Qualities or Quadruplicities

There are only three terms to remember with quadruplicities: cardinal, fixed, and mutable. Each grouping, as you'll see in table 3, has four signs.

These qualities describe how we approach and react to circumstances in our lives. Cardinal signs act quickly. Fixed signs don't adapt well to change, especially sudden, unexpected change. Mutable signs are adaptable. The trick is how these qualities integrate with other facets of your child's chart.

Take Jenny, an eight-year old Virgo. On the surface, it would seem that her Virgo Sun (earth), a Moon in Libra (air), and an ascendant in Leo (fire), might create some fundamental conflicts in who she is and how she perceives herself.

Her practical, earthbound ego wants things spelled out quickly and efficiently. But her emotions, with that Libra Moon, force her to carefully weigh and balance every decision before she makes up her mind. She may try to keep the peace at any cost. Her Leo ascendant, on the other hand, demands drama and the limelight and demands it now-this instant, not tomorrow, not next year. It would seem that her Leo rising would be constantly trying to squelch that earthbound Sun.

And yet, in terms of elements and qualities, the mix works amazingly well. Her Virgo Sun (mutable) allows her to change her mind when she sees fit. Her Libra Moon (cardinal) allows her to do this tactfully, gracefully, but with determination. Her Leo ascendant (fixed) gives her the persistence to get what she wants.

As a rule, people who have signs that share the same quality don't get along well because they're so much alike. "Mix and match" seems to be what works best because there's a balance of strengths and weaknesses.

As you read through the interpretations in the following chapters, keep in mind that a birth chart doesn't create your child's personality or the events in his life. It only depicts patterns that your child's free will sculpts and molds and arranges to suit his soul's higher purpose.

      Introduction | The Solar Tribes | Children Born on the Cusp | Triplicities