While you might not be ready to make your draft pick yet, August is the month to start scouting, according to cuffing season lore. But how do you know if you’re chasing after a compatible match?
That’s a complicated question, astrologically speaking. And while a few of us *cough* have been known to open up Co-Star on the first date, most of the time, we only walk away with Sun sign data. Asking for a birthday? Easy, casual conversation. Suggesting they text their mom for a birth time? That should probably wait until, say, date three?
Here’s a heavenly hack we recommend: match yourself using the zodiac elements. There are only four to remember in astrology: fire, earth, air, and water. Easy, right?
As humans, we operate a lot like these elements do in nature. Fire signs are bright and passionate. Earth signs are grounded and concerned with sustaining us. Air signs are breezy but run hot and cold. Water signs sweep us away in an emotional current.
Connecting people by element was one of the techniques we used for matching the cast of Cosmic Love, our forthcoming astrological dating show that premieres on Prime Video on Aug. 12.
So, let us share some of our favorite tips and tricks from Season 1 with you! We promise they’ll help you ease you into the cooler months without losing a centigrade of romantic heat.
Fire Signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
How to Attract Them:
- Be a captive audience for their sparkly antics (fire signs can be a touch narcissistic)
- Love to dress up, party, and laugh
- Have a personal passion that you’re fiercely pursuing
How to Lose Them:
- Demand that they stick to a schedule
- Get jealous when they flirt with other people (this is literally how they communicate)
- Get so absorbed in your life that you fail to support theirs
Cuff a Fire Sign if You:
- Want a relationship that gives you lots of freedom
- Love having sex in short but mind-blowing bursts (and in incredible locations)
- Don’t mind long-distance or periods of separation as Fire travels for work, or as an influencer
Earth Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
How to Attract Them:
- Know Tom Ford from Toms (status-conscious earth signs love their labels)
- Be family-oriented with a solid friend circle
- Exude “polished sophistication” and be ready to back it up with ambition
How to Lose Them:
- Have zero life goals or plans
- Waste money on anything cheugy or impractical
- Think “The Great Resignation” was the best thing to happen in 2021
Cuff an Earth Sign if You:
- Love lazy days in bed and all-night sex marathons
- Have secretly picked out the name of your future first child
- Think hanging out with each other’s parents is the perfect way to spend a Sunday
Air Signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
How to Attract Them:
- Read books, spout data, stay up on current events
- Send memes that are genuinely witty (these intellectuals are a tough crowd)
- Ease right into their friend group at an organic pace
How to Lose Them:
- Wait longer than 15 minutes to return their stream of texts
- Invite yourself along on their hangouts—if they want you there, they’ll ask!
- Show no interest in their quirky hobbies and eccentric fascinations—and have none to boast of yourself
Cuff an Air Sign if You:
- Want a BFF and lover rolled into one
- Enjoy experimenting in the bedroom—with toys, fetishes, or maybe even an occasional guest star
- Are okay with never knowing 100 percent how to define “this thing we’re doing”
Water Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
How to Attract Them:
- Smile, compliment them, and make them feel at ease
- Move sensually throughout the room so they can imagine you in bed
- Have a slightly parental vibe (these nurturers also love to be babied)
How to Lose Them:
- Forget to ask how their day was
- Criticize their inner circle of friends, or worse, start beef with their family
- Tell them that they’re overreacting
Cuff a Water Sign if You:
- Think that the honeymoon phase can and should last forever (especially in bed)
- Have already built your future dream home on an app
- Know how to entertain yourself when Water is “in a mood”
Identical twin sisters Ophira and Tali Edut (a.k.a. The AstroTwins) are ELLE.com’s resident astrologers. They have written several astrology books, including Momstrology and Supercouple, and star as the astrological matchmakers for Prime Video’s Cosmic Love. The Eduts have read charts for celebrities the likes of Beyoncé, Karlie Kloss, and Emma Roberts. For their spot-on predictions, books, and online courses, check out our horoscopes coverage or visit astrostyle.com.
