Zodiac Character Development

In the Create a Character Wardrobe post from a few days ago, I mentioned the astrological signs of several characters:

Esther Perry - TAURUS
Olivia Tate - PISCES
Trixie Snow Blue - SCORPIO
Daniel Stuart - CANCER

I have been intrigued by astrology for years and find it not only fascinating for my own horoscope, but also when building characters for stories. The zodiac gives you twelve personality types from which to help form a character's basic nature. Manipulate those zodiac types and you can also create villains!

Zodiac personality types establish a character's core nature, give clues as to what they value and what they want, tell me who they'll be compatible with and why, who they will clash with and why, a description of their physical appearance, and even some story themes.

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ARIES -
The Aries character is forceful, confident, pushy, and arrogant. But they can also be tremendous fighters and inspiring leaders. Aries is a fire sign, so anything with heat, speed, or bold colors suits them. Aries main characters are adventurous and daring, with occupations like a soldier or general, gladiator, boxer, pirate, captain, race car driver, cop, Medieval warrior or Amazon queen. Aries Villains are egotistical, harsh, nasty and bloodthirsty - a schoolyard bully, a vengeful warrior, a tyrannical boss or heartless general.

TAURUS -
The Taurus character is steady, dependable, a rock, and also sensual. They love nature, cooking, building, and music. Taurus is an earth sign, so they're in their element with flowers, gardening, landscaping, farms and the outdoors. Taurus main characters are the glue that holds their family together, quiet and reliable, with occupations like a farmer, stonemason or bricklayer, bank manager, landscaper, housewife, chef, carpenter or opera singer. Taurus Villains are stubborn and bull-headed, like a tycoon, gluttonous, or pig-headed.

GEMINI -
The Gemini character talks fast, moves fast, has multiple interests, excellent manual dexterity and a winsome manner. They love amusement parks, sales, puns and wordplay, whimsy, and anything Lewis Carroll-like. Gemini is an air sign, so they need freedom to roam around and do their thing, like human butterflies or parrots. Gemini main characters add life and sparkle to stories, with occupations like a reporter, news anchor, actor or actress, salesman, magician, comedian or pilot. Gemini Villains are con-artists, thieves and wolves in sheep's clothing, using their ways with words to double-cross and deceive.

CANCER -
The Cancer character is a homebody, an excellent parent, warmly funny, and motivated by security. They love good food, antiques, decorating, babies, their home, and money. Cancer is a water sign, so they are emotional and unusually attached to the ocean. Cancer main characters often appear in romantic comedies or small-town stories, with occupations like B&B caretaking, teaching, crafts, chef, photography, antiques dealer, or running a daycare. Cancer Villains are like Cinderella's stepmother, a dominating matriarch, or Scrooge, a stingy miser counting coins while others go hungry.

LEO -
The Leo character is a showman, a P.T. Barnum type of glitz, power, drama and warm charisma. They love the theatre, creativity, productions, parades and anything large and full of life. Leo is also a fire sign like Aries, so they have warmth, charm, and tons of energy. Leo main characters often appear in musicals or epic stories, with occupations like actor or actress, CEO, president, king or queen, explorer, entertainer, publicist, agent, gambler or professional athlete. Leo Villains are like kings and queens with too much power - dominating, selfish, cruel and power-hungry. They're also divas!

VIRGO -
The Virgo character is quiet, hard-working, conscientious, detailed, clean, and capable. Like Sherlock Holmes, they never miss a detail and can be single-minded when focused. Virgo is an earth sign like Taurus, so they love herbs, green grass, tasteful bouquets and meadows. Virgo main characters can also be verbally quick and critical, with occupations like a nurse, doctor, gardener, chef, secretary, detective, office worker or clerk, food or book critic, decorator, editor or pharmacist. The Virgo Villain is severe, cynical, a micro-manager, and a fussy critic who never praises.

LIBRA -
The Libra character is charming, bright, good-looking, romantic, loves to debate, and has a strong sense of fairness. They love beauty and like to wear nice clothes, look at art, decorate their homes, and listen to fine music. Libra is an air sign like Gemini, but they use their natural chattiness to debate and discuss with cutting comments. Libra main characters often star in romance novels or legal thrillers, with occupations like a lawyer, judge, romance writer, model, fashion designer, interior decorator, florist, wedding planner, and the owner of a boutique or gift shop. The Libra Villain is meddlesome, hard-nosed, and has to be right, like a snaky lawyer, scheming coworker, jealous romantic rival or artistic perfectionist.

SCORPIO -
The Scorpio character is mysterious, driven, deep, sexy, intense, and hard to get to know. They love investigating dark places and are pretty fearless; once they have their eye on the prize, there's no stopping them. Scorpio is a water sign like Cancer, but they hide their seething emotions behind a mask of poise. Scorpio main characters are detectives or wounded souls, with occupations like a detective, surgeon, mystery or horror writer, cave diver, assassin, seductress, femme fatale, film maker, spy or hit man. The Scorpio Villain is vengeful, cold, and unmerciful, striking swiftly and without remorse. They are hurt deeply with pain and anger.

SAGITTARIUS -
The Sagittarius character is lively, cheery, restless, clownish, an animal lover, and as silly as a puppy. They love travel and often take off without telling anyone for the next adventure, but they can become very wise from seeing so much of the world. Sagittarius is a fire sign like Aries and Leo, with energy, charisma, and natural people skills. Sagittarius main characters are great for action or adventure stories, with occupations like travel agent, tour guide, teacher, jester, clown, animal rights activist, equestrian, veterinarian, mountain climber or boat captain. Irresponsible and absent-minded, Sagittarius Villains neglect commitments and leave others in the lurch, so others have to clean up their mess.

CAPRICORN -
The Capricorn character is responsible, capable, a hard-worker, respectful, and steady climbs the mountain of their career. They live for the office and can find it hard to relax, but have plenty of money and prestige to show for their hard work. Capricorn is an earth sign like Taurus and Virgo, represented by mountains, forests, and earthquakes when they get angry! Capricorn main characters revere history and are extremely tasteful in their habits, with occupations like president, CEO, minister or pastor, investor, sheriff, historian, socialite, antiques dealer, stockbroker, society maven or politician. Capricorn Villains are icy, severely ambitious, and chauvinistic, like a repressed minister, an egotistical father, a frozen husband, a hard-driving boss or an arrogant CEO.

AQUARIUS -
The Aquarius character is kooky, curious, brilliant, weird, a tech nerd, has tons of friends, and is a natural scientist. They are like Einstein - absent-minded and creative and a total genius. Aquarius is an air sign like Gemini and Libra, so they need freedom to live their own strange life, but are humanitarians at heart. Aquarius main characters stir the pot, invent crazy contraptions, and shake the status quo, with occupations like scientist, inventor, environmental or animal rights activist, grassroots politician, film maker, science fiction writer, astronomer or astrologer. The Aquarius Villain is the mad scientist, plotting world domination through their nasty inventions, poisons, and mind-control technology.

PISCES -
The Pisces character is dreamy, artistic, sympathetic, passive, kind, a bit mystical, and noncommittal. They love myths, folklore, ancient songs, and seem to have been born in another time. Pisces is the last sign and the last water sign, like Cancer and Scorpio, so they have a penchant for the water. Pisces main characters are compassionate artists and support other characters, with occupations like mystic, holistic healer, shaman or medicine man, artist, hippie, painter, poet, songwriter, therapist, minister or pastor, bartender or fisherman. The Pisces Villain is a shark, turning their compassion to coldness and slipping away into dark waters.

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So, now that you've met the twelve signs, you can see a little as to why I chose the zodiac signs for the following characters.

Esther Perry - TAURUS
She's dependable, has brown hair and brown eyes, lives on a farm, loves music and takes care of her family.

Olivia Tate - PISCES
She's dreamy, passive, easily manipulated, has long wavy hair, wears Pre-Raphaelite clothes, and looks like a mythical maiden.

Trixie Snow Blue - SCORPIO
She's confident, intense, opinionated, smart, has black hair and a deep gaze, wears dark clothing, and her story is quite Gothic.

Daniel Stuart - CANCER
He's duty-bound to his family, is wealthy, patriotic, loves his garden and the sea, brown hair and blue eyes, and his story is about home.

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Here are some zodiac Villains of my stories:

Lucia Curtis - CANCER
Dominating matriarch, pushes her daughter towards a wealthy man and drives her husband to become a workaholic, lack of love and a distant father have made her overly cold and cruel and too obsessed with money and security.

Maxine Gilbert - LEO
Selfish diva, keeps the heroine from the guy she loves because Maxine wants him for herself, egotistical, power-hungry, has to have the spotlight, loves male attention until it backfires and her reputation is ruined.

The Red Fairy - ARIES
Fire queen, has pushed the real queen off her throne and into submission so the Red Fairy seized her power, put a curse on the land, fights for everything, selfish, arrogant, won't back down or submit.

Erik Stuart - CAPRICORN
Head lawyer, assumes position after his father dies, ambitious and doesn't understand passivity, usurped by a Gemini Villain (Mr. Washburn) who played the 'friend' card but secretly evil, when ruined Erik wants nothing more than his old power and prestige back.

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It's fun to create characters based on their zodiac signs. I'm an Aquarius (my 29th birthday was February 9th) and have a couple of kooky Aquarius oddballs throughout my story.

My favorite signs for main characters, however, are earth and water signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn, Cancer, Pisces and Scorpio. They are either capable and dependable, or tender and emotional. Fire signs make great villains and air signs make great sidekicks and best friends.

This definitely gets me in the mood to keep creating characters!