This is one of my favorite inconjunct pairings. Why? Because Leo and Virgo are so similar.

Virgo has this charming mad professor kind of thing going on. They’re these misunderstood geniuses. Their lives always feel like works in progress so they tend to live in these huge messes. But it’s an ordered mess. They know what’s going on. They’re just figuring it out. Out of the blue, Virgo tends to surprise people with their whiplash intelligence.

Leo has charisma. They like to blow people away too but they like to do it more fashionably. You might be surprised to know that, on the inside, Leo feels very similar to Virgo. Leo also feels misunderstood. Smooth, charming Leo with the grace of a lion actually feels like an underrecognized genius much of the time.

And also surprisingly—Virgo is not always a gawky geek. Virgo is charismatic too. Just look at all of the pop stars with prominent Virgo placements.

Both Leo and Virgo like having control. This is something that we commonly understand about Virgos but it is true of Leos too. But this is also interesting because Leo and Virgo do not fight for control. Instead, they coordinate.

Leo is a showman. They can run a good show even if they aren’t the loud type of Leo. Virgo, on the other hand, sees through appearances. This is why Virgo prefers to take the backstage. They’re more interested in the mechanisms behind how things work than how a thing might appear to work.

This means that Leo and Virgo are not really competing over anything. That’s why they work together. Honestly, Leo and Virgo are two signs that are not known for their compatibility because they are side by side. Adjacent signs cannot witness each other so they are thought of as being less compatible. Let’s investigate that a little more. I usually say that incompatible signs are more likely to be efficient together while compatible signs are more likely to rest together.

Leo and Virgo work together because they can see things that the other one doesn’t see. Virgo knows how things work while Leo knows how they look. There’s also the gravity of Leo. On its own, Virgo as a sign is mission-less. Look at Hermes. He didn’t do all of that mischief for any purpose. He was just spinning on his wheels.

Virgo placements are intricate. They are analytical and smart. They can see from every angle. However, they need a purpose. It’s common for someone with Virgo placements to also have Leo placements. Those Leo placements give the Virgo ones a sense of purpose and adventure. There’s no point in thinking if you’re thinking without a point. If you allow yourself to think too much without a point, then you risk becoming pedantic.

But I want to be clear. It’s not comfortable to have both Leo and Virgo placements present whether those placements are in your own chart or in a relationship dynamic. This is an inconjunct sign pairing.

Virgo is shy. Leo seeks recognition. There is a basic conflict of interests here.

If Virgo tries to get Leo to behave as Virgo does, then it is like a scientist trying to make a child learn complicated equations. It’s possible for Leo to pretend and to try their hardest to impress but it’s not the most effective use of energy. If a Leo tries to get a Virgo to behave like a Leo, then Virgo will feel unfairly criticized.

Let me explain why. I’ll try to do this in an honest way. Basically, both Leo and Virgo have high standards. Sometimes, the function of having high standards is to raise one’s own quality of life. This is one possible outcome. However, life is just life. Even if we try hard every single day or moment, there is only so much quality we can squeeze out of life because an inherent part of life is some degree of failure. So, there is a second function of having high standards.

High standards can be self protective. People who are self critical who hold themselves to a high standard also tend to be more critical of other people.

I’m not saying that people with either Leo or Virgo placements tend to be more critical than other people. I’m saying that all archetypes have a line of defense, something that makes them different from other signs. For a Pisces or Aquarius, this might involve detachment. For Virgo, the line of defense is about being about to perceive things in an unique way. For Leo, it is about having some mark of distinguishment.

Leo wants to impress Virgo. Virgo wants to impress Leo too. See what I’m saying? This is a partnership that can heat up very, very fast.

The other person is just so cool. You feel like you are at your best, your most glamorous and most witty and most charming when you are around them. You get so excited about this that you forget the flip side of wanting to impress someone. When you want to impress someone too much, you also fear disappointing them.

When Leo and Virgo fight, each sign is capable of making the other feel insufficient. This is a different type of conflict than conflict between two other signs with completely different natures. In this type of conflict, the risk would be that both signs walk away feeling more self conscious and flawed than they need to feel.

For Leo and Virgo to be together effectively, each sign must be assured of their own areas of expertise. Leo is at their best when they are doing something that makes them feel talented and good. Virgo shines when they can show how skilled they are. Leo can make a Virgo positively blush from complimentary recognition while Virgo can give Leo tools for further improvement. Even if a Virgo isn’t looking for a compliment and a Leo may not be looking for improvement, these things are good for both signs. Compliments are good for Virgos because they make Virgos feel uncomfortable. Analysis is good for Leos because there’s just enough discomfort.

So, the two signs need space. Most relationships do. This can be physical space. It can also be mental. If Leo has a niche interest in learning as many languages as possible, then maybe Virgo doesn’t infringe upon that but lets Leo enjoy that interest on their own. If Virgo is a solid musician, then maybe Leo doesn’t know anything about music and enjoys the craft as an outsider.

At the end of the day, both Leo and Virgo like to challenge their friends to be at their best. Leo gives people courage and Virgo gives people clarity. This is why the challenge with Leo and Virgo relationships will always be a question of whether they can relax when they are around each other. When you are in a relationship dynamic where you want to be at your best all the time, it can be harder to remember that you deserve love when you are at your worst too.