To understand astrology, or life, or any spiritual study and science, one must first understand the essence of things, the foundations, and then connect to nature in a deeper way. Astrology is deeply connected to nature as it essentially shows cycles within cycles; our natal chart is land and soil within which we move, and a spiritual study of all that which has been consumed by time. Astrology is about calculations and patterns, but to understand the outputs we must understand the inputs and what these variables hold within. Astrology can also be seen as a measurement of a biological mechanism; all the signs and planets basically represent organs of consciousness – a certain part of our body, a certain function, and again, it is cycles within cycles, it is movements and ways of moving. You can read about the planets in my Spiritual Astrology, and Deeper Understanding of the Planets.
Today I’ll guide you through understanding the different elements and modalities, in order to understand some of the foundations of the twelve signs of the zodiac. These can help you understand the natural flow of your energy, as well as give you a hawk eye’s view of how your purpose may be unfolding in this life. Of course, there are also constellations, nakshatras, aspects, divisional charts – astrology is a deep spiritual science which requires discipline, order, and holistic and esoteric knowledge gained over many years of practice, but today I’ll introduce you to one of the foundations because foundations matter, otherwise there is no real knowledge and appropriate application and interpretations.
There are four elements – earth, air, fire and water. From alchemy we know that fire and earth change and transmute, while water and air move; or in other words, water and air move things but don’t fundamentally change them. In astrology, each of these elements manifests into three modalities: cardinal (also known as movable), mutable and fixed. So when someone says “Libra is movable air”, what this means is that Libra is an air sign and its modality is movable or cardinal. But what does this actually mean?
If life is a river,
Cardinal signs are the moving waters, the river flow, or the boat paddling down the river – it is what moves us and paves its own way, it has its own direction. And while the current may work for or against them, the cardinal signs’ intention of energy is always more focused on the path they themselves have chosen. This kind of energy flow will always find a way, even through stones. Cardinal energy is here to make its own path, be authentic and move forward with courage without feeling discouraged if no one else is walking that path yet.
Mutable signs are like the fish in the river – they follow the current, they follow the rise and the fall as the riverbank changes with the rain, and things are ever changing and ever moving through all the ebbs and flows. Mutable energy is here to essentially shift and transform things by its own way of shifting and transforming things.
Fixed signs are the great stones within the river. The water may flow around them but they stand steadfast and unyielding. The mutable and cardinal signs must move around them, because the stone is a stone and it has its place and can’t really make itself to move. Is it a bad thing? Of course no – it is just the nature of the things; and it too is influenced and gently moved, because when the flow of the river is strong it will move, or it may even soften its edges to be in greater unison with the rest. Fixed energy is here to often give stability in places there isn’t yet for others to find some solace in the stability also.
So what is movable air Libra?
Libra is all about balance and relationships as you’d often hear, but movable air is what? It is wind. It is air that moves. Libra is ruled by Venus, and I always describe Venus as a woman’s body in a dream space – the way ot gently moves through the night to put itself into more comfort, into balance. Venus is that which puts into balance all that isn’t yet. But what this shows us is that balance is dynamic, not static – it is ever moving and changing. When Libra becomes moving or sometimes “indecisive”, it may be because it seeks to understand and see different perspectives, so that it can bring more balance into things and harmonize that which isn’t yet. And like the wind, it needs to be refreshed and moving otherwise it’d stagnate and be polluted.
What about fixed air? That’s Aquarius – and fixed air is essentially about our ideas, beliefs and all we are fixed on. The elements of air rules our mind and intelligence, it is about communication and how we absorb and digest knowledge. So perhaps at first glance “fixed air” doesn’t sound too good – but it is about a defined way of thinking and intellectualizing the world. Where do we find fixed air? In the eye of the storm, in the eye of the tornado – there, no matter how turbulent all is around it with the strong winds, the eye stands still. The eye of the Aquarius energy is the eye of higher knowledge and wisdom – this is why Aquarius relates to astrology, innovation, and in the sky, its constellation is seen as pouring water or energy (or electricity) of new insight into the collective consciousness; and these are the Uranus waves of the new path forward.
All in nature is neither good nor bad, it just is; but all can become either medicine or poison depending on its usage, and its usage depends on our understanding. So each of these energies, just as all else in life, can have various manifestation. Aquarius can get stuck in their fixedness, Virgo can become too critical and shallow, Libra can too become shallow and indecisive, Scorpio can stay ice, etc.
So what about Virgo? Being an earth sign many people may wonder why they are a bit too restless sometimes – well, Virgo is mutable earth. What is mutable earth? It’s an earthquake – the earth beneath you moves and shifts, and essentially they have a bit of instability and insecurity within them. Often times this may manifest as criticism outward, which is essentially becomes of unacknowledged criticism inward. Cleanliness is important for them because it would give them a sense of stability and peace of mind, as our external environment is an extension of our internal one. But what else is mutable earth? It is the soil ready for gardening. So a beautiful way to channel this energy and bring it forward to its higher manifestation is through working with your hands with the soil. For example, gardening – you bring the energy of the shifting of hands, engaging with different flows and things through touch, and the soil, for the purpose of growing something (which is the intention of most earth sign energies).
As a last example for today – let’s dive into the three water signs: Scorpio is fixed, Cancer is cardinal and Pisces is mutable.
Scorpio is fixed water, and what is fixed water? It is ice. What makes it ice is when it has felt betrayed in some shape or form, the feelings of which can be so deeply hurtful that it pulls away, closes off and ices out – because the emotions and the pain are often too deep to be felt, and such powerful emotions can make them feel out of control, so to regain control they ice out. This is why their greatest spiritual lesson is forgiveness. Water is fluid, so the fixed water element is essentially an energy that separates something to make something that is more defined within a controlled environment. But what else is fixed water? It is moist soils, or even lakes inside the deep forest – full of mysticism and introspection, the possibility of a deepening and birthing something new from the stillness of their devotional inner work. Moist soils are where we birth new things.
What often melts the ice are the warmth, compassion and the moving waters – and the moving waters are the cardinal waters of Cancer. Cardinal waters are also known as the river – and this is what moves us and paves our path, when intuition and intention and authenticity is what moves us. Many people may view Cancerians as too sensitive, and yes they are, but they are very strong and motivated individuals, and are quite independent also, very fierce too when it comes to protecting those they love. They have great perseverance, and their focused energy can make way through stones and all obstacles – do not underestimate the power of water and intentional flow. As gentle and kind as water can be, a riverflow is powerful. What moves the Cancerian energy most powerfully is its heart, because it rules the forth house of the natal chart, which is essentially the first chamber of our heart, the purity and higher consciousness of universal love.
This is why its esoteric ruler is Neptune, i.e. it holds the dreams of humanity and gives them its pure compassion and love, being moved itself by inspiration, devotion and giving itself to service to other, quite literally, bringing them the water, tenderness and care they need. Often times what deeply motivates them actually is having someone to care for and nurture; they actually need to nurture someone or something.
And then there is the ocean – the Pisces – the mutable water. The mutable water takes into itself everything, engages with everything and often like the fish symbolism – it has no direction. It is borderless. And things sometimes get lost there. It is also changeable – which is what mutable means – and it changes according to what is there. Mutable energy has a purpose to change things and can sometimes act as a bridge to other things; so Gemini is mutable air, and it changes through ideas, while Sagittarius is mutable fire and it changes the collective consciousness through its energy and passion for seeking truth and moving and traveling, dissolving the boundaries between us, reaching its hands through the lines that separate us.
The mutable water of Pisces changes things through its feelings and emotions, as it engages and absorbs. The esoteric ruler of Pisces is Pluto showing its need to transform itself, because often it is so focused on others that it doesn’t see itself for the reality of who it is anymore. This is why this energy rules addiction. But – if Pisces learns to shift its eyes inward, to dive deeper into its oceans within, it reaches what it was seeking all along, and the Plutonian fires of transformations show it the truth of matter, the beauty that is found in the heart of oceans.
Taking this a little further,
You can take a look at your natal chart and see the elements and modalities of your planets – this will deepen your understanding of your natural flow and how your overall purpose may be unfolding.
For example, let’s say your Ascendant or North Node are in mutable signs. That may mean that perhaps you are here to shift perceptions; and what are the rulers? If in fixed sign like Taurus, you may be shifting and changing things through your way of creating stability through your core value system, which will then inspire others.
Or suppose most of your personal planets such as your Sun, Moon and Venus are all in cardinal – well, you are here to walk your own path, pave new pathways for people, so do not feel discouraged if obstacles arise, persevere, you are a leader with courage of soul. Suppose your North Node is in mutable sign – well, through your true path following the unique drumming of your heart, you will be helping others to shift their own lives and inspire them.
Now suppose you have a lot of square aspects in your chart – squares show us that the native needs to snap out of something that has become limiting within them, fixed patterns and beliefs, and to break through more deeply conditioned ways of being, thinking and doing; and it may often show karmic skipped steps from past lives. For these reasons, they may experience tension within, which may feel like pressure and frustration, and face external obstacles or conflicts also – and yet the purpose of this is for them to make a change in their life for their evolution and growth, so that they move into something of more benefit for them.
If the square however is happening in fixed signs, then we may see that the pressure and frustrations may be more intense, because naturally fixed energy resists change. So the tension may have to become harder until they let go and move into a different territory through change. What you can then look at is the supportive aspects to this square, which may give you hints on where in their life they may find a release and help in this area. If they have a cardinal Ascendant, perhaps their life path may be about building something, step by step, brick by brick, and through the perseverance and belief in themselves they may learn the flow of life, open their palms for creation and shift from the old perspectives. Perhaps their Saturn in a mutable sign – well, Saturn is our spiritual teacher, and they may be put into a time of surrender and learning, which may help their fixed square aspects loosen in tension and come into new ways of understanding and seeing things.
Take a look at your Navamsa chart – how does your natal Ascendant change to your Navamsa Ascendant. This will show you your evolution if you follow your dharmic path. Suppose you go from fixed water to cardinal air, then you may be called to go from the separations of waters and contrast of emotions towards blending the two together in a flow and experiencing the balance your soul seeks in this life.
Connect to nature, go out and observe how all moves and is in its natural flow while also engaging with all and everything; and how it all helps one another be its true essence, and how within one is all interconnected. We too, within and together, are all interconnected and a beautiful marriage of unique flows and rivers, songs and tunes that make a beautiful symphony and orchestra.
For personal readings with me, please visit my Offerings.
For more of my writings, browse through my Art of Love.
If you wish to support me and my work, you may do so by sharing my articles and poems, buy my poetry books or donate some magic coins in my hat on Paypal. If you would like to work with me, visit my Offerings.
Your support means so much to me! Thank you wholeheartedly!
The beautiful cover art is by Vicente Romero Redondo. His official website is here.
