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Ken Ward's Astrology PagesAstrology: Cardinal, Fixed, Mutable (Quadruplicities). |
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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: (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:
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 SignsThe 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 ( Cancer ( Librans ( Capricorn ( Fixed SignsThe 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 ( Leo ( Scorpio ( Aquarius ( Mutable SignsMutable 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 ( Virgo ( Sagittarius ( Pisces (
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