Cardinal, Fixed & Mutuable: The Signs

What are Signs?

Astrology is mainly concerned with a narrow 揵elt?of space around the Sun's apparent path across the sky. We call this belt the Zodiac and we divide it into twelve equal portions called Signs. Each sign is unique and has its own influence. They can, however, be grouped according to certain similarities. One way is by Element, or basic character. The other way to group signs is by Quality, or by how they tend to act.

The Cardinal Signs: take action. They charge right in and get the job done (or fall flat on their face, depending on the situation). These are Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn. If there is no crisis for them to take care of, they have been known to create one just to have something to do. Please remember that everyone has every sign somewhere in their horoscope. The Cardinal Signs show where in your life you will tend to take action. More information on Cardinal Signs.

The Fixed Signs: like stability. Cardinal Signs like to Run things. Fixed Signs want to Own things. They want to be the boss and let the cardinal signs run things for them. Fixed Signs are stubborn, fixed in position. They frequently take longer to start, but they never seem to stop. Cardinal Signs want to move. Fixed Signs want everything else to move around them while they sit still. The Fixed Signs are Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius. Please remember that everyone has every sign somewhere in their horoscope. The Fixed Signs show where in your life you will tend to stand fast under pressure. More information on Fixed Signs.

The Mutable Signs: are communicators. Cardinal signs take action. Fixed signs develop what the cardinal signs start, and Mutable Signs talk about what the other signs are doing. Actually, if it weren't for the Mutable Signs, the other two types would probably kill each other. Mutables are Adaptable and usually willing to compromise. They are People Oriented and not usually inclined to step on someone else's toes. Cardinal Signs say 揙ut of my way, I抳e got to get this done!? Fixed Signs say 揑 think that this is right and that's wrong, and That's That!? Mutable Signs would say 揕et's talk this over? Mutables will stay with something as long as it is interesting. As soon as it stops being interesting, they are out of there. If something has to be finished soon and they find it very interesting, they won't stop. They will find some excuse to keep it going. Please remember that everyone has every sign somewhere in their horoscope. The Mutable Signs show where in your life you are likely to adapt, talk things over, and compromise. More information on Mutuable Signs.

The Fire Signs: Please remember that everyone has every sign somewhere in their horoscope. What follows is a description of the influence of Fire Signs by themselves, without considering the influence other signs have on the chart. In an individual chart, of course, all the factors blend to produce a unique final result.

Fire burns things. If it were conscious, it would look upon everything else as being either fuel or not fuel. And that's how people with strong Fire placements seem to act. They can be so completely self-centered, it sometimes seems they don't know that anyone else is really alive. It's very difficult to get them to see things from anyone else's point of view because, deep inside themselves, they don't believe there is any other point of view. Just their own. Fire Signs deal with situations by pushing any and all obstacles out of the way.

On the more positive side, Fire shows your true identity, what you are really like inside, what you seem to initiate by yourself alone.

Fire Signs show the places in your horoscope where you are at your most assertive and inspired, where you can get the 揵ig picture rather than get bogged down in details.

Aries is Cardinal Fire. It shows where you can initiate action immediately, forcefully and directly.

Leo is Fixed Fire and shows where you are Creative, where you can really put your heart into something.

Sagittarius is Mutable Fire. This is the sign of Wisdom. It's placement in your horoscope shows where and how you can understand things and make sense of it all.

Aries is like an Explosion, Leo like Sunshine, and Sagittarius like a Candle in the Dark. More information on Fire Signs.

The Earth Signs: Please remember that everyone has every sign somewhere in their horoscope. What follows is a description of Earth Signs by themselves without considering the influence other signs have on the chart. In an individual horoscope, of course, all the factors blend to produce a unique final result. Earth is solid, tangible. Fire is intuitive. Earth Signs, by contrast, believe only what they can see, hear, touch, taste or smell. If they can't sense something, then to them, it doesn't exist. Fire Signs just know that there is something coming from just over that hill. Earth Signs will believe it when it gets here. Without Fire, there is no joy, no reason to live. But Earth knows that you can't live on inspiration alone. Someone has to do the hard work and take out the garbage at the end of the day. Earth Signs show the places in your horoscope where you are practical, 揹own to earth? and take care of those daily chores, those details of living. On the negative side, the placements of Earth Signs in your horoscope can show where you are rigid and blocked, afraid to move. More information on Earth Signs.

The Air Signs: Please remember that everyone has every sign somewhere in their horoscope. What follows is a description of Air Signs by themselves without considering the influence other signs have on the chart. In an individual horoscope, of course, all the factors blend to produce a unique final result. Air Signs deal with communications, relationships, and intellect. They are the most human of the signs. By themselves, they are also the most cold and emotionally detached. Those with heavy emphasis on Air Signs in their horoscopes find it difficult to understand other, more emotional, people. 揃ut why did they do that??they ask. 揟hat was so irrational!?Of course it was. And that's that. But Air Sign folks can't let things rest there. They have to discuss things more. They always need more information. In the horoscope, Air Signs show where we emphasize thought, communication ability, and sociability. Without Air Signs in the horoscope, a strong Fire Sign influence would make us charge off and get into trouble, and a strong Earth Sign presence could make us just sit there, doing the same old routines over and over, never being able to think of improving things. More information on Air Signs.

The Water Signs: Please remember that everyone has every sign somewhere in their horoscope. What follows is a description of Water Signs by themselves without considering the influence other signs have on the chart. In an individual horoscope, of course, all the factors blend to produce a unique final result. Water is emotion and 搃nstinct? Fire Signs seem to want to burn away all obstacles. Water Signs, by contrast, want to enfold EVERYTHING, be everywhere, cover as much as possible, and more. For example, check out the horoscope of Bill Gates. He has his Sun in the Water Sign of Scorpio and his Ascendant (the Rising Sign) is another Water Sign, Cancer. The motto he chose for his company was 揗icrosoft Everywhere? Water Signs (emotion) frequently clash with those who have an emphasis on air signs (intellect) because those with an excess of water are frequently unaware of the steps they are taking when thinking. It seems to the Water Sign people that they just 搆now?something to be true. When the air sign folks press them for the reason Why they said something, the Water Sign person has no answer. So each goes off thinking that the other one is stupid. In the horoscope, Water Signs show where we emphasize emotion, nurturing, and intuition. Without the Water Signs, we could never really Feel and life would not be worth living. More information on Water Signs.