Are Barack & Michelle Obama Compatible? Astrologer Tells Us Why Their Flame Burns So Bright

There's no such thing as the perfect couple, but former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama certainly seem to be close. They've been married for over three decades and somehow make it look easy. So, what makes this pair so compatible? Was this romance written in the stars? In an exclusive interview with The List, Kathryn L. Silverton, a professional astrologer certified by the American Federation of Astrologers, explained how Barack and Michelle's birth charts align. According to her, their compatibility is about something much more complex than their sun signs. 

For those of us who aren't particularly well-versed in astrology, it's easy to boil it down to one simple question: "What's your sign?" Born Jan. 17, Michelle is a Capricorn, and Barack, whose birthday is August 4, is a Leo. According to Silverton, "Classically, Leo and Capricorn aren't considered all that compatible if you're limiting compatibility to just Sun signs." 

However, Silverton does believe that the zodiac had an impact on Barack and Michelle's love story. She says, "The compatibility of Michelle and Barack Obama is a classic example of how two people are astrologically compatible ... not because of their sun signs, but because of how the other bodies in their charts connect." While your sun sign is said to play a major role in your personality, it's one of ten planets that affect your zodiac. For many couples, like the Obamas, the entire map of their birth chart says more than just their sign.

Astrologist Kathryn L. Silverton weighed in on the typical traits the Obamas' Sun signs would indicate. "Leo is a fixed fire sign, one that feels comfortable steering a ship and being in the spotlight. Leo radiates the light of the sun. It's generous and big-hearted," she said, and it's easy to see how this applies to Barack Obama. In Michelle Obama's case, Silverton says Capricorns are "figuratively down-to-earth, pragmatic, and disciplined."

According to Silverton, one of the things that makes the Obamas a force to be reckoned with as a couple is the fact that the former first lady is "a strong force behind Barack. Her Sun falls in his 12th house, which can be viewed as someone who supports him behind the scenes and perhaps on a spiritual level. She also helps him remain focused, with her Saturn very close to his ascendant."

Beyond how their birth charts help them balance each other, Silverton also believes that it has affected their work. "They feel a strong sense of responsibility to the outside world even as they uplift one another," she explained. "Barack's Mercury in trine to her Mars suggests the two have a great deal of energy between them, enabling them to communicate a strong and universal message." The details of Michelle's birth chart show she helps bring out the best in Barack. Silverton says that "Michelle's Sun falls just a degree away from Barack's natal Saturn, inspiring his hard-working and ambitious nature. Her Mars is also conjunct his Jupiter, igniting his sense of optimism."

We've all heard the saying, "opposites attract," and Kathryn L. Silverton believed that this is the case for Barack and Michelle Obama. She says, "Barack's Mercury in Leo is a creative thinker and colorful communicator, great at organizing people and inspiring them through his charismatic flair. [Michelle's] Mars in Aquarius opposing his Mercury suggests they likely have lively debates, giving him a perspective he might not otherwise have considered."

Venus is one planet, in particular, that matters in romantic love, Silverton said. While Leos and Capricorns don't always work together, Barack and Michelle's "Venus placements are highly compatible," Silverton said. "They fit on an emotional level, instinctively bringing love into each other's lives. His Venus in Cancer implies a love of home, family, children, and country, whereas her Venus, exalted in Pisces, suggests she values selflessness." 

The moon sign is another detail of the birth chart that matters in romance. Without Michelle's birth certificate, we don't know the exact minute she was born, so we can't be sure of her moon sign, which Silverton says is in either late Aquarius or late Pisces. If it's the former, though, it's noteworthy. According to Silverton, this means "they've been together in other lifetimes and ... feel a sense of familiarity with one another. This may also imply that they have unfinished business from other lifetimes, which they are playing out in this lifetime." A love that spans multiple lifetimes? Talk about the stars aligning.