Whether or not you’re convinced that your destiny is in the hands of the cosmos or are a little bit more skeptical of the merits of the stars, sometimes reading our horoscopes and about the Zodiac in general, is just straight-up fun—especially when you’re in the butterflies-in-my-stomach all of the time parts of the crush stage of a new relationship or have been on a few solid dates with a refreshingly promising candidate from Hinge.

Regardless, most of us are guilty of falling for someone and instantly turning to astrology to assess compatibility with a potential future partner and to predict the fate of the romance before it’s even an actual thing. I, for one, shamelessly admit to consulting my astrological birthday chartbook pretty much every time a new person enters my radar, just to see if we’re soul mates or star-crossed lovers (okay, maybe that’s a little dramatic, but I do check just for fun to see what’s in store for us, according to the stars).

While there’s obviously an endless and unpredictable range of factors that influence compatibility in interpersonal and romantic relationships, many astrology aficionados and fans of all things new age-y oftentimes look to pattens of harmony and balance between certain signs in the zodiac for guidance on how to navigate communication—and that can be helpful for anyone, whether you’re down for horoscopes or think the entire thing is a gimmick. Whether or not you choose to read into it, you’ll quickly learn that some signs read as polar opposites in the zodiac, but sometimes these differences can balance one another out beautifully.

So yes, while you may not consult these astrological love compatibility books to plan your future with your current or prospective partner, they can, at the very least, serve as good ways to learn about possible communication styles and the strengths and weaknesses of one another that just may help you understand the other person better and therefore, reduce tension and miscommunications. I mean, whether you’re single, ambiguously attached, or totally taken, who couldn’t benefit from that?