dualities, triplicities & quadruplicities
dualities.
Four thousands of years, humans have divided their experience of the world into a simple dichotomy referred to as the Masculine-Feminine duality. While it has been depicted and symbolized in variety of ways, this categorization is prevalent among many astrological and philosophical systems throughout history.
Now, right out of the gate we are in sensitive territory. But everyone can relax, this has nothing to do with male or female. This isn’t about gender expression or being a real man or real woman. In fact, correct that association whenever you encounter it as you learn and practice Astrology. This is about energy, not males and females.
The Yin Yang, an ancient and classic symbol of the Masculine-Feminine duality
There are better ways to picture this concept. Active-Receptive is a common way people communicate this duality. Others use terminology borrowed from electricity and refer to this duality as Positive-Negative, not using those terms as value statements but referring to how electric current flows out of the positive (+) pole and is received by negative (-).
The point is, everybody is a mix of these energies - they are two halves of the whole, the two polarities at work in all of us.
These are ideas long venerated by humans. For eons, we have created and assigned domains and characteristics to ideas such as Sun gods (masculine) and Moon goddesses (feminine). Masculine gods were often associated with the sky and storms, sending rain, representing their procreative energy, down upon the Feminine goddesses we associated with the earth, their reception resulting in new life being produced. You can see that the projection of our own experience is fairly obvious.
The Masculine Signs are
Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius
The Feminine signs are
Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces
Triplicities.
A triplicity is a group of three. With twelve signs, the triplicities of Astrology are comprised of four groups with three signs each.
Each group represents an Element.
The Four Elements:
Fire
EARTH
air
WATER
When it comes to how the four Elements relate to the Masculine-Feminine duality, you will notice from the lists above that the signs considered Masculine are Fire and Air signs, while those considered Feminine make up the Water and Earth signs.
There are some symbolic features that help you remember them. You’ll notice that both Fire and Air are represented by upward facing triangles. This is an ancient representation of the Masculine, often known as the “sword” - you can imagine what inspired this idea. On the flip side, Earth and Water have long been symbolized by the downward facing triangle, usually referred to as the “chalice” - again, you can see that the imagery in play here isn’t subtle.
Fire and Water are represented by the classic upward and downward pointing triangles respectively.
Air is the upward pointing triangle (Masculine) with a line near the top. Think, part of it is “in the air”.
Earth is the downward pointing triangle (Feminine) with a line near the bottom. Think, part of it is “under the earth”.
Elements define general, overall energy. For instance Earth signs are steady, calm and largely deal with the material world. While Water signs are spiritual, emotional and deal with the world of intuition and feeling. Each Earth sign expresses these qualities very differently, just as each Water sign has its own unique traits and characteristics, but their elemental designation does define a general set of ideas about the overall energy.
quadruplicities.
The signs are also divided into three groups of four, known as the Quadruplicities.
The three groups (each comprised of four signs) represent Modes of Communication. This can be a particularly confusing component of Astrology when you first start learning.
The three modes of communication:
Cardinal
Fixed
Mutable
The Modes represent how the signs interact with the world and energy around them - how they “communicate”. Not traits or characteristics, but rather how those are expressed.
Cardinal signs are active and put energy out into the world. They don’t respond, they initiate.
Fixed signs seek to perfect and maintain things. They aren’t super into change and want to operate at a consistent level.
Mutable signs adapt and change according to their environment. They go with the flow and shift to fit into new experiences and environments.
You have probably noticed that each Mode of Communication is comprised of a fire sign, a water sign, an earth sign, and an air sign.
the modes follow the pattern of the seasons
One of the best ways to remember and understand this concept are the Seasons themselves. If you notice, each season follows a pattern as you move around the Zodiac. The Seasonal boundaries are marked by the Soltices and Equinoxes. If you imagine the chart as a clock face, these would be at 9 o’clock (Aries, 1st House) which comes in at the Spring Equinox, 6 o’clock (Cancer, 4th House) which is ushered in by the Summer Solstice, 9 o’clock (Libra, 7th House) which begins at the Autumnal Equinox, and finally 12 o’clock (Capricorn, 10th House) which is marked by the Winter Solstice. If you notice from the chart above, all four of these signs are Cardinal Signs.
Cardinal signs begin, start, initiate, and bring in things. Just like these Seasonal beginning points do. Each Season comes in hard, pushing its energy out into our reality.
If you shift one sign over from these cardinal points, we find Taurus at 8 o’clock, Leo at 5 o’clock, Scorpio at 2 o’clock, and Aquarius at 11 o’clock. These are mark the middle point of the seasons, when things are constant, predictable, and things don’t change much. “Fixed” you could say ;) In fact, these are the Fixed Signs of the Zodiac.
Keeping this same pattern, if we shift one more time, Gemini is at 7 o’clock, Virgo is at 4 o’clock, Sagittarius is at 1 o’clock, and finally Pisces is at 10 o’clock. When you consider the seasonal periods of these signs, you find times when things start to change, morph, and adapt into something new that is coming quickly. These signs are the Mutable Signs, and they represent energy that is adaptable, flexible, and able to fit itself into stations and environments.
It’s almost like our ancient ancestors were paying attention and developed the Zodiac around these observations and the human experience of the world ;)
The Cardinal Signs
Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn
These signs are associated with the equinoxes and solstices, when new seasons are starting and in their early stages of active change.
The Fixed Signs
Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius
These signs mark the seasonal mid-points when they are in full swing and remaining constant.
the Mutable Signs
Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces
These signs usher in the changing of the seasons, tied to the later parts of each, as one season is giving way to the next.