Saying "I love you" isn't the only sign.
By Emily Ratay — Written on Jan 08, 2018
Realizing you love someone is HUGE. It also puts you in a vulnerable position where you wonder whether or not the person loves you back.
I haven’t been in love with many people — really only one person in particular — but I do know that when you know you love someone, it can happen one of two ways.
The first way, the other person says or does something big and meaningful, which usually leads to you thinking something like, “Gosh, I really do love this person.”
The other way is when you catch yourself thinking about said person or sitting there looking at them and smiling like a goof, before thinking to yourself, “Oh crap, I think I’m in love with this person.”
For reference, I am the second type of person.
Unless you’ve always been the type of person who knows what being in love feels like, which, let’s face it, doesn’t happen very often for first-timers, realizing you love someone can catch you totally off-guard.
And depending how emotionally available you are , in general and when it comes to relationships, the way you handle this newfound information can vary from one horoscope sign to another.
For example, when I found out that I was in love for the first time, the only thing I wanted to do what sneak out in the middle of the night and board the next plane to a remote island…
Clearly, I wasn’t ready to confront these warm and fuzzy feelings I had never had before.
It still freaks me out to know that I’m in love with someone; it’s a weird concept, being so into someone like that, isn’t it?
Of course, I’ve also known someone who realized that she loved her partner and immediately started talking about how excited she was for their future together — a concept that makes me a little queasy to think about (it’s all about the baby steps with me). But I get it.
Once you realize you love someone, you want to get the show on the road and show them that you’re serious about (and seriously in love with) them.
But while you’re on one end of this revelation of love, your partner might be totally in the dark about it all.
Sure, you might have talked about your feelings for each other already, but realizing your now in love with them is a big deal. You don’t want to just blurt it out, although that does happen from time to time, but really make that kind of announcement special.
And if this whole experience is nerve-wracking for you, imagine how you would feel if you were on the other side of the relationship.
Figuring out if your partner loves you is even more of a mystery that figuring out if you love someone. You might have already made up your mind that you love her, but without knowing if she feels the same way about you, it can be hard to make your next move in a smart way.
I mean, obviously, if she comes right out and tells you, that’s one thing, but people aren’t always that honest about their feelings. What they are honest about are their actions and sentiments.
So, while your partner might not have already told you that she loves you, she might have “said” it in the way she always makes you coffee on the weekends, or telling you something made her think of you, or asking you to text her when you get home to make sure you got back safely.
ALL of these things express love, even if those three words aren’t said.
Heck, we sometimes do and say these kinds of things to someone before even realizing that we love them ourselves.
And one day, she might finally say those three little words to you. But even if she does, those little actions and sentiments often still stick around just so you’re always loved, even during the times she doesn’t say she loves you out loud.
Astrology has something to say about how zodiac signs show that they love you. Keep reading if you’re curious about how to know if she loves you, according to her zodiac sign.
ARIES (March 21 - April 19)
When it comes to figuring out if Aries loves you, all you need to do is take her words and actions at face value. There’s no beating around the bush or saying things with double meaning with Aries, which is a relief for both of you.
Trying to hide her true feelings for you is exhausting for her and, frankly, she doesn’t have the time for that.
Expect to see an Aries that is more cheerful when she’s in love with you. She’s not a grumpy person by nature, but there’s definitely an added positivity to her overall mood.
She also tends to be more direct than usual — I know, impossible, right? — because now that she knows she loves you, she wants you to know it, too. Look for conversations around your future together and remarks about marriage and family in early stages of her love.
TAURUS (April 20 - May 20)
When Taurus is into you, she tends to be very flirty and romantic; basically, she wants to sweep you off your feet. When she loves you, she tends to take the grand gestures down a few notches, almost like she’s already settling into a comfortable future with you.
She’ll never stop trying to woo you, but it’ll definitely be more subtle and intentional. Expect to experience a Taurus who is much sweeter and gentler, and very, very affectionate.
But if this doesn’t really sound like a Taurus that’s any different from the Taurus she already is, here’s the change: When a Taurus loves you, she becomes more private with her affection.
There’s no more trying to make you blush in public; she wants you to know that your love for each other is only meant for you two; not to impress everyone else.
GEMINI (May 21 - June 20)
When Gemini loves you, she wants to get dressed up for you and make you think, “Damn, girl, you look goooood.” She knows she can show off for anyone and probably get the same reaction, but what makes it different (and special) is that she knows you’ll appreciate it more than just anyone.
Plus, she tends to get tunnel vision when she’s in love, which means when she looks good, it’s because she only has heart eyes for you. Looking good gives Gemini the confidence she needs to be flirtier around you, too.
Basically, she just wants to ensnare you in her irresistible appeal with her words and appearance. And when you’re not together, she’ll stay connected with you through text, phone calls, and social media.
She’s not incessant about wanting to stay connected, though, she just wants to remind you that she’s always thinking about you and that the love is real.
CANCER (June 21 - July 22)
Falling in love is a very serious matter to Cancer. She wants to make sure that her feelings about you aren’t just for real, but forever too. You can tell she’s considering your role in her life and thinking about whether she loves you or if it’s just intense “like” when she starts sizing you up.
Before she can let love turn her into someone lovey-dovey and romantic, she wants to get to know you first. Look out for lots of questions about your family, friends, and interests.
Cancer wants to compare you to herself to see if the two of you would work, or if your love for each other would be short-lived. During this inquisitive phase, you might also notice that she seems to get shier and more cautious around you.
That’s because she’s realized she does love you and is now trying to figure out how to let you know; let her warm up to these new feelings on her own without pressuring her.
LEO (July 23 - August 22)
Leo is always pumped for life and in a good mood, so it can be difficult to know whether she’s happy to see you or just because that’s how she always is.
But rest assured, when Leo starts getting extra excited to see you, even if all you’re doing is watching Netflix that means she has strong feelings for you.
She loves to love, so expect a lot of expressive gestures from her like kisses, love bites, and bear hugs when she loves you.
Leo has also never been one of those zodiac signs to beat around the bush when it comes to being honest about her feelings for someone. So, it might take you by surprise (especially if you’re still figuring out how much you like her), but Leo will undoubtedly be direct about her feelings.
In fact, she might just come right out and say she loves you without warning. It might seem out of the blue, but Leo is very intentional about her feelings, so she definitely means when she says.
VIRGO (August 23 - September 22)
Virgo believes that she can’t completely love someone until she knows everything there is to know about them. So, when Virgo loves you, expect her to tap into her inquisitive side and ask you about yourself.
She’ll also probably open up about herself more, too, just so there’s no surprises in your relationship in the future. Virgo tends to be most serious during this time, just until she confirms her feelings for you.
Virgo is also much more attentive to your wants and needs when she loves you. She’s always been amazingly generous in the bedroom and in general, but now that she knows you’re The One, she wants to keep you coming back for more; thus, more kisses, affection, and attention.
This might be a gradual change or you might wake up and realize Virgo is all over you, but just know that when she can’t help but keep a smile off her face and her hands off you, she’s in love.
LIBRA (September 23 - October 22)
Libra can charm the pants off of just about everyone, but when she’s in love, all of that charm goes to you and only you. She's no longer interested in spreading the love when she can just focus on the most important person in her life: you.
She'll do whatever it takes to make sure you know just how determined she is to show you that she loves you. Libra is and always will be a playful person at heart, but you might notice a more serious side of her when the two of you are together.
Don't worry, though. She isn't being serious because she's questioning if she actually does love you. She's more serious now because she knows that she doesn't want to ruin the love between you two.
And now that she's sure of it, she wants to be more intentional about her words and actions around you; love is a battlefield, she's just trying to figure out how to go about it!
SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21)
Scorpio is a very mysterious woman and that mysteriousness doesn't really go away when she is in love. Of course, if you're smart, you'll know that the answers to this enigma is all in the eyes.
That's right, you can tell just how much a Scorpio loves you by looking into the windows of her soul. The rest of her face might not betray her true feelings, but whether you're in bed together or just having dinner, there are hints in her eyes.
Expect Scorpio to also be a little distant when she realizes she loves you... Well, more distant than usual. Never fear, though, she's only pulling away a bit while she questions her feelings.
This inquisitive stage is just for her to protect her heart from making the wrong decision. But even while she's asking herself if she loves you, and if the love she feels is really real, she stays committed to you. Let her be distant for a while because she'll always come back to you.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 19)
A Sagittarius in love is almost exactly the same as a Sagittarius not in love. I know, that makes it SO much harder to really know how she feels about you, but what can I say?
She's hard to read; when something or someone makes her happy, she almost always acts the same. She's easily excitable and she loves to have fun; if she loves you, the only thing that'll change is that she'll be excited to have fun with you.
One thing you can expect from Sagittarius when she loves you is how she wants to take you everywhere and do everything with you. She can make pretty much anything into an adventure; even a trip to the laundromat.
When Sagittarius loves you, she just wants to be near you. And if that means sneaking a few kisses in between loads of laundry, then all the better. It's not a huge difference in her personality, but it's the fact that she wants to be with you that matters.
CAPRICORN (December 20 - January 19)
Dating and relationships for a Capricorn are very similar to work. She wants to find her "forever person," but before she can do that, she has to get through all of the bad dates first.
The easiest way to tell if Capricorn loves you is if she starts acting a little less business-like about your relationship. Sure, she's affectionate, but she's always feeling you out to make sure she isn't wasting her time.
When Capricorn finally starts to relax, then you know she's ready for the long haul with you. She has an incredibly big heart, but she likes to protect it instead of letting just anyone see it.
A Capricorn in love is someone who is very loyal and reliable, showing you just how much she cares about you to be there no matter when you need her around. In fact, the biggest tell that she loves you is if she starts acting totally unlike herself; like, as un-Capricorn as possible.
AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18)
Aquarius is one of those signs who is mysterious about pretty much every emotion and feelings she has; in other words, totally hard to know what she's really thinking.
She could be acting like she hasn't thought about how deep her feelings for you go yet, but chances are, she really has. When Aquarius loves you, this mysteriousness doesn't really go away, but she does make an effort to open up to you a little bit more.
One way to know for sure if Aquarius loves you is if she starts to loosen up more around you. She no longer cares about her bed head in the morning or the fact that she eats way too much food in bed because she knows you care about her no matter what.
But even if it feels like she's hot one week and cold the next about you, it's best to just enjoy it rather than question it. Aquarius will always be a mystery and you might not ever really know if she loves you until she officially says it.
PISCES (February 19 - March 20)
Pisces protects her heart very well. So well, in fact, that it's almost like she has it locked up in a cage and only one person gets to have the key. Sure, she might seem like she spreads the love around a lot, but to Pisces, there’s a HUGE difference between loving someone and being in love with them.
So, just because she says she loves someone doesn't necessarily means she's in love with them... yet.
When Pisces IS in love with you, it's pretty easy to tell. She suddenly becomes more trusting and open around you, rather than keeping her emotions hidden. She'll let you take the lead in life and in your relationship because she trusts that you'll be the one to protect her now.
This time in a Pisces life— the one where her feelings for you start getting more serious is very symbolic for her. Expect her to start thinking with her heart over her brain; she might seem frivolous, but really, she's just very in love.
Emily Ratay is a full-time writer living in Pittsburgh. She's passionate about the environment and feminism, and knows that anything is possible in the right pair of shoes. She plans on writing a book in the future.