TikTok claims these are the 'best' zodiac signs. Here’s what an astrologer says

Where does your sun sign fall on the zodiac ranking chart? If you’re on TikTok, you might know what we’re talking about: AstroTok’s (the astrology section of TikTok) latest obsession is a ranking of the 12 zodiac signs, based on what that chart deems its "positive" and "negative" traits.

Originally published on the site Minds Journal, the viral list has 24 slots, split up between men and women of each sign. The four “top tier, no exception” placements, if you’re curious, are Aquarius, Virgo and Taurus women, and Sagittarius men. The allegedly “toxic and horrible” signs on the bottom? Brace yourselves, Scorpio and Virgo men: this list says you “always play the victim.”

As an astrologer, I’m always wary of reducing people to sun signs — let alone ordering them, like this chart does.

But it happens all the time, unfortunately.

We’ve all heard them before: Cancers are cry babies, Capricorns are power hungry workhorses, and Pisces are flakes. And as a Gemini, an oft ridiculed air sign, I feel the brunt of it.

Sun sign shorthand (and low-grade bullying) isn’t anything new. In the movie “Boogie Nights,” Don Cheadle’s character says to a potential romantic partner, “I can’t date a Pisces.” In “A Streetcar Named Desire,” Blanche pegs Stanley for an Aries for being “forceful and dynamic.”

But now, the slander seems a bit louder due to astrology’s rise in popularity and the proliferation of memes like the one on TikTok. These stereotypes often mask the complexity of astrology, reducing people to a few traits that have become shorthand.

Below, let’s debunk the list — and redeem a few Virgo and Scorpio men in the process.

What are Sun signs?

The sun takes a month to move through each sign sign of the zodiac. Within a person’s natal chart, their Sun sign represents their ego, our will, our desire, our vitality. What makes us shine.

Are certain zodiac signs better than others?

No zodiac sign is better than the other. But the TikTok ranking does get at a concept of astrology, albeit inadvertently: Planetary bodies are more at home in certain zodiac signs than in others.

To know which signs and planets go together, we turn to placements called the "essential dignities:" Domicile, detriment, exalted and fall.

A planet's "domicile" is the zodiac sign it rules. The Sun rules Leo. This means that the Sun thrives and shines brightly when in Leo — no surprise, considering this fire sign is known for loving the spotlight.

A planet is in detriment in the sign opposite its domicile. For the Sun, that's Aquarius. This is a place of exile, where the Sun's influence is weakened. Community-focused Aquarius doesn’t center around the ego, which is the focal part of the Sun’s energy.

Exaltation is considered the best planetary placement, where the planet's influence is the most strong and therefore can achieve its influence. The Sun is exalted in Aries. This fire sign is the initiator of the zodiac, taking the Sun's go-getter spirit.

A planet is in its fall in the sign opposite its exaltation. The Sun is in its fall in Libra, which makes sense: This air sign tends to focus on others, not just themselves.

The Sun may thrive in different signs, yes — and you as an individual may be drawn toward certain Sun signs. But that doesn’t mean Leo suns are better off than Aquariuses or Libras.

Navigating your birth chart and coming up with an interpretation that is empowering to you the ultimate end goal of astrology. Just remember: You’re more than a TikTok meme. Take it from an astrologer.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com