Curious About Leo & Aquarius Compatibility? Here's Everything You Need To Know

They say opposites attract, but is that true for astrological opposites? In the case of a Leo and Aquarius matchup, these two opposite signs have a deep connection that can lead to a fulfilling relationship—so long as they respect each other's differences.

Leo is the fifth sign of the astrological year and is associated with the fifth house of creativity and expression on the zodiac wheel. Leo is a fixed fire sign, and it is ruled by the sun. It's represented by the lion, and it is also a yang (masculine) sign.

Aquarius is the 11th sign of the astrological year and is associated with the 11th house of larger communities and networks. Aquarius is a fixed air sign, and it is ruled by Uranus. It's represented by the water-bearer and is a yang (masculine) sign.

In terms of Leo and Aquarius' astrological compatibility, the big thing to understand is that they are opposite signs. That means they sit directly across from each other on the zodiac wheel, forming a 180-degree angle (aka an opposition), and reside over each other's respective seventh house of long-term partnership.

For this reason, opposite signs are believed to be each other's astrological soul mate. This kind of dynamic—in all the opposite sign pairings—creates an instantaneous soul connection, in which both people feel bound to be together.

And despite being opposites, Leo and Aquarius are more similar than you might think. They are both yang signs, and they're both fixed. Plus, when you put fire and air together, flames tend to grow higher.

As the AstroTwins previously wrote for mindbodygreen, "You each have a distinct role [in the relationship], but you're a tag team too. With an opposite sign, you're challenged to grow as a person and take responsibility for your part of the relationship."

After all, when two sides of one spectrum come together, it creates a beautiful and harmonious union of seemingly opposing energies.

As the twins explain, "We tend to view things from a close-up, missing the whole picture by hyper-focusing on a detail or two. With an opposite sign, your life appears in full relief, like a finished painting—suddenly, it all makes sense."

Naturally, getting to that harmonious place might take some trial and error. All relationships require compromise, but for opposite signs like Aquarius and Leo, this relationship is sure to bring about personal (and interpersonal) growth for both parties.

And for what it's worth, when thinking about astrological compatibility between two people, you need to take both people's full birth charts into account (aka "synastry") to get the whole picture.

In a friendship, Leo and Aquarius make a dynamic-bestie-duo that can feel incredibly inspiring and uplifting for both people. When you think about their ruling planets, the sun and Uranus, it's like the sun provides the solar power for Uranus to fully press onward.

This friendship will be most supportive when both Leo and Aquarius have a cause or passion they can get behind. There will be a strong urge to create something together, champion a cause, or mutually support each other in some way.

To that end, they can make unstoppable co-workers or teammates. They are both fixed signs, after all, so as long as they can work together instead of butting heads (which can happen with fixed signs), their sheer willpower makes them a force to be reckoned with.

As the twins note, they make a powerful tag team who join forces to create something bigger than the two of them. Aquarius is the humanitarian of the zodiac, and Leo is the proud and regal lion who brings the necessary confidence and charisma to get things done.

In love and romance, this soul mate duo can feel like they've finally met their match. While it might not always be smooth sailing, the payoff of this relationship is true understanding and union, in which balance and wholehearted compassion is achieved.

In terms of what makes both partner's tick, explains astrology expert Evan Nathaniel Grim, Leo wants to be the star in the relationship, just like everywhere else in life. As he previously told mindbodygreen, Aquarius will need to "validate Leo's natural talents and encourage them to express themselves," for Leo to feel seen.

Leo has no problem generously giving that affection and recognition right back to their partner, but ironically enough, too-cool-for-school Aquarius can actually be turned off by grand gestures.

Aquarius' priorities are centered more around the collective while simultaneously retaining their individuality. In fact, Grim notes, they even take an unconventional approach to love (whether they're commitment phobes, dipping into polyamory, etc.). This could rub Leo the wrong way if they don't think Aquarius is ready to give them the level of loyalty they need.

At the very least, Grim explains, a Leo will need to understand that Aquarius wants recognition for their sense of responsibility to humanity, not necessarily to be showered with gifts or words of affirmation.

The good news is, if you're already aligned on big-picture passions and visions, you can be a source of motivation for each other.

The pros of this relationship all come with a caveat; relationships do take work, even if you're astrological soul mates. The benefits of an opposite sign matchup promise great long-term rewards in the form of personal growth and deep intimacy, but again, that's not always easy.

As the twins explain, a Leo and Aquarius together can learn, through their relationship, how to balance their own extremes within themselves, such as selfishness, or too much independence.

They'll learn to "see themselves from an enlightening 'bird's-eye-view' distance," the twins say, adding they can ultimately find someone "who compliments their undeveloped side," when they get together.

As much as the opposite signs can complement each other, balancing extremes isn't always easy, especially in the case of two fixed signs like Aquarius and Leo.

The fixed signs are known to be the stubborn bunch in the zodiac, each with a "my-way-or-the-highway" attitude that can make compromise difficult. For this partnership to work, both people will need to get over that—which is a good thing! Again, it just takes work.

Another thing to watch out for, at least in the early days of dating, is these signs' different approaches to relationships. Leo is loud and proud about their love, while Aquarius is quintessentially independent and emotionally aloof.

Aquarius may need to let their guard down a bit—and maybe offer Leo some extra words of affirmation, while Leo may need to give Aquarius more space than they're used to and find other ways to support them and their vision.