The Modalities

This week on the blog I want to explore another astrology concept with you, the modalities. These are the unique ways that each group of signs navigate life, reacting to what is going on around them and expressing themselves. But before we dive in, let's have a quick astronomy lesson. 

We all know that the Earth orbits the Sun, but from our vantage point, it appears as though the Sun and the Stars and the Planets rotate around us. Astronomers (and navigators) use the celestial sphere to plot the position of stars and planets when the distance is unknown (or unimportant). The celestial sphere is an imaginary sphere, concentric with the Earth. Basically, imagine that the Earth is inside a dome and on the surface of the dome are the stars. The Sun and the planets then move around the dome, passing through the 12 constellations which make up the zodiac.

The celestial equator is then the line around the dome which is parallel to the Earth's Equator. The path that the Sun follows around the Earth is called the ecliptic. When the ecliptic crosses the celestial equator, we have an Equinox, which is when day and night are of equal length. The Spring Equinox was on 20th March and was also when the Sun moved into Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, marking the start of a new astrological year.

We have 12 signs of the zodiac, each one lasting for 30 days as the Sun passes through them. We can divide these into groups of 4, with each group being a part of a season. Aries marks the start of Spring, Cancer the start of Summer. When the Sun moves into Libra, we have the Autumn Equinox and then Capricorn is the start of Winter. These four signs are the cardinal signs. These are the goal-focused signs, related to creativity and initiation.

The cardinal signs are followed by the fixed signs. These signs are related to determination, focus and individuality. They fix in place the things started by the cardinal signs. Taurus follows Aries, Leo follows Cancer, Scorpio follows Libra, and Aquarius follows Capricorn. 

The fixed signs are then followed by the mutable signs, which bridge the gap between seasons. These are the most flexible signs and are related to adaptability, resourcefulness and holism. They are Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces.

How can we work with the modalities in goal setting? We can do this in two ways, by using the Sun as the timer and using the Moon as the timer.

The Sun spends 30 days in each sign, 90 days in each season, or each quarter of the year. When the Sun moves into a cardinal sign, we can set our goals for the quarter. Thinking about what you want to accomplish over the next 90 days, we would use the cardinal energy to not only set those goals, but to map out the steps needed to accomplish them, and to initiate them. We would then continue to work on these goals when the Sun moves into a fixed sign. For this 30-day period, we would be focused on continuing the things we have started, really focusing on and building our momentum. When the Sun moves into a mutable sign our attention would move from taking action to assessing where we are. Reflecting on the things that are working, changing the things that aren’t. Making sure we are making the most of the resources available to us and understanding how everything is connected. After 30 days, the Sun will move into a cardinal sign and we start all over again.

The Moon moves a lot quicker, spending 2 and a half days in each sign, roughly a week. While the Moon is in a cardinal sign, we set out goals for the week, make a plan and start taking action. When the Moon moves into a fixed sign, we can ground that action into our daily life, focusing on our goals and how we are going to achieve them. When the Moon moves into a mutable sign, we reflect on how things have gone and decide what is and what isn’t working. Are we getting closer to our goals or not? Then as the Moon moves into a cardinal sign, we reset our goals for the next week.

Working with astrology, and the Moon in particular, for goal setting is full of many layers. If you would like to explore how you can use your unique birth chart and the cosmic timers to set and achieve your goals, book a free chat using the button below.

I hope you have found this week's blog helpful, and that it has given you ideas on how you work with the seasons and the Moon in your life.