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Sign Elements, Modes, Polarities

The twelve zodiac signs are organized into 4 elements, 3 modes, and the yin-yang polarity. Learning this underlying organizing principle is the best way to start learning astrology as a system. See your Astro Profile to find out which elements & modes are strongest in your chart.

Elements

Fire

Fire

Passionate & Inspiring

Signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius

Motivation: to find meaning, explore possibilities, feel fully alive, seek adventure and challenge, to be authentically oneself

Strengths: confidence, energy, passion, enthusiasm, inspiring others, warmth, joy, faith, decisiveness

Struggles: self-absorption, fear of feeling ordinary, being overly dramatic or attention-seeking

Growth: develop self-awareness & empathy, get feedback on impact

Earth

Earth

Practical & Reliable

Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

Motivation: to create stability, sensuality, and order, manage resources effectively, build enduring structures

Strengths: stability, reliability, practicality, sensuality, resourcefulness, persistence

Struggles: resistance to change, inflexibility, being overly cautious, stagnation

Growth: learn to adapt to change while maintaining core values, practice taking reasonable risks

Air

Air

Intellectual & Communicative

Signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius

Motivation: to understand rationally, to communicate & exchange ideas, to seek intellectual stimulation

Strengths: analysis, problem-solving, mediating conflicts, objectivity, fairness, seeing all sides of an issue

Struggles: emotional detachment or avoidance, overthinking, intellectualizing emotions, indifference

Growth: develop emotional intelligence & empathy, validate others subjective experiences

Water

Water

Intuitive & Emotional

Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

Motivation: to feel, to connect emotionally, seek intimacy, form meaningful relationships

Strengths: empathy, intuition, nurturing ability, emotional depth, creativity

Struggles: mood swings, difficulty setting healthy boundaries, hypersensitivity

Growth: develop emotional resilience, learn to self-validate & self-empathize around sensitivity, release expired situations and feelings

Modes

Cardinal

Cardinal

Initiating & Proactive

Signs: Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn

Motivation: to initiate, create, and develop new things, to move forward, to start projects

Strengths: boldness, assertiveness, determination, persistence, inspirational leadership

Struggles: lack of follow-through or maintaining systems if there is no challenge or excitement

Growth: take time for long-term planning, be mindful of power dynamics around leadership roles, delegate

Fixed

Fixed

Stable & Persistent

Signs: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius

Motivation: to sustain, protect, and intensify existing conditions

Strengths: stability, persistence, commitment, follow-through, maintaining projects

Struggles: resistance to change, stubbornness or inflexibility, difficulty adapting to new situations or letting go of outdated ideas or relationships

Growth: soften rigid boundaries, learn to embrace change when necessary, release attachment to outcome

Mutable

Mutable

Adaptable & Flexible

Signs: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces

Motivation: to change, transform, and discover new things

Strengths: adaptability, flexibility, being open to new experiences and ideas, adjusting to changing circumstances, finding creative solutions to problems

Struggles: inconsistency, difficulty in committing to one path, scattered energy, indecisiveness

Growth: ground excess energy, prioritize amongst possibilities, practice mindfulness to increase focus and calm the mind

Polarities

Yang

Yang

Active & Individual

Fire & Air Signs: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, Aquarius

Values: The mind, thinking, challenging limits, innovation, achievement, excitement, movement, progress, novelty, self-expression, taking action, leadership, inspiration, change

Shadow: Ignoring real limits, bypassing, hubris, indifference, insensitivity, impatience, lack of introspection, burnout, chaos

Yin

Yin

Receptive & Collective

Earth & Water Signs: Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, Pisces

Values: The body, feeling, instinct, nurturing, belonging, collective survival, tradition, family, wellbeing, patience, allowing what is, receptivity, depth, stability, sensitivity to suffering

Shadow: Fixed mindset, conformity, passivity, stagnation, lack of imagination, enduring what could be changed, resistance to new ideas

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