The way you decide to reconcile a fault or say “I’m sorry” could look entirely different from the way someone else might do the same (with both responses being totally valid). While the nature of your apology will likely depend at least in part on the circumstances, it’s also bound to reflect certain elements of your personality—like the ways in which you prefer to handle conflict or communicate more generally. Because astrology sheds light on these same patterns, people of different zodiac signs are often known to apologize in particular ways based on their sign’s general vibe.

Given that your sun sign (aka the sign you’d read a horoscope for) is known to be the strongest indicator of your core identity, and your moon sign reflects how you process emotions, both of these components of your natal chart can offer some insight into your apology style.

At the same time, it might be worth considering the sun and moon signs of whomever you might be delivering an apology to (or receiving one from) in order to get a better idea of how they might conceptualize the situation at hand. In any case, understanding the variations among how different zodiac signs apologize can offer some helpful context for managing the emotionally fraught process of giving or receiving forgiveness.

Below, astrologers share how each of the zodiac signs are most likely to apologize, and the related temperaments and tendencies that influence these “I’m sorry” styles.

How people of different zodiac signs apologize when they’ve messed up, according to astrologers

Aries

Ruled by powerful Mars, you may be inclined to choose the defensive approach at first, rather than apologizing upfront, Aries. “When you do come to terms with the consequences of your actions, though, you’re likely to apologize in a way that’s short, sweet, and to the point,” says astrologer Rachel Lang, author of Modern-Day Magic. And after that? You’re bound to move on quickly, too, she adds: Aries isn’t prone to holding any grudges.

Taurus

Stereotypically, Tauruses are known to be stubborn—and while that’s often overplayed, there is a shred of truth to it, says astrologer Madi Murphy, co-founder of CosmicRx. “You may find yourself believing that you have a valid perspective in the situation, no matter what the other person thinks,” she says. “But once you can see that you’ve hurt someone, you tend to be quick to apologize in a sincere, heartfelt way.”

After all, you appreciate keeping the peace far too much to let a conflict fester unnecessarily, says Lang. Chances are, you’ll also resolve to do better by this person in the future, too. “Tauruses are generally very loyal and caring, so they will exert genuine effort not to hurt someone the same way twice,” says Murphy.

Gemini

You’re a communicator through and through, and that tracks in how you tend to apologize, too. “Before they say, ‘I’m sorry,’ Geminis want to talk things out to understand the whole story of what happened, what went wrong, and what recourse there is for their actions,” says Lang.

That means apologizing might take you some time, but in the end, your biggest goal is for everyone to get full clarity on the situation and to be able to move forward without any lingering resentments. To ensure that’s the case, you may be known to write a detailed email or text after the conversation to recap and reiterate what was said and ensure everyone’s on the same page, says Murphy.

Cancer

With the strong empathetic streak typical of water signs, you tend to sense it right away if you’ve messed up, says Murphy. “The associated guilt can eat you alive, so you’re usually proactive in wanting to right the ship,” she says. That said, it may be especially important for you to feel safe coming forward with an apology before doing so, says Lang: “Otherwise, it can be almost overwhelming to feel someone else’s disappointment when you’ve done something wrong.”

To that end, be sure to take the time you need to process the emotions surrounding your actions and whether there might be some underlying hurt that motivated them, says Lang. Being able to address that may be necessary for you to apologize sincerely.

Leo

Actions often speak louder than words to you, Leo. And you’re bound to approach apologies with the same fervor for doing, rather than saying: “Leos often apologize through a grand or romantic gesture or by showing extra affection,” says Murphy.

That typically only happens after you’ve had the space to process the situation on your own, drop your pride, and attempt to see it from the other person’s perspective—which could take some time. But, once that time has passed, your gift or gesture will often be your way of demonstrating your continued and fierce loyalty to the loved one on the other side.

Virgo

Hyper-aware of your behavior and the potential impact it has, you’re likely to have analyzed it and found your own error, perhaps even before being confronted by the person you’ve hurt, says Lang.

Once you’ve identified a fault, you’re bound to take full responsibility for it, while also noting it as an area where there’s room for personal growth. After all, Virgo is all about self-critique and self-improvement, says Lang. And your apology will likely be detail-oriented, intentional, and personalized, says Murphy, perhaps including a sweet treat from the person’s favorite bakery or a gift certificate to their go-to nail salon.

Libra

As the ultimate peacemaker of the zodiac, symbolized by the scales of justice, you’re likely quick to make amends, Libra—sometimes even at your own expense, says Murphy. That means you could find yourself over-apologizing for things that aren’t even remotely your fault, just to restore some semblance of harmony to the situation. “But, you should know that it’s not always completely your responsibility to make things right,” says Lang.

In the case that you’ve self-assessed and found that you actually are at fault, you may feel the need to give the person you’ve hurt a gift—perhaps, home-baked cookies or a special dinner out. “Libra doesn’t like to be indebted to anybody, energetically or otherwise,” says Lang. “So, you’re likely to do anything you can to balance out a situation that’s become unbalanced.”

Scorpio

As a sign of psychological and emotional depth, thanks to your rulership by Pluto, you often seek vulnerability in others, says Murphy. But sometimes, it’s hard for you to feel similarly vulnerable in admitting you’ve wronged someone. “Often, Scorpio will write a letter or send an email before they have a conversation,” says Lang. That may be because you’d prefer to collect your thoughts on the situation and seek to understand the various motivations at play before addressing it with the person involved.

Ultimately, however, the conversation that transpires is bound to be raw, open, and honest, says Murphy. Once you’re ready to offer an apology, you won’t be afraid to go deep, perhaps even revealing some previously hidden parts of yourself, she adds.

Sagittarius

Generally fast-moving and fun-loving, you aren’t one to mince words, according to Murphy. “Sagittarius is usually pretty comfortable apologizing, at least when it comes to minor gaffes and missteps,” she says. “And they tend to weave in a bit of humor or lightheartedness whenever things get heavy.”

Crucially, though, that doesn’t mean a Sagittarian apology is necessarily any less sincere than anyone else’s. “You’re not one to say something you don’t mean,” says Lang. It’s just that you may have a genuine overarching feeling that things are going to work out, she says, which could lead you not to harp too much on anything negative.

Capricorn

Your penchant for pragmatism and practicality filters into your apology style, Capricorn. “You might approach an apology in the same way you’d approach a business contract,” says Lang. “You want to understand all the details and you want to know, in clear terms, what you can do to make things right.” That also means your apology may often come with a promise for how you’re going to show up for this person more effectively in the future, adds Lang—and you’d like for the recipient to fully endorse that commitment with a metaphorical signature right on the dotted line, please.

Aquarius

Highly cerebral (sometimes to a fault), you may be known to play the contrarian or argue for argument’s sake, says Murphy. “This might make it difficult for you to acquiesce that you did something wrong whenever this may be the case,” she says.

But once you’ve acknowledged that you have erred, you’re likely to tackle an apology from an intellectual headspace, rather than an emotional one, says Lang. That could mean scouting out potential solutions for an issue at the root of the disagreement or tapping people in your network with relevant experience, and asking them how they’d handle it. The end result? A long-winded email or text that likely makes up for with thoughtfulness whatever it might lack in warmth.

Pisces

Known for your sensitivity, you may be deeply in touch with your emotions—so much so that you search for potential emotional triggers or underlying conditions that may have caused you to act out of line before attempting an apology. “A Piscean apology often includes a lengthy explanation of why they did what they did and a description of the healing process that they’ve since undertaken to come to grips with their behavior,” says Lang.

As a result, apologizing may often be a lengthy, teary-eyed experience for you, says Murphy. In any case, you’ll be eager to come up with a solution for how you can make amends or a creative treat that’ll smooth things over, she says, in order to absolve yourself of the associated guilt.

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