

Self-care acts are the foundation of our well-being. Knowing what works for you, what doesn’t, and what new techniques and rituals may benefit not just you but your Sun or Moon Sign in general, can be life-changing. When looking at what most serves each sign and what is going to be the most nourishing self-care act, you may find that we all have a need for healing, love, and self-care, but different paths and routines work better than others.
An Aries may benefit from exercise to get all that energy and passion out, a Cancer, however, would rather do anything but go to the gym as an act of self-care and you will probably find them at home getting their nourishment. Self-care is personal, it’s deep, and it’s what keeps us going at the end of the day.
ARIES
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The perfect self-care ritual for Aries is exercise. If your body isn’t moving, your energy gets stagnant and you know well about working through these feelings of restlessness. Going for a run or to the gym, dancing, doing tai chi, going on a hike, and letting your spirit free are self-care rituals for you. You need space and freedom to figure things out when life calls for it, and providing yourself the room to do so is key. Listening to your body and where your energy is centered is important.
TAURUS
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Self-care for a Taurus is a nice treat yo’self day! Spend the day going to your favorite places, try on the most fabulous clothes, eat the most enriching foods, and surround yourself with the pleasures of the world. You love a little luxury in your life and being surrounded by beauty just makes you feel good. When you are at home, some candles, a bath, and crystals near create the perfect atmosphere for you to reclaim your peace. Self-care was created by a Taurus and you know exactly what you need here.
GEMINI
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Meditation, writing, a talk with a therapist or someone you trust, and releasing mental stress are perfect self-care rituals, Gemini. You are a very logical being and can be in your head a lot, and finding time to get grounded and allow your thoughts to settle is nourishing. With your active mind, journaling and writing down your thoughts are also a good way to honor your self-care and will allow you to get the full picture of what is going on within. You thrive when you are around others so your self-care routines may benefit from other people involved.
CANCER
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Self-care for you, Cancer, is a spiritual and emotional experience. Being near bodies of water serves your soul well, and you heal with the ocean waves. If you can, go near the ocean and have a beach day with a nice book. If you can’t get out, run a warm, candlelit bath and play relaxing music. You can release any emotional heaviness and allow peace to replace it. You are also highly influenced by the moon cycles, and full moons are a good time for self-care rituals for you.
LEO
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Self-care for you, Leo, involves watching your favorite movies, going for a walk, turning off the phone, and allowing yourself a break from the spotlight you often find yourself in. Self-care often brings with it something nostalgic for you. Connecting with your inner child and doing the things you used to do when you were younger out of happiness can be nourishing acts of self-care. Spend time doing the things that feel good for you without worrying about how others are going to perceive you. This is a very personal experience, Leo.
VIRGO
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Virgo, your self-care involves rest. You are prone to doing more than most can or are willing to do in 24 hours, so intentionally carving out some time to allow yourself to have nothing on the to-do list for the day is nourishing. Remember that rest means doing absolutely nothing and being OK with that. Don’t use this time to think of all the other things you could be doing. Remind yourself that you are worthy and deserving of rest, and affirm things to yourself like, “I am calm. I am safe. I am healthy. I am worthy.”
LIBRA
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Rituals that serve your well-being involve all acts of peace, balance, and love. Meditating, creating art, reading poetry, going to the spa, reciting self-love affirmations, and spending time with your lover can all be forms of self-care for you, Libra. You thrive when your life feels in balance, and getting some fresh air can help you find your ground and gain a new perspective. Another self-care tip is to visit a museum, admire the art, and remind yourself that you are and will always be the muse.
SCORPIO
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Self-care for a Scorpio involves release, rebirth, and transformation. When you are motivated toward a self-care ritual, you are seeking a sense of liberation and empowerment. Some positive affirmations, activities of pleasure, exercise, and pulling a tarot card or reading your horoscope can all be nourishing for you. Physical, spiritual, and emotional care are treated when you are in a time of healing, and self-care for you is a deep and transformative experience. Since you're a water sign, going near bodies of water or taking a relaxing bath serves your soul well.
SAGITTARIUS
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Self-care for you, Sagittarius, looks different than it does for most. You are enlivened by travel, adventure, exploring the world around you and the gifts of your mind. A good self-care tip for you is to take a vacation, go to that restaurant you’ve been wanting to try, read a new book, or spend time in nature. Being a mutable sign, what you need in life is going to change and fluctuate, so be sure to check in with what your mind, body, and soul is calling for at the moment.
CAPRICORN
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Self-care for a Capricorn involves rest, comfort, and a nice ambiance. You need the atmosphere to be right and you need all stresses away from you to completely allow yourself to unwind and relax. Being a hard-working earth sign, you may forget to prioritize self-care in your life more often than you’d like to admit, and creating a habit of taking at least one day for your rejuvenation and replenishment is beneficial. Being in nature, going to the mountains, spending time near a lake, walking barefoot on the earth, and letting Mother Nature nourish you are healing.
AQUARIUS
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Self-care for you, Aquarius, involves setting intentions, spending time away from social media and the news, and connecting with the soul and your soul tribe. You tend to isolate yourself when you need some self-care and this can be beneficial, however, you’ll also want to remember that you are not alone. Calling on someone for some support when you need it can be a powerful act of self-care. Overall, you seek to get organized when you are on your self-care journey and this strength helps you remain grounded.
PISCES
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Self-care rituals that serve Pisces well are creating art, doing yoga, taking a walk on the beach, pulling out the tarot cards, putting the phone on Do Not Disturb, and most importantly, getting rest. As a Pisces, you tend to be highly empathic and take on the energy of others easily. Self-care for you should involve cleansing the body, removing any negative energy, and purifying the spirit. Connecting with your spirituality in the form of implementing spiritual practices or developing new ones that serve you well is also an act of self-care.
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Tayler Barakat is a Mystic who has studied Astrology for over a decade. She does intuitive astrology and tarot readings for people all over the world, and her work focuses on healing and empowering individuals. Follow her on Instagram @taylerbarakat_ and check out her website www.listentothevirgo.com.
'He Said, She Said': Love Stories Put To The Test At A Weekend For Love
At the A Weekend For Love retreat, we sat down with four couples to explore their love stories in a playful but revealing way with #HeSaidSheSaid. From first encounters to life-changing moments, we tested their memories to see if their versions of events aligned—because, as they say, every story has three sides: his, hers, and the truth.
Do these couples remember their love stories the same way? Press play to find out.
Episode 1: Indira & Desmond – Love Across the Miles
They say distance makes the heart grow fonder, but for Indira & Desmond, love made it stronger. Every mile apart deepened their bond, reinforcing the unshakable foundation of their relationship. From their first "I love you" to the moment they knew they had found home in each other, their journey is a beautiful testament to the endurance of true love.
Episode 2: Jay & Tia – A Love Story Straight Out of a Rom-Com
If Hollywood is looking for its next Black love story, they need to take notes from Jay & Tia. Their journey—from an awkward first date to navigating careers, parenthood, and personal growth—proves that love is not just about romance but also resilience. Their story is full of laughter, challenges, and, most importantly, a love that stands the test of time.
Episode 3: Larencia & Mykel – Through the Highs and Lows
A date night with police helicopters overhead? Now that’s a story! Larencia & Mykel have faced unexpected surprises, major life changes, and 14 years of choosing each other every single day. But after all this time, do they actually remember things the same way? Their episode is sure to bring some eye-opening revelations and a lot of laughs.
Episode 4: Soy & Osei – A Love Aligned in Purpose
From a chance meeting at the front door to 15 years of unwavering love, faith, and growth, Soy & Osei prove that when two souls are aligned in love and purpose, nothing can shake their foundation. Their journey is a powerful reminder that true love is built on mutual support, shared values, and a deep connection that only strengthens with time.
Each of these couples has a unique and inspiring story to tell, but do their memories match up? Watch #HeSaidSheSaid to find out!
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Did You Know That Certain Traits In Men Can Make It Easier For You To Orgasm?
Recently, while doing a podcast interview on how God, love, and sex all work together, I shared something that I find myself saying quite a bit to church folks (whenever those topics, together, come up): “The main purpose of sex is not procreation, it’s oneness. Adam and Eve did not procreate until after they left the Garden of Eden. They had sex prior to that, though.” (Genesis 2:24-25, Genesis 4:1)
The reason why I think that this is relevant to today’s topic is, as I was doing some research for it, I found myself rolling my eyes quite a bit as I read things like “men need to orgasm in order to release sperm; women don’t need an orgasm to conceive” and “Why do women orgasm? It’s still a mystery.” Umm, is it? Because if you factor in the oneness component that I just mentioned (which more people should take to heart if you ask me) and then add to that the fact that the ONLY purpose of a clitoris is sexual stimulation and satisfaction for a woman — female climaxing and the need for it to happen as much as possible should baffle absolutely no one.
Sex serves a layer of benefits and yes, for both men and women, pleasure should be one of them. And since that is the case, a woman being able to orgasm, as much as she can, should be promoted…in content on a consistent basis.
And that is why I thought some of you might find it interesting that there are certain things about men, specifically, that science says can increase the chances of you climaxing — not only more but more intensely too.
Let’s dive in.
How Masculine a Man Is
I’m gonna be honest: All of the women out here who give pushback on submission and yet want a man to physically look up to (you know, someone who is 6’ or over which is only 15 percent of the male US population, by the way) fascinate me. So, you want a man who towers over you yet you think it is antiquated for a man to lead you? Do tell. Anyway, that is the first thing I thought about when I read that a man’s level of masculinity plays a significant role in how often a woman is able to orgasm and how quickly she is able to do it.
It would appear that some of the backstory on this is, on the physical tip, men with strong jawlines and broad shoulders represent being in good health as well as being able to protect their family while research also reveals that men with beards make many women believe that they would be good fathers. And yes, as much as social media may say — or scream — otherwise, women tend to prefer dominant (exerting authority or influence) men more as well. All of this together, in the bedroom, results in more and faster orgasms for women. Fascinating.
A Man’s Personality
A sense of humor in a man can really take him a long way in life — including when it comes to giving women orgasms. That’s why articles like “Funny Men Give The Best Orgasms, According To Research” exist. Although it’s probably a given that a lot of us are drawn to this character trait because it makes us feel good, research also says that humor taps into our creativity, makes it easier for us to adapt to things, and can help us to be better problem-solvers too.
Sexually, I would think that being funny helps because humor and orgasms both provide dopamine hits which is the feel-good hormone that runs throughout our bodies. While we’re on this topic, other personality traits that will make you cum more when it comes to men include being creative, warm, and faithful — gee, imagine that. #sarcasm
Also, a Man’s Self-Esteem
I’m pretty sure it doesn’t surprise you in the least that the more intense your orgasms are with a guy, the more attractive you’ll find him to be and the more willing you’ll be to have sex with him multiple times a week. Yeah, y’all be careful with this one because something else that science says is whenever a really good orgasm comes your way, as a woman, your brain literally switches all the way off for a moment (which could explain a lot when it comes to who some people choose to deal with out here…just sayin’). Anyway, apparently it would seem that a truly confident man is who’s able to pull all of this off.
That makes sense because confidence is all about having a high sense of self-worth; embracing challenges; not having a lot of self-doubt; listening well to others; standing firm on one’s own beliefs; putting plans into action, and taking control of one’s life. Plus, since a lot of women will admit that they prefer a man to be a provider and protector, which in turn causes them to feel safe, and feeling safe also makes it easier to let go and enjoy sex fully — yes, all of this tracks.
Foreskin
If no one else will say it, I WILL: the double standard on foreskin vs. the extra skin that a lot of women have when it comes to their vulva is absolutely ridiculous. In fact, if you know some things about your clitoris, it’s constructed a lot like a mini-penis in the sense of it experiences an erection of sorts when it’s aroused and the clitoral hood is the clitoris’s “foreskin.” So, to be out here giving the “ick” to men for how they were born when some of us have large or hanging lips — yeah, let’s chill on that.
Besides, according to science, “uncut men” not only have a greater level of sensation during sex, but that extra bit of skin (which isn’t as much as a lot of y’all make it out to be…relax) actually gives women more consistent orgasms too. Don’t believe me? Read this here and this here.
If He Ejaculates
I dunno. If you’re not a selfish partner, this one seems like common sense because, if a man “completes the act”, that means he was able to “get his” and that seems like something any good lover would want for their partner (the only thing better? Experiencing it with him at the same time!). However, what I did find interesting is there’s a greater chance that a woman will orgasm herself if she knows that her partner came.
In fact, one study said that a little over 50 percent of women thought that it was very important that their partner ejaculated during sex while a little over 22 percent said that they experienced more intense orgasms if he came during intercourse.
Some studies say that the sensation of the sperm inside of the vagina may play a role in this; however, since that means that you must engage in unprotected sex (check out “Thinking About Going Condom-Free? Read This Before You Do.”) in order to vouch for this one…I’ll just say to use forethought, wisdom and definitely get tested before attempting it.
BONUS: How Your Friends See Him
The more you learn, boy. Have any of you heard of the sexy son hypothesis before? The gist is this: If you create children with someone who other women find attractive, the belief is that you will end up having sons who have that same quality. And yes, being with someone who you think is appealing to other women — seems to increase the chances of you having an orgasm too (chile).
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Hmph. It’s intel like this that explains why so many think pieces say that the brain is the most powerful sex organ that we have. Anyway, if you’re someone who wants to have more orgasms or more intense orgasms, perhaps take some of this data to heart. For all you know, it might be the blueprint that you’ve been looking for all along.
Thoughts? Comments. Confirmations? LOL.
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