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Fight or flight? Astrology explains how you act under pressure.
By Trudi Mentior — Written on Nov 14, 2017
There’s no way you can avoid danger or get along with everyone, all the time. All good stories have a lot of conflict, and your own life is no exception.
Every day we’re faced with challenges: a lurking stranger in an alley who might steal your wallet, a faceless financial corporation who might steal your whole bank account, someone you know who turns on you, or even an ominous horoscope.
Threats can be physical or psychological. The body doesn't always know the difference, either. If an ex-friend says they’re going to spread your deepest secrets across social media, you’ll get the adrenaline spike just as if they threatened to punch you in the face.
Are you going to try to talk it out and get them to change their mind, or will you try to strike first? Do you wait and see what happens, or do you jump into the game and up the stakes?
Astrology can tell us a lot about how the zodiac signs react to threats. This is good information if you want to change how you respond when threatened. The stars show the type of energy that you have to work with. You can use your free will to change your behavior by becoming more aware of these habits.
This list is based on the Sun signs, but if you have your natal chart, see what sign your Mars is in, too. The planet of war and rage plays a big part in your defensive techniques.
Your Moon is important, too, since it rules your subconscious perceptions. If the qualities of your Moon sign are very different than those of your Sun sign, you probably have to give yourself a second or two before responding to any threat, since your first, gut impulse is usually very different than the action that your rational mind tells you to take.
ARIES (March 21 - April 19)
Aries never backs down from a fight. In fact, Aries enjoys a good challenge, physical or otherwise.
As an independent loner, they don’t necessarily go looking for conflict, but they have a short fuse and are always ready to smash through anything (and anyone) that happens to be standing in their way. They’d just as soon attack first and ask questions later.
TAURUS (April 20 - May 20)
Fond of peace and security, Taurus isn’t looking for trouble at all. But muscle into their personal space without an invitation, or try to take something that belongs to them, and watch them transform instantly from a tranquil, easy-going bystander to the dangerous raging bull for which they’re named.
GEMINI (May 21 - June 20)
Gemini is known for eloquence and an uncanny ability to get along with just about everyone. If Gemini can just keep their attacker talking, they’ll soon diffuse the situation.
Because Gemini can genuinely see all sides of any issue and convince others to do so as well, they might even wind up with a new best friend.
CANCER (June 21 - July 22)
Cancer is private and passive and doesn't deal well with threats at all. Like its zodiac symbol, the crab, Cancer is likely to retreat into their shell at the first sign of danger or disagreement.
When backed into a corner, though, Cancer has a formidable defense: they’ll dig right into your deepest emotions and tear you down from the inside.
LEO (July 23 - August 22)
Who would dare to threaten Leo? Leo probably won’t even pick up on a threat at first, since they assume that everyone else adores them. Leo likes to see everyone happy, and when they realize there’s a problem, they’ll genuinely try to solve it peacefully.
But don’t forget that Leo has teeth and claws — push them past a certain point and they’ll show you why the lion is their symbol.
VIRGO (August 23 - September 22)
Nervous and passive, Virgo cannot even handle confrontation. They spend enough time criticizing others, though, that they really shouldn’t be surprised when someone snaps back at them.
Virgo is quick to retreat to their lab or library where they can bury themselves in data and research (or play video games all day). Hopefully, everyone will forget the whole thing.
LIBRA (September 23 - October 22)
Libra is the negotiator, the diplomat. They’d much rather talk their way out of a threat by finding out what the problem is and what can be done to solve it.
However, when that doesn't work, Libra isn’t afraid to stand up for themselves. If the situation escalates, they won’t hesitate to knock someone flat if that’s what it takes to restore peace.
SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21)
Someone threatened Scorpio? Oh, this is going to be interesting. Scorpio is always up for a dramatic scene, and it’ll be fun for them to see how this conflict plays out.
Scorpio is a master manipulator and strategist, and probably already has a plan to take all of their attacker’s power away in a few psychologically devastating moves. Let the games begin.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 21)
Sagittarius doesn't want a fight; that’s no fun. The Sagittarian sense of humor has saved them from quite a few bad situations, and their first instinct is to try to get their attacker to laugh.
If they can’t smooth things over with a joke or two, though, they’ll eagerly step into the ring. Sometimes fighting can be fun, too!
CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 19)
Don’t be fooled by Capricorn’s initial refusal to engage in conflict, even when someone is right up in their face. Capricorn is not being passive or cowardly. They’re watching their opponent carefully, noting their weak spots, and waiting patiently for the best opportunity to take them down with one fatal strike.
AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18)
Aquarius has a lot of opinions, self-confidence, and a big mouth, so they frequently find themselves in uncomfortable situations. Like all the air signs, they’re great talkers, but Aquarius’ technique of talking their way out of danger or conflict involves confusing the issue so much that no one can remember what the problem was.
PISCES (February 19 - March 20)
It’s true that Pisces life is an emotional roller-coaster ride to begin with. Their empathic abilities compel them to sense and resolve conflict, and sometimes this puts them right in the middle of it.
But when all the subtle details of a situation drop away and the threat is crystal clear, Pisces is no doormat. You don’t want to be on the receiving end when a Pisces finally has enough and starts to fight back.
Trudi Mentior grew up in Great Falls, Montana, where she spent her formative years wondering just what might be beyond those vast plains, on the other side of those distant mountains. She now lives in Vancouver, Washington, with her husband, three cats, and a loudmouthed hyacinth macaw (who loves to scare the cats).