Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are officially engaged. Naturally, today's announcement sparked plenty of questions: What will their wedding be like? Will Markle be a bona fide princess? But, high above all of these concerns hovers a totally different query, one that's astrological in nature: What is this Leo-Virgo pair in for, considering the stark differences between their signs?
For those of you who don't already know this couple's respective astrological profiles, Markle, born August 4, is a Leo, while Prince Harry is a Virgo with a September 15 birthday. (Funnily enough, the non-royal of the two happens to be born under the sign in the Zodiac most often associated with regality.) Leo's solar season (the month-long period when the sun is in a given sign) is immediately followed by Virgo's, meaning they're right next to each other on the Wheel of the Zodiac. At first glance, these signs have nothing in common — and, in some cases, relationships between adjacent signs can be difficult — but those differences can actually be to their benefit.
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As the Astrotwins write in their guide to astrological compatibility, How To Get Along With Anyone, dating someone whose sign is right next to your own does not make for the smoothest partnership. Adjacent signs tend to behave and think very differently from each other, and that can easily lead to friction and even conflict. The trick is for both halves of the couple to be equally open to each other's values. That's the first step to achieving a sense of balance unique to these seemingly mismatched pairs.
In Prince Harry and Markle's case, Virgos and Leos differ most dramatically in temperament and patience. Leos prefer to shoot from hip, speaking and acting swiftly. Meanwhile, Virgos need to have a plan before they join in the fray — they're quick thinkers, but rarely act on impulse. This dynamic in a romantic partnership can manifest itself as one person pushing the other to make decisions before they're ready or, alternately, the Virgo of the two forcing the Leo into a routine they can't stand.
Adding to these signs' differences are their ruling elements. Where Leo is a passionate, warm fire sign, Virgo is a precise and stable earth sign. Adjacent element pairings such as this one can prompt tension, but they don't imply the same kind of volatility as couples who have totally opposing ruling elements. Rather, couples with adjacent elements are able to view each other's strengths and weaknesses with a healthy amount of perspective. They have enough distance to take an objective stance without seeing their S.O.'s values are totally alien to them.
As you might have guessed by now, none of these differences are insurmountable challenges. Relationships that feature side-by-side signs are often successes in the longterm, because they call on couples to spend time determining how they complement one another. With time, these relationships are the ones where each partner ends up learning from (and even being inspired by) the other's view of the world.
Seeing as how Markle and Prince Harry have just taken a major step toward a lifelong commitment to each other, they've probably achieved that type of harmonious balance. Some might call their romance the stuff of fairytales, but it just as easily could have been written in the stars.