Last week we looked at the four elements (fire, earth, air, water) and three modalities (cardinal, fixed, mutable) in the context of relationship dynamics. This week we'll continue by looking at the nature of each Zodiac sign. There are four elements and three modalities. One modality in each element makes up the twelve signs.

In observing our interactions with others, and watching the energy dynamics play out, we need to know which sign has which element and modality. Once we know that we know the essential nature of the energies involved.

We'll begin by looking at the modalities within each element:

FIRE:
Aries is the cardinal fire sign.
Leo is the fixed fire sign.
Sagittarius is the mutable fire sign.

EARTH:
Taurus is the fixed earth sign.
Virgo is the mutable earth sign.
Capricorn is the cardinal earth sign.

AIR:
Gemini is the mutable air sign.
Libra is the cardinal air sign.
Aquarius is the fixed air sign.

WATER:
Cancer is the cardinal water sign.
Scorpio is the fixed water sign.
Pisces is the mutable water sign.

Last week we saw how the modalities reflect the essential energy of life cycles: cardinal, fixed and mutable. We can see this cycle when we place the twelve Zodiac signs in order throughout the year - each cycle begins with a cardinal sign, which flows into a fixed sign, which flows into a mutable sign and then another mini-cycle is initiated with another cardinal sign. The full Zodiac year begins with cardinal sign Aries and ends with mutable sign Pisces. So we can see the patterns - cardinal energy initiates a cycle, fixed energy sustains it and mutable energy dissolves it into the next cycle. See last weeks newsletter for more about the nature of the modalities.

The Twelve signs in order as the appear throughout the year:

Aries - cardinal
Taurus - fixed
Gemini - mutable
Cancer - cardinal
Leo - fixed
Virgo - mutable
Libra - cardinal
Scorpio - fixed
Sagittarius - mutable
Capricorn - cardinal
Aquarius - fixed
Pisces - mutable

Cardinal is always first, followed by fixed energy, followed by mutable. So we can begin to see how life operates through cycles within cycles! Each cycle begins in a cardinal sign, is carried forward in a fixed sign, and is completed and dissolved in a mutable sign. If we apply this to the year, we can see that each season begins in a cardinal sign.

The four seasons, spring, summer, autumn and winter are marked by the four cardinal signs: Aries (spring equinox), Cancer, Libra (autumn equinox) and Capricorn. The peak of each season is marked by the four fixed signs: Taurus is the fullness of spring, Leo is the height of summer, Scorpio the peak of autumn and Aquarius marks the depths of winter. The mutable signs mark the changing season, where one season rolls into the next - In Gemini spring rolls into summer, in Virgo summer rolls into autumn, in Sagittarius autumn rolls into winter and in Pisces winter rolls into spring. One of the best ways to understand the energies involved is to observe ourselves through the changing of the seasons.


See you next time, and in the meantime...
happy exploring!

Best Wishes,

Ruth