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Compatibility
Leo Horse and Taurus Rat

As combative and intense as any relationship under the sun—yet there may be critical benefits here, as firstwest and secondwest offer rare prospects for personal growth, and the firsteast and secondeast can provide extraordinary achievements and social impact.

Western Zodiac sign, Leo
Western Zodiac sign, Taurus

Western Zodiac

Leo and Taurus

Compatibility overview

It is likely there will never be a dull moment when firstwest and secondwest combine together. This is an intense, sometimes fraught connection, where disagreements and tensions are par for the course. Yet there is also the prospect of great personal growth, which can define the relationship and the individual identities of both signs.

Leo and Taurus - Relationship Horoscope

Read more about the LEO and TAURUS zodiac signs...

Read more about the LEO HORSE and TAURUS RAT combined zodiac signs...

Signs separated by three steps around the Western zodiac wheel form a Square, or hard 90° degree, interval. The energy here is perpendicular and powerful. Hence these two tend to disagree often and hard!

Even minor questions can provoke passionate debate. Leo's element, Fire, is the most dynamic, spirited, and at times tumultuous of all the elements. Taurus' Earth, on the other hand, is defined by its slow-moving, rock-solid dependability. Leo will thus often feel quite claustrophobic, as if Taurus is not letting them burst forth as they were born to do. Taurus, meanwhile, can feel rushed or overborne by Leo's fervent extremes of enthusiasm, generosity, or criticism. The result can be a vicious circle which exacerbates both signs' more challenging traits. Taurus may retreat into stubborn recalcitrance, while Leo loses themselves in arrogance or fury. Because these two signs share the same Fixed modality, focused on tangible results and getting things done, it goes against both of their natures to back down. Compromise could take eons to reach.

On the plus side, the tensions here are by no means always serious. In fact, the energy between Leo and Taurus can give rise to all kinds of playful competition, flirtatiousness, or hilarity. More importantly, certainly in the longer term, this relationship may have profound benefits for both signs' individual identities. Square energy is unparalleled in its ability to reveal what is essential to one's true nature. By exposing what is most important—what can be compromised, and what cannot—the combination of Leo and Taurus yields rewards that may last a lifetime. Some distance or compartmentalization in the relationship may be useful at times, to reduce the toll this powerful energy can take day to day.

If these two are able to harness their contrasting instincts one way or another, then they may achieve incredible outcomes, both separately and together.

Celebrity Leo/Taurus Pairings*

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

Matt Damon and Luciana Barroso
Matt Damon and Luciana Barroso (click for attribution/s)

Matt Damon (10/8/1970, Libra Dog), Luciana Barroso (7/31/1976, Leo Dragon) : The actor and bartender married in 2005. They have four children together (one from Barroso's previous relationship). In 2018, Barroso described how they met: "Matt’s story is that he saw me across the room and there was a light on me. And I’m like, 'Yeah, it was a nightclub—there were lights everywhere! But he had started getting recognized...so he came and hid behind my bar… [wanting to] just hang out back there and have a drink...So I put him to work with me! I said, 'You know, if you’re going to be back here, you can’t just be standing there!'"

Bridget Moynahan (4/28/1971, Taurus Pig), Tom Brady (8/3/1977, Leo Snake) : The actor/model and NFL legend were together for three years from 2004 to 2006. In February 2007, Moynahan announced that she was three months' pregnant and Brady was the father. Moynahan has spoken about the challenges of that period, saying, "Going through that traumatic time of being heartbroken and then being pregnant turned my whole life upside down and inside out and just knocked the wind out of me." Later, she described: "Tom and I made a decision to raise a child together and we both found partners that not only supported us in raising that child, but also loved our child as if he was their own...My son is surrounded by love and grandparents that go on forever, and it's all good."

Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott
Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott (click for attribution/s)

Travis Scott (4/30/1991, Taurus Sheep), Kylie Jenner (8/10/1997, Leo Ox) : The rapper and media personality are one of the most high-profile on-again, off-again couples in the world, most recently announcing a separation in January 2023. They share two children and have both expressed confidence in their ability to co-parent through their relationship ups and downs. In 2020 (after the birth of their first child, Stormi), Jenner described: "We’re, like, best friends. We both love [our daughter] Stormi and want what’s best for her. We stay connected and coordinated. I think about [my parents, Kris Jenner and Caitlyn Jenner], in situations with Stormi, what they would do. They were very hands-on with me, and I want the same for Stormi."

Gina Torres (4/25/1969, Taurus Rooster), Laurence Fishburne (7/30/1961, Leo Ox) : The two actors were married from 2002 to 2018 and had a daughter together. Torres described: "There are no bad guys here. Only a love story with a different ending than either one of us had expected. Happily, however, our family remains intact and we will continue to raise our daughter together with love and joy and awe, as well as raise each other up with respect and love and the continued understanding that we're in this together, if not side by side."

Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson
Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson (click for attribution/s)

Isiah Thomas (4/30/1961, Taurus Ox), Magic Johnson (8/14/1959, Leo Pig) : The relationship between the two basketball legends was reportedly strained even before an on-court fight during the 1988 NBA Finals. In Johnson's 2009 book, When the Game was Ours, he admitted working behind the scenes to keep Thomas out of the 1992 United States Olympics "Dream Team", because he believed Thomas had been spreading rumours about his sexuality after his HIV diagnosis. The two reconciled in 2017, with Johnson saying, "You are my brother. Let me apologize if I hurt you, that we haven’t been together and God is good to bring us back together."

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Chinese Zodiac sign, the Horse
Chinese Zodiac sign, the Rat

Chinese Zodiac

Horse and Rat

Compatibility overview

Western astrology is generally more forgiving of potential discord than its Chinese counterpart. Unfortunately, the match between the firsteast and the secondeast has a reputation for seriously destabilizing energy. This can produce a myriad of conflicts. The prognosis is not all negative, however. For as unsettling as it can be for the parties themselves, this match-up is capable of generating some awesomely powerful impacts.

Horse and Rat - Relationship Horoscope

Read more about the HORSE and RAT zodiac signs...

Read more about the LEO HORSE and TAURUS RAT combined zodiac signs...

Facing each other diametrically across the Chinese zodiac wheel are the six infamous Opposite combinations. Traditionally, these matches are understood to involve nearly constant and irreconcilable tension. In the case of the Horse and the Rat, the dashing independence of the former collides with the latter's calculating cleverness.

The Horse is perhaps the sign with the greatest need for freedom. It is almost impossible for them to feel comfortable if they sense they are being controlled. The Rat, on the other hand, is a profoundly social, romantic creature. Their inner fulfilment depends on closeness to others and being able to use their strategic skills to promote their own interests and those close to them. A combination of the Horse and Rat thus tends to produce a vicious circle where both are constantly on edge. The Horse can feel restricted and manipulated, where the Rat feels abandoned, vulnerable, and unappreciated.

Recurrent problems are especially a feature of love affairs. The old adage about opposites attracting can draw these two together initially, and strong sexual tension is not unexpected. But eventually the Horse's craving for independence is likely to lead to withdrawal or selfishness. The neglected Rat may become increasingly needy and could even turn to scheming against the distant, aloof Horse.

Characteristically for Opposite matches, however, the troublesome aspects of this energy can generate extraordinarily potent results. Imagine partner stand-ups, where the force of two people pushing backwards into each other propels them upward. Because the Horse and Rat have so little in common, any kind of collaboration, alliance, even feud, that brings them together benefits from a complete spectrum of energy. The potential for capturing attention or generating triumphs of innovation is virtually unlimited.

To be sure, the partnership may prove too combative for the parties themselves to really enjoy each other's successes. But with soothing influences on the Western side, or earnest mutual understanding, these two may be able to profit admirably from the powerful, if conflictive, energy that unites them.

Celebrity Horse/Rat Pairings*

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

Robin Wright and Sean Penn
Robin Wright and Sean Penn (click for attribution/s)

Sean Penn (8/17/1960, Leo Rat), Robin Wright (4/8/1966, Aries Horse) : The two actors shared an on-off relationship from 1989 to 1995 and had two children together. After separating in 1995, they reconciled and married in 1996. They filed for divorce in 2007, reconciled again for a time, and finally divorced in 2010. Penn said in 2018, "[We] don't have a lot of conversation...We don’t not get along. We have very separate relationships with our kids at this point and it seems to work better that way because they are making their own decisions. As it turned out she and I did not share the same ethical views on parenting, including the continuing parenting of adult children."

David Duchovny (8/7/1960, Leo Rat), Téa Leoni (2/25/1966, Pisces Horse) : The two actors married in 1997 and had two children together. They separated in 2008 before Duchovny received treatment for sex addiction. After reuniting for a time, they divorced in 2014. Leoni has described: "David gave me the two greatest gifts on the planet; I don't know how I could ever hate him...I'm not playing stupid—I understand feelings can get hurt and things can get icky. We've had our moments like that. But these kids are too important, and he feels the same way."

Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant
Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant (click for attribution/s)

Carmelo Anthony (5/29/1984, Gemini Rat), Kobe Bryant (8/23/1978, Virgo Horse) : These US basketball legends shared an amicable but heated on-court rivalry, especially during the 2009 Western Conference Finals. Anthony has described: "You know Kob, man, he going at your neck. He’s saying [expletive] to you, elbowing you. I had my braids back then too, so he’s touching my head. I’m like, 'What the [expletive] are you doing? Don’t touch my head.' You know what I’m saying? Like, 'Don’t touch me no more, dawg.'" When the pair faced each other, they would embrace and say, "It's war."

Jennifer Garner (4/17/1972, Aries Rat), Halle Berry (8/14/1966, Leo Horse) : The two actors testified together before a California State Assembly Committee about the need for their children to be legally protected from the paparazzi. Berry said at one point, "We're moms here, just trying to protect our children."

Sonia Sotomayor and Clarence Thomas
Sonia Sotomayor and Clarence Thomas (click for attribution/s)

Clarence Thomas (6/23/1948, Cancer Rat), Sonia Sotomayor (6/25/1954, Cancer Horse) : These US Supreme Court judges have starkly different reputations. However, while alluding to conflicts about judicial business, Sotomayor has spoken of the friendship between them: "I see in [Thomas] the basic caring about people that I have. We are both committed friends and committed family members. And so, in seeing that good in him, there is no reason for me to take our personal disputes and translate it into our personal interactions. We work together. We have to work together for the rest of our time on the court."

Marlon Brando (4/3/1924, Aries Rat), James Dean (2/8/1931, Aquarius Horse) : There have been rumours that these two actors shared a disturbing intimate relationship, with Brando attempting to dominate Dean in various ways. What is more certain is that Dean idolized Brando, copying his choices of motorcycle and bongo-playing hobby, while Brando made publicly disparaging comments about Dean. "Mr. Dean appears to be wearing my last year's wardrobe and using my last year's talent," is one quote attributed to Brando; "I gave [Dean] the name of a psycho-analyst and he went. At least his work improved," is another.


Combined Relationship Horoscope

Final Words

The Square combination of firstwest and secondwest may sometimes wonder if there is anything they agree about at all, yet this potent connection also offers rare opportunities for both signs to crystallize who they are and what they want out of life, and to cultivate greater self-awareness, patience and generosity in communicating. On the Chinese zodiac side, the energy between the firsteast and secondeast is similarly powerful and conflictive—though again there are countervailing positives, as few combinations can summon such a spectacular and impactful coalescence of energy. It may take a supreme effort to maintain this ferocious connection over the long term, but for as long as it endures, this is a recipe for a blazing, unforgettable relationship.

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