Astro-info: Modalities, Elements and Eclipses
Full disclosure: These were part of my Changing Suns newsletter that I forgot to post on Medium the past few months…but as I now recommit to sharing my writing, I wanted to include them for anyone who was interested in learning about astrology and follows my henceforth regular monthly astro-updates. If you want more information about Cancer, Leo and Virgo season 2020 get in touch and I’d be happy to send it along.
MODALITIES
If you read our last letter, you know that the twelve signs of the zodiac are divided into four elements. They are also divided into three modalities: Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable. Modalities are qualities of energy that are attuned to the rhythm of the seasons. Remember, the zodiac encompasses the fundamental universal energies, and we all experience all of them. Even if we have no natal planets in a particular sign, we can attune ourselves to the energies of the moment and consciously use them to support our endeavors. Even the least practical among us can access her inner Virgo when the Sun shines in this part of the sky.
Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn) occur at the beginning of a season. This modality gets things going. Cardinal energy is all about inspiration, leadership, initiative, and possibility. People who embody these qualities are forward-thinking, generally unique, and like to be first.
Fixed Signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius) occur in the middle of a season. These stabilizer energies naturally resist change, who solidify and consolidate energy according to its given direction. They embody the essence of the seasons and work best when we are focused on the present moment and not dwelling on the past or planning the future.
Mutable Signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) signal the end of a season. These energies are adaptable and flexible. They help us to process loss, change directions, integrate wisdom and prepare for what is yet to come.
ELEMENTS
Elements are the fundamental essence of things. In western science, the periodic table documents the essential qualities of matter. Most other long-standing systems of knowledge are founded upon an understanding of the fundamental qualities of energy. Astrology is based on four elements: Earth, Water, Fire, and Air. It further catalogues these essential energies into the twelve zodiac signs. We all have all four elements within us, but often have one or two that dominate our personality. Often this correlates with our sun sign, but not always. You can learn more about your personal attunement to the elements in your star chart of course, but also by working with them in your own body. The chakras associated with each element are listed in the overview below. See which ones you can tune into most easily.
The Earth element corresponds to our root chakra, at the base of our spine. Earth energy is matter. It constitutes our basic life force and concerns itself with our physical health and resources, the satisfaction of a hard days work, and how to build on the material plane. The earth signs are Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn.
The Water element corresponds to our sacral chakra, located in our lower abdomen. It governs our emotions and creative energy. It is also the energy of our intuition, the collective subconscious and what we inherit from our ancestors. The water signs are Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces.
The Fire element corresponds to our solar plexus chakra, which is located just under our ribcage. The fire element is all about inspiration. It crystalizes our emotional energy into drive for action. The fire signs are Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius.
The Air element on the physical plane corresponds to our heart chakra in the center of our chest, but in astrology also symbolizes the energy of the mind. You may experience this energy more in the heart, or more in the 3rd eye chakra at the point between your eyebrows. Air energy is theoretical. It flows in thoughts, words, ideas, and all forms of verbal and nonverbal communication. The air signs are Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius.
ECLIPSES
Astrologically, eclipse seasons are times of increased change or intensity of experience. Eclipses happen when new moons and full moons happen close to the nodes (the places where the moon’s orbit around the earth intersects the earth’s orbit around the sun). They happen twice a year, in series of 2 or sometimes 3 at a time. North Node eclipses (like the one in Cancer on June 20) usher us into phases of growth and move us toward what we most hunger for. South node eclipses (like the one in Capricorn) are more spiritual in nature and are about letting go of that which is no longer serving us. There are different kinds of eclipses depending on how close to the nodes they occur. When exact, the shadows they cast (either the earth’s shadow on the moon in a lunar eclipse, or the moon’s dramatic shadow on the earth during a total solar eclipse) have inspired and frightened people throughout time. Eclipses bring us in touch with the power of whatever we keep in our shadow. Astrologically, they function like intensified new moons or full moons in whatever sign they occur. Eclipses happen across a zodiacal polarity and stay in the same two signs for a couple years at a time. Each sign in the zodiacal wheel has its opposite, and eclipses give us an opportunity to experience (and, hopefully, integrate) both sides of the given polarity. We are now moving from the Cancer/Capricorn eclipses of the past few years into a series of Gemini/Sagittarius eclipses. Click here learn more about the different types of eclipses: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/eclipse-information.html
