Latest / Astrology for Beginners / The Zodiac Signs by Element and Mode
Transcript
- 0:02SPEAKER_00: Hello everyone!
- 0:03SPEAKER_00: Welcome back to another episode of the Astrology for Beginners podcast.
- 0:09SPEAKER_00: I'm your host Stefanie Kate Boucher and I am so happy to have you here.
- 0:14SPEAKER_00: This is the podcast for you if you have ever wanted to learn how to read a natal chart or were kind of interested in astrology and wished that you understood more about it but you didn't know where to begin or it seemed too complicated and you didn't have the time or maybe the resources to invest in learning it.
- 0:32SPEAKER_00: My goal is to break things down for you episode by episode in the most simplified way that I can so that you can learn to speak the language of the stars.
- 0:43SPEAKER_00: Today's episode is going to be a fun one, I think.
- 0:47SPEAKER_00: Not that they're not all fun.
- 0:49SPEAKER_00: I think all of astrology is fun.
- 0:51SPEAKER_00: But today we're going to embark on a part of astrology that people like to talk about a lot, maybe the most, and that is the zodiac signs.
- 1:03SPEAKER_00: You probably already know that there are 12 of them.
- 1:06SPEAKER_00: There are 12 signs.
- 1:07SPEAKER_00: And eventually we're going to get around to talking about each one.
- 1:11SPEAKER_00: That will probably happen in the next episode where we'll discuss each sign as an archetype and the energy that they each embody as well as the personality traits, characteristics, and the unique perspective that each sign brings into the world.
- 1:29SPEAKER_00: Before we delve into all the nitty-gritty details of each sign though, today I want to start by introducing you to the concept of sign elements and modes because these are the building blocks of the Zodiac.
- 1:44SPEAKER_00: They are the framework on which the Zodiac system is built, so to speak, and understanding these things will help you understand each of the individual signs better, ultimately.
- 1:58SPEAKER_00: Elements and modes are two different ways of categorizing the signs or dividing them up and then grouping them together with other signs that share some similar traits.
- 2:12SPEAKER_00: Every sign has one of four elements fire, earth, air, or water and each sign also has one of three modes.
- 2:25SPEAKER_00: cardinal, fixed, or mutable.
- 2:28SPEAKER_00: And it is the combination of a particular element with a particular mode that makes each sign unique.
- 2:36SPEAKER_00: So to illustrate how this works, let's use the sign of Aries as an example.
- 2:42SPEAKER_00: Aries, which incidentally is the first sign in the zodiac, is both a fire sign and a cardinal sign.
- 2:51SPEAKER_00: So if we're talking about elements, we can put Aries over in the fire group with its fire friends, which happen to be Leo and Sagittarius because those are the other fire signs.
- 3:03SPEAKER_00: Or, if we're talking about mode instead, we would put Aries in a different group with all of its cardinal friends, which would be Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn, because those are the other cardinal signs.
- 3:18SPEAKER_00: So there are other fire signs besides Aries and there are other cardinal signs besides Aries but Aries is the only sign that has the fire element and the cardinal mode together as its particular combination.
- 3:40SPEAKER_00: Each sign is like that and has its own unique pairing of that element with that mode.
- 3:47SPEAKER_00: There is a handout for this episode that is linked in the show notes and available for download on the Substack page for this podcast.
- 3:56SPEAKER_00: You can pause and look at that now if you want or pull it up for reference later, but it really makes for a helpful visual reference if you need it.
- 4:06SPEAKER_00: It's just a zodiac wheel that shows you every sign's unique element and mode combination.
- 4:13SPEAKER_00: Okay, so let's first talk about the elements and what each of the four elements means and which signs are which.
- 4:23SPEAKER_00: Fire signs are first because the astrological year starts with a fire sign.
- 4:29SPEAKER_00: The three fire signs, as I just mentioned, are Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius.
- 4:35SPEAKER_00: And if you look at them on a zodiac wheel, like the one I just referenced a second ago, each of those fire signs are exactly 120 degrees apart from one another, forming a nice little triangle or trine.
- 4:51SPEAKER_00: That is the case with all of the elements.
- 4:54SPEAKER_00: They always form these nice little triangles with one another.
- 4:58SPEAKER_00: Now, fire signs are very dynamic.
- 5:02SPEAKER_00: Just think of all of the things that automatically come to your mind when you think of fire, right?
- 5:07SPEAKER_00: In fact, the word fiery is a great adjective to use for these signs because these signs are the doers in astrology.
- 5:16SPEAKER_00: They are fiery.
- 5:17SPEAKER_00: They are active.
- 5:18SPEAKER_00: They are full of energy.
- 5:20SPEAKER_00: They're full of enthusiasm and passion.
- 5:23SPEAKER_00: These signs are really fun.
- 5:25SPEAKER_00: They can be extremely creative also.
- 5:29SPEAKER_00: Fire signs like to initiate things and get things started.
- 5:33SPEAKER_00: They often have a vision of how they want things to be or turn out and they want to take action in order to make that happen.
- 5:43SPEAKER_00: And they tend to be unafraid to speak their mind or share their opinion.
- 5:48SPEAKER_00: Now, how they share those opinions can vary a lot.
- 5:52SPEAKER_00: They can do that in a way that's very diplomatic, or they can do it in a way that's more bold or brash sometimes.
- 6:01SPEAKER_00: But because of all these things, they tend to be natural leaders, the fire signs.
- 6:07SPEAKER_00: People look to them for direction.
- 6:10SPEAKER_00: In other words, not only do they glow, but they burn bright.
- 6:16SPEAKER_00: Now, if this description sounds a bit aspirational, it's probably because the dominant culture in modern 21st century America, or probably many parts of the industrialized world, places a huge emphasis on fire energy.
- 6:35SPEAKER_00: We practically
- 6:36SPEAKER_00: 1.
- 6:36SPEAKER_00: Worship Fire Energy
- 6:52SPEAKER_00: innovation sports or war can't forget that one or just fame and being seen and in the spotlight being able to shine so this energy gets really revered here which is interesting because when you look at the natal chart for the United States of America and yes countries can have natal charts just like people do
- 7:20SPEAKER_00: The natal chart of the United States is really easy to determine, in fact, because it coincides with the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776.
- 7:33SPEAKER_00: But when you look at the natal chart for the U.S.,
- 7:36SPEAKER_00: Even though it actually has more air and water elements than it does fire elements, the fire elements it has include some pretty significant things, such as being a Sagittarius rising, as well as having the North Node in Leo.
- 7:54SPEAKER_00: Remember, your rising sign is the part of your personality that you project out into the world, and it's how people see you.
- 8:04SPEAKER_00: And the North Node is sort of the direction that you're headed in or where you're destined to go.
- 8:11SPEAKER_00: So not surprising to me that we'd end up placing so much value on fire energy here and on the types of endeavors where fire energy works well.
- 8:21SPEAKER_00: Now, of course, fire energy is great.
- 8:24SPEAKER_00: We all need to have it in us or around us so that we can bask in its warmth and see by its light.
- 8:32SPEAKER_00: But it's not inherently better than the energy we get from the other elements just because our culture places a premium on it.
- 8:41SPEAKER_00: We need all of the elements to be present in the world and the world functions most smoothly when the elements are in balance.
- 8:52SPEAKER_00: As any natural disaster can show you, excessive amounts of any element can turn destructive.
- 8:58SPEAKER_00: Fire can keep you warm and light the way, but it can also burn you or
- 9:04SPEAKER_00: burn everything around you to the ground.
- 9:06SPEAKER_00: So the shadow side for a fire sign that's out of balance might look like arrogance or self-centeredness.
- 9:15SPEAKER_00: For example, it might be attention seeking, it might be very impulsive or brash at times, and
- 9:23SPEAKER_00: Not always considerate of the feelings of other people, at least not right away.
- 9:29SPEAKER_00: It can also show up as strident or aggressive or forceful even about imposing its will onto others.
- 9:38SPEAKER_00: So fire brings vibrance and energy into the world, but you got to keep an eye on it too.
- 9:45SPEAKER_00: Alright, so next we're going to talk about the Earth Signs.
- 9:50SPEAKER_00: Every fire sign is always followed by an Earth Sign and the three Earth Signs are Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn.
- 10:00SPEAKER_00: Now much like the way I said that the word fiery was a perfect adjective for fire signs, earthy is an equally great way to describe the earth signs.
- 10:11SPEAKER_00: Earth signs are everything you might think of when you think about the earth or mother earth and all of the little axioms that we use to reference the earth.
- 10:21SPEAKER_00: So earth signs might be described as being salt of the earth or down to earth.
- 10:28SPEAKER_00: Both of those kind of being different ways of calling someone trustworthy or honest or reasonable.
- 10:34SPEAKER_00: Earth signs are practical, they're realistic, stable, they're grounded.
- 10:41SPEAKER_00: You can think about that expression maybe of having someone having both feet firmly planted on the ground and earth signs are the ones that can be depended upon to be responsible
- 10:56SPEAKER_00: and show up and do all the things even if that thing is a thing that the other elements don't really think they should have to do.
- 11:06SPEAKER_00: But someone's got to do it so they're going to show up and get their clothes dirty.
- 11:11SPEAKER_00: These signs, the earth signs, are the ones that rule over material resources, so they tend to be very good at building things.
- 11:21SPEAKER_00: That could be a house or it could be an empire.
- 11:25SPEAKER_00: And they're also adept at accumulating and managing their resources.
- 11:30SPEAKER_00: They like comfort.
- 11:32SPEAKER_00: They like comfort a lot, in fact.
- 11:34SPEAKER_00: And so they want to make sure that they have everything they need to be comfortable or more.
- 11:40SPEAKER_00: And in their most positive expression, they want to make sure that everyone else has what they need to be comfortable too.
- 11:48SPEAKER_00: They're not big risk takers.
- 11:50SPEAKER_00: They do tend to lean towards caution, because again, stability is super important to Earth signs.
- 11:58SPEAKER_00: The shadow side of these signs is that when they get out of balance, they can become overly rigid in their thinking.
- 12:09SPEAKER_00: That can look like stubbornness or being inflexible, for example.
- 12:15SPEAKER_00: Greed can get the better of them too, and they can fall into a more materialistic lifestyle that is focused on opulence or lavishness, or simply just identifying too much with one's possessions or one's wealth.
- 12:32SPEAKER_00: And of course, that's an out-of-balance Earth sign.
- 12:35SPEAKER_00: In general, the Earth signs are super to have around.
- 12:39SPEAKER_00: Up next are the Air Signs.
- 12:42SPEAKER_00: Air Signs always follow Earth Signs on the calendar just like Earth Signs always follow Fire Signs.
- 12:49SPEAKER_00: And the three Air Signs are Gemini, Libra and Aquarius.
- 12:55SPEAKER_00: Air signs are thinkers and communicators.
- 12:59SPEAKER_00: They like to live in their heads a lot, so to speak, so they can be very logical and intellectual.
- 13:06SPEAKER_00: These are very intellectual signs.
- 13:08SPEAKER_00: They're curious and analytical.
- 13:10SPEAKER_00: But at the same time, they're also very relational.
- 13:15SPEAKER_00: So it isn't just thinking for the sake of thinking or analysis for the sake of analysis per se.
- 13:21SPEAKER_00: It's more that they ultimately want to share what they're thinking about with others and spread ideas far and wide.
- 13:30SPEAKER_00: So there's a real social component to the air signs.
- 13:33SPEAKER_00: They like to form connections with other people, and they also like to connect other people with one another.
- 13:42SPEAKER_00: So networking, for example, would be a very air sign thing to do.
- 13:48SPEAKER_00: And I'm willing to bet that whomever even came up with the word networking, or at least the concept of networking, had strong air sign energy in their chart.
- 13:59SPEAKER_00: Like fire signs, air signs can be fun to be around too because they're sociable and they tend to have a really good sense of humor.
- 14:09SPEAKER_00: They can be very witty and are often found among those folks who excel at banter or have you know a funny little quip or one-line zinger at the ready all the time which they're not afraid to use because ultimately they're pretty free-spirited as well and
- 14:28SPEAKER_00: Significantly, air signs make good peacekeepers.
- 14:32SPEAKER_00: This is due more to their logical nature combined with their strong social skills as well as a tendency to maintain neutrality and stay very objective.
- 14:44SPEAKER_00: Because ultimately, what they really want is to help everyone move forward into the unknown and whatever comes next.
- 14:54SPEAKER_00: The shadow side of an air sign, when they get imbalanced, is that their curiosities, interests, and activities, because there are so many of them, can pull them in too many directions and they can become scattered and unfocused.
- 15:09SPEAKER_00: Which, as we all know, can make it really hard to make progress on anything.
- 15:14SPEAKER_00: They can get stuck with their heads in the clouds or lost in big grand ideas and lose sight of what's actually realistic.
- 15:25SPEAKER_00: So whereas Earth signs are very grounded, air signs can become untethered.
- 15:31SPEAKER_00: Another shadow trait that can show up with air signs a lot is long-windedness or just kind of non-stop talking.
- 15:39SPEAKER_00: This isn't universal by any means, of course not all air sign people do this, but if you do happen to know someone who, you know, when you're with them it's hard to get a word in edgewise because they're always the one doing the talking.
- 15:54SPEAKER_00: That's probably someone with a lot of air sign energy in their chart.
- 15:58SPEAKER_00: Like, if they're not a literal air sun sign, it could be that one of their other big three signs, which would be their moon or their rising sign, is an air sign.
- 16:08SPEAKER_00: or they have a lot of planets in air signs especially if one of those planets is Mercury which is the planet of communication or maybe their third house which is the house of communication is in an air sign or their chart ruler is in an air sign.
- 16:24SPEAKER_00: There are lots of possibilities but those are certainly some things that I would look for in that
- 16:30SPEAKER_00: situation.
- 16:31SPEAKER_00: So that's air and finally after every air sign comes a water sign.
- 16:38SPEAKER_00: The water signs are Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces and these signs are
- 16:46SPEAKER_00: really tuned in to their emotions and the emotions of others.
- 16:51SPEAKER_00: These are feeling signs.
- 16:53SPEAKER_00: They're very intuitive and often really adept at sensing the undercurrents that are going on around them.
- 17:02SPEAKER_00: They sense what's going on with people or situations, almost like they can really read a room without even really trying very hard.
- 17:12SPEAKER_00: and because they have this strong ability to tap into what's going on with people, water signs tend to be very compassionate and nurturing.
- 17:23SPEAKER_00: They are really capable of offering people empathy
- 17:28SPEAKER_00: and unconditional love, even in moments when some of the other signs might find it really taxing to do that.
- 17:36SPEAKER_00: So if we think about the qualities associated with water for a moment, what comes to mind?
- 17:43SPEAKER_00: Well, water is kind of intangible.
- 17:48SPEAKER_00: You can touch it, feel it, be immersed in it, but you can't really hold on to it easily.
- 17:54SPEAKER_00: You just have to let it move and do its thing.
- 17:58SPEAKER_00: Similarly, the water signs are always ebbing and flowing and adapting to every situation that they're in.
- 18:07SPEAKER_00: And it's this sense of flow that can make them really comfortable with the aspects of life that are also intangible or fluid.
- 18:17SPEAKER_00: They can be drawn towards mysticism and mystery, for example.
- 18:22SPEAKER_00: Spirituality can be an area they excel in.
- 18:25SPEAKER_00: So can art because they adore beauty in all its forms.
- 18:30SPEAKER_00: or they may just like things that deal with more watery, less concrete topics like psychology or human behavior.
- 18:41SPEAKER_00: You know, it can also help in understanding the water signs to think about the words that are associated with water, like water can come in waves or water can run deep.
- 18:56SPEAKER_00: or water can act as a mirror where people can see themselves reflected back at them.
- 19:04SPEAKER_00: Water can be serene and create an environment of stillness and calm for people, right?
- 19:11SPEAKER_00: But it can also flood things or sweep you out to sea.
- 19:16SPEAKER_00: So there's a lot of power in water.
- 19:19SPEAKER_00: Also, our tears are made of water.
- 19:21SPEAKER_00: And I mean, what's a bigger symbol of emotion than tears?
- 19:26SPEAKER_00: Right?
- 19:27SPEAKER_00: Truly, the dreamy water signs are like these profound creatures who can see life for the tumultuous thing that it is, but somehow still see the romance in it anyway, even in the middle of a huge storm.
- 19:45SPEAKER_00: In regards to the shadowy side of water, we just alluded to some of it, but mood swings or moodiness can be a big one.
- 19:58SPEAKER_00: And water that's out of balance can also become, it's at risk of becoming emotionally manipulative, passive aggressive, or sometimes controlling.
- 20:11SPEAKER_00: There is that line that can be breached when nurturing and caring for someone can cross over into trying to control that person.
- 20:20SPEAKER_00: So, right now I'm thinking of the stereotype of the parent that uses guilt trips to get their adult child to do what they want or live the life they think that grown child should live.
- 20:33SPEAKER_00: That's a good example, I think, of how the more negative embodiment of water can show up.
- 20:40SPEAKER_00: Alright, so those are the four elements.
- 20:43SPEAKER_00: I do want to cover the modes today, too, before we get to next week's episode.
- 20:50SPEAKER_00: As we talked about at the beginning of this episode, every sign has both an element and a mode.
- 20:56SPEAKER_00: And there are only three modes, so this part should go a bit quicker.
- 21:01SPEAKER_00: And we'll start with cardinal signs.
- 21:03SPEAKER_00: And there are four of them.
- 21:04SPEAKER_00: Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn.
- 21:07SPEAKER_00: So Cardinal Fire,
- 21:09SPEAKER_00: Cardinal Water, Cardinal Air, and Cardinal Earth and each of those cardinal signs coincides with the beginning of one of the four seasons.
- 21:19SPEAKER_00: Aries season begins on the spring equinox and marks the first day of spring.
- 21:24SPEAKER_00: Cancer season begins on the summer solstice and marks the first day of summer.
- 21:30SPEAKER_00: Libra season begins on the autumnal equinox and marks the first day of fall.
- 21:36SPEAKER_00: And Capricorn season begins on the winter solstice marking the first day of winter.
- 21:42SPEAKER_00: Of course I just want to you know throw in that this is uh
- 21:46SPEAKER_00: True in the Northern Hemisphere, in the Southern Hemisphere, of course the seasons will all be the opposite but the meanings behind all of these things are the same.
- 21:57SPEAKER_00: So right away you can begin to see what the unifying theme is here.
- 22:03SPEAKER_00: Cardinal signs are the initiators of new things.
- 22:08SPEAKER_00: They are ready for an adventure
- 22:11SPEAKER_00: eager to move into new territories they want to shake things up and do all the things and reach for whatever it is that they desire and they'll probably motivate others to do all those things too now cardinal signs do have
- 22:26SPEAKER_00: The Zodiac Signs by Element
- 22:43SPEAKER_00: While Ares, as the cardinal fire sign, might be running down the street with a metaphorical sword in hand, leaping into action to fight for a cause it believes in because it's fed up and it knows that something needs to happen,
- 23:00SPEAKER_00: Libra, as the opposite, the cardinal air sign, might jump into the fray by forming all kinds of connections, developing relationships, negotiating with people, using diplomacy, and trying to address the same injustice or the same cause that way.
- 23:19SPEAKER_00: So both are initiators wanting to actively solve a problem but going about it very differently.
- 23:26SPEAKER_00: The houses where the cardinal signs show up in your chart, by the way, are the parts of your life where you tend to take chances more or be a little bolder and take the most initiative.
- 23:39SPEAKER_00: So it's worth making a note of that.
- 23:43SPEAKER_00: The fixed signs, on the other hand, are very different.
- 23:46SPEAKER_00: The four fixed signs are Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius.
- 23:51SPEAKER_00: And the fixed signs coincide with the middle of a season.
- 23:56SPEAKER_00: A fixed sign is still flanked by the exact same season on either side of it.
- 24:02SPEAKER_00: So if Taurus falls in the middle of spring and looks backwards, it sees Aries, which is also spring.
- 24:11SPEAKER_00: If it looks forward, it sees Gemini, which is also spring.
- 24:15SPEAKER_00: So a fixed sign doesn't know or completely understand anything other than what it is.
- 24:22SPEAKER_00: It's fixed in place and there are no major changes nearby.
- 24:26SPEAKER_00: So how does that affect a sign?
- 24:29SPEAKER_00: A fixed sign tends to be steady, it's persistent and it's thorough.
- 24:36SPEAKER_00: It's also a little stubborn or a lot stubborn in some cases and it doesn't always appreciate change.
- 24:44SPEAKER_00: It prefers constancy over change.
- 24:47SPEAKER_00: It thinks what it thinks, it likes what it likes, it wants what it wants.
- 24:52SPEAKER_00: And for the record, it's really good at getting a job done because it has the stamina and the patience to see things through.
- 25:02SPEAKER_00: Now, mutable signs, as you may have already guessed, are the signs that come at the end of a season.
- 25:09SPEAKER_00: Those are Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces.
- 25:15SPEAKER_00: And the mutable signs have the job of preparing the way for the changes that are coming.
- 25:21SPEAKER_00: They are able to look ahead and see that changes are afoot and they need to help everyone get on board.
- 25:29SPEAKER_00: So, Gemini season arrives.
- 25:32SPEAKER_00: It's still spring, but feeling more and more like summer every day and, like it or not Taurus, the kids are getting out of school soon.
- 25:40SPEAKER_00: Eventually, summer comes, we get comfortable there, do all the summer things, and before you know it, it's Virgo season, which again, still feels like summer in the beginning, but the kids will soon be back in school and a whole new set of adventures awaits.
- 25:59SPEAKER_00: And Virgo wants to help you make that transition.
- 26:02SPEAKER_00: So the mutable signs are very adaptable.
- 26:05SPEAKER_00: They're not overly fixated on things being any certain way and they're trying to be resourceful and experiment with a lot of different things and they might do things differently than other people have before because they want to find out what's going to work.
- 26:23SPEAKER_00: There's that old saying about building the plane as you fly it, which speaks to the uncertainty that can happen when you're creating something as you go or you're creating it as you're using it.
- 26:37SPEAKER_00: And that can cause some anxiety, right?
- 26:40SPEAKER_00: But that's a very mutable way of operating.
- 26:45SPEAKER_00: And mutable signs can usually get away with it because they're pretty clever folk.
- 26:51SPEAKER_00: Alright, so that's all of them.
- 26:54SPEAKER_00: Now hopefully you have a basic understanding of how the zodiac is organized, or if you don't yet, you will once you absorb it all.
- 27:04SPEAKER_00: Again,
- 27:05SPEAKER_00: Do take a look at the handout, it will help.
- 27:08SPEAKER_00: And next week, we'll begin our discussion of each individual sign and what makes them unique.
- 27:17SPEAKER_00: If you'd like a little homework before next week's episode, if you even want to call it that, then I would encourage you
- 27:24SPEAKER_00: over the next several days to take a look at your natal chart and try and assess what types of elements and modes might be predominant in your chart.
- 27:37SPEAKER_00: You can look at where your planets are, you can look at where your ascendant line is, and you can assess, are they in water signs, air signs, fire signs, earth signs, are they cardinal signs, mutable signs, fixed signs?
- 27:53SPEAKER_00: and sort of think about how you might see those energies playing out in your life and where they show up.
- 28:02SPEAKER_00: In the meantime, if you are enjoying this podcast, I would love it if you could subscribe, either by signing up on Substack or simply by pressing the follow button on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or wherever you are listening.
- 28:17SPEAKER_00: You can also rate or review the podcast.
- 28:20SPEAKER_00: And if you do that, it really helps out the show.
- 28:23SPEAKER_00: I'm so happy you dropped in today.
- 28:25SPEAKER_00: I hope you have a wonderful week and I will see you next time.