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Synastry: Polarity and Element Compatibility
Author: Alison Price – Updated: January 2026
💚 Relationships, Love and Romance Astrology
This article is part of my Relationships, Love and Romance series, where I explore compatability, the Part of Marriage, synastry, composite midpoints charts, Davison Relationship charts and wedding elections.
Synastry: Polarity and Element Compatibility
Relationships
Sign Components
All charts will be interpreted for their basic signs and sign components or polarity, element.
However, when you look at two people’s relationship there are a few more details which can shed light on the connection they have with each other.
If you need to go back to basics you can check out these articles for more clarity before you move forward with your relationship analysis between two people.
Polarity
Sign Polarity
Polarity in astrology describes how signs express and respond to energy. As you move through the zodiac the polarity alternates sign by sign beginning with Aries which carries the active polarity.
Traditionally the active polarity has been called masculine or positive while the passive polarity has been called feminine or negative. Modern astrology tends to move away from the language of positive and negative as it implies value judgements that are not accurate or helpful.
Polarity is not about better or worse. It is about direction and style.
In broad terms, active signs project energy outward. They initiate, act, decide and engage with the world directly. Passive signs receive energy inward. They respond, process, integrate and adapt to what is happening around them.
Active signs tend to eject energy into the world through action expression and movement. Passive signs absorb energy through reflection feeling and consolidation. Both sides are essential. One begins the process. The other sustains and gives it form.
Energy Exchange
In relationships polarity describes how two people exchange energy. Some pairings spark through contrast while others feel comfortable through similarity. Understanding polarity helps explain why certain connections feel immediately dynamic while others feel quietly supportive.
The six signs in the active polarity are Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius and Aquarius.
The six signs in the passive polarity are Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn and Pisces.
Active Polarity
Fire and Air Elements
Fire and air are known as the active elements. When these elements meet in synastry there is movement energy and momentum. Things tend to happen quickly.
Motivation is shared and neither person needs excessive explanation to feel understood. With this combination there is a sense of recognition and an ease around initiative and expression.
These combinations thrive on ideas enthusiasm and forward motion. The challenge is not in the starting but in sustaining focus and grounding what begins.
Fire and Fire
When two fire dominant people come together the connection is immediate and lively. Each recognizes familiar qualities in the other such as confidence passion and the desire to lead.
Both partners naturally promote themselves and encourage independence. This can be inspiring but it may also strain the partnership if neither wants to yield or slow down.
At best each pulls the other forward with courage and optimism. At worst it becomes a clash of wills or a competition for center stage.
This pairing needs shared goals and conscious cooperation to keep the fire warming rather than burning.
Fire and Air
Fire and air usually get along with little effort. Air feeds fire with ideas and perspective while fire energizes air with purpose and action. Together they generate excitement, curiosity and forward thinking.
This combination enjoys planning, dreaming and initiating new projects. There is an innate enthusiasm supported by logic and vision. Conversations are lively and motivating and the relationship often feels stimulating rather than heavy.
The key with this combination is to follow through. Fire wants action and air can stay in the realm of ideas. When they work together intentionally this couple can be both inspired and effective.
Air and Air
Air with air creates a strong mental and social bond. Each person mirrors the other’s curiosity, intellect and need for communication. Ideas bounce easily between them and conversation flows without effort.
This is a meeting of minds where understanding each other comes through words, shared interests and mutual curiosity. The relationship often has a social tone and thrives on connection with others.
The challenge here is momentum. There can be plenty of discussion but less action. A little less conversation and a little more doing helps bring balance. When grounded this pairing excels at collaboration learning and shared vision.
Passive Polarity
Earth and Water Elements
Earth and water are known as the passive or receptive elements. In synastry these combinations emphasize feelings, stability, memory and response rather than speed or initiative. These relationships tend to grow quietly over time. They are shaped by care, habit and shared emotional or practical needs.
Earth gives form and structure. Water brings feeling and sensitivity. Together they can create something enduring.
Earth and Earth
When two earth dominant people come together there is an immediate sense of familiarity. Each recognizes the other’s values around reliability, practicality and common sense. Mutual respect grows from shared priorities and a solidly grounded approach to life.
This couple builds slowly and steadily. Over time they can create a solid dependable relationship that withstands pressure.
However, comfort can slide into complacency. There is a risk of taking each other for granted or staying together out of habit rather than conscious choice.
When challenged this pair is resilient. They will struggle for survival together and rarely abandon what they have built even long after it is over. Adding novelty and emotional expression keeps this bond alive.
Earth and Water
Earth and water usually feel drawn to one another but their rhythms differ. This is a reactive rather than an initiating partnership. One responds to circumstances while the other seeks security.
Physical and sensual contact is especially important here. Touch, routine and shared space ground this relationship. Water may feel that earth is too blunt or emotionally rough at times. Earth may feel that water is overly sensitive, moody or easily overwhelmed.
Motivation can lag unless there is a shared goal. When balance is eventually found earth provides containment while water softens and nourishes. Together they can create a deeply supportive bond.
Water and Water
Two water dominant people form an intuitive emotionally attuned couple. They often react instinctively in the same way and can easily understand each other without many words. Memory, feeling and shared history play a strong role.
This pair may cling to the past and spend a great deal of time reminiscing. Emotional cycles can become highly intense. Moody phases, anxieties or phobias may echo between them and mutual resentment can quietly build up if their feelings are not expressed clearly.
At the same time this combination can be highly creative. When focused it supports effective action especially in artistic or caring pursuits. Emotions can run hot which means sparks can fly and flares can occur.
Water with water often needs the influence of a contrasting element to prevent emotional burnout. Fire, air or earth influences in the charts may help bring some balance, direction and perspective.
Awkward Element Combinations
When Elements Speak Different Languages
Some elemental pairings do not flow naturally. This does not mean they are doomed. It means the two people experience life through very different filters.
These combinations need extra awareness, patience and effort from both sides. When handled well these couples can be deeply strengthening to each other because each partner develops qualities which they do not naturally lead with.
Fire and Earth
Fire and earth tend to form a bond that must be consciously blended. This is the meeting of spirit and matter or inspiration and practicality.
Earth can curb fire’s enthusiasm by insisting on realism, structure and results. Fire may feel engulfed, stifled or slowed down. From fire’s point of view earth lacks imagination and takes the joy out of things. From earth’s perspective fire is impulsive, unreliable or impractical.
Yet this pairing has real potential. Fire brings ardor courage and vision. Earth brings loyalty endurance and has follow through. When imagination and common sense are respected rather than being dismissed, this combination can build something lasting.
Fire and Water
Fire and water often struggle with emotional temperature. Water can dampen fire’s enthusiasm while fire can overwhelm or scald water’s sensitivity.
Fire may feel frustrated by what it experiences as emotional complexity, hesitation or moodiness. Water might feel unsafe, rushed or emotionally exposed in the presence of fire’s directness and intensity.
This pairing needs gentleness and emotional intelligence. Supportive placements such as Jupiter in Pisces can help soften reactions and bring compassion understanding and forgiveness into the bond.
Air and Earth
Air and earth combine theory and practice. On paper this sounds useful and yet in daily life it perhaps can feel dry or strained.
Air becomes frustrated with earth’s slow cautious approach. Earth is skeptical of air’s unconventional ideas and dislikes plans that lack tangible outcomes. Earth often wants physical presence and consistency while air prefers space, movement and detachment.
Earth may feel that air’s private thoughts or fantasies are a form of a betrayal. Air may feel constrained or judged. Despite all this, this pairing can work very well in practical or business settings where each supply what the other lacks.
Placements such as Mercury in Virgo or Saturn in Libra help by adding clarity fairness and structured communication.
Air and Water
Air and water struggle to reconcile intellect and emotion. Air aims to be impartial, reflective and future oriented. Water is emotionally anchored, intuitive and memory based.
Water often feels that air is insensitive or dismissive. Air may feel burdened by what it sees as excessive emotionality. Air lives in the future, while water lives in the past, which can create misunderstanding and hurt.
Air can unintentionally make water cry simply by analyzing what water feels. This pairing benefits greatly from strong inter chart connections between Mercury and the Moon which help thoughts and feelings translate more gently.
Overarch
Active Combinations
Active polarity relationships show that chemistry is not just emotional. It can also be mental, energetic and driven by shared motion through life.
Passive Combinations
Passive polarity combinations show that interpersonal connections do not always rush forward. Sometimes they deepen, settle and shape themselves slowly through shared experience and feeling.
Awkward Combinations
Awkward elemental combinations are not failures. They are invitations. When both people are willing to learn each other’s language these relationships can become surprisingly rich resilient and meaningful.
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Author Bio
Alison Price: Professional Astrologer
Alison helps you uncover your individual creativity and lead a fulfilling life using your own astrology. She shares her wisdom from the heart with a touch of humor. She offers Consultations for everyone and Coaching for Aspiring Astrologers.
If you’d like to get in touch with Alison, you can reach out to her via email at starzology@gmail.com.
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