Ken

Ward's
Astrolo
gy
Pages
Astrology:
Cardinal,
Fixed,
Mutable
(Quadrupli
cities).
A quadruplicity means a group of four. In astrology this often
means the groups of cardinal, fixed and mutable signs, each
being a group of four signs. For example, the cardinal
quadruplicity is the four signs: Aries, Cancer, Libra and
Capricorn. Strictly, these are sign quadruplicities. When we
speak of the sign quadruplicities, we mean cardinal, fixed and
mutable.
On this page:
1. Cardinal_Signs
2. Fixed_Signs
3. Mutable_Signs
(Angular, succedent and cadent refer to the houses. They
are house quadruplicities. )
The word "cardinal" comes from the French "cardo" meaning a
hinge, that on which something turns. It is the most important
part. The cardinal directions are the north, south, east and west.
They are the times when the seasons change. Aries for Spring;
Cancer for Summer; Libra for Autumn; and Capricorn for
Winter. They therefore are times for a new beginning.
In Astrology, the cardinal signs are the first, fourth, seventh and
tenth (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn). These signs are
characterised by enterprise, or starting things.

Sometimes Aries and Libra are called equinox signs, and

Cancer and Capricorn are called solstice signs. Equinoxes are
times of perfect balance between day and night (day and night
are 12 hours long). The solstice times are the times of the
longest day (Cancer) and the longest night (Capricorn).
Aries and Libra are times of balance, but also times of abrupt
change. Cancer and Capricorn are times of extremes.
The word "fixed" means securely placed and fastened and
implies unchanging. In Astrology, the fixed signs are the
second, fifth, eighth and eleventh (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and
Aquarius). They are characterised by the keyword "stability" or
firm and dependable.
The word "mutable" means "subject to change". The mutable
signs are the third, sixth, ninth and twelfth (Gemini, Virgo,
Sagittarius and Pisces). The keyword for these is
"adaptability".
The diagram below shows the zodiac in its natural form, with
Aries in the first position (the start of spring) and the signs on
their natural angles. The arrow to the left is called the
Ascendant (Asc) and the one pointing upwards is called the
Mid Heaven (MC). The four quarters of the circle contain the
three signs of each quadruplicity.

The table below shows the quadruplicities:

Quadruplicity

Keywords

Signs

Cardinal

Aries

Cancer Libra

Capricorn Enterprise

Fixed

Taurus Leo

Scorpio

Mutable

Gemini Virgo

Sagittarius Pisces

Aquarius Stability
Adaptability

The sequence of cardinal (create, begin, ), fixed (change or

maintain) and mutable (change to something else, end, destroy)
is part of all the things we experience in the world. This pattern
recurs through the horoscope in the quarters of the zodiac.
Because these are four groups (or quarters) they are called
quadruplicities.
The following table shows the relationship between cardinal,
fixed and mutable and other cycles of action:
Cardinal Fixed

Mutable

Start

Change

Stop

Create

Maintain Destroy

Begin

Continue End

Birth

Growth

Death

Cardinal Signs
The cardinal signs are associated with starting things, initiating
things or being "enterprising". They are forceful and aggressive
and have the will to accomplish something, often something
new. They project into the world. They are creative in the sense
that they cause things and start things.
Aries ( ) people will do this energetically and urgently (or
impatiently). They cannot wait to do what they have in mind to
do and that which is motivated by their enthusiasm.
Cancer ( ) people are emotionally assertive. They project
emotion in a protective and sensitive way.
Librans ( ) do it in a balanced way, considering the
viewpoints of others. Because they are people of air, they are

more likely to project in a verbal way, compared with Aries

who take action on their enthusiasm. Librans will tend to use
language to cause others to take the necessary action.
Capricorn ( ) projects in a practical, down to earth manner. It
takes action based on practical need, and success.

Fixed Signs
The fixed signs are concerned with maintaining something,
changing things so they are the same as before, or stabilising
things. Fixed and changed appear to be contradictory. Imagine a
house. Every day it gets untidy and dirty. In order to keep it in
its "normal" state, it must be changed - cleaned, tidied, etc - so
it remains the same. A body needs to be regularly fed and
watered if it is to maintain its state of being alive. There appears
to be no change because there is a lot of change directed to
maintain a state, such as a clean house and a living body.
Another example is a field. If the field is not maintained (lots of
change, like ploughing, setting seed, weeding, etc) then the
field will disappear as Nature reclaims it. What is fixed is the
clean house, the living body and the field. What is changed is
all the things that keep, for example a field, a field and not a
wilderness.
Taurus ( ) wants to make the products of the self, sometimes
material wealth, permanent and fixed. Taurans do not like
changes in their wealth. You might think this is true of
everyone, however some people do not measure their lives by
the wealth they accumulate and these people are far less upset
than Taurans when their personal wealth is threatened.
Leo ( ) wants to keep its personal power. It wants to be
impressive and creative and keep this relationship with others.
It makes changes so that it remains in its power state.
Scorpio (
) is fixed in terms of their emotional reactions. It
feels more secure when they know what feelings other have.
Scorpio makes changes, that is seeks to know the deep
emotions that others have which motivate them.
Aquarius ( ) wants to keep their beliefs, etc concerning
humanity fixed. Aquarians seek to keep their friends. If they are

revolutionaries, then they remain revolutionaries.

Mutable Signs
Mutable signs are concerned with changing things into
something else. This is not transforming as much as it moving
on to something else. The emphasis is on adaptability in the
sense that while the fixed signs resist change, the mutable signs
accept it. The mutable signs end a cycle and lead on to the
beginning of the new quadruplicity.
The mutable signs: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces are
double signs.
Gemini ( ) is a sign of the air and therefore is concerned with
communication, words and the mind. Geminis will adapt
themselves to their environment and therefore not cause things
to persist. While the fixed signs adapt the environment to their
needs, wants and goals, the mutable signs adapt their needs,
wants and goals to the environment. If the field grows weeds,
they adapt themselves to them. And if the field becomes a
wilderness, they adapt themselves to the wilderness. In this way
they cease to make the changes necessary to keep things as they
are, and allow almost any kind of change. This is true of all the
mutable signs. This is not to say that mutable signs never resist
change, or that they never try to achieve goals at odds with the
environment, but it is to say they are more likely to give up or
to give in or blend in than the fixed signs are.
Virgo ( ) is critical and analytical. In this way, Virgo brings
to an end something which was previously believed. False
beliefs, subject to analysis and given up.
Sagittarius ( ) is the ninth sign. It is a sign of fire. It is a
seeker of knowledge, its keyphrase is "I know". Sagittarius
brings about the end of ignorance by discovering the truth
according to Sagittarius as it seeks final knowledge (the end
of knowledge).
Pisces ( ) brings about the end of emotions through
dissolving into the oneness of all things.