The Three Qualities in Astrology

The three qualities in astrology are cardinal, fixed and mutable. Four signs share a quality:

• Cardinal signs are aries, libra, cancer and capricorn.
• Fixed signs are taurus, scorpio, leo and aquarius.
• Mutable signs are gemini, sagittarius, virgo and pisces.

Qualities of the cardinal modality are:

• skillful - beginning, initiating, originating, enterprising, direct and active;
• unskillful – impatient, dissatisfied, does not finish what it starts, forceful.

Qualities of the fixed modality include:

• skillful - stabilizing, focused, resolving, constant, determined;
• unskillful - stubborn, rigid, obsessed, stuck.

Qualities of the mutable modality include:

• skillful - adaptable, flexible, adjustable, changing, versatile;
• unskillful - scattered, unfocused, inconsistent, indecisive and unfinishing.

The Astrological Polarities

Lastly, the zodiac signs are alternately positive and negative, beginning with the first sign, aries, which is positive. These are known as the polarities.

The Astrology Patterns

The pattern of elements and qualities in the astrological signs is constant—every third sign has the same element. Every fourth sign has the same quality. So, each of the twelve signs represents a different combination of element and quality. Signs associated with the same elements are in trine with each other (one hundred and twenty-degree angles between them) which is seen as being in harmony with each other. While signs of the same quality are "squared" meaning there is a ninety-degree angle between them. This traditionally has been termed "out of sympathy" with each other.

The Astrological Planets

The Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto are the astrological planets.

The planets in astrology provide the power, the energy and the principles while the astrological signs are the areas, circumstances and conditions through which they operate.

Astrological planets are colored by the signs they are in, as well as by that sign's ruler and co-ruler. When a planet is in the sign that it rules, it is said to be in dignity, and when it is in the opposite sign, it is in its detriment.

The Astrological Houses

The horoscope's division into twelve segments - the twelve houses - represents the twelve departments of life: 

The First House
The First House takes its meaning for the ascendant and represents the self, the people and their behavior. It is linked to aries.
The Second House
The Second House represents all financial affairs, desires for stability, constructive talents, financial independence and values. It is linked to taurus.
The Third House
The Third House represents travel, communications, trade, the media, the mind, writing, intellectuals, education, ideas, relatives and speech. It is linked to gemini.
The Fourth House
The Fourth House represents home, family, ethnic pride, the land, wealth, the personal and national soul. It is linked to cancer.
The Fifth House
The Fifth House represents self-expression, youth, romance, pleasures, financial speculation, sports, games, children, royalty and nobility. It is linked to leo.
The Sixth House
The Sixth House represents public health, work, service industries, civil and military service, labor unions, employees, charities and welfare. It is linked to virgo.
The Seventh House
The Seventh House rules international relations, politics, war, disputes, legal affairs, marriage, divorce, contracts and public scandal. It is linked to libra.
The Eighth House
The Eighth House rules financial dealings, corporations, taxes, insurance, mortgages, communes, stock markets and debts. It stands for death, rebirth, renewal and the occult. It is linked to scorpio.
The Ninth House
The Ninth House rules foreign affairs, trade, distant travels, higher education, philosophy, the law, the courts, the church and prophecy. It is linked to sagittarius.
The Tenth House
The Tenth House stands for the government, the executive and public life. It is linked to capricorn.
The Eleventh House
The Eleventh House represents group cooperation, idealistic associations, government finance, social programs, theater, friends, profitable inventions and hopes for the future. It is linked to aquarius.
The Twelfth House
The Twelfth House rules karma, secret enemies, prisons, monasteries, hospitals, spirituality, exile, and the search for self-renewal. It is linked to pisces.

Astrology is certainly not all things to all people, but properly used, it can and should be used as a helpful guide in our daily lives as we interact and make decisions about our life's paths.

For more astrology information, see:

Ancient Divination and Astrology on the Web 
Astrology, Planets in Signs, Key words, Characteristics
Astrology Houses
Astrology Compatibility - Finding Your Astrological Perfect Mate
Activities With Astrology

To Get Your Own Personal  Astrology Reports, See:
Horocope Compatibility - Discover How Compatible You and Your Partner Are
Astrology Birth Chart Reports - Custom Birth Charts and Readings
Astrology for Children - Great Child/Teen Astrology Reading Guide for Parents
Daily Horoscopes
Tarot Reading - Free or In-Depth Tarot Reading