The four elements
Fire initiates through instinct and conviction. Earth makes things concrete and workable. Air connects through thought and exchange. Water responds through feeling and intuition.
The three modalities
Cardinal signs begin. Fixed signs sustain. Mutable signs adapt. Every sign combines one element with one modality, which is why no two signs perform the same function.
The twelve styles
| SIGN | ELEMENT · MODE | CORE MOVEMENT |
|---|---|---|
| ♈︎ Aries | Fire · Cardinal | Acts first |
| ♉︎ Taurus | Earth · Fixed | Builds and preserves |
| ♊︎ Gemini | Air · Mutable | Compares and connects |
| ♋︎ Cancer | Water · Cardinal | Protects and contains |
| ♌︎ Leo | Fire · Fixed | Creates and radiates |
| ♍︎ Virgo | Earth · Mutable | Sorts and improves |
| ♎︎ Libra | Air · Cardinal | Relates and balances |
| ♏︎ Scorpio | Water · Fixed | Penetrates and commits |
| ♐︎ Sagittarius | Fire · Mutable | Explores and interprets |
| ♑︎ Capricorn | Earth · Cardinal | Structures and advances |
| ♒︎ Aquarius | Air · Fixed | Reframes and organizes |
| ♓︎ Pisces | Water · Mutable | Absorbs and imagines |