Pisces marriage: Are Pisceans more like to marry or divorce those of particular signs? Which sign is the best match for Pisces?
Based on astrological compatibility, Pisces should pair best with water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, and other Pisces) and the earth signs of Taurus and Capricorn, but is there any statistical evidence for this?
There have been several large-scale studies of sun sign trends, and some researchers have found statistically significant differences in marriage and divorce rates for the twelve signs. The findings of these studies are summarized below.
Studies of Pisces Marriage and Divorce Rates with Other Signs
Gunter Sachs (1998) examined sun sign trends in Switzerland using census data for nearly a million people. He found that Pisces men were most likely to marry and least likely to divorce Scorpio women, and that they had below-average marriage rates with Libras and Virgos. All other differences were too small to be considered statistically significant (differences are only considered significant if they are so large that they can’t be dismissed as random chance). The following is a list of Pisces men’s marriage partners in descending order of frequency (* indicates that a difference was statistically significant):
- Scorpio*
- Aquarius
- Aries
- Taurus
- Cancer
- Pisces (same marriage rate as Sagittarius)
- Sagittarius
- Gemini
- Leo
- Capricorn
- Libra*
- Virgo*
Pisces women in Switzerland were also more likely to choose Scorpio partners than those of other signs, but they had a below-average marriage rate with Sagittarian men. They were also less likely to divorce Capricorns than any other sign. Additional differences in marriage and divorce rates were small enough to be dismissed as insignificant. The following is a list of most to least frequent marriage partners for Pisces women:
- Scorpio*
- Cancer
- Capricorn
- Aries
- Leo
- Aquarius
- Pisces
- Gemini
- Libra
- Virgo
- Taurus
- Sagittarius*
So, how well do these findings accord with astrological predictions? Pisces and Scorpio are considered a very good match as both tend to be deep and intuitive, so they can establish a profound connection. Moreover, these two bring complementary strengths to a relationship. Pisces is good at breaking through Scorpio’s fierce emotional defenses while Scorpio provides a much-needed anchor to help Pisces stay grounded and feel secure.
Pisces men’s below-average marriage rate with Virgos and Libras also aligns with astrological beliefs about compatibility. Emotionally guarded, pragmatic, and intellectually minded Virgo doesn’t always make an easy match with sensitive, affectionate, open-minded Pisces. Libra-Pisces can also be a difficult match because Pisceans need time alone to recharge their batteries and sociable Libras may not understand or provide this space. Moreover, Libras tend to see both sides of an issue, whereas Pisceans will passionately defend one side in any conflict (usually that of the underdog), which can lead to disagreements. In addition, Libra hates emotional scenes and may shut down any talk of feelings, making Pisces feel ignored or insecure.
Pisces women’s below-average marriage rate with Sagittarians would also be predicted by traditional astrologers. Pisceans require comforting and reassurance when they descend into bleak moods, and Sagittarians can be insensitive to these needs. As a result, Pisceans may find Sagittarians uncaring while Sagittarians find Pisceans too needy or intense. Sagittarians also tend to be spendthrifts, which is at odds with Piscean fiscal caution. However, although these sun signs tend to be incompatible, Pisces-Sagittarius can be an interesting and fun match if other elements in their natal zodiacs such as moon signs and rising signs are more compatible.
Astrologers also believe that Capricorn is a good match for Pisces, and the low divorce rate for the Capricorn-Pisces pairing supports this belief. Pisces-Capricorn marriages may have more sticking power because the two signs have complementary traits. Pisceans can encourage reserved or wary Capricorns to become more trusting and open, while Capricorns provide the security and stability Pisceans crave. Also, both are typically cautious with their money, so they’re less likely to fight over finances.
Shortly after Sachs published his findings, Castille (2000) completed similar research in France with six million marriages from 1976 to 1997, though he did not look at divorce rates. In contrast to Sachs, Castille found that Pisces men in France had the highest rate of marriage with Pisces women, while marriage rates with Libras and Cancers were below average. Marriage frequencies for Pisces men with other signs were as follows, in descending order of frequency:
- Pisces*
- Aries
- Scorpio
- Virgo
- Leo
- Sagittarius
- Taurus
- Aquarius
- Capricorn
- Gemini
- Libra*
- Cancer*
Castille also found that Pisces women in France tended to marry other Pisceans but had a below-average marriage rate with Gemini and Sagittarius men. The following is a list of marriage frequencies for Pisces women (as with Pisces men, most of the differences in marriage rates were small):
- Pisces*
- Taurus
- Aquarius
- Aries
- Scorpio
- Leo
- Libra
- Capricorn
- Cancer
- Virgo
- Sagittarius*
- Gemini*
Most of Castille’s findings accord with astrological predictions. Two Pisceans should get along well in the majority of cases. They will have similar ways of relating and probably share lifestyle preferences as well, so there is a lot of common ground to build on. The below-average marriage rate with Libra women is also an expected finding because these two tend to view and interact with the world in very different ways (though this can be a much better match if other elements in their natal zodiacs such as rising and moon signs are more compatible).
Finding that Pisces women were less likely to marry Sagittarius and Gemini men also aligns with astrological predictions. Pisceans require consistency and stability from their partners because they can be emotionally volatile, with rapidly shifting feelings and concerns, and Gemini is erratic and changeable. Sagittarius may be even less able to provide the security and emotional support Pisces craves. Sagittarians usually dislike the role of comforter and tend to perform poorly in it as they can be emotionally oblivious or insensitive at times. However, a Sagittarius with his ascendant or moon in a water or earth sign should have a more empathy than a typical Sagittarius.
Some additional research was conducted after the Sachs and Castile studies. Voas (2000), who examined marriage rates for millions of people in the UK, concluded that sun signs were not a factor in partner choice.
More recently, Helgertz and Scott (2020) conducted a longitudinal study of marriages and divorces in Sweden, and while they did find differences in marriage and divorce rates by sun sign, the differences often did not accord with astrological predictions. Marriage rates were sometimes higher among incompatible pairings, which suggested randomness rather than astrologically compatible matching. Moreover, although one research model suggested that divorce rates might be a bit higher for some of the incompatible sign pairs, the effect was negligibly small, and when the authors looked at divorce by levels of compatibility, divorce rates were highest for moderately compatible pairs and lower for both the most and least compatible matches. Based on these findings, they concluded that astrology does not predict compatibility.
Why did all these studies yield such different results? Different research methods were used in each case, and some of the methodologies may have been flawed. It’s also possible that in places where more people believe in astrology, they create a self-fulfilling prophesy for it by choosing partners who should be astrologically compatible. However, astrologers would argue that the studies weren’t valid because they only took sun signs into account without looking at other elements in the natal zodiac that influence compatibility. These elements include the rising sign (which shapes the outer personality, or the mask a person wears for the world), the moon sign (emotional orientation and ways of relating), the Mercury sign (approach to communication), the Venus sign (love and friendship preferences and style), and the Mars sign (sexuality).
Which Sign Is the Best Match for Pisces Marriage
Based on the findings of the first two studies, the best match for Pisces may be another Pisces or a Scorpio, but marriage rate differences tended to be small, and plenty of marriages between supposedly incompatible signs have lasted. A marriage isn’t doomed just because the sun signs are mismatched; there is a lot more to astrological compatibility than just sun signs.
If you’d like to learn more about your natal zodiac, you can visit a site such as Astro.com and enter your birth data (time, place, and date) to learn your rising signs and the planetary positions at your moment of birth (if you don’t know the time, you can’t find your rising sign, but you can still discover your other placements). This will give you a much better idea of your astrological personality and compatibility with another person.
More About Pisces
More About Astrology
Read about other sun signs: Aries * Taurus * Gemini * Cancer * Leo * Virgo * Libra * Scorpio * Sagittarius * Capricorn * Aquarius
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 how astrology works: 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.
Bride and Groom image by Photostock, www.freedigitalphotos.net.