In all honesty, lying—whether you’re lying or being lied to—doesn’t feel great. If you’re on the receiving end, you may end up feeling less confident in being able to trust the people in your life. And if you’re telling a lie, you might feel guilty for not having authentically expressed yourself. Because a person’s astrological sign can shed light on how they operate in the world, knowing how the zodiac signs lie may help you ensure that the information you receive is truthful—and it might also keep you from lying, because you’re aware of which tactics you’re prone to turn to.

According to astrologer and cosmic coach Ocean Pleasant, to figure out how the zodiac signs lie, you’ll want to consider a person’s sun placement. “The sun sign rules the sense of self, but it also rules the ego,” says Pleasant. “We might have an ego-based fear of being judged or embarrassed,” she adds, which might lead us to be untruthful in the first place.

To that end, read on and learn how—plus, why—Pleasant says each of the zodiac signs might tell a lie.

How and why each of the zodiac signs lie, according to an astrologer

Aries

Pleasant calls straightforward Aries the worst liar of the zodiac. “What you see is what you get with Aries,” she says. As such, when this highly opinionated fire sign who values expressing themselves lies, it’s likely because, to them, the “truth is based on what they believe and experience,” she says. “They might lie just by unintentionally leaving out important details, because they’re focusing on what’s important to them.”

Taurus

“Taurus typically lies by not getting involved, because doing so might compromise their loyalty to someone,” says Pleasant. For example, if a Taurus saw your friend’s partner flirting with another one of your friends, they might not say anything, which would be a lie of omission. “If there’s tension in that social circle, Taurus might take the path of least resistance—because it takes them a long time to trust and to open up to people,” Pleasant adds.

Gemini

According to Pleasant, adaptable Gemini most often lies as a means to cover their own tracks and ease tension. “A Gemini is more likely to lie as a way to backpedal when they accidentally spill the tea,” she says. Because Gemini is an intellectual air sign, they’re often in-the-know on other people’s secrets, so their lies might sound like, “I never told anyone that….” when, in fact, they had told them.

Cancer

Cancer is ruled by the moon, which symbolizes our emotions. This sign is thought of as one of the most nurturing of the zodiac, and so it makes sense that like Aries, empathic Cancer tends to lie by omission. “It’s like, ‘I didn’t tell you because I didn’t think you were ready to hear that,’ so they lie in a protective sense,” Pleasant says.

Leo

Leos lie by focusing on something else, says Pleasant. “The excitement and flair that they bring to any conversation can simply shift the topic away from what they don’t want to talk about,” she says. So, if you ask magnetic Leo something that makes them uncomfortable, they might compliment your outfit instead of responding. To be sure, the lie here is one of deflection, because they may well not like your outfit.

Virgo

“Virgos lie in the form of giving you advice,” says Pleasant, adding that detail-oriented Virgo is a sign that loves to fix things. “A Virgo friend might tell someone, ‘Hey, don’t go to that party. Seems like it’s not worth the hype,’” she adds. “But the reality might be that they’re trying to avoid conflict between two friends who they know don’t like each other.”

Libra

According to Pleasant, harmony-seeking Libra is also likely to lie by omission. “It’s very hard to get a Libra’s truly unfiltered opinion unless the relationship is down to the wire,” she says. This sign doesn’t want to rock the boat, especially when they’re secure in a given relationship. “They don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings and feel that not all information is necessarily information that needs to be shared,” says Pleasant.

Scorpio

Scorpios tend to lie for one of two reasons, says Pleasant: to avoid an issue or to achieve a goal. “Ultimately, this comes from a need for control,” she adds. Because Scorpio is the sign of death, rebirth, and transformation, they’re highly adaptable, meaning that their lies may differ from person to person.

Sagittarius

Known for having no filter, freedom-loving Sagittarius is the sign of the storyteller. “That means that when Sagittarius lies, it will usually be an over-exaggeration,” says Pleasant. “Sagittarius natives tend to over-embellish for the sake of making a story more juicy.” For example, a Sag friend might tell you that they saw two people “hooking up,” when what actually happened was that they witness a peck on the lips.

Capricorn

Per Pleasant, structure-oriented Capricorn lies for the greater good. “Capricorn is the dad-friend at the bar ordering everyone an Uber, and while one friend is still trying to flirt, they’re like, ‘Oh, no—that person you’re into already left,’” says Pleasant. In this case, they’re lying just to get you into the car and back home safely.

Aquarius

Typically, rebellious Aquarians lie “by using objectivity as a shield to remain neutral,” says Pleasant. “Aquarius doesn’t lie by omission; they lie by pretending they don’t have an opinion on something.” As an air sign, Aquarius has a big-picture mindset, so they might not want to ruffle feathers now if doing so may impact relationship health moving forward.

Pisces

“Pisces lie by literally creating an alternate version of reality,” says Pleasant. “They’ll say whatever they want to say, and then convince themselves that it’s the truth.” This happens because Pisces is a dreamy and imaginative sign. “They’re going to look for the truth that feels best to them, so Pisces is actually most likely to lie to themselves,” adds Pleasant.

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