The Three Modes/Qualities in Astrology- Quadruplicities

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Each of the 12 signs of the zodiac are assigned and categorised into 3 groups- Polarity, Element and Mode. This means that each sign has a specific polarity, a specific element and a specific mode.

The unique categorisation of the signs into each of these groups gives us a better understanding of how each of the 12 signs work. Without the signs being categorised into these groups, we wouldn't be able to gain an understanding of them and also would not be able to distinguish them from each other.

For example, the 3 Fire Signs are different from each other and do not have the same characteristics; just because they share the same element type, it does not mean that they will not share the same mode type. In this way, they are going to be different. We can gain a better understanding of the similarities and differences of the signs by grouping them into the 3 categories, and just because they belong to the same element group or polarity type doesn't mean they are the same.

Today, I am going to be talking about the Mode Groups and what they mean.. I will link my post on the other 2 groups- Polarity and Elements- at the end of this post.

The Modes/Qualities in Astrology- Quadruplicities

In Astrology, each of the 12 signs are categorised into 3 Mode types- Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable. The Modes are also referred to as the Quadruplicities/Qualities.

Each mode type has 4 signs and is in a Square aspect to each other around the chart.

The following signs belong to the following mode types....

Cardinal- Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn

Fixed- Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius

Mutable- Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces

As I said above, the mode type of a specific sign gives us a better understanding of how the sign works, how it is expressed and what characteristics it exhibits. Depending on the 2 other groups the sign falls into- the Polarity and Element Type - (discussed in upcoming posts, I will link below), we can interpret each sign and how it works with accuracy.

You may think that the sign that your Sun is in (aka, your Sun sign), determines what mode type best describes you, but that isn't the case. In astrology, we use a scoring system to determine the mode that best represents you and is strongest in your chart (it can be even, or it can be extremely unbalanced. This means that more than one mode type can represent you). We calculate each chart point, looking at the Planets and other relevant celestial objects in your chart. At the end of this, we add everything up and calculate the score, which allows us to determine what mode is strongest, what one is lacking, etc.

The amount of modes/qualities in your chart can help us determine characteristics of your personality, how someone deals with and their attitudes in life and how they interact and exist in their immediate environment.

I am now going to go into each Mode Type in greater detail, and tell you what a lack of, or a extreme presence of, each of these modes can mean for you.

Mode 1- Cardinal

Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn

The Cardinal Mode in Astrology are the signs that mark the beginning of the seasons. Aries marks the beginning of Spring (in the Northern hemisphere), Cancer marks the beginning of Summer, Libra marks the beginning of Autumn/Fall and Capricorn marks the beginning of Winter.

The Cardinal Signs and the Planets and objects that may be in these signs in a chart can show where a person takes action in life. Cardinal energy is focused, motivated and know's what direction it wants to go in. The Cardinal Mode is traditionally referred to as 'Moveable', and this word describes and gives us a visual analogy in which we can think of the Cardinal Mode as. It is fluid and moves along at a fast pace.

Someone with a lot of Cardinal energy in their chart may be highly motivated and opportunistic, getting used to new situations and being able to grasp new concepts quickly. They can be quite forceful, energetic and tend to thrive in chaotic or dramatic situations. They hate being bored and prefer to be active, and can sometimes need drama in their life. If they don't have drama in their life, they may seek it. In this way, they can come across as over-dramatic or drama queens. They can be good at dealing with crisis and conflict, and like the challenge it presents. They may have a lot of idea's, and may be easily able to start things but the issue comes in regards to finishing thing's, especially if they become bored in the middle of it. Cardinal energy is very similar to Fire energy, and can be compared to ADHD. Not everyone with a lot of Cardinal energy is going to have ADHD of course, but the vibe of Cardinal energy is much like it in that it has a lot of idea's, is very fast and can seem unstoppable.

People with a lot of Cardinal energy are the initiators of life. They are impulsive, spontaneous and full of energy.

Mode 2- Fixed

Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius

The Fixed Mode in Astrology are the signs that are in the middle of the seasons. Taurus marks the middle of Spring (in the Northern hemisphere), Leo marks the middle of Summer, Scorpio marks the middle of Autumn/Fall and Aquarius marks the middle of Winter.

The Fixed Signs and the Planets and objects that are in them in a chart can show where in a person's life they tend to be consistent. Fixed energy is consistent and does not respond to change as well as the Cardinal and Mutable Modes do. As the name suggests, the Fixed Mode lacks movement, which we can use to give us a visual example of how the mode works. It can be inflexible, not wanting to move along and change frequently.

Someone with a lot of Fixed energy in their chart may not respond well to change and may require an established routine in their life to help them feel secure. They may get stuck in their ways, and once their routine is well established, it can be hard for them to want to change it. They form habits pretty quickly. It can take a bit of time for them to get adjusted and because change is inevitable in life, they may require a bit more time to get used to the idea. For example, if there is going to be change in say, their career and environment, they will respond best to it if they have significant time in advance to get used to the idea and begin the process of wrapping their mind around it. They will most likely not respond well to anything being 'sprung' upon them with minimal notice, and depending on the amount of other Modes in their chart, they may react to surprises really adversely, feeling trapped or becoming very anxious and needing to get out of the situation to be alone to collect their thoughts. They can be quite stubborn.

It's not all bad though. Someone with a lot of Fixed energy in their chart may be very reliable, predictable and less likely to deviate from plans, making them more dependable and stable. They really do crave stability, and are more likely to resent chaos and conflict, especially when compared to Cardinal energy. Cardinal energy craves chaos, but for someone with a lot of Fixed energy, chaos may be too unpredictable and may create too much upheaval and unknown outcomes, which Fixed energy probably won't adapt to well. It can be hard for someone with a lot of Fixed energy to understand why some people want constant drama in their life. Someone with a lot of Fixed energy can be very persistent, and in this way may be able to see tasks through from start to finish without becoming bored in the process, unlike Cardinal energy which has no problem starting things, but does have problems when it comes to finishing things. The only issue with Fixed energy is that it can be quite inflexible and not open to change.

People with a lot of Fixed energy are the builders of life.

Mode 3- Mutable

Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces

The Mutable Mode in Astrology are the signs that mark a change in the seasons. Gemini marks a change in Spring (in the Northern hemisphere), Virgo marks a change in Summer, Sagittarius marks a change in Autumn/Fall and Pisces marks a change in Winter.

The Mutable Signs and the Planets and objects that may be in these signs in a chart can show where a person is most likely to be flexible and adaptable in life. Mutable energy is a mix of Cardinal and Fixed energy, and it is very adaptable and flexible. As the name Mutable suggests, it is able to go with the flow and is changeable.

Someone with a lot of Mutable energy in their chart can be described as a chameleon. They may be able to adapt to different situations quickly and are flexible. They are not as stuck in their ways as Fixed energy is, and are able to see the necessity of change. They take on new idea's quickly, but they can also be indecisive, seeing thing's from multiple aspects and not being able to narrow down what they want to do as a result of this. Due to their indecisiveness, they can be less reliable than people with a lot of Fixed energy, and can also be less predictable. However, they may be a 'people person' and are highly concerned with their relationships.

People with a lot of Mutable energy are the adaptors of life.

Someone with a lack of Mutable energy in their chart (as always, depending on the amount of other Modes present) may be inflexible and may expect everyone to adapt to their wants and needs, without seeing the need of taking the middle ground and compromising.