Does Your Sun Sign Really Affect Your Love Life?

It's one of the worst pick-up lines ever: "Hi there! What's your sign?"

Could the question actually be a good one to start your next relationship with?

Most of us know, vaguely, what sign of the zodiac our birthday falls in - Aquarius, Gemini, Libra, etc. And most of us have a vague notion of what that means in our daily lives because, whether we admit it or not, we glance at the daily horoscope in the newspaper far more often than we admit out loud. Come on, you know you do it! They're right there by Dear Abby or the comics - or the crossword. I know I do it, too!

But can your sun sign really impact your love life?

Definitely.

Let me give you an example. I am an Aquarius. My first husband, second husband, and a long-term boyfriend were all Pisces men, as were a few guys I dated casually. Not only were they all Pisces men, they all had dark, bedroom eyes. And every single relationship ended badly - including the one who stood out in the street in front of his house and screamed, begging me to slam his hand in my car door as I got ready to drive away for the last time (I was so pissed by that point that I was more than happy to oblige, but the resulting thunk haunted my nightmares for a couple years). Clearly for this Aquarius, Pisces men with dark bedroom eyes were bad relationship risks. It got to the point that I prayed, literally prayed, to be spared any more of them in my life.

And I was. I am now happily married to a Sagittarius - who also has bedroom eyes, but blue-green ones instead of chocolate brown. And my daughter is a Sagittarius, too! I'm surrounded!

You don't have to be an astrologer, or even particularly believe in it to benefit from knowing a little bit about your new sweetie's sign. It can give you hints and insights into his or her personality that just might come in handy if the two of you become serious about each other. For instance, Leos are stubborn and tend to be convinced they're right, even when they're not. Aquarians like me are considered the eccentrics of the universe - but we make perfect sense to ourselves. Cancers can get really grouchy and stay that way for a long time, but they tend to have a cooler head than most in a crisis. Aries people will hold a grudge - even to the grave and beyond, but they're also very passionate.

And then, of course, there's Chinese astrology - the twelve animals you see on your red and white paper placemat at the local Chinese restaurant. Chinese astrology is easier, because everyone born in a particular year shares the same sign, but it can also be tricky - the Chinese New Year can be as late as early February by our Western calendar. If you're born in January, look at the animal from the year before your birth year. If you were born late and were due in January, do likewise. I was born in a Year of the Rabbit, but if I had not been born three weeks late, I would have been born in a Year of the Tiger. And I do tend to have more Tiger traits than Rabbit. (My friends always say, "Duh!" when I tell them this). My husband Alex is, I think, a Dragon - something compatible with Tiger. I've forgotten exactly what he is - our local Chinese restaurant doesn't have placemats.

Of course, there are entire books written about the personality traits of Dragons who are also Libras and Boars who are also Capricorns, but that's way beyond what most people care about - including me. I'll just keep reading my horoscope and thanking the Powers That Be that my life partner with killer bedroom eyes is not, finally, a Pisces.