Thought Catalog Agency

How Each Zodiac Can Become A Better Partner

Aries

Remember, Aries, that you don’t have to carry every relationship on your back and win every argument and be right even when you’re wrong. What matters is that you’re really listening to your partner and responding accordingly. When you feel the urge to take charge, barrel ahead without pause, step back for a moment, and say, “What does my partner need from me?” And if you don’t know the answer, there’s no shame or weakness in asking them. 

Taurus

This may be difficult to hear, but you need to stop accepting less than you deserve from your partners. I know how much you love good love and all you would do to ensure that you have it at all times. Oftentimes that’s involved pretending crumbs of affection were enough to sustain you, but that mindset must end. It’s only when you’re with someone that lights your heart on fire that you can be a truly honest and meaningful partner. Be honest about what you need from others.

Gemini

It isn’t lost on your partner that you like to hand tough decisions off to them, back them into a corner with your hesitation so you don’t have to risk choosing the wrong option and facing its consequences. But life is full of choosing the wrong option, and the right one, and then the wrong one again. It is exhausting for your partner to always bear the burden of those consequences, and it isn’t fair to expect them to do so. Start giving your input and sharing your opinion. It will make a difference.

Cancer

It isn’t helpful to take everything so personally. Couples will go through different phases and disagree with each other, and when you hold all of that so close to your chest, it damages both of you in the process. There is value in letting things go and value in allowing yourself to be happy instead of nitpicking the details of your lives. If you want to be a better partner, stop over-analyzing minutiae and begin enjoying your love–all of its edges, and all of the things you’ve overcome together.

Leo

You like to fall so deep, so hard, that more times than not you’re making big declarations and promises before you’re actually ready to follow through with them. Commitment is a beautiful thing, but not when it’s forced prematurely and then retracted once you realize you’ve gotten ahead of yourself. The best thing you can do for your partner is to take things slow. Really consider your feelings before calling them “the one.” You cannot force love to move at your pace.

Virgo

There is no perfection in love and relationships—there are only things that grow with us and things that don’t. When you smother a growing thing in an attempt to ensure that it’s getting all it needs, it minimizes the space that growing thing needs in order to bloom. If you let go of your fear of flaws, you’ll be surprised by just how enjoyable a good relationship can be. Your partner does not need an immaculate lover, they need a safe place to go when they’re feeling lost. Provide that space without agonizing first over its cracks.

Libra

You feel emotions more deeply than anyone would guess, given your fun and carefree exterior. You have taken great pains to obscure the immensity of your heart, which is why it’s so easy for you to blow up at the slightest inconvenience. Do your partner a favor and stop suffocating yourself for fear that your feelings will be used against you. A stable, solid relationship requires consistent intimacy and openness. If you are not honest with your partner, how can you expect the same from them?

Scorpio

Your impulsivity, while exciting in the beginning of a new relationship, can get old quickly if it comes at the expense of your partner. There’s something to be said about the value of caution, waiting to make a move until you’re absolutely sure it’s the right one. Stop bringing your partners on a rollercoaster ride that they never bought a ticket for. If you feel the need to change things and bring something new into your relationship, discuss it first with your partner. They may surprise you with their answers.

Sagittarius

After a life spent chasing an idealized version of happiness, it may feel difficult to settle down and make promises to another person (even one that you care about very much). Your partner doesn’t need you to commit your entire life to them, but they do need to know that you won’t just take off and leave once you start feeling restless. Comfort is not a sign of danger. If you want to really reassure your partner that you care for them, learn to feel at ease in the quiet. Or, better yet, make them a part of your adventures. It’s the best of both worlds.

Capricorn

I’ll just come out and say it, Capricorn: you can’t avoid confrontation forever. If you let a disagreement linger unresolved, it will fester and curdle and cause worse problems in the long run than if you’d just hashed it out in the first place. Stand up for yourself when you feel that you’ve been misunderstood. Your partner needs to know that you are able to hold your own, both against them and against others. Don’t be afraid to say how you feel.

Aquarius

Though grand gestures of romance and affection may send you running into a corner, too embarrassed to speak, that doesn’t mean your partner won’t feel differently. If your relationship begins to feel lackluster, like the light that once filled the room of your heart has dwindled into darkness, make the effort to go out of your way and show your partner through action how much you appreciate them. You’ll be surprised by what a special dinner or love letter can do for a couple.

Pisces

Sometimes you get so wrapped up in your own head that you forget to vocalize how you’re feeling. Your partner is not a mind-reader, Pisces. If there’s something you need, you have to ask for it. And no, this doesn’t mean that you’re not compatible–not everybody has the sharp perception and endless compassion that you do. Don’t frustrate your partner by expecting them to figure you out with a blindfold on–untie the bandana and show them who you are. It’s less scary than it may feel.