Ah, the dreaded so-called “f–k boy” — we’ve all known one, and some of us have been one.
This is the kind of person — and this behavior is exhibited across all gender identifications — who weaponizes text messages and trickles out the bare minimum of attention/interest to get what they want without having to put any true thought, emotion or conviction into pursuing someone.
Standard mating calls of the F-boy include “U up?” and “Thinking about you.”
Astrologer Babs Cheung, aka The Astro Translator, is on hand to help us identify, demystify and find the astrological source of F-boy behavior.
Read on to learn more.
What signs are predisposed to fall for F-boy tactics?
Cheung calls out the following sun signs for being at risk for falling for F-boys.
“Cancer suns can fall for F-boys due to their sensitivity and sentimentality. Future faking tactics work best on crabs. Sagittarius might give way too many chances for an F-boy to take advantage, using breadcrumbing tactics to keep archers interested. Taurus suns can also get bested by F-boys, especially when dealing with love-bombing tactics.”
Beyond astrology, psychologist Lauren Heywood provides a rationale for the draw of the F-boy.
“One, we are evolutionarily attracted to confidence and natural leaders (to then procreate, etc.), and two, because of something called the ‘halo effect.’ This means that when a person is deemed as ‘attractive,’ we have a tendency to assume that this person is also kind, smart, funny, etc. All desirable qualities to pursue.”
The astrological reason behind the rise of the F-boy
According to Cheung, the F-boy has always existed in some form, but social media has given these tendencies wider exposure and a new platform for expression.
“Around 2010 Snapchat and Instagram first came on the scene. We were/are perpetually on our phones, thanks to social media, and because of this, F-boys could not only slide into DMs and comment on stories with little effort, but they could also get nudes sent on Snapchat.”
Cheung cites deceptive online identities and Chiron’s shift into Aries as F-boy amplifiers.
Cheung cites deceptive online identities and Chiron’s shift into Aries as F-boy amplifiers.
“Suddenly, we could all know of each other through our social media selves, without ever learning the truth by putting in the time.”
“This is where I see the shift happening astrologically. After 2018, when Chiron moved into Aries (where it still is), we have a crisis of our self-image to contend with, which is further exacerbated by the constant comparison trap we face thanks to social media and the Chiron Pisces era.”
Wait … WTF-boy is Chiron?
Chiron, for the uninitiated, refers to an asteroid/potential planet in the birth chart that falls within one of the 12 zodiac signs and one of the 12 zodiac houses. Chiron is the wound — or if you prefer, knot — we must suture or unspool to fully actualize.
Chiron points to where it hurts, and if we listen, it exists to teach us how to overcome ourselves and empower others.
‘Ultimately, all F-boys treat people poorly because they have low self-esteem or a critical insecurity.’
Babs Cheung
According to Cheung, all F-boy or G-girl behavior stems from unhealed wounding presented by the Chiron placement.
“Ultimately, all F-boys treat people poorly because they have low self-esteem or a critical insecurity, and F-boys use people as a means to farm validation that feeds their egos as a way to distract themselves from what’s really needed — healing their Chiron wounds.”
If you suspect you’re dealing with an F-boy, consult these Astro tables, which indicate Chiron placement based on birthdate.
Whether you yourself are guilty of F-boy or F-girl behavior or have been dealt the raw deal of this kind of, um, f—kery in relationships, Cheung assures that the situation is not beyond hope.
“It’s important to note that people can have an F-boy or F-girl phase in their lives and can take the steps necessary to heal and eradicate that type of behavior. At the end of the day, healing and not healing is a choice that everyone has the ability to make.”
Read on for Cheung’s explanation of how each unhealed Chiron placement can manifest into F-boy behavior.
Unhealed Aries Chiron
“The wound of self-image can lead to an F-boy trying to get with as many people as possible to validate their ego. These are the kinds of people whose identities are wrapped up in the people they know rather than the person they are.”
Unhealed Taurus Chiron
“The wound of self-value can lead to an F-boy trying to obtain as many lovers as possible to help them feel worthy. This sugar daddy might seem to have it all together, but make no mistake, that sugar is salt.”
Unhealed Gemini Chiron
“The wound of words, these f–k boys are not confident in their communication and often don’t think they can represent themselves in the way they desire, so they might try to overcompensate in other ways ultimately to get validation from multiple sources.
If he says his love languages are words of affirmation on the dating apps, get ready to have to reassure him how good he is … at everything and anything.”
Unhealed Cancer Chiron
Cheung explains that Cancer Chiron holds the wound of family/mother, making this F-boy harder to spot because his behavior is dependent on his relationship with his mom.
“Whether he leans toward the Norman Bates of the spectrum or never returns Mom’s calls, his relationship with her will impact his behavior toward women and how he values them. Their favorite tactic is ghosting, then coming back from the grave months later to tell you a sob story about why they fell off.”
Unhealed Leo Chiron
“This is the wound of self-expression: Similar to Aries Chiron wounding, this F-boy could be doing his best to keep up appearances to suppress what he’s after, which can vary greatly from what people expect of him. You can find him posting excessively about his life of grandeur or his workout routines on social media.
“His F-boy tactic is using social media to be extra responsive to your stories or snaps and doing it to 10 other people to see who’s around for a quickie.”
Unhealed Virgo Chiron
“This is the wound of perfection: We all know that Virgos can be perfectionists, and in F-boy territory, this is the worst. While they chase perfection, which doesn’t exist, it’s easy for them to get what they want and ghost. You’ll find this variety of F-boy obsessed about health, diet and exercise and making unwarranted comments about everyone’s physique.”
Unhealed Libra Chiron
Those with unhealed Chiron placements in Libra exhibit what Cheung calls the wound of loneliness.
“These F-boys may not present as your typical hit and quit-it types, because Libras rarely like to be alone, but to avoid their loneliness, they could become serial daters that stall when asked to become exclusive. He might say something along the lines of enjoying your dynamic and wanting to see where things go.”
Unhealed Scorpio Chiron
Chung calls this Scorpio placement the wound of control.
“F-boys with unhealed Chiron in Scorpio could have control issues, displayed in their desire for you to be exclusive, but for them to continue seeing other people. This disconnect is due to entitlement and the possibility that someone stripped them of their power in childhood.
“Other tactics used are hot/cold energy mostly in the form of breadcrumbing; it’s all a manipulation power game to them.”
Unhealed Sagittarius Chiron
Cheung calls this the placement, the wound of meaning.
“Many Sagittarius Chiron F-boys will lead a hedonistic lifestyle that is appealing, especially when it comes to dating. But don’t be fooled by their dream vacations posted on social media: they’re all hiding something, and that’s the truth of how meaningless they find their lives.”
Unhealed Capricorn Chiron
Chiron in Cap bros suffer from the wound of accomplishment.
“This F-boy uses women as status symbols to show off their social capital. They’ll also have other symbols, but it’s never enough,” Cheung expounds. “Their tactics are love bombing and breadcrumbing, round and round until you block his number.”
Unhealed Aquarius Chiron
Unhealed Aqua Chirons exhibit the wound of belonging.
According to Cheung, “An unhealed Chiron in Aquarius F-boy can lead to a ‘yes man,’ someone desiring to please anybody because they need to feel accepted. While this might be one of the more sincere F-boys you’ll ever meet, he’s still a complete time waster and will most likely have ENM [ethical non-monogamy] written in his dating profile.”
Unhealed Pisces Chiron
“These F-boys have the wound of trust and will blame their tormented past or difficult childhood as a way to skirt responsibility or accountability for how poorly they treat you. You know when you’ve encountered this type of F-boy when they use excuses like, ‘I was drunk when I did that.’ Or, ‘It’s my ex, so it doesn’t count as cheating.'”
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
Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture, and personal experience.
