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What IS love, anyway?
By Abby Jamison — Written on Aug 17, 2017
Is it the way your heart flutters when that special someone walks into a room? Is it the way he understands you better than anyone else?
Whether it’s two soulmates coming together by fate, or luck, somehow love is always around.
Just like everything else in life, different types of people have different opinions and beliefs on what truly defines love.
For some people, love is excitement and adventure and never-ending passion. For others, love is just finding someone who will cuddle on a couch and happily watch Orphan Black with you until the end of time.
Love can be a seriously messy thing; there’s fighting and disagreements and days that just suck.
So what is it about love that keeps people going? It’s a mystery to me, but no matter what, love is the one thing people can’t let go of.
RELATED: How It Feels When You're In Love, According To Your Zodiac Sign
So ... how do you define love?
There are so many different ways to define love.
Actions, words, physical affection; everyone expresses love in completely different ways!
What’s important to one person when it comes to love may not be important to another. That’s what makes love so special; the fact that love is entirely unique to each and every person.
I've noticed a lot of things about each zodiac sign, and how they define love is no different! We all have unique astrological profiles and those profiles can say a lot about our personalities, our values, and our perspectives on the world.
So, it's not that surprising to realize that an Aries probably have a much different definition of love (and a soulmate) than a Leo or a Pisces.
Who you are, your personality traits, and your likes and dislikes are all important factors in how you define love — and your horoscope can play a part, too.
If you're curious, here is a breakdown of how each astrology sign defines love in their own unique way.
Aries (March 21 - April 19)
You define love through doing things for your significant other. You are the queen of competition, speed, and leadership, and that definitely plays a role in how you define love. You believe love is dependent on what you can prove to the other person.
You want your partner to SHOW you how much they love you, not just tell you, and a big part of how you express love is by acts of service towards your partner! Actions speak WAY louder than words for you.
Taurus (April 20 - May 20)
You define love through comfort. You believe that when you are comfortable with a person you can feel the full potential of love! Because you feel like love and comfort are so closely related, quality time with your partner is EXTREMELY important to you. If you’re not making time for each other, then are you really a priority in each other’s lives?
You hate feeling insecure in any situation, especially your relationships. The security of a healthy relationship is what really defines love for you.
Gemini (May 21 - June 20)
You define love through deep conversations and affectionate words. Communication is KEY for you! You are silly and social, but at the same time, you are incredibly analytical and serious at the same time.
Because of this, you are ALWAYS talking. If your conversations never seem to end and you never run out of things to talk about, it’s LOVE.
READ: 13 Brutal Truths About Loving A Gemini (As Written By One)
Cancer (June 21 - July 22)
Love to you is when being with them is just as relaxing as being alone (and maybe even a little better!). You take relaxation very seriously, mostly because you feel so much, sometimes relaxing seems impossible.
You’re super emotional, so someone who can balance you out is SUPER important to you. Love for you is if someone calms you down even better than you can calm yourself. If you’d choose them over a day by the ocean, you KNOW it’s love.
Leo (July 23 - August 22)
You define love through a more luxurious eye. You love being spoiled; a fancy dinner, unexpected gifts, surprise foot-rubs. You are naturally (and wonderfully) dramatic and confident, but you have a soft spot for someone who wants to take care of you.
Love should feel like a fairytale in your book, musical interludes and all! To you, love is about treating each other like royalty.
Virgo (August 23 - September 22)
You define love in the little things. You’re the most detail-oriented person, so that’s where you like to show and receive love! Movie nights at home with your favorite Chinese take-out after a long day of work is the best expression of love, in your book.
Simply sharing your affections for each other and being best friends is the best expression of love for you. As long as they’re loyal, you’re happy.
Libra (September 23 - October 22)
For you, love and peace go hand in hand. Love is defined by connections of the souls. Do you feel at peace with them? Is there a sort of connection that seems to lock the entire universe into place?
Those are the things that truly matter to you. Those late night talks and stargazing while sharing plans for the future really show you exactly why and how you love your significant other.
READ: 11 Brutal Truths About Loving A Libra (As Written By A Libra)
Scorpio (October 23 - November 21)
If there’s anyone who LOVES love, it’s you! You live for the best experiences in life, and having the best love is definitely included. Having fun with your partner is a huge defining factor for you when it comes to love.
You take your relationships seriously, so dedication is extremely important when you love someone. You want the most long-lasting love you can find, and someone you can laugh with, talk to, and always count on is most important.
Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21)
For you, love exceeds all expectations. You have a more unconventional idea of love; you like your own independence and you hate being constrained. BUT, that doesn’t mean love isn’t something you take very seriously.
Your love needs to be your best friend. Someone who laughs at all your jokes, travels the world with you, and lets you ask a million never-ending questions. You define love as a partnership that is equally fun and reliable.
READ: 7 Brutal Truths About Loving A Sagittarius (As Written By One)
Capricorn (December 22 - January 19)
You define love as tradition. You’re a serious person and love can sometimes feel a little TOO vulnerable for your liking. BUT, despite your responsible way of life, love to you is a very serious thing, and you don’t go throwing the word out to anyone.
What truly builds a relationship for you is the traditions you create; weekly date night, taco Tuesdays, your beach vacation every summer. It’s the things that build you into a family that truly makes you love a person.
Aquarius (January 20 - February 18)
Love is the deepest form of intimacy in your book. You define love as a key to unlock those parts of your brain that seem to only make sense to that one other person.
You love philosophy and questioning everything, and the best love you can imagine in one where you are constantly growing and learning with your partner. For you, love is a never ending equation you’ll spend your whole life trying to crack!
Pisces (February 19 - March 20)
Your definition of love is straight out of an emotional coming-of-age novel. You’re sensitive and gentle and the way you define love tends to be that way, too. Love to you is defined as an art form; music, painting, poetry.
You are far more intuitive than other people, and this shows through the way you love. Love is the most artistic way you express yourself. To you, love is about harmony and rightness with the universe.
Abby Jamison is an editorial intern in her last stretch to finish her undergraduate degree. She loves reading and writing above all else, but road trips are a close second. She finds most of her inspiration from feminism, LGBTQ+ history and travel.