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Compatibility
Taurus Ox and Aquarius Horse

It may appear to be something of an energy minefield, but there is real potential here—provided the famously disagreeable combination of firstwest and secondwest fulfills its potential for life-changing personal growth, and the precarious firsteast and secondeast match is carefully controlled.

Western Zodiac sign, Taurus
Western Zodiac sign, Aquarius

Western Zodiac

Taurus and Aquarius

Compatibility overview

The whirling, combustible match between firstwest and secondwest is one of the most powerful energies in the Western zodiac. Plain sailing this is almost certainly not, for on any given topic these two are probably more likely to disagree than agree. Yet conflicts here tend to be essentially constructive rather than destructive, meaning relationships have terrific potential for impact and personal growth.

Taurus and Aquarius - Relationship Horoscope

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

Read more about the TAURUS OX and AQUARIUS HORSE combined zodiac signs...

Signs that are three steps apart around the Western zodiac wheel, like Aquarius and Taurus, form a Square interval, a hard angle of 90°. This is basically as much tension as it's possible to find in Western astrology. Challenges, contrasting opinions, or outright confrontations are likely to emerge fast.

Aquarius, an Air sign, is typically high-spirited, cerebral, and unconventional. Air may be generally the most adaptable of the elements, but it is still an uneasy mix with the solidity and determination of Taurus' Earth element. Hence Taurus often finds Aquarius to be disconcertingly changeable, abstract, or unpredictable. Aquarius, on the other hand, can consider Taurus something of an immoveable object, whose lack of flexibility stifles precious freedom of thought and action. Even seemingly innocuous topics can provoke opposing responses between these two.

Taurus likes to build a secure existence from the ground up, and they usually have resolute opinions about behaviors they think are desirable or not. Aquarius, however, is defined by a wide acceptance of viewpoints and people, and they are much more interested in universal concerns than local ones. These differences might be less conspicuous if Aquarius and Taurus did not share a Fixed modality, with its emphasis on achievement, implementation, and realization. Without the balancing influence of a different modality, neither sign will want to give an inch.

The success of the Aquarius/Taurus combination therefore depends more on how the signs' opposing instincts are managed, rather than trying to avoid them. For one thing, disagreements need not cause displeasure. Quite quickly, sources of potential tension can become so obvious that they contribute playfulness, humor, or flirtatiousness to the relationship. More importantly in the long term, sites of contestation can become invaluable for personal growth. Square energy is essentially both transformative and positive. Through this relationship, Taurus and Aquarius can crystallize what is most important to them: things that can be compromised, and things that cannot.

Square relationships like this may need to evolve or compartmentalize, in order to benefit rather than suffer from the intense energy at play. However, one way or another, the result is capable of being profoundly enriching and inspiring for this contrary astrological pairing.

Celebrity Taurus/Aquarius Pairings*

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

George Lucas and John Williams
George Lucas and John Williams (click for attribution/s)

George Lucas (5/14/1944, Taurus Monkey), John Williams (2/8/1932, Aquarius Monkey) : The composer and film director/producer shared one of the most iconic collaborations of all time in the Star Wars movies. In a recent interview, Williams remembered that Lucas originally wanted to use pre-existing classical music for the film, but Williams convinced him to use original music that could be manipulated to suit the drama. Contacted for comment, Lucas' representative responded that the director "never intended to use extant music in the film."

Dennis Hopper (5/17/1936, Taurus Rat), Rip Torn (2/6/1931, Aquarius Horse) : The actor and actor/director were famously in discussions in 1969 for Torn to appear in the Hopper-directed film, Easy Rider. Years later, Hopper accused Torn of pulling a knife on him over a dinner, to which Torn responded that it was Hopper who had pulled the knife on him. Torn sued Hopper for slander, and in 1998 won almost $1 million in damages.

Robert and Leslie Zemeckis
Robert and Leslie Zemeckis (click for attribution/s)

Robert Zemeckis (5/14/1951, Taurus Rabbit), Leslie Zemeckis (2/5/1969, Aquarius Monkey) : The director and actor/filmmaker/author have been married since 2001 and have three children together. Robert Zemeckis described in 2018: "We are very supportive of each other when it comes to our individual endeavors and our endeavors together. We understand the ebb and flow of our careers and sometimes one person’s project takes priority over the other. It’s important to have individual, outside interests to fulfill oneself so as not to become dependent on the relationship for fulfillment."

Shirley MacLaine (4/24/1934, Taurus Dog), Steve Parker (2/6/1922, Aquarius Dog) : The actor and film producer were married from 1954 to 1982 and had a daughter together. Describing their unorthodox relationship, Maclaine has said: "I guess you would say 'practiced an open marriage' in 1954, which was another lifetime. No one understood it. We did. He lived in Japan basically, I lived in America working, and this and that. We'd meet up, always great friends, traveled sometimes together."

Valerie Bertinelli and Eddie Van Halen
Valerie Bertinelli and Eddie Van Halen (click for attribution/s)

Valerie Bertinelli (4/23/1960, Taurus Rat), Eddie Van Halen (1/26/1955, Aquarius Sheep) : The musician/founding member of the band Van Halen and actor were married from 1981 to 2007 and had one child (Wolfgang Van Halen) together. In her book Enough Already, Bertinelli described how the couple remained close after separating in 2001: "Ed and I grew even closer together. We couldn’t live with each other, but we found it impossible to live completely apart."

Cate Blanchett (5/14/1969, Taurus Rooster), Andrew Upton (2/1/1966, Aquarius Horse) : The actor and playwright have been married since 1997 and have four children together. Blanchett has described their courtship with characteristic irony: "I cooked him the worst meal. I somehow decided that to stuff a trout with walnuts and goat’s cheese would be a good idea. He ate it and then he asked me to marry him, so clearly he was, I don’t know, hallucinating."

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Chinese Zodiac sign, the Ox
Chinese Zodiac sign, the Horse

Chinese Zodiac

Ox and Horse

Compatibility overview

The Eastern zodiac has a reputation for not mincing words when it comes to combinations seen as unlucky. Unfortunately for the firsteast and secondeast, their shared energy has a troubling reputation for tension, conflict, and unhappiness.

Ox and Horse - Relationship Horoscope

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

Read more about the TAURUS OX and AQUARIUS HORSE combined zodiac signs...

Across the whole Eastern zodiac, the most difficult combinations are said to be the six Adversary matches along the fourth degree axis, which include the Horse and Ox. The strain between these two can sometimes surprise others, because superficially they seem to have lots in common. Both the Horse and Ox tend to have a larger-than-life presence and are comfortable being the center of attention. And both can be relied on to get the job done, when tasked with physically or intellectually demanding projects.

However, these two signs have completely different instincts about control. The Horse is not a loner as such—in fact they can be one of the most devoted signs there is—but they are fiercely independent. They are at their happiest performing, competing, and loving, with as few outside limitations as possible. The Ox, by contrast, is a master of constraint. They have a paramount belief in structure and chains of command, and tend to inevitably rise up through the ranks to leadership. A pairing of the Horse and Ox is thus apt to stir destructive forces. The Ox will be forever trying to rein in the Horse. The Horse will be constantly trying to outrun the Ox. As the Ox is overtaken by stubborn bitterness, the Horse tends to poke fun and laugh at them. As the Horse escapes into skittish extravagance and selfishness, the Ox expresses ever more intense disappointment and criticism.

Unfortunately, conflicts here are more indirect than direct. Rather than a blaze of fury, mutual antagonism is likely to cause brooding discontent and unpleasantness. Problems may take forever to resolve, assuming they ever resolve at all.

Problematic energy like this need not be insurmountable, of course, and lots of relationships achieve success and understanding in spite of this potentially challenging connection. Strongly positive influences on the Western side, or clear strategies to facilitate mutual understanding, may be invaluable in achieving positive results.

Celebrity Ox/Horse Pairings*

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

Barack Obama and Joe Biden
Barack Obama and Joe Biden (click for attribution/s)

Barack Obama (8/4/1961, Leo Ox), Joe Biden (11/20/1942, Scorpio Horse) : Despite the much-publicised "bromance" between the 44th and 46th US Presidents, reports of rivalry and tension between Obama and Biden have also surfaced during their respective administrations. New York Times reporter Jonathan Martin described in 2022: "[F]or all the talk Biden and Obama do about being brothers and good friends, they’re actually not that close. They don’t talk super often today. There’s a rivalry there...Biden’s a prideful guy. And he knew he was looked down on in the White House when he was [Obama's] VP, and he loved the idea of being a bigger historic figure than Obama."

Dwight Howard (12/8/1985, Sagittarius Ox), Kobe Bryant (8/23/1978, Virgo Horse) : After the late basketball champion Bryant died tragically in 2020, his one-time Lakers teammate Howard told movingly, "A lot of people thought me and Kobe hated each other and stuff like that...There were times where we just didn’t understand each other and I didn’t get a chance to tell him how appreciative I was for our time together."

Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan
Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan (click for attribution/s)

Meg Ryan (11/19/1961, Scorpio Ox), Dennis Quaid (4/9/1954, Aries Horse) : Once one of the world's most famous celebrity couples, Ryan and Quaid divorced in 2001. In 2008, Ryan accused Quaid of serial infidelity during their marriage, to which he responded, "I find it unbelievable that Meg continues publicly to rehash and rewrite the story of our relationship."

Richard Gere (8/31/1949, Virgo Ox), Cindy Crawford (2/20/1966, Pisces Horse) : The actor and supermodel were married for four years in the early 1990s. Crawford said in 2016, "I don’t know if we were ever friends – like peers, because I was young, and he was Richard Gere. And then, as I started kind of growing up and growing into myself – it’s hard to change the nature of a relationship once you’re already in it."

Photo of Helmut Kohl and Margaret Thatcher
Photo of Helmut Kohl and Margaret Thatcher (click for attribution/s)

Margaret Thatcher (10/13/1925, Libra Ox), Helmut Kohl (4/3/1930, Aries Horse) : The former German Chancellor and British Prime Minister shared a famously hostile relationship. To quote the head of the UK National Archives in 2019, "They didn't get on at all."

Neil Patrick Harris (6/15/1973, Gemini Ox), Perez Hilton (3/23/1978, Aries Horse) : The actor, singer and writer Harris has suggested that celebrity blogger Hilton conducted a sustained campaign to out him as gay: "There was an interview [in 2006] that claimed that I was asked if I was gay and that my publicist had said that I was 'not of that persuasion.' That was the weird catalyst tipping point because that expression set Perez Hilton off. He was offended by that and then started posting about me and asking people to come forward with truths or stories. Then it became apparent that I needed to make some sort of decisive respectable move."

Paul Newman (1/26/1925, Aquarius Ox), Steve McQueen (3/24/1930, Aries Horse) : These two acting legends starred together in The Towering Inferno, and shared an equally famous love of motor racing, but seem to have brought the worst out in one another off-screen. It has been reported that Newman called McQueen "chicken s—" for counting the number of lines they both had in Inferno, and that the two competed over who was given top billing.


Combined Relationship Horoscope

Final Words

The Square energy between firstwest and secondwest is perhaps as contrary as any in the Western zodiac. However, while it may sometimes feel as if there is nothing these two cannot disagree about, their disputations can yield great positives, offering rare insight into their individual identities, and producing lifelong benefits. In this case, the greater challenge may be navigating the disturbing energy of the firsteast and secondeast, one of the Chinese zodiac’s most notorious combinations. Clear communication, independent roles in the relationship, and encouraging sensitivity wherever possible may be important for these two, if they are to maximize the available prospects for successful collaboration and affection.

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