The Qualities in Astrology
The Qualities
After the elements, Astrology uses another classification to define the different temperaments of the Signs. The Qualities, also called the Quadruplicities, because they are divided into groups of four, describe a person’s attitude in life. These groupings are also commonly referred to as Modalities or Modes. Your Quality is a good indicator of how you deal with your environment.
Cardinal
Cancer, Aries, Libra and Capricorn share this modality. The Cardinal Signs are known as the initiators of the Zodiac. You are not likely to find a person in this group slacking off- they like to keep one step ahead of the crowd. They have a strong need to control what is happening around them.
Cancer controls emotions, home, and family; Aries look for leadership and control in many areas; Libra likes to control the social atmosphere and their partnerships; Capricorn uses and controls the material environment.
Fixed
If you are a Leo, Taurus, Aquarius or Scorpio, you are a fixed sign. The fixed signs are not as interested in manipulating their environment as their Cardinal brothers and sisters- they are happy to concentrate on personal matters and will resist outside attempts at trying to change their lives. They tend to hang on to the past, which is their biggest weakness, but they are strong in their stability.
Taurus is the more mainstream of the bunch; Leo has a hard time adapting behavior to different circumstances; Aquarius can become stuck in a negative self-image; Scorpio has a tendency to get mired in emotional mud. However, all of the Fixed signs are able to stick things through.
Mutable
The Mutable Signs are Virgo, Gemini, Sagittarius, and Pisces. This group is the most exposed to environmental influences. It’s easy for these people to let go, but they do tend to look for security to anchor their own instabilities on.
Virgo is very much dominated by his or her environment; Gemini tends to change ideas and directions often; Sagittarius goes through life with a continually adaptive view of things; from the outside, Pisces appear to adapt to their environment.
The qualities are sometimes explained as: Cardinal is the rim of a wheel, Fixed is the hub of a wheel, and Mutable is the spoke of a wheel.
Intermediate and advanced students of Astrology might enjoy our article, SoulMate Astrology.
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