology merges the 12 Western zodiac signs with the 12 Chinese zodiac animal signs and matches them to compatible signs of each zodiac. While it may sound complicated, the structure of both zodiacs are easy to understand since each astrological system has 12 zodiac signs.

Western Zodiac Signs vs Chinese Zodiac Signs

The Western zodiac signs are ruled by the month and day you are born. The 12 Chinese zodiac signs are governed by the year you were born. The starting dates of each Chinese New Year change, so you can't use the Gregorian calendar for the year starting date.

The Chinese Calendar

The Chinese annual calendar year might start in January one year and February the next. You need to check the Chinese New Year zodiac chart to find your zodiac animal sign based on your actual birthdate of the month, day and year.

Understanding Compatibility Combinations of Western and Chinese Zodiacs

Suzanne White is credited with being the first person to combine Western astrology with Chinese astrology into what she calls New Astrology™. Suzanne created a total of 144 new astrological signs with her combination method.

Step One: Combine Your Western and Chinese Zodiac Signs

To find your combination, take your Western sign and combine it with the appropriate Chinese animal sign. This is determined by your birthdate.

Twelve Signs in Each System

Since there are 12 signs of each zodiac, you will end up with two signs, one Western sign and one Chinese sign. For example, a Gemini born in 1990 is a horse in the Chinese zodiac.

Discover Who You Are As a Combination Zodiac Sign

As a Gemini born in 1990, you are no longer just a Gemini when you combine your sign with Chinese zodiac astrology. You become a combination of a Gemini/Horse. By discovering the Western Chinese combination, you may realize you now have some formerly missing pieces of your cosmic puzzle.

Step Two: Compatibility Between Western and Chinese Zodiac Signs

Once you know your personal combination of Western and Chinese zodiac signs, you can combine your current love interest's Chinese zodiac animal sign with her/his Western sign. This will give you an in-depth look into her or his personality and attributes.

Greater Understanding of Compatibility

You can compare the Chinese zodiac sign compatibility to the Western sign. For example, as a Gemini/Horse, you need to know what your Sagittarius mate's Chinese zodiac sign is and how that sign gets along with your horse sign. You already know that a Gemini and Sagittarius are compatible, so the Chinese sign will give a better understanding of just how compatible you are.

Find Your Mate's Chinese Zodiac Animal Sign

First refer to the Chinese New Year zodiac chart to find your mate's Chinese animal sign. If your Sagittarius mate was born in 1982, that makes her/him a dog. The horse and dog are an ideal Chinese zodiac match as indicated by the Chinese Zodiac Marriage Match Chart.

Step Three: More Than One Compatible Sign

Both systems have more than one sign compatible with another.

Western Astrology

There are more than one compatible sign combinations in Western astrology, such as the fact that a Gemini isn't only compatible with a Sagittarius, but also Aries and Leo. A Gemini is also compatible with other air signs, Libra and Aquarius.

Evaluate Each Animal Zodiac Sign Compatibility

There are also more than one compatible sign in Chinese zodiac animal signs. You can refer to the Chinese Zodiac Marriage Combination Chart to find your ideal animal zodiac match. The levels of compatibility in Chinese zodiac signs include: ideal match, good match, difficult match, and worst match. You can evaluate how each of the Chinese animal signs adds to or detracts from your astrological combination of Western/Chinese zodiac signs.

Affectionate couple dancing in park

Step Four: Discover Your Chinese Zodiac Element (Optional)

In Western and Chinese Zodiac compatibility astrology basics, you aren't required to introduce the Chinese element, but since it is available, just as the Western element is available, you can use it for greater clarity. By including your Chinese element you can determine how that element interacts with your mate's Chinese element.

Zodiac Elements

Western astrology uses elements to explain each sign. These include, fire, earth, air and water. In Chinese astrology, there are five elements that include, fire, earth, metal, water, and wood.

Each Chinese Zodiac Sign Has a Fixed Element

The element that rules the year of birth is your Chinese zodiac animal's fixed element. For example, the element for a 1990 Gemini is metal. That would mean the Gemini is a metal element horse.

Example of Metal Horse and Sagittarius Mate

To fully understand how this additional piece of information can give greater insight to your compatibility, you need to find your mate's fixed element. In the Sagittarius example with the 1982 birth year, the element is water.

Understanding How Elements Interact

The balanced cycle of the five Chinese elements is called the Productive Cycle. Each element feeds the one that follows it in this cycle.

Element Productive Cycle

The productive cycle for elements begins with water that nourishes wood that fuels fire that creates earth (ash) that forms metal that attracts water. This is important to keep in mind to understand how elements in the Chinese zodiac signs work together or against each other.

Gemini Metal Horse and Sagittarius Water Dog Element Interaction

The Gemini/metal horse attracts the Sagittarius/water dog. The water dog must be careful not to overpower or weaken the metal element. In this example, the Gemini/metal horse is weak when it comes to the water dog (exhaustive cycle) and will find it difficult to resist her/his will, ideas, goals, etc.

Bronze Bull Water Fountain

Basics for Combining Western and Chinese Zodiac Signs for Compatibility

You can combine the Western compatible signs with those in Chinese astrology to compare and determine if a match is ideal. A professional astrologer, such as New Astrology's creator, Suzanne White, can provide you with a more detailed view of that compatibility with various aspects of your relationship that might have otherwise remained undiscovered.

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Combining Signs of Western and Chinese Zodiacs for Compatibility Astrology