How Every Zodiac Sign Deals With Grief

ARIES

Aries feel compelled to take action. Not ones to feel comfortable sitting and stewing in their grief, they like to get involved in something outside of themselves. Whether that means attacking the loss head-on or throwing themselves into projects or relationships, the most important thing, in their minds, is that they continue moving. To rest even for a moment runs the risk of being overwhelmed by sadness. They will attempt to avoid it no matter what.

TAURUS

Tauruses know how to handle their grief. Being an earth sign, they understand the importance of finding things to ground them in times of distress, often seeking out friends and family members for shared comfort. You might think that Tauruses are largely unaffected by grief, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Their processing happens internally, in peace and solitude. It doesn’t prevent them from being present if needed.

GEMINI

Grief has a tendency to make Geminis feel out of control. Not only do they have to grapple with loss, but they’re forced to confront their powerlessness; there are, after all, many controllable elements to life, and death is not one of them. Geminis may go off the grid while dealing with grief, attempting to recapture a sensation of security. Don’t be surprised if they need time alone–so unlike their normal state of being. They’re slowly editing their worldview.

CANCER

Grief, which you would assume would be written all over the face of an emotional Cancer, often hides in their shadow. Despite their reputation for extreme sensitivity, Cancers tend to grieve in silence. There’s a difference between the everyday sadnesses that plague their lives, and loss, which is so absolute that Cancers have difficulty wrapping their heads around it. All they can do is let it sink in and move on from there. It’s rare that their normal coping mechanisms will help.

LEO

Leos will skip the first couple of stages of grief and go straight to bargaining. Unable to confront the reality of loss, they find themselves negotiating with their inner voice, looking for signs in every corner of their universe to prove that they’ll be able to get through this. Though they don’t ask for help, Leos have healthier reactions to grief when they’re surrounded by a support system. Being able to confide in another is key to their healing, as well as having their emotions validated.

VIRGO

Virgos tend to put too much pressure on themselves in times of grief. They’ll go down thought spirals, wondering if maybe they’d just been a little more attentive, or a better person, or less of a screw-up, that things would be different and the person they’ve lost would still be here. Of course, they know in the back of their minds that none of these thoughts are true, but that doesn’t stop them from occurring. Virgos need reassurance that they did the best they could, in order to put those words to rest.

LIBRA

Libras need to feel comfortable enough in their environment to fully express their emotions if they’re to have any chance of healing from grief. They need to be able to talk to the people in their life as they process the loss and have the freedom to cry or get angry and let out whatever it is that’s pressing against their hearts. Libras don’t do well when they’re forced to “keep it together” on the surface for the sake of others. Bottling everything up is no good for anyone.

SCORPIO

Scorpios will often try to assign logic to grief in order to make sense of it. The abstract can be daunting for Scorpios, and loss is one of the most non-tangible experiences imaginable. Part of their healing process involves putting that loss into digestible terms and working through it rationally, step by step. Once they’ve categorized and intellectualized it in their brain, then they can accept that it’s happened and begin to move on.

SAGITTARIUS

Sagittariuses, more than other signs, become hung up on the good memories they shared with somebody that’s now gone, which can have major ramifications on their healing process. Grief is hard for Sagittarius—even if they run off to somewhere they’ve never been before, which wouldn’t be out of the ordinary, it doesn’t succeed in diverting their fixation. With grief, distraction doesn’t help. It only highlights the new absence.

CAPRICORN

Capricorns will turn toward reliable comforts when experiencing grief—particularly the things that gave them comfort as younger people. TV shows they’ve seen hundreds of times, food reminiscent of easier seasons, and unearthing items (like old stuffed animals) with personal significance are all things Capricorn will use to make them feel less alone. While none of these things hold the key to healing, they certainly make their grief easier to swallow.

AQUARIUS

Only with their closest loved ones will Aquariuses let down their walls and express their grief. It’s not that they don’t see the value in being emotional—more than any other sign, they encourage those around them to feel their feelings no matter their origin. But it’s hard for Aquarius to accept that they don’t always have to be the strong ones. They must realize, whether on their own or with the aid of loved ones, that they cannot help others without, first, helping themselves.

PISCES

Pisces carry grief with them wherever they go. It’s difficult for them to accept that somebody is gone from their life forever, full stop. Though they can heal outwardly and go through the motions of picking up the pieces and moving on, their internal world is one of turmoil. One thing Pisces can do to help themselves is be creative, whether that’s through making art of some kind or just consuming it. Healing will happen with time, you cannot force it upon them.