4 Zodiac Signs That Are So Charming That They Can Be Toxic

There’s nothing wrong with fire—after all, it can cook your food and keep you warm. But it can also leave you with third-degree burns.

The same applies to charming people. They can fill you with hope, excitement, and a dream that one day, you might be just as cool as they are. They can dazzle you with their smile. They can sweep you off your feet with just the right compliment. They can find a way to capture your heart.

Then again, an MMA artist also knows how to sweep you off your feet. And someone who’s captured your heart can also crush it.

Some people—the toxic ones—can use their charm as a way to manipulate, control, or deceive you. They may become authoritative and grandiose. They may show excessive self-pity but zero empathy for anyone else. They may become bitterly jealous if you pay attention to anyone else but them—including if you start paying attention to your own needs.

Here are the four zodiac signs most likely to use their charm and turn it from a sweet elixir into a deadly poison.

1. Gemini

Masters of communication, the Twins are adept at the Good Charm/Bad Charm game. They are driven to leave their mark on the world, whether it’s a lipstick print or a black eye—it doesn’t really matter to them so long as they leave a mark. They can shoot an arrow straight through your heart, but they can also stab you in the back. They can smile at you with such intensity that it may be too late before you realize their face has transformed into the Joker’s deadly glare. So in your dealings with them, be sure to read between the lines. Are they saying nice things to you because they mean them, or because they want something from you? 

2. Leo

There is no sign nearly as charming as Leo. When it comes to the alignment of the stars, Leo hit the jackpot—a fire sign ruled by the sun and represented by the Lion. And when the big cat enters a room, all of the other signs fade into the distance. The Crab scuttles away. The Goat hides in the corner. Even the Ram realizes they’re no match for the Lion. Because of their powerful charm, Leos tend to develop a big ego. And this is where things can turn dark—they demand excessive amounts of attention. They return mild criticism with vicious insults. They will break someone else’s self-esteem merely to protect their own. If not kept in check, the Lion can be a right proper asshole.

3. Scorpio

There was an old saying that the surest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, implying that if you want a man to fall in love with you, then you should learn how to cook. In reality, the surest way to make someone fall in love with you, at least for a little while, is to be an absolute sensual wizard. It’s in the bedroom where Scorpio—who tends to be a little inscrutable, dark, and enigmatic when fully clothed—can dazzle you with their seductive powers. But then again, once someone knows what makes you tick in that way, they can use this against you. This is why intimate blackmail is often used against politicians. And when a Scorpio no longer has any use for you and wants to discard you and sting you where it hurts, they will either criticize you sexually or spread embarrassing gossip about you.

4. Pisces 

Unlike Leo or Scorpio, a Pisces may not lure you in and bowl you over with the confidence of a salesperson or the sly wink of a stripper—their charm is a little more passive in the sense that they appear at first to be genuinely empathetic and sensitive to your needs. And the fact that the Fish can plumb the depths of your emotions and give you what you need may be nothing more than real empathy and sensitivity. It can only become a problem if they lean toward Dark Pisces traits and use your emotions against you. It’s when their passive charm morphs into passive-aggressive malice. This becomes evident the first moment they take something you’ve shared with them in a moment of vulnerability and use it against you. When this happens, get away from the Fish ASAP and swim safely to shore.