Some friends are the life of the party, and some are the ones still standing next to the wreckage when the party is over. Astrology writers have a theory about who the second kind are, and it comes down to birth month.
Parade’s astrology editor, MaKayla McRae, names 4 months in particular: January, May, September and November. According to her descriptions, friends born in those months are the ones most likely to stay steady when life gets hard. None of it is science, but the traits she describes are worth recognizing in the friends who have earned them.
January and May: The Rock and the Confidant
The descriptions come from McRae’s Parade guide to the kind of friend each birth month makes, published Nov. 3, 2025 and republished on AOL. Each month is paired with two Sun signs, so every description doubles as a portrait of those signs, and the guide gives each friend type a nickname that sums up the style. A friend group that leans on these traits will see echoes of the site’s own birth months that make the best lifelong friends and of the common regrets people experience in adulthood.
January: The Steady Anchor. McRae calls January-born people “the grounded rock in people’s lives.” They are consistent, reliable and devoted to the people they love, the kind of loyalty that mirrors zodiac signs whose loyalty lasts for life, though they may not always express their feelings openly. Whether they are Capricorns or Aquarians, she writes, they show up when things get hard, offering advice, counsel and practical help. That no-nonsense steadiness is a cousin of the self-respect in things women who know their worth do that others mistake for rudeness, and of the zodiac signs that make the most supportive friends. A practical friend is also the one who helps a group trip dodge the travel blunders that turn a vacation into a stress fest.
May: The Grounded Confidant. May-born friends are “steady, reliable forces” who stick around through life’s difficulties. Whether they are Taureans or Geminis, they are known for devoted care, practical insight and an honest perspective, which makes them easy to trust, much like the zodiac signs considered the most loyal friends. A second Parade piece, on the birth months everyone wants in their corner, calls May “The Unshakable Rock” and says these friends stay connected when others drift away, a quality that survives even the passing of old habits like those in little rituals from the 80s and 90s that disappeared without much notice.
September and November: The Guide and the Ally
September: The Thoughtful Guide. September-born people are “intentional friends,” McRae writes. They remember birthdays, keep others in mind and look after friends when they are sick. The guide describes the type as the planner, the organizer or the type-A friend who keeps others in mind. Whether they are Virgos or Libras, they support friends through both small and major challenges.
November: The Loyal Confidant. In McRae’s guide, November-born people bring “unapologetic empowerment” to friendships. Whether they are Scorpios or Sagittarians, they are loyal, though a first impression can seem mysterious. Once trust is earned, they create a safe space where friends can be open and unfiltered, including about secrets. Parade’s second piece names them “The Ride-or-Die Ally,” selective and intensely loyal, the kind who keep confidences and show up when life is tough “or even when falling apart.” That loyalty is the thread running through all four months.
Why Steady Friends Are Worth Noticing
The four types look different on the surface. One offers a plan, one offers honesty, one offers attention and one offers loyalty, but all four stay put when things go sideways.
It also helps to notice how differently steadiness can look. A January friend may show up with a to-do list rather than a speech, while a November friend may say little and keep every secret. A May friend may simply still be there months after everyone else has gone quiet, and a September friend may have already remembered the birthday that everyone else forgot.
Friends born in other months need not worry. This is astrology, meant for fun, and any friend who shows up when it counts has earned the label, whatever the birth certificate says. The same goes for the friends who simply bring soup.
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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Image: Saumilkshah – CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikimedia Commons
