How You Communicate Best In A Relationship, Based On Your Zodiac Sign

Words aren’t the only way we communicate. When you’re in a relationship, millions and millions of other tiny gestures provide valuable data that can inform someone about how their SO is feeling. And depending on your individual identity, some of these gestures will communicate more strongly than others. Not every astrology sign may pick up what you’re putting down, but how you communicate best in a relationship may have some correlation depending on what sign you were born under, and what element your sun sign correlates to.

Earth, air, water, and fire all show up to a relationship differently. When it comes to communication, earth signs prefer to express themselves through material gestures like gift giving and touch. Air signs need lots of verbal communication, while water signs are highly intuitive, and will speak visually, sharing a lot through how they move. Fire expresses itself creatively, often in the form of art.

Each communication form has its own litany of strengths (and weaknesses, in terms of who can receive the message). Tapping into those power sources will help make sure your thoughts and feelings are clearly coming across. Here’s what your sign says about your strength in communication so you can feel free to share your feelings and really open up.

ARIES (MARCH 21 TO APRIL 19)

Aries communicate through taking initiative in ways that assert their dominance over other signs. You’ll get everyone to do your bidding by taking charge and making plans of action. From there, it’s basically either get behind you, or get out. More docile signs will appreciate your take-charge attitude and will leave it to you to tell them what to do. Other signs might be wary of your act at first, and may ask you to carve out more space to listen instead of always speaking first.

TAURUS (APRIL 20 TO MAY 20)

Taurus will communicate with their partner through food and drink. As a Taurus, you’ll shower your lover in nurturance when you’re feeling positively toward them, and maybe even go so far as to be withholding when you’re experiencing resentment. You have the capacity to put your feelings into the food you make and feed on, so be sure your intentions are clear. You don’t want to give your partner a case of food poisoning, now do you?

GEMINI (MAY 21 TO JUNE 20)

Gemini will talk nonstop until their message has been received, received, and received again. This is the sign most likely to tell the same story repeatedly while still working out its meaning for themselves. Some partners might get exhausted with Gemini’s chattiness; that’s why they do best in a relationship when they have a wide circle of friends.

CANCER (JUNE 21 TO JULY 22)

In a relationship, Cancer communicates a lot through the way they react emotionally to new or unexpected things. Cancer has a reputation for crying at everything, which honestly isn’t too undeserved. The trick is deciphering the messages that Cancer is sending out of their tear ducts: Are you crying out of joy or sadness? Most likely it’s some combination of both.

LEO (JULY 23 TO AUG. 22)

Leo prefers to communicate artistically, as a bit of a performance. I once knew a Leo who made a Powerpoint slideshow to have a conversation with their lover. Whether their artistic medium is painting or poetry, Leo is going to want to put on a show when they’re expressing themselves. Their partner’s job is to give them the stage and spotlight until it’s someone else’s turn.

VIRGO (AUG. 23 TO SEP. 22)

Virgo communicates through their body. Simple gestures like handholding, or even a kiss on the cheek, can speak volumes for this sensitive earth sign. They channel a deep wellspring of passion through their physical form, so just paying attention to the way in which they move around the world will provide a lot of information about what they are thinking and feeling.

LIBRA (SEP. 23 TO OCT. 22)

Libra communicates through written expression. They might not be able to get their thoughts together for a clear conversation in real-time, but if you need to have a serious talk with a Libra there’s a good chance you’ll receive a prompt email communication. Don’t be surprised if your Libra also has a drawer full of letters they never sent to lovers who did them wrong. Sometimes they need to put their words down on paper before they can even get clear with themselves.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23 TO NOV. 21)

Scorpio communicates through their senses. They will talk about how something tastes, touches, sounds, or looks as a means of expressing how they actually feel. Their emotions are so deep that they project this knowledge on the world around them, manifesting their inner feelings on everything outward. Depending on their own emotional state, this practice might be for better or for worse.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 TO DEC. 21)

Sagittarius communicates through action or non-action. They simply won’t engage with the things they don’t want to engage with, and won’t communicate unless it’s something they really want to pay close attention to. This behavior can either be mysterious or infuriating for partners who have to read between the lines.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 TO JAN. 19)

Capricorn communicates by asking a lot of questions that are specifically guiding their partner toward realizing something they have already realized themselves. It’s a bit of a convoluted conversation style that can leave their partner wondering why they didn’t just come out and say it in the first place — until they realize that they might not have heard it if Capricorn had chosen to say it any other way.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 TO FEB. 18)

Aquarius communicates by speaking in endless metaphors until their partner sees how much the narrative of their relationship fits into universal patterns. They aren’t as much concerned with their individual experience as they are with how it fits into the collective, so even when they appear to be talking about themselves they are actually speaking about everyone.

PISCES (FEB. 19 TO MARCH 20)

Pisces communicates with equal parts speaking and silence. A big part of communicating with a Pisces involves going with the flow of your feelings together, and following where these channels lead. You and your partner won’t always have words for your feelings, but as long as you’re doing your best to be honest with one another, very little should go wrong.