Leo marriage: Which signs are Leos more likely to marry? Are there signs Leos are more likely to divorce? Which sign is the best match for Leo?
Astrologers believe that Leos should be happiest with the fire signs (Aries, Sagittarius, and other Leos) and some of the air signs (Gemini and Libra), but do actual marriage and divorce statistics support these assumptions? Researchers have conducted studies in various nations to test astrological predictions about compatibility using marriage and divorce statistics.
Leo Marriage and Divorce with Other Signs: Study Findings
Sachs (1998) conducted a large-scale study of sun sign trends, including marriage and divorce rates, using Swiss census data for nearly a million people. In line with astrological predictions, he found that Leo men had an above-average marriage rate and a below-average divorce rate with Aries women, and that they had a below-average marriage rate with Aquarians. However, contrary to astrological expectations, the divorce rate with Libra women was slightly above average.
The following is a ranking of most to least frequent marriages with Leo men in Switzerland, though most of the rate differences were small (* indicates that a difference was statistically significant – in other words, large enough that it shouldn’t be attributable to random chance):
- Aries*
- Cancer
- Capricorn
- Pisces
- Virgo
- Leo
- Scorpio
- Libra
- Taurus
- Gemini
- Sagittarius
- Aquarius*
The only statistically significant difference in marriage rates by sun sign for Leo women was the below-average marriage frequency with Taurus men. The following is a list of marriages with Leo women from most to least frequent (though as with Leo men, most marriage rate differences were small):
- Libra
- Aries
- Aquarius
- Sagittarius
- Leo
- Cancer
- Scorpio
- Gemini
- Capricorn
- Pisces
- Virgo
- Taurus*
Sachs also found that Leo women had an above-average divorce rate with Aries and Sagittarius men, which are theoretically compatible signs, whereas they had a below-average divorce rate with the less compatible sign of Aquarius, thought the divorce rate was also lower-than-average for the compatible sign of Libra.
Sachs’ findings regarding the higher rate of Leo-Aries marriage for Leo men accords with astrological predictions, as both signs tend to be affectionate, energetic, passionate, and inclined to seek excitement rather than cozy domesticity. So, why was the marriage rate particularly high for Leo men/Aries women, but not Leo women/Aries men? It’s impossible to say for sure, though Aries tend to be competitive (or even combative) and blunt rather than diplomatic when conveying their views. Because boys are often raised to be more assertive, these traits may be exacerbated in Aries men to a point that some Leo women find off-putting (this would also explain the above-average divorce rate between Leo women and Aries men).
The lower marriage rate between Leo men and Aquarius women also accords with astrological predictions. Leo and Aquarius are considered incompatible because Leos require devoted partners and Aquarians need a lot of freedom to pursue their own interests. Aquarians also tend to be more intellectual and somewhat emotionally detached, which can be difficult for passionate, expressive Leos. A typical Leo might find his Aquarius partner rather cold and distant, while the Aquarian feels that her Leo husband needs too much praise and attention. However, when these two do make it to the altar, their marriages are more likely to last, possibly because they bring complementary strengths to the relationship or because they bond over shared traits such as generosity, extroversion, and adventurousness.
The below-average marriage rate for Leo women and Taurus men is also an expected finding. Taurus-Leo pairs may make it to the altar less often because their lifestyle preferences are often very different. Typical Tauruses like cozy evenings at home or getting out into nature, whereas typical Leos are more inclined to seek nightlife and culture. However, as with the Leo-Aquarius pairing, if other elements in their natal zodiacs such as rising signs and moon signs are more compatible, these two can be a better match.
So, why do pairings of Leo women and Sagittarius men end up divorcing at an above-average rate? Sagittarians quickly grow bored with routine and often have trouble settling down. Most love to travel and seek new experiences. A Leo who is not the focus of her lover’s attention will quickly find someone else and a Sagittarian who feels that his freedom is being curtailed will look for an escape route as well. Although these two can have a lot of fun together, it may be hard to forge a deeper commitment in some cases, though this match should have better sticking power if the Sagittarius has a rising or moon sign that is more commitment-oriented.
The biggest surprise in the Sachs study findings is the higher-than-average divorce rate between Leo men and Libra women. These two signs should get along well together. Both are romantic, a little vain and self-indulgent at times, affectionate, idealistic, and drawn to the finer things in life, so their lifestyle preferences tend to be aligned. Moreover, the ways in which they differ also contribute to compatibility, as Leos are decisive while Libras prefer someone else make decisions in most cases, and Libras tend to be diplomatic and tactful, so they are less likely to hurt feelings or bruise sensitive egos. Leos are often flashy, exciting, and dominant as well, which Libras appreciate, and Libras tend to be attractive, graceful, and charming, which Leos find appealing. However, some Leo-Libra pairings may be problematic because Libras like to flirt and Leos want to be the center of attention. Perhaps Leo women are more tolerant of Libra flirtatiousness than Leo men, which would explain why Male Leo-female Libra pairs divorce at a slightly above-average rate whereas female Leo-male Libra pairs have unusually good sticking power.
A couple of years after Sachs conducted his study, a French researcher (Castille, 2000) conducted a study of marriage statistics by sun sign using census data spanning 1976 to 1997, which included over six million marriages in France. Like Sachs, Castille found some significant differences in marriage rates.
Leo men in France were most likely to marry Leo women and had a below-average marriage rate with Scorpios. The following is a ranking from most to least common marriages with Leo men:
- Leo*
- Libra
- Virgo
- Pisces
- Gemini
- Aquarius
- Cancer
- Aries
- Capricorn
- Sagittarius
- Taurus
- Scorpio*
Leo women in France were also more likely to marry Leo men, while their rates of marriage with Aquarians and Tauruses were below average:
- Leo*
- Virgo
- Sagittarius
- Libra
- Cancer
- Aries
- Pisces
- Gemini
- Capricorn
- Scorpio
- Aquarius*
- Taurus*
Castille’s findings were more consistent with astrological predictions than those of Sachs, as two Leos should be similar in their approach to life and relationships, while Scorpio, Aquarius, and Taurus are some of Leo’s least compatible signs. Scorpio and Leo are particularly likely to clash, as both tend to be dominant, forceful personalities with a high need for control. However, this can be an exciting match of the two individuals have more compatible rising and moon signs.
Two additional studies did not yield results in accordance with astrological predictions. Voas (2001) examined UK census data for approximately 10 million marriages, concluding that marriage rates did not vary based on sign signs. Two decades later, Helgertz and Scott (2020) used census data for marriages and divorces in Sweden over a 24-year span to determine whether predictions about sun-sign compatibility were supported by statistics.
The latter authors found that while marriage likelihood did vary by sun sign, it did not follow a pattern consistent with predictions about astrological compatibility for many of the signs (marriage rates were often higher among incompatible pairings). Moreover, although one of their research models showed slightly higher divorce rates among astrologically incompatible pairs overall, when they broke the data out by levels of compatibility, divorce rates were actually highest for moderately compatible pairs, while the most and least compatible matches had lower divorce rates. Their other research models yielded similarly inconsistent results and they concluded that astrology does not predict compatibility.
Why have some studies provided results more consistent with astrological predictions while others yielded mixed results or concluded that astrological compatibility does not affect marriage rates at all? There are a few possibilities.
In places where lots of people believe in astrology, they may deliberately choose those they believe will be astrologically compatible partners. If enough people do this, they create a trend whereby marriages among astrologically compatible sun signs are far more common. A second possibility is that some of the researchers may used flawed methodologies that led to incorrect conclusions. Another possibility (the one favored by astrologers) is that these studies focused solely on sun signs while ignoring the rest of the natal zodiac (positions of all the planets at the time of a person’s birth). To get a true measure of compatibility, you would need to look at both partners’ rising signs (outer personality), moon signs (emotional life), and placements for Mercury (communication style), Venus (love and friendship style), and Mars (sexuality).
Which Sign Is the Best Match for Leo Marriage?
Astrologers would recommend another Leo, or an Aries, Gemini, Libra, or Sagittarius. The findings of the Sachs and Castille studies suggest that Leo is the best bet. However, the differences in marriage and divorce rates were not that large overall, so plenty of relationships between supposedly incompatible signs have had good staying power. A relationship will not be doomed just because the partners’ sun signs are not considered an ideal match.
If you’d like to learn more about your personality or your compatibility with another person, you can enter your birth data (year, month, day, time, and place) on a site such as Astro.com to calculate a chart that comes with a list of astrological placements. If you don’t know your time of birth, you can’t learn your rising sign, but you can still find all your planetary placements.
More About Leo
More About Astrology
Read about other sun signs: Aries * Taurus * Gemini * Cancer * Virgo * Libra * Scorpio * Sagittarius * Capricorn * Aquarius * Pisces
Read about moon signs: Aries Moon * Taurus Moon * Gemini Moon * Cancer Moon * Leo Moon * Virgo Moon * Libra Moon * Scorpio Moon * Sagittarius Moon * Capricorn Moon * Aquarius Moon * Pisces Moon
Learn more about astrology: Astrology FAQ
References:
- Bugler, C. (Ed.) (1992). The Complete Handbook of Astrology. Marshall Cavendish Ltd., Montreal, 1992.
- Castille, D. (2000). Sunny Day for a Wedding. Les Cahiers du RAMS.
- Helgertz, J., & Scott, K. (2020). The validity of astrological predictions on marriage and divorce: a longitudinal analysis of Swedish register data. Genus, 76(1), 1-18.
- Sachs, G. (1998). The Astrology File: Scientific Proof of the Link Between Star Signs and Human Behavior. Orion Books Ltd., London.
- Voas, D. (2007). Ten Million Marriages: A Test of Astrological ‘Love Signs’. Cathie Marsh Centre for Census and Survey Research.
- Woolfolk, J.M. (2001). The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need. Madison Books, Lanham, MD.
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