Why You Can't Seem To Let Love In, By Zodiac Sign
It's not always easy being vulnerable.
Unsplash Letting love in can be a very vulnerable move for some of us. Letting love in means letting your guard down – lowering those walls that you put up when you're feeling shy or uncomfortable – and letting someone see the most honest you.
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For some of us, being vulnerable is easy for others it's hard to let love in. We're so used to sharing our feelings with others, and we're not afraid to let our guard down if it means people will get to know the real us more. For the rest of us, being vulnerable is simply just too hard.
It's not impossible, but it's definitely not easy, either. Think about a time when you were put in a vulnerable position. Maybe you were thinking about opening up to someone about your feelings for them, or maybe you were considering sharing an intimate piece of information about yourself to someone you felt like you could trust.
Even if you're comfortable being vulnerable, allowing yourself to let your guard down like that is a huge accomplishment. It means you want the people around you to know exactly who you are. Even if you don't feel comfortable opening up to people – maybe not right away, at least – even considering what you want to share with others is a big move.
When it comes to relationships, we always hope that letting love in will be easy. You meet someone you totally click with – your horoscope signs are compatible and it seems as though you might be even be soulmates. It doesn't matter if you are loving them platonically or romantically your relationship blossoms easily, so it feels like love.
Sometimes, yes and sometimes, no. Part of letting your relationship with someone blossom is equal parts letting them into your life and allowing yourself to be part of their life. But what happens when letting love in isn't that easy?
How do we let ourselves be vulnerable? It might sound almost too simple, but taking baby steps is always the best way to learn how to let your guard down. Express how you feel when you feel it (rather than keeping it inside), do what feels right in the moment (instead of stuffing down your emotions to make it comfortable for others), and listen to others when they share their own vulnerabilities.
Sometimes, being a part of a shared experience with someone you care about makes it easier to open up about yourself. But first, let's look at why it's hard to be vulnerable.
Per astrology, here's why it's hard to let love in, based on your zodiac sign.
ARIES (March 21 - April 19)
It's hard to let love in because you can be pretty wrapped up in your own needs, Aries. While you certainly want to find love, you don't want to give away all your love until you know you've held out for the best person to be with.
It's a little shallow of you, but I get where you're coming from. Why settle for someone when you could meet your soulmate tomorrow? Just remember that there's another person in the mix, too. You're not the only affected by your actions.
TAURUS (April 20 - May 20)
It's hard to let love in because change of all kind freaks you out, Taurus – including change for the better. You have a hard time opening up because you don't want to get hurt, even if finding the love of your life means taking risks.
You rely on security in life, and when you're not sure what the future will hold, it can make you pretty cautious about diving into something new with both feet. Life and love are about taking risks, but it's up to you to actually make it happen.
GEMINI (May 21 - June 20)
It's hard to let love in because you're not really sure what you want, Gemini – even if you know you at least want to find love. You're afraid of letting people in because it's just a confusing, jumbled mess inside you that not even you understand sometimes.
Your natural restlessness can make it hard for you to fully commit to someone. That, plus the fact that you're not entirely sure what you're looking for in love can make it hard for you to see a future with someone. I get it, Gemini, love ain't easy.
CANCER (June 21 - July 22)
It's hard to let love in because, while you like to think you know what you want out of love, you can be just as lost as the rest of us, Cancer. The one thing you do know is that you don't want to hurt anyone or be hurt by anyone, even though loss is just as much a part of life as love.
Let me break this down for you. I'm not saying that you will be hurt by the ones you love, but you also can't expect everything to be sunshine and lollipops, either. And if that is the main reason you won't let love in, well then, you might want to rethink your definition of love.
LEO (July 23 - August 22)
You love love Leo, but you can also be really picky when choosing who to love, which is why it's hard for you to let love in. Just like with everything in your life, you don't want to be disappointed or feel like you've wasted your time on someone unworthy of your love.
Unfortunately for us, there isn't an app like Tinder that can tell you who is worth your time and who will just waste it. Life and love are about experiences and learning from your mistakes. Rather than avoiding disappointment altogether, see love as something to learn from.
VIRGO (August 23 - September 22)
It's hard to let love in because you strive for perfection, Virgo. You must live up to your own expectations before you can truly be happy... or so you tell yourself. That said, you still don't feel worthy of love and would rather be single than experience love and possibly let someone down.
This constant self-criticism does nothing but make you feel like you're no good. Criticism can be good in some situations, but when it comes to love, you should see yourself with rose-colored glasses on; like you deserve the whole world and then some, Virgo.
LIBRA (September 23 - October 22)
It's hard for you to let love in, Libra, because you work so hard to cultivate the ideal relationship in your head that getting serious is too scary to think about. Whether you're able to admit it or not, you care too much about what other people think of your relationship.
Your ideas of "ideal love" and "real love" are so different that real love always feels like some kind of myth to you. You're going to see the worst parts of your partner when you're in love, there's no way around that. But learning to love each other with all your flaws is what makes it all worth it.
SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21)
It's hard to let love in because you're scared of a betrayal that will break your heart forever. It takes you a long time to open up to people because you have a hard time innately trusting those you've just met. You want to know that you're not exposing your heart just for it to get smashed to pieces.
Love is scary for all of us, but for someone like you who wears their heart on their sleeve (even though you like to think you're an enigma), love can be even scarier. How do you know it's all worth it? Will it last or will you be alone again? As with most things in life, Scorpio, you just have to do it to find out.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 21)
It's hard for you to let love in, Sagittarius, because you're scared that love will change who you are. Autonomy and freedom are very important to you. So important that you never want to be someone who only cares about being in a relationship. You want to be your own person, too.
While I can totally understand that, Sagittarius, you also can't know for sure what love will hold for you if you never take the chance. Rather than making snap judgments, learn from your experiences in love until you find that person who makes it easy to be in love and be yourself.
CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 19)
It's hard to let love in because you hate the idea of failing in love, Capricorn. You never want to be a failure at life, and love is no different. You're scared of diving in all the way, so you never give love a fair chance. You know, just in case it all falls apart on you.
You like having total control of everything in your life. You believe that all it takes is some hard work and dedication for love to come easily, but you forget that you can't control another person – you can only control how you love. It's time to get out of the logical head space and actually love with your heart, not your head.
AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18)
It's hard to let love in because, while you want true love just like everyone else, you don't want to lose your individuality in the process. You're worried that you'll settle for someone you don't really love or that they won't totally understand you, and then you'll find yourself back at square one.
The idea of becoming a "them" instead of still being "you" is scary to you. What happens if you break up? Will you lose part of yourself that you cultivated while being in the relationship? Unfortunately, no one can answer these questions for you. It's up to you to decide if love is worth letting in.
PISCES (February 19 - March 20)
Pisces, you're a hopeless romantic that can't help but fall in love with people at first sight. Someone could hold a door open for you, and you'd think about them for the rest of the week. But you're also scared of getting attached to the wrong person and losing love as quickly as you found it.
It's hard for you to let love in when you have a hard time trusting yourself. You want to know that you're with the right person, but when you put on your rose-colored glasses, all you see is the best in people. This isn't a bad thing, but can make it hard for you to see the reality of a relationship when it matters, like when you're faced with the possibility of breaking up.
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 non-fiction book in the future.