Your birth chart or horoscope, is usually shown in the form of a wheel, symbolising the cycles periodically undergone
by all living things on this planet. The symbols ("glyphs") displayed stand for the astrological signs, planets and other chart factors representing forces which may affect your life at any given time.
Each of these astrological factors represents a coded set of drives in your sub-conscious. Drives may be activated and brought to your awareness by circumstances in your life, presenting you with a range of choices. Of course, your choices are to a considerable extent limited and determined by your character, which is itself revealed through an understanding of the symbols that make up the chart.
More on How to Read your Birthchart
- How to Read your Birthchart
- Astrological Signs
- The Elements
- The Houses
- The Planets and Aspects
- The Zodiac
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The Elements and Qualities
(view table)
Astrological signs are categorised by their ancient, elemental identities of  Fire (spirit & energy),  Air (intellect & communication),
 Water (emotion & nurture) and  Earth (material things & security).
These elements are considered the building blocks of existence at all levels, the universal forces upon which life depends. They interpret a much broader range of experience than the "chemical elements" of modern science, and should not be confused with them. They are also known as the quadruplicities.
Each sign is also identified by its quality, that is whether it is - Cardinal
(creative),
- Fixed (determined) or
- Mutable (changeable) in character.
These features are known as the triplicities and are usually interpreted in conjunction with the elements or quadruplicities.
The Fiery signs, for example, are Aries, the Ram
(cardinal-fire), Leo, the Lion (fixed-fire) and Sagittarius, the Archer (mutable-fire). The other signs follow a similar pattern (see table).
Astrology on the Web
TABLE OF ASTROLOGICAL QUALITIES & ELEMENTS |
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 For a much deeper examination of the Signs, Elements and Qualities,
please click this link to go to our article on Elemental Qualities.
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