Maskot/Getty Images/Maskot
My partner Liam and I were in an endless cycle of bickering over household chores before we stumbled upon an unconventional solution: astrology. A lighthearted joke about my partner’s meticulous cleaning habits being related to his zodiac sign quickly evolved into an effective system for dividing tasks. Now, our house is not only cleaner, but also happier.
We often bickered about household chores
During one of our routine squabbles, I was complaining yet again about feeling like I was doing all the cooking. Liam, halfway through folding a towel with suspicious precision, sighed. Searching for an explanation for why that particular task always fell on me, he said, “Maybe it’s because I’m a Virgo and you’re… well, you.” We laughed, but it stuck. Later that night, we went down an internet rabbit hole of zodiac traits, half-mocking, half-curious. And something clicked.
Until then, we had no real system, just vague expectations and mounting resentment. We both worked full-time, so the plan was just to “share the chores,” but in practice, it felt like I was always chasing dishes while he was obsessing over perfectly aligned couch cushions. We argued about the little things: who forgot to take the trash out, who left wet laundry in the machine, and why the sink was still full. It wasn’t toxic, but it was tiring.
We decided to try dividing chores by zodiac sign
After that night, we decided to experiment. Instead of pretending we were equally good at (or interested in) every task, we leaned into what came naturally. I’m a textbook Sagittarius and tend to crave freedom and spontaneity, so monotonous tasks like folding towels bore me. I need room to improvise, and tasks that feel more like play than work, so I took over the cooking and big, messy projects, like organizing a chaotic fridge.
Liam, a classic Virgo, loves order and finds peace in tidiness. He claimed the tasks that provided structure, like laundry and tackling the budget. Suddenly, our division of labor wasn’t a battleground, it was a custom-built peace treaty, drafted in the stars.
Of course, we still encountered our share of challenges. Even though laundry was technically Liam’s domain, one week, he was swamped with work, and I forgot I’d agreed to take it on. I got caught up in a last-minute dinner with friends and came home to find him ironing at midnight. That’s when we realized that astrology was a great baseline, but we still needed to communicate better when things didn’t go according to plan.
We realized we needed more than just a cute system, we needed flexibility. Now, when one of us is too tired, overwhelmed, or sick, we’ll swap chores or do the task together, no questions asked.
Our new system has led to a cleaner, happier house
As we continued to embrace our zodiac-inspired chore system, we noticed a significant reduction in resentment. Though it’s unconventional, assigning everything that needs to get done based on our personalities allowed us to both take on tasks that we preferred.
What feels mundane to him feels fun to me, and vice versa, so not only are we no longer stuck with so many dreary to-dos, but we also are more deeply connected; we appreciate each other more for doing what we don’t want to spend energy on. With this system, I no longer feel overwhelmed by the thought of decluttering the house, while Liam has found satisfaction in his laundry rituals.
This system didn’t just help us keep our floors clean or our laundry folded — though it did help us do that — it helped us create more understanding and collaboration in our partnership. And it all started with a joke about astrology.
The post My partner and I split chores by zodiac sign. We know it’s weird, but our house is cleaner and we’re happier. appeared first on Business Insider.
