There are 12 different astrological signs that represent 12 distinct types of people. However, there is a neat system that break downs these 12 types into combinations of 4 elements and 3 modalities. Each element represents a set of values a person shares, and each modality instead represents role a person plays in a society. Together these two things make up for a person's type.
Each element has three signs. People with Sun in signs of the same element can mostly agree on values and principles. That allows them to cooperate and get along with each other. Moon and other planets are responsible for other individual traits, I will cover planets in separate articles.
Fire signs of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius can agree on one set of principles. Earth signs of Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn on other set of principles. Air signs could agree on yet another set of principles and so on. This understanding within the group gives people an illusion that their values are universal and everyone agrees on.
There are four sets of values that fight for control over the world and shape its history. You can notice how decades where Earth and Water placements dominate are often conservative, chaotic, backward (nostalgic) and divisive. In contrast decades of Air and Fire domination are often forward looking, optimistic and often come with significant technological advancements in different fields. This is a reason why Fire and Air elements are called masculine and Water and Earth feminine.
Of all values it is said that Fire can get along with Air even if they have little in common. Earth similarly can get along with Water. In contrast Fire and Water have most disagreement and Air and Earth are not too far behind. In Air and Earth combination one can expect plenty of disputes over values where one would say that A is good, and B is bad and the other will disagree and insist that B is good, and A is bad instead. I can tell from my own experience.
There is also a final division that further divides or characterize each sign and that is modality, that can be either cardinal, fixed or mutable. Each element has one cardinal, one fixed and one mutable sign. Together elements and modality create a system than both divides and makes each individual sign.
Cardinal signs are often called leaders. Cardinal signs are self-assertive and self-driven. They are driven by their desires or a vision of reality that they want to implement. This is the type that wants to shape the world around them to their vision. They see issue or problem and think of a method to solve it to their satisfaction. Cardinal signs have "eyes on the prize" and see end results as the most important thing. They are willing to be creative with their methods of achieving results they want and would try variety of things to get where they want to get. Cardinal sings prefer smart and elegant solutions to problems.
Fixed signs are often called stubborn and inflexible. Unlike cardinal signs that prefer smart strategies, fixed signs rely on sheer force and stubbornness. Fixed signs do not think of better methods to achieve results but instead push through in force with their way of life. They can be either agents of change or opponents to change. For fixed signs methods can be as important as results. In general, fixed signs are easier to understand than cardinal ones, they are much more straightforward. They often say what they think. In Contrast cardinal signs often say what they think will get them best outcomes.
Finally mutable signs are flexible and adopt to situations around them. Instead of fighting for change or resisting it, they go with the flow. Some of them can figure out how to take advantage of any given situation. Most however just accept life around them uncritically and follow trends around them. Mutable signs dislike boredom when nothing happens and often value experiences no matter good or bad. They like various when things happening around them or with them. If cardinal signs are leaders, then mutable signs are followers.
Each element has one cardinal, one fixed and one mutable sign. The full team of 3 to work on their elemental agenda.
4 sets of values and 3 modalities together create 12 distinct combinations that represent 12 distinct types of behavior. You can subdivide each sign's traits into those that comes from an element and those that come from modality. Doing that would allow you to not only understand each sign better, but also better understand where it fits into a bigger picture.
The same principle further applies to the rest of natal chart, where combining these 12 types with 10 planets produce a very large number of possible combinations, enough to cover pretty much every possible type of human out there. Human psychology may be a complex thing when you look at it as a whole. However, one can better understand it by breaking it down into smaller bits it is made of and study these individual bits separately. Astrology is just the tool to do so, tool proven to work by centuries of practice.
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