Merriam-Webster may have added “frenemy” to its pages only in 2009, but the word that so aptly describes that fraught, hot-cold dynamic between so-called friends has been written in the stars since, well, the beginning of stars. That’s because each sun sign has an evil twin, so to speak, a counterpart who shares the same essential qualities and desires but with opposite approaches. These signs magnify each other’s strengths, but they also aggravate each other’s weaknesses. It’s why we love to hate and hate to love each other—the vicious cycle. Here, your astrological frenemy you’re probably already playing tug-of-war with.
Your Eternal Zodiac Frenemy, According to Your Sign
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Published Jul 24, 2018
HBO/GIPHY
Aries + Libra
Why they are friends: Aries and Libra both crave big displays of affection. They make fast friends and will support each other’s projects with enthusiasm (probably clogging all their friends’ social media feeds with Kickstarter pleas as we speak). With independent taste and opinions, neither needs approval from their friends to affirm anything they're into. That means they can still be pals even if one of them doesn’t like RuPaul’s Drag Race (but how, though?). With a shared competitive and entrepreneurial streak, the ram and the scales tend to admire each other’s hustle and cheer the other on, even to the point of being annoying to their other friends.
Why they are enemies: Aries is all about making any decision over indecision, whereas Libra likes to weigh both sides (hence, the scales). While neither is shy about conflict, Aries uses anger passion to reach a speedy conclusion (because they are already bored with this drama), while Libra keeps things diplomatic. Aries will be tapping their toes outside the movie theater while Libra is waiting for their Instagram poll results to decide whether to see Mamma Mia! or Sicario. In a nutshell, Aries is our animal fight-or-flight instinct and Libra is the more evolved, cerebral and refined part of our brain.
Taurus + Scorpio
Why they are friends: Taurus and Scorpio understand that being introverted does not make you a pushover. While other signs love to showboat, these two respect each other’s quiet, genuine confidence and supreme loyalty. In other words: They don’t have time for fakes or flakes. If you’re lucky enough to be in either the bull or the scorpion’s corner, we fear for your enemies as they will light them on fire without blinking.
Why they are enemies: They both tend to get jealous and possessive, which means they could exhaust each other. Meanwhile, Taurus, ruled by pristine Venus, can be a little haughty for Scorpio, who detects bullshit better than any other in the zodiac. And while Taurus will let the smaller arguments go, Scorpio hangs on to their baggage for years, dooming the person who wronged them to eternal drama for the rest of their Sisyphean lives.
FOX/GIPHY
Gemini + Sagittarius
Why they are friends: They love to talk. Both Gemini and Sagittarius are known for never shutting up, and it’s because they are both so driven by their curiosity of the world—from the illegal trafficking of pangolin scales to the legal underpinnings of corporate personhood or even just which of their friends is the rudest on text (it’s you, Catherine, it’s always been you). Usually, these two are good about handling each other’s sometimes controversial opinions, so they can feel free to pop off about anything without annoying the other. For both of these signs, the worst offense is being boring, and that’s the one thing they never are.
Why they are enemies: Sagittarians love a good framework for understanding the world around them, whereas Geminis take more of a “facts first, analysis later” approach. Geminis are always ready to change their mind if new information comes along, so they’re not so committed to any one interpretation (“Maybe Catherine’s not so bad, and we should be chiller about text etiquette!”), which Sagittarians interpret as being shallow and inconsistent. Meanwhile, Gemini might roll eyes at Sagittarius’s attempts to get everyone on board with some harebrained philosophy after reading one article in The Atlantic, and actually, Gemini prefers The New Yorker’s take because it was much more nuanced… (and so on and so on and so on).
Cancer + Capricorn
Why they are friends: Cancer and Capricorn ultimately crave the same thing: security. They want friendships that make them feel safe and tended to, aka, they know where everyone stands and that someone isn’t going to suddenly flip out on them. Skilled at navigating big egos, monstrous energy vampires or your run-of-the-mill Negative Nancy, these two are the adults in the room, and together, they can breathe easy that they don’t have to nurture or manage everyone around them. They can just enjoy each other’s company and talk about grown-up things like taxes or the Civil War.
Why they are enemies: While both are adept at managing the world around them, the crab and the goat go about it quite differently. Cancers are caretakers, reassuring their friends that they are on their sides and hear their truth. Be warned: They expect no less in return and want their friends to be as thoughtful as they are, remembering birthdays and dentist appointments alike. Meanwhile, Capricorns direct their talents toward their career and professional network, and while they are no less thoughtful, they can be kind of drained by the time they leave the office. They often don’t have a lot of leftover warmth for their friends, which can be irksome if they missed dinner plans because of work. You can already hear the bickering...
CW/GIPHY
Leo + Aquarius
Why they are friends: These eccentric weirdos love other eccentric weirdos! Normal people are boring, and these two have such defined and unusual points of view that they never have to try to be cool. This frees them up to try new things and laugh at themselves if it doesn’t work out. Maybe Leo wasn’t born to be a stand-up comic and perhaps Aquarius should stick to spinning over barre, but either way this pair can always find a way to have fun without dipping into self-deprecation territory.
Why they are enemies: Ego, meet Ego. Yes, the lion and the water bearer are engaging, inspiring and charismatic, but these two thrive on being the center of attention. So when you put the two together, you get a “this town ain’t big enough for the both of us” vibe. Plus, they come for the crown in different ways. Aquarius likes to provoke you with their weirdest selves to make sure you really love them (if you can’t handle me at my Aquarius, then you don’t deserve me at my Aquarius…), whereas Leos don’t want to be tested. They just happen to know where the actual best pizza is and want to share it with you, and shouldn’t you be grateful for that? These two are Mariah and Whitney at Divas Live, but they keep coming back together because who wouldn’t buy tickets to that show?
Virgo + Pisces
Why they are friends: These two analytical geniuses can spot anything from an errant comma to a total phony in .006 seconds. When Cindy humblebrags that she’s only flying business class to Cannes this year, Virgo and Pisces are eyeing each other in quiet acknowledgment of that complete and utter horse bologna. Their abilities to see through the surface help them to trust each other’s intelligence and integrity.
Why they are enemies: Virgos are so committed to their ruthless vision of perfection that they can be…a little harsh with the feedback. They critique to help—and, let’s be honest, they’re almost always right —but Pisceans are sensitive creatures, and thoughtful messaging goes a long way for them. Inevitably, Virgo will go too far with a punishing analysis, and Pisces will “retaliate” by showing exactly how much damage they’ve done with tears and drama. Virgo, being their own worst critic, will beat themselves over this and Pisces will come to their comfort and heal them. Wash, rinse, repeat. It’s toxic.
Kiki O'Keeffe is an astrology writer in Brooklyn. You can follow her newsletter, I don't believe in astrology, or her Twitter and Medium @alexkiki.
