By Natori Moore

Are you going to be married soon?  As you make plans for your special day, it’s a good idea to take time to evaluate the compatibility between you and your spouse-to-be.  The dresses, tuxedoes, cake, photographer and guest list can all be in place, but adding an understanding of the basic temperaments of you and your spouse can help make love last a lifetime.

One simple way to understand temperament compatibility is to compare the element of your astrological sun sign with your mate’s according to the table below.  The dates listed for each sign are approximate depending on your year of birth.
 
 

SIGN ELEMENT	SIGN NAME	BIRTHDATES
Fire Signs:	ARIES	Mar 20 - Apr 20
	LEO	July 20 - Aug 20
	SAGITTARIUS	Nov 20 - Dec 20
Earth Signs:	TAURUS	Apr 20 - May 20
	VIRGO	Aug 20 - Sep 20
	CAPRICORN	Dec 20 - Jan 20
Air Signs:	GEMINI	May 20 - Jun 20
	LIBRA	Sep 20 - Oct 20
	AQUARIUS	Jan 20 - Feb 20
Water Signs:	CANCER	Jun 20 - Jul 20
	SCORPIO	Oct 20 - Nov 20
	PISCES	Feb 20 - Mar 20

Signs in the same element group (e.g., Fire signs, Air signs, etc.) tend to get along best with each other because they share the same perspective and values in life.  Fire signs tend to have high energy, leadership skills and imagination, yet they can be self-centered and impatient.  Earth signs like to accumulate material goods, show they care with practical gifts, and have something to show for their efforts.  They can, however, also be stubborn or stingy.  Air signs love conversation, meeting new people and gaining knowledge, yet they can be easily distracted and superficial.  Water signs thrive on experiencing deep emotions, investigating beneath the surface, yet also keeping their privacy.  They can take things too personally and get easily discouraged.  The table below sets forth the best and most difficult matches for your sun sign element.
 

If you and your spouse-to-be fall into the “Best Match” or “Second Best Match” categories, you’ve got natural compatibility and an extra “edge” to help you work out your differences when they do come up.  If you and your intended partner fall into the “Challenging Match” or “Most Difficult Match” categories, don’t despair.  It simply means you’ll need to work harder to understand each other’s point of view.  Aim to understand the strengths of your partner’s sign element and to appreciate his or her natural gifts.  The differences you find between you can keep you both on your toes, and keep your marriage growing!

The good news is that there are positive gifts that each sign element can bring to a marriage.  FIRE signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) bring Enthusiasm -- coming up with new ideas, keeping passion alive, being creative.  EARTH signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) bring Practicality – managing money, making investments and planning for the future.  AIR signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) bring Humor – making new social contacts, talking things out, taking things lightly.  WATER signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) bring Depth – sharing emotions, giving understanding, bonding deeply with another.

Of course, there’s a lot more in the candy store where astrology’s concerned, but the Sun sign element compatibility we’ve looked at here is a good place to start to understand yourself and your spouse, and help you make the most of your marriage.  Here’s to many happy and fruitful years together.

Originally appeared in Vista Views Newsmagazine Wedding Planner 2000.