HORIZON ASTROLOGY

Chinese Zodiac Compatibility
Sheep and Snake

Compatibility overview

Compatibility in the Chinese zodiac is often defined in fairly black and white terms. The firsteast and secondeast, however, fall more into the gray area in between. The underlying energy here can be complicated, and there are certainly some challenges that may impede heart-to-heart closeness. Nevertheless, the synergies between these signs can foster genuine admiration and tenderness, which in the right circumstances can produce all manner of highly successful outcomes.

Sheep and Snake - Relationship Horoscope

Read more about the SHEEP and SNAKE zodiac signs...

Harmony in the Chinese zodiac depends on the four Trine Families, which divide naturally into two compatible streams. The families of the Sheep (with the Pig and Rabbit) and Snake (with the Ox and Rooster) belong in different streams. This does give rise to a lurking tension, and some matches between these families (e.g., the Sheep and Ox, or the Rabbit and Rooster) can be seriously problematic.

Happily, the Sheep and Snake avoid the most worrying aspects of the surrounding atmosphere. When relaxed, the Sheep is the very essence of charm, as well as a highly conceptual and creative thinker. They will often be intrigued and aroused by the Snake, famously the most instinctively philosophical and sensual of all the Chinese signs. The Snake, meanwhile, loves to adore and be adored, so the delightful attentions of the Sheep may prove powerfully intoxicating. There can be a strongly sexual connection here, at least early on, but even in platonic settings, mutual admiration and a shared fascination with abstract realms can prove a heady mixture for this contemplative pair. These two signs can also comfort each other in important ways. The Snake's worldliness and strategic wisdom can be profoundly reassuring for the Sheep, who is notoriously edgy and fractious. The sensitive Sheep frequently knows just how to soothe the sometimes jealous or wounded disposition of the Snake.

The underlying tensions of this connection may surface around shared resources, fidelity, or creative vision. The Snake is blessed with rare commercial prudence and savoir faire, but this can sometimes look like miserliness to less financially restrained signs. Economic caution is often anathema to the Sheep, who places a much higher premium on sparkling extravagances, and bestowing lavish gifts on loved ones. Conflict in this area is more or less inevitable for this pair. Also, while the Sheep may be impressed by the more mercenary instincts of the Snake when it comes to outside endeavors, at heart the Sheep is much less tolerant of anything resembling manipulation. In shared projects, the Sheep may find the Snake unpleasantly pragmatic, while the Snake may feel the Sheep is naive or exposes them to uncomfortable risks. The sensuality of these signs may be a blessing when they are together, but as far as other signs are concerned, it can make the Sheep desperately uneasy, and the Snake cripplingly jealous.

On balance, this is a relationship that can function well at a measured distance, so the signs can enjoy their significant affinities without the tensions between them becoming too claustrophobic. That said, the abstract and sensual connections here can be truly delightful, and the result may provide lasting tenderness, warmth, and support.

Celebrity Sheep/Snake Pairings^*

^*Click on the names to see both Western and Chinese zodiac matches for that pairing.

Maria Shriver and Oprah Winfrey (click for attribution/s)

Oprah Winfrey (1/29/1954, Aquarius Snake), Maria Shriver (11/6/1955, Scorpio Sheep) : The iconic media personality Winfrey and journalist/author Shriver share a close friendship that has lasted over 40 years. In a joint interview in 2021, Winfrey described: "I cherish everything about [Shriver]. I cherish her frankness, I cherish her directness. I cherish her honesty. I cherish her truth. I cherish her sense of searching for the truth. I cherish her courage. Oh my God, Maria's gonna tell you the truth no matter damn what. Maria give it to you in your face and then say, 'And you know what I'm talking about! You already know what I'm saying is true.'" Shriver said, "[It's] the little moments...that's what I cherish [in our] friendship...There's so few people you can really talk to honestly, and that you feel safe [with], and when I walk out the door, I know nothing's going anywhere...In my darkest moments, [Winfrey] was right there, sitting right next to me, holding space."

Robert Downey Jr. (4/4/1965, Aries Snake), Mel Gibson (1/3/1956, Capricorn Sheep) : The two actors share a close and supportive bond. After Gibson attracted controversy on numerous fronts, Downey famously said at the 2011 American Cinematheque Award: "When I couldn’t get sober, [Gibson] told me not to give up hope...I couldn’t get hired, so he cast me in the lead of a movie that was actually developed for him and he kept a roof over my head, and he kept food on the table. And most importantly, he said that if I accepted responsibility for my wrongdoings...I would become a man of some humility and that my life would take on new meaning, and I did, and it worked. All he asked in return, was that, someday I helped the next guy in some small way. It is reasonable to assume that he didn’t think the next guy would be him, or that someday was tonight."

Joe Alwyn and Taylor Swift (click for attribution/s)

Taylor Swift (12/13/1989, Sagittarius Snake), Joe Alwyn (2/21/1991, Pisces Sheep) : The superstar singer/songwriter Swift and actor Alwyn shared a private romantic relationship from 2016 to 2023. Referencing his Grammy for contributions to Swift's album, Folklore (2020), which won Album of the Year in 2021, Alwyn described: "It wasn’t like, ‘It’s five o’clock, it’s time to try and write a song together.’ It came about from messing around on a piano, and singing badly, then being overheard, and being, like, ‘Let’s see what happens if we get to the end of it together.’ I mean fun is such a stupid word, but it was a lot of fun. And it was never a work thing, or a ‘Let’s try and do this because we’re going to put this out’ thing. It was just like baking sourdough in lockdown. The Grammy was obviously this ridiculous bonus."

Jessica Chastain (3/24/1977, Aries Snake), Oscar Isaac (3/9/1979, Pisces Sheep) : The two actors share a friendship extending over twenty years. Describing their collaboration in the series, Scenes from a Marriage (2021), Chastain described: "The blessing is that, at the end, we were feeling each other’s thoughts. There was no wall between us. We joke he’s my work husband. I could tell immediately if someone said something and it bothered him. At the beginning, we read episode four and I got emotional from reading it...He could see I was in a tough place where nobody else in the room could tell. That’s the curse part. Because I was like, Okay, I’m about to go on this journey with this scene partner who I can’t hide anything from. He’s like a microscope with me. It makes the work better but more terrifying because sometimes you want some space. You’re like, I don’t want you to be able to read my thoughts every moment."

Christopher Plummer and Elaine Taylor (click for attribution/s)

Christopher Plummer (12/13/1929, Sagittarius Snake), Elaine Taylor (10/17/1943, Libra Sheep) : The two actors were married for 53 years until Plummer's death in 2021. Plummer described in 2008: "Elaine had now completed her role in the movie and was on her way back to London for yet another engagement — a busy and popular lady. I felt absolutely empty and as despondent as anyone could be. As she was leaving, I told her I was going to miss her dreadfully and hoped she would let me see her in London. ‘All right, but on one condition,’ she warned, ‘that you cut down on the booze.'"

Muhammad Ali (1/17/1942, Capricorn Snake), Joe Frazier (1/12/1944, Capricorn Sheep) : The two heavyweight boxing champions shared a complex supportive and challenging relationship for over 40 years. When Ali lost his world championship title and boxing licence for refusing to be drafted to Vietnam in 1970, Frazier provided financial and political support. Frazier described about that time, "We were friends, we were great friends...[Ali] was a brother." However, after Ali used racially-charged language to promote their famous fight, the "Thrilla in Manila", in 1975, Frazier refused to accept Ali's apologies and spoke cruelly about Ali's experiences with Parkinson's disease. Shortly before Frazier died in 2011, they reportedly reconciled, with Frazier saying, "It's just sad [about Ali's Parkinson's] because he's a great guy and I'm hoping that maybe he could live the kind of live that we live. I'd love to see him do that. Because he earned that."

Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre (click for attribution/s)

Jean-Paul Sartre (6/21/1905, Cancer Snake), Simone de Beauvoir (1/9/1908, Capricorn Sheep) : The two French philosophers shared a lifelong relationship and romantic commitment, as well as profoundly influencing each other's ideas. They reportedly never lived together, and had an "open relationship" that was especially radical for their time. According to de Beauvoir, Sartre said, "What we have is an essential love; but it is a good idea for us also to experience contingent love affairs." She reflected about this: "We were two of a kind, and our relationship would endure as long as we did: but it could not make up entirely for the fleeting riches to be had from encounters with different people."