Libra and Pisces compatibility
Libra and Pisces stand five signs apart, 150°, in a pairing the old doctrine counts as no aspect: the signs do not see each other. One is air and cardinal, the other water and mutable. Astrologers read this as two who have to adjust to each other, and they note that the ruler of Libra is honored in Pisces. It describes a pattern in a tradition, not a verdict on two people.
Key facts
| Libra | Pisces | |
|---|---|---|
| Element | Air | Water |
| Quality | Cardinal | Mutable |
| Traditional ruler | Venus | Jupiter, Neptune (modern) |
Angle between the signs: Quincunx, 150° (5 signs apart): no aspect
A pair that does not see itself, and Venus at home in Pisces
In the old doctrine of aspects, signs see each other only at two, three, four and six signs’ distance, and within the same sign. At five signs they turn away from each other; the tradition calls this aversion, and modern astrologers call the aspect a quincunx or inconjunct. It means there is no shared element and no shared quality to lean on, so astrologers say the pair has to adjust on purpose.
Venus rules Libra and is exalted in Pisces, which Jupiter rules. In the tradition a planet in its exaltation is at its most honored, so Libra’s ruler is most at home in the sign that stands 150° from Libra. Mercury is in detriment and in fall in Pisces, while the Sun is in fall in Libra. Modern astrologers add Neptune, found in 1846, as a second ruler of Pisces.
In love
In love, Libra brings charm, fairness and a wish for harmony; Pisces brings tenderness, imagination and a wish to dissolve into the other person. Astrologers describe a gentle pull, because Venus is honored in Pisces, and a puzzle, because the two signs have nothing in common to start from. The traditional shadow side is that Libra wants things said and weighed while Pisces wants them felt, and neither can quite see what the other is doing. Patience with the difference is the traditional advice.
In friendship
As friends, the pair is described as kind and a little hard to read. Both are gentle and neither likes conflict, so they rarely quarrel, but they may not quite understand each other’s needs. Libra likes company and talk; Pisces likes dreaming and quiet. Time together works best when each can say which of the two it is in the mood for.
At work
At work, Libra brings tact and Pisces brings imagination. Astrologers call the pairing a good one for creative and caring tasks and a harder one for anything that needs a firm decision, since Libra weighs and Pisces drifts with what is around it. It helps to fix a date for decisions.
Strengths
- Gentleness on both sides.
- Venus honored in Pisces: beauty and compassion.
- Imagination from one, tact from the other.
Points of attention
- No aspect: little common ground to start from.
- Decisions: weighing meets drifting.
- Conflict: both avoid it, and problems wait.
What the sky says
The signs are not the constellations. A sign is a 30° slice of the ecliptic counted from the March equinox, and precession shifts the equinoxes slowly against the stars, about one degree every 72 years. Today the sign Libra begins in front of the stars of Virgo, and the sign Pisces in front of the stars of Aquarius.
The 150° is the distance between the starts of the two signs, five signs apart. Planets in the two signs stand between 120° and 180° apart, and an exact quincunx needs the same degree in both, for example 15° Libra and 15° Pisces. Whole-sign astrology counts no aspect between the signs; the tradition that works with degrees allows an aspect of 150° between planets that are close to it.
Frequently asked questions
Are Libra and Pisces a good match?
Astrology gives no yes or no. The traditional reading is a pair with no aspect, two signs with nothing in common to start from, softened by Venus being honored in Pisces. How two people get on depends on their whole charts, and on far more than their Sun signs.
What is a quincunx?
A quincunx is an aspect of 150°, five signs apart. In the old doctrine there is no aspect between such signs (aversion); modern astrologers read it as a pairing that asks for adjustment.
Why is Venus important for this pair?
Venus rules Libra and is exalted in Pisces, so it is the one planet that links the two signs in the old dignities. Astrologers read the link as a shared taste for beauty and kindness.
More pairs
Other pairs with Libra
This page describes a tradition. There is no scientific evidence that Sun signs predict how people get along, and nothing here is advice on a relationship.