More on Modalities
This post contains more information on the modalities of cardinal, fixed and mutable signs. It also includes a bit of delineation on the emphasis and deficits of the modalities, or quadruplicities, in a chart.
One thing to keep in mind while counting up our totals is the theory that we sometimes become what we want (or lack) and we do what we can (or have to do).
Basics on Modalities
Cardinal Signs
The cardinal signs are associated with starting things, initiating things or being "enterprising". They are forceful and aggressive and have the will to accomplish something, often something new. They project into the world. They are creative in the sense that they cause things and start things.
Aries people will do this energetically and urgently (or impatiently). They cannot wait to do what they have in mind to do and that which is motivated by their enthusiasm.
Cancerians are emotionally assertive. They project emotion in a protective and sensitive way.
Librans do it in a balanced way, considering the viewpoints of others. Because they are people of air, they are more likely to project in a verbal way, compared with Aries who take action on their enthusiasm. Librans will tend to use language to cause others to take the necessary action.
Capricorn projects in a practical, down to earth manner. It takes action based on practical need, and success.
Fixed Signs
The fixed signs are concerned with maintaining something, changing things so they are the same as before, or stabilizing things. Fixed and changed appear to be contradictory. Imagine a house. Every day it gets untidy and dirty. In order to keep it in its "normal" state, it must be changed - cleaned, tidied, etc - so it remains the same. A body needs to be regularly fed and watered if it is to maintain its state of being alive. There appears to be no change because there is a lot of change directed to maintain a state, such as a clean house and a living body. Another example is a field. If the field is not maintained (lots of change, like ploughing, setting seed, weeding, etc) then the field will disappear as Nature reclaims it. What is fixed is the clean house, the living body and the field. What is changed is all the things that keep, for example a field, a field and not a wilderness.
Taurus wants to make the products of the self, sometimes material wealth, permanent and fixed. Taureans do not like changes in their wealth. You might think this is true of everyone, however some people do not measure their lives by the wealth they accumulate and these people are far less upset than Taureans when their personal wealth is threatened.
Leo wants to keep its personal power. It wants to be impressive and creative and keep this relationship with others. It makes changes so that it remains in its power state.
Scorpio is fixed in terms of their emotional reactions. It feels more secure when they know what feelings others have. Scorpio makes changes, that is, seeks to know the deep emotions that others have which motivates them.
Aquarius wants to keep their beliefs, etc concerning humanity fixed. Aquarians seek to keep their friends. If they are revolutionaries, then they remain revolutionaries.
Mutable Signs
Mutable signs are concerned with changing things into something else. This is not transforming as much as it moving on to something else. The emphasis is on adaptability in the sense that while the fixed signs resist change, the mutable signs accept it. The mutable signs end a cycle and lead on to the beginning of the new quadruplicity. While the fixed signs adapt the environment to their needs, wants and goals, the mutable signs adapt their needs, wants and goals to the environment. If the field grows weeds, they adapt themselves to them. And if the field becomes a wilderness, they adapt themselves to the wilderness. In this way they cease to make the changes necessary to keep things as they are, and allow almost any kind of change. This is true of all the mutable signs. This is not to say that mutable signs never resist change, or that they never try to achieve goals at odds with the environment, but it is to say they are more likely to give up or to give in than the fixed signs are.
Gemini is a sign of the air and therefore is concerned with communication, words and the mind. Gemini’s will adapt themselves to their environment and therefore not cause things to persist.
Virgo is critical and analytical. In this way, Virgo brings to an end something which was previously believed.
Sagittarius is the ninth sign. It is a sign of fire. While it is a seeker of knowledge, its key phrase is "I know". Sagittarius brings about the end of ignorance by discovering the truth, according to Sagittarius so that it seeks final knowledge (the end of knowledge).
Pisces brings about the end of emotions through dissolving into the oneness of all things.
Emphasis and Deficits in Modalities
Cardinal Signs:
Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn.
People with a heavy emphasis in cardinal signs are self-starters, doers. They initiate and get things moving. Folks with few planets in cardinal signs may have trouble getting the ball rolling.
Fixed Signs:
Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius.
People with a heavy emphasis in fixed signs hang onto and preserve life. They are at the center of things and are hard to budge. Folks with few planets in fixed signs may have trouble persevering and lack stick-to-it-ive-ness.
Mutable Signs:
Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces.
People with a heavy emphasis in mutable signs are on the move and transformative. They communicate and assist things to change. Folks with few planets in mutable signs may have trouble adapting or being flexible.