Sorry, Auntie B. You’re not #1 on this list.
By Camila Isopo Novi — Written on Dec 12, 2017
Most people get to experience different bonds with loved ones throughout their lives. Some bonds are stronger than others because of more shared experiences or from knowing someone a longer time. Each bond a person experiences is unique in itself, and this only means that each family bond has been built off of different values or from a different dynamic each time.
Anyone who’s ever been young and had the privilege to have great family members, whether from the family someone’s born into or the family that’s chosen, knows that families also consist of different bonds built over time.
Some examples are the bond between parent and child, sibling and sibling, first cousins, and of course, aunts/uncles with their nieces and nephews.
One of the most celebrated bonds, after the bond between parent and child or the bond between siblings, is the bond between aunts or uncles with their nieces and nephews.
Assuming that the bond between any two siblings is strong enough to have them continue communication into adulthood when one of them becomes an expectant parent, the other one generally becomes enthusiastic about the arrival of the baby.
This excitement is also present in best friends that become like siblings and they take on the role of aunt/or uncle with their friends’ babies. I, personally, have had multiple aunts and uncles throughout my life. Most, I was given through the genetic lottery, and some, I’ve given their titles for being all-around good human beings.
Plus, their constant emotional support, constant outpour of Facebook likes and comments, and general interest in my life couldn’t continue going unrewarded.
Again, each bond is special in itself and no bond that a person has is better than another, but all familial bonds can be stronger or even influenced differently due to many factors.
One of these is the person’s zodiac sign. Some signs, due to their astrological traits, make cooler aunts or uncles than others and this doesn’t make them bad.
It just means that the dynamic isn’t one where the niece or nephew feels like they can come to that aunt or uncle with their dirty secrets or mess-ups that are only inevitable with youth. Nor, do they expect that aunt or uncle to come to their rescue in said mess-ups.
They don’t expect friendly advice or friendly support from that relative either. That also means that aunt or uncle probably isn’t the liaison between the child and their parent whenever issues or miscommunication arise and this is especially true if the cool aunt or uncle is familiar with how annoying the child’s parents can be at times.
Meanwhile, the cool aunts or uncles do have all those responsibilities listed in their job description. These cool relatives typically are people that are more like older siblings or less strict mothers or fathers you can go to when your parents JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND.
Personally, my cool aunt semi-surprised me with a birthday dinner and an invitation to an indie play for my 21st birthday, not in that order. She also understands that my mom, her sister, is crazy neurotic at times. But, so is my cool aunt ... and so am I.
So, it’s actually all cool in an anxiety-induced sort of way. Read on to find out where your horoscope sign made the list and why you’re one of the cool or more serious aunts/uncles!
AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18)
Aquarius weirded their way to the top of this list. This should come as no surprise as these rebels are known for being deep-thinkers.
Their new and profound insights are what earns them the label of “intellectual”. This leaning towards the progressive, coupled with their optimistic humanitarian pursuits and their desire for a fun time with friends is what frequently gives them the “cool” label by their more rebellious nieces and nephews.
You could catch these aunts and uncles teaching their nieces and nephews how to be proper anarchists and introducing them to music of their time.
SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21)
Scorpio, although it’s entered their teen emo phase and never left, gets the second spot. They cool, calm, and collected. Something that all youth aspire and pretend to be in front of others.
We do this without ever losing their ability to feel emotions passionately. We, as aunts and uncles are fierce leaders who love our friends but hate lies and snitching which young people appreciate because we would never broadcast their dirty secrets or honest mistakes.
All we ask our nieces and nephews to put up with is our stubbornness and jealous possession of our dear ones, which of course, has cost us the top spot of this list.
LEO (July 23 - August 22)
Leo gets the bronze spot because of their confidence and passion. The former trait is contagious and the second one is irresistable. They’re optimists who live, love, and laugh out loud.
They always expect to have a good time which is something that their nieces and nephews, who are looking for a good time, always find cool even when their affectionate relatives begin to endanger their titles by being too cheesy.
But, these adults are not all fun and games as they can get serious when need be to provide their nieces and nephews with the solutions to problems that they need in life.
GEMINI (May 21 - June 20)
My cool aunt is a Gemini. But, no I didn’t put Gemini high up on the list out of a positive bias. Instead, I put them in the fourth spot because of the unique traits that lend to their coolness.
They’re expressive of their ideas and quick-witted which lends to a sense of humor that is loveable. My aunts just so happen to possess these traits.
ARIES (March 21- April 19)
Aries likes to live their life fast and furious. Aunts and uncles of this sign are dynamic people due to their high-energy. These are the aunts and uncles that play sports and do other fun activities with their aunts and uncles.
They make it on the last spot out of the top five coolest aunts and uncles because they can keep up and encourage their nieces and nephews to take on new adventures.
Unfortunately, they also have the energy to keep up and breathe down their nieces’ and nephews’ necks if they try to get a little wild, which is not cool.
LIBRA (September 23 - October 22)
Libra, although you can’t expect them to be okay with your nasty habits or to enable wild behavior, you can always expect them be fair.
This is the aunt or uncle who listens in times of trouble and takes your parent’s and your side of the story into consideration. They’re the ones most likely to provide their nieces and nephews with sound advice, some tough love, and a gentle hug all at once.
They also are the kind of aunt or uncle to tell your parent to not be so tough on you. They won’t party with you, but they will bail you out of your times of need.
PISCES (February 19 - March 20)
Whereas Aquarius is the aunt or uncle with the crazy ideas, Pisces is the sensitive, creative aunt or uncle. They start off always trying to hold you in their arms when you’re a little kid because they’re gentle souls that love giving their all to those they love.
Then, when their nieces and nephews are older, they look up to their Pisces relatives for their love of art, theatre, and music. Aquarius is the unique aunt or uncle at the protests. Pisces is the jetsetting, New York gallery-owner, and that’s admiration-worthy in itself.
CANCER (June 21 - July 22)
Cancer loves their families and to provide cozy homes. So, it’s no surprise that they love their nieces and nephews and those kids love their aunts or uncles back.
These are the relatives who are sympathetic and constantly giving you their adoration. They love helping others and, when they’re not, they relaxing over a home-cooked meal with their loved ones.
Unfortunately, smothering their nieces and nephews with love (and sometimes pillows) is not how you get the title of “cool aunt/uncle”.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 21)
Sagittarius has many wonderful traits that makes them cool people. They are enthusiastic optimists with a great sense of humor. Their natural energy fuels their curiosity and this explains their love for travel.
Their love for freedom makes these outgoing extroverts have an innate independence from others. Unfortunately, it’s this preference for independence over stability and emotional connection that lends this friendly loner low on the list.
TAURUS (April 20 - May 20)
Taurus is a stable zodiac sign which makes for reliable and responsible family members. This gives them a practical mindset and, in turn, are patient with their loved ones.
They are also appreciative of materialistic pleasures and try to give those same pleasures to their families. Unfortunately, they are also overprotective, prone to routines, and uncompromising in their ways.
This can make them boring aunts or uncles at best, and give them the label of the “difficult” aunt or uncle, but never one of the cool family members.
VIRGO (August 23 - September 22)
I’m just going to say it right now that Virgo is probably not the aunt or uncle who would appreciate your sex jokes. Their work ethic is commendable and they are usually detail-oriented.
These people tend to be loyal and kind animal-lovers who are put off by rudeness. This doesn’t make them the cool aunt or uncle on most kids’ lists.
This does mean they’ll encourage your faith and appreciate your charitable pursuits, which is always nice.
CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 19)
Capricorn, my honorary aunt Barbie’s sign, unfortunately, is the last on the list. Capricorns, like my aunt B, love their families so much that it earns them honorary titles and a personal shout out in articles.
However, they make for highly stubborn family members and are very set in their ways. This might not sit well with ever-changing youth when they want to experiment and dabble in edgier things, which is what, ultimately, strips them of any chance to be the cool aunt or uncle.
(Everyone still loves you, Aunt B. I will always appreciate your support!)