In honor of the season of the bull, a creature both beatific and brutal and downright aspirational in its ability to hold on to a grudge, we’re rounding up the top tier of signs most likely to hold on tight to slights and seek vengeance for damages emotional, financial and otherwise.
Taurus playwright William Shakespeare wrote, “I’ll never pause again, never stand still, Till either death hath closed these eyes of mine Or fortune given me measure of revenge.”
There is perhaps no writer more preoccupied with vengeance than old Bill the Bard whose characters seek it and sing of it. From “Hamlet” to “Henry VI,” “Macbeth” to “King Lear,” the man preached that payback was a mother, and I am here to argue that some zodiac signs charge a higher penalty tax than others.
While the enlightened among us choose to forgive and forget, the rest choose the path of righteous retribution. From casual pettiness to long-game retaliation, three signs are more inclined to hold a grudge, carry a grievance to the grave, and to get even no matter what it costs them.
Make sure to read for your moon sign, which governs instincts and guttural response and your Mars sign, indicative of how you respond to conflict. Taylor Swift, she of the “Bad Blood”, and thinly veiled shade is a prime example of how vengeance can be found beyond the sun sign, as displayed by T. Swift’s Mars in ‘you will rue the day’ Scorpio and her stellium in ‘I will leave a ledger of your wrongdoings as my lyrical legacy’ Capricorn. Further evidence can be found in the birth chart of Quentin Tarantino who has made a career of cinematic, oft-righteous revenge fantasies, and has a grudge-holding, debt-settling Taurus moon.
Read on to learn more about vengeance through the signs of the zodiac.
TAURUS (April 20 – May 20)
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Since Taurus is ruled by Venus, the planet that governs assets and aesthetics this sign is more inclined than others to seek vengeance through riches and hotness, looking good and living well with middle fingers in the air and cold shoulders shrugging. Taurus is kept young by their vendettas and is willing to suckle a grudge to the grave. Case in point bull Dennis Hopper who had it in his will that ex-pal Peter Fonda be barred from attending his funeral.
Perhaps one of the most famous tales of revenge, Alexandre Dumas’, “Count of Monte Cristo” was inspired by the life, times, and gratuitous grudge holding of a shoe-making Taurus by the name of Pierre Picaud. Betrayed by friends who falsely accused him of being a spy, Picaud spent nearly a decade in prison doing push-ups and plotting bloody revenge. Upon his release, he spent his freedom psychologically torturing, financially ruining, and eventually murdering those who had wronged him. Insane? Maybe. Impressive? Absolutely.
SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21)
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Hell hath no fury like a Scorpio scorned, these people feel deep, love hard, and retaliate with abject ruthlessness. Looking at you Drake, sending nasty grams via bottle service and weaponizing hook-up rumors to destabilize your many, many enemies.
This fixed water sign forgets nothing and forgives even less. Secretive AF and versed in waiting for the right time to strike, Scorpio plays the long game like Katy Perry who waited until she was an established pop star on stage at her alma matter to call out a dude in the crowd who slighted her in high school, heckling him with, “You never wanted to date me… you really chose well, honey. What’s up now, playa?'”
Burn, bro. For some Scorpios, getting even means leveling the playing field, or ice rink as was the case for Tonya Harding who helped orchestrate the brutal baton beating of her rival Nancy Kerrigan in 1994. In a full circle or whole turn of the zodiac wheel, Kerrigan, who has a Scorpio moon went on to best her enemy in the Winter Olympics, securing silver medal vengeance.
CAPRICORN (December 22 – January 19)
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Of the three signs listed, Capricorn is most inclined to serve revenge cold. Relying on a strategy of scarcity, sea goats hit not below the belt but squarely in the wallet. Case in point Capricorn Elin Nordegren, the scorned woman previously known as Mrs. Tiger Woods, demanded her philandering ex-pony up $750 million in their acrimonious divorce settlement. Nordegren later auctioned off EVERY.PIECE of jewelry Woods ever gave her, including her engagement ring. She called it a “cleansing” I call it an above-par play if ever there was one.
Astrology 101: Your guide to the star
- The 12 zodiac signs
- What are the astrology houses
- Here’s what each planet represents
- Sun, moon and rising signs: Get to know your Big 3
Add to the mix and the evidence, this probable Capricorn gone viral inspiration who went after her cheating ex’s credit score AND his college credits. Yet, my favorite example of the subtle wrath of the sea goat belongs to Shonda Rimes. In response to Katherine Heigl’s public complaints about the quality of her “Grey’s Anatomy,” storyline, Rimes drastically reduced the actress’s role in the series and eventually killed/wrote her off the show by way of a terminal cancer diagnosis.
AstrologerReda Wigleresearches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture, and personal experience. She is also an accomplished writer who has profiled a variety of artists and performers, as well as extensively chronicled her experiences while traveling. Among the many intriguing topics she has tackled are cemetery etiquette, her love for dive bars, Cuban Airbnbs, a “girls guide” to strip clubs, and the “weirdest” foods available abroad.
