Have you ever noticed that each member of the zodiac has something special or remarkable about the eyes? I’ve compiled a partial list of what I have observed about each sign. This applies to suns and risings especially, but you can often guess other placements by the expression of the eyes, depending on what an individual is doing, feeling or thinking. Try it!

Aries: These guys have an electric quality to their gaze that seems more characteristic of Aquarius. Check the edges of their eyes– they’re usually dagger-sharp (think Victoria Beckham or Robert Downey, Jr.). A predominance of brown eyes in this sign; perhaps because they’re on fire inside and burned away the other colors!

Taurus: There is a true cow-like quality to their long-lashed, calmly penetrative gaze. They may look half-asleep, but they don’t miss a trick. While they are looking around themselves absorbing their surroundings, you can practically see their feelers waving in the air. “How can I make my way to my next intake of delicious food, sensory experience, or object of luxury?” For the males, add “great sex” to that list. Just kidding. Add it for the women, too.

Gemini: I once visited a friend in Seattle, a male Gemini. After telling me about the script he was working on for the local alt-newspaper’s annual amateur porn contest over a bowl of vegetarian Chinese food, we went outside and I took a picture of him. There was a visible sparkle in his eye, key to recognizing Gemini. (His response to the photo: “Do you know how hard it is to get the light of Alpha Centauri to twinkle directly into your eye?” That’s him in the pic accompanying this post.)

Cancer: They have a similar sparkle to Gemini, but it comes and goes instead of remaining constant. Think moonstone instead of diamond. Like the other water signs, they are capable of projecting emotion at you with their eyes. You can read every single thing they are thinking or feeling (and woe betide you if you are in trouble, believe me– my mother is a Cancer rising!). Tom Cruise, Lindsay Lohan, George W. Bush, O.J. Simpson are all Cancer-sun public figures whose eyes reveal their inner workings.

Leo: Some astrologers say that Leo eyes are cat-shaped, but I don’t agree with that assessment. However, the way they work their eyes is quite feline! Squinting, scrunching up when they smile, with crows-feet no matter the age. When a Leo is pleased with you, palpable warmth radiates from their expression. When a Leo is displeased, you will know it because you will never see their eyes. They will look into the distance, at the ceiling, their watch– anything but you. God forbid you see royalty lose control of their emotions.

Virgo: These guys are too busy working to ever look directly at anyone, so I couldn’t really say what I have observed about them. Just kidding! Virgo eyes are surprisingly calm and cheerful for their frenetic energy. It’s almost like Virgos project calm and order onto the frenzied outside world through their eyes! Check out a picture of Sean Connery for a good example.

Libra: Libras’ eyes look like nothing other than M&M’s! Flat, perfectly round, saturated in hue– blue, green, brown. Rarely more than one color, unless a water ascendant dominates. (You will never see a Libra’s true feelings in their eyes, by the way. Check their body language instead.)

Scorpio: Ever feel like someone was “in your space”? A Scorpio standing across the room was probably looking at you, thinking interesting things. What is neat about identifying Scorpio is that you can see their pupils narrow down like the slits of a cat or a lizard when they are really pumping energy. I correctly guessed Eleanor Jackson of La Roux as having a Scorpio moon with this trick. Watch 3:20-3:38 of her “In For the Kill” video to see this in action.

Sagittarius: This energy is particularly dominant whether in ascendant or sun sign, so you can always recognize someone with Sag by the curiously pewter-like flashes in their eyes. Yes, just like the semi-precious metal. Brad Pitt’s eyes are a good example. Not quite sparkly-eyed like their Gemini opposites, nonetheless that ageless wisdom lurks in the shiny flashes you will see when they are talking, thinking, or in front of a camera!

Capricorn: Most Caps are hard to identify by appearance alone, but the easiest way is to look right between the eyes for the tell-tale thought wrinkle. I read this once and thought, “Nah.” Then I went to look in the mirror. Lo and behold. And, one of the best ways to get past the famous Capricorn walls is to force one to look straight at you. Like Cancer, no Capricorn can hide their feelings in their eyes. (Please, no one use this trick on me.)

Aquarius: The water-bearers of the future have laser-beams in their heads, white-hot and blindingly bright. My Aquarian ex has the most intensely blue eyes I’ve ever seen, actually a commonality among Western Aquarians. Whatever the color, check for that penetrating quality. It won’t feel like Scorpio’s intense probing– that hits lower down. This is a penetration of your mind. “What information can we share, and what fun can we have together?” If you’re looking to create intimacy with an Aquarius– not an easy task– the best way to connect is from the eyes up!

Pisces: Pisces people are, without a doubt, the easiest to identify off-hand if you remember to look them in the eyes! Pisces eyes are usually larger than most, sometimes almost bulging, fish- or frog-like. There is a haunting rainbow quality about the color, like the inside of an oyster shell, shifting and changing with every passing second. If you stare into a Pisces’ eyes, you are certain to be able to see their soul.