How the Signs Are Divided by Cardinal, Fixed, or Mutable Modality

Discover how your sign’s grouping influences your view of the world and your approach to life

Co-authored by Angel Eyedealism and Dan Hickey

Last Updated: March 18, 2023 References

Zodiac Modalities at a Glance

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Cardinal Signs & Traits

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Fixed Signs & Traits

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Mutable Signs & Traits

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Interpreting Modality

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Expert Interview

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Expert Q&A

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Tips

You’ve heard of the zodiac signs being split up into elements like Fire, Water, Air, and Earth before, but now you’re hearing about even more sign categories like Cardinal or Mutable. What do those terms even mean? There are lots of ways to look at the constellations that make up the zodiac, and a sign’s modality (whether it’s Cardinal, Fixed, or Mutable) is another layer of analysis that helps astrologers understand the folks born under that sign. In this article, we’ll walk you through the traits of all 3 modalities and what they mean for the signs they govern. Get ready to understand your zodiac sign on a whole new level!

Things You Should Know

Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) begin each season. They’re natural leaders who initiate things, make plans, and move projects forward.
Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) are mid-season. They’re reliable, persistent people who stick to the plan and can be seen as stubborn.
Mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) end each season. They’re adaptable folks who like change, are spontaneous, and always look forward.

Section 1 of 5:

Zodiac Modalities at a Glance

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The zodiac signs are split into 3 modalities: Cardinal, Fixed & Mutable. Each modality (or quality) encompasses 1 sign from each of the 4 elements (Air, Water, Fire, and Earth), meaning no signs of the same element also have the same modality. Cardinal signs are the first sign of each season of the year, followed by Fixed signs. Mutable signs end each season and prepare for the next.^{[1]
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- The modalities repeat themselves in order around the zodiac circle, beginning with Aries as the first Cardinal sign.
- For example, Aries is the only Cardinal Fire sign. The other Fire signs, Leo and Sagittarius, are Fixed and Mutable, respectively.
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Modality is how the zodiac signs express themselves. It determines how people born under each sign interact with the world and display the unique traits related to their sign’s element. Cardinal signs are typically bold initiators, Fixed signs are enduring followers, and Mutable signs are dynamic changers.^{[2]
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- Modality is just one tool to interpret someone’s birth chart with. A sign’s element and planet placements also factor into a person’s overall traits.
- Understanding how modality impacts each zodiac sign is important to learning astrology.

Section 2 of 5:

Cardinal Signs & Traits

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Cardinal signs initiate the beginning of a new season. This makes people born under Cardinal signs natural leaders who initiate plans and move things forward. They have a knack for getting things done and prefer to get to work on a problem than to sit around and ponder it. Cardinal signs generally love uniqueness and aren’t afraid to set a new trend or stand out from the crowd.^{[3]
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- Those born under Cardinal signs have great planning skills and little trouble getting others to rally around them.
- Cardinal signs, like all signs, have strengths and weaknesses. They may struggle to slow down, appreciate the present, and enjoy themselves.
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The 4 Cardinal signs are Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn. Though they span all 4 elements and are quite different from each other, their Cardinal nature allows them to understand each other and work together (even though they’ll naturally butt heads from time to time). Each of these signs kickstarts their respective season, and people born under these signs show great leadership potential and aren’t afraid to try something new.^{[4]
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- Aries (March 21–April 19): Fire sign and first sign of spring
- Cancer (June 22–July 22): Water sign and first sign of summer
- Libra (September 22–October 23): Air sign and first sign of fall
- Capricorn (December 22–January 19): Earth sign and first sign of winter

Section 3 of 5:

Fixed Signs & Traits

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Fixed signs follow Cardinal signs and span the middle of each season. People born under Fixed signs feel comfortable following a stable path that’s set for them by tradition. They’re generally persistent and reliable, but can be seen as rigid or set in their ways (like Taurus, the notoriously stubborn Bull of the zodiac). It can be hard for Fixed signs to let go of things, even if it has negative consequences (like staying in a toxic relationship).^{[5]
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- Fixed sign folks often make dedicated friends and partners for life, no matter the circumstances.
- Fixed signs have more endurance to see things through and persevere through adversity than Cardinal or Mutable signs.
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The 4 Fixed signs are Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius. All signs of the same modality are 90-degrees apart on the zodiac wheel, giving them a square relationship (this means they don’t have much in common and struggle to get along). This tension is pronounced among Fixed signs, who are set in their ways and have a hard time understanding others.^{[6]
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- Taurus (April 20–May 20): Earth sign and middle sign of spring
- Leo (July 23–August 22): Fire sign and middle sign of summer
- Scorpio (October 23–November 21): Water sign and middle sign of fall
- Aquarius (January 20–February 18): Air sign and middle sign of winter

Section 4 of 5:

Mutable Signs & Traits

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Mutable signs end one season and prepare for the next. They’re the signs of change, carrying a mix of the old and new with them. People born under Mutable signs are dynamic and can be spontaneous or even unpredictable. They’re more flexible and adaptable than Fixed or Cardinal signs, doing whatever needs to be done to wrap up one phase and move on to something new. Their ever-changing nature makes it easy to guess who’s a Mutable sign.^{[7]
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- Mutable signs aren’t associated with “the end” of something so much as the transition or transformation of one thing into another.
- People born under Mutable signs are said to have the ability to sense new things before they arrive.
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The 4 mutable signs are Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces. Because they’re so adaptable and can see multiple sides to an issue, people of these signs have no problem changing their minds or going with the flow. They’re generally more indecisive than Cardinal or Fixed signs, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have opinions—it just takes them longer to figure out what they are.^{[8]
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- Gemini (May 21–June 21): Air sign and last sign of spring
- Virgo (August 23–September 22): Earth sign and last sign of summer
- Sagittarius (November 22–December 21): Fire sign and last sign of fall
- Pisces (February 19–March 20): Water sign and last sign of winter

Section 5 of 5:

Interpreting Modality

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A sign gets its unique traits from it element and modality. Signs of the same element share similar traits, but their individual modalities change how those traits come across. For example, the Air signs—Libra, Aquarius, and Gemini—are all intellectual, communicative, and quick-witted due to their element, Air. However, they display these traits in different ways:^{[9]
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- Libra (Cardinal) is more assertive than the other Air signs. They communicate more clearly and directly and have confidence in their ideas.
- Aquarius (Fixed) is more rigid than Libra or Gemini. They believe their ideas are the correct ones and have more niche, specific hobbies and interests.
- Gemini (Mutable) has a reputation for being the “flaky” Air sign. Their modality accents their indecision and varied interests.
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Sharing a modality helps opposite signs see eye-to-eye. When 2 signs have the same modality, they approach life in similar ways even though they may be very different as people. If they ever get into a conflict with each other, their shared way of looking at things will help them overcome their differences and even incorporate some of each other’s philosophies into their own lives.^{[10]
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- Opposite signs are 180-degrees away from each other on the zodiac wheel and share related elements—Air is opposite Fire, and Water is opposite Earth.
- The shared modality and compatible elements helps opposite signs build mutual understanding.

Expert Q&A

Question

Why is Libra a Cardinal sign?

Angel Eyedealism
Astrologer & Performance Artist
Angel Eyedealism is an Astrologer and Performance Artist based in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. With nearly three decades of astrology experience, Angel specializes in relocation astrology and astrocartography. Eyedealism has been featured in numerous media outlets such as Vogue, Cosmopolitan, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Refinery29, NBC, MTV, Showtime, and Bravo. Angel aims to help others through a straightforward, kind, and humorous astrological lens, utilizing her entertainment and singing skills for performance art astrology readings.

Angel Eyedealism

Astrologer & Performance Artist

Expert Answer

Libra is known as the "velvet-gloved fists" since they're pushy and firm but do so in such a pleasant way. They're the diplomatic opposite of Aries, a Cardinal sign that's all about war and fighting.