But while these are planetary signs-determined by where a certain planet was in the sky when you were born-a cardinal sign is a quality sign. If you're a zodiac buff, you already know there are different types of signs in astrology: You have your Sun sign, your Moon sign, and your rising sign, among others. If you’re a cardinal sign and this resonates with you, or you’re just astro-curious and want to learn more, here's everything you need to know about being a cardinal sign, according to certified astrologers Page and Sanasjia Clervoix. (Pop quiz: Which modality are you?)Īnd while each of the modalities and the zodiac signs that fall within them bring something special to the astrological table, cardinal signs *specifically* are known to be the initiators of the zodiac, which means they’re the ones who incite change and lead. Finally, the fixed signs are Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius.

The mutable signs are Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces. There are three different modalities in astrology: cardinal, fixed, and mutable, and each of them bring out a unique set of qualities in the signs that fall into the respective categories.įour different zodiac signs fall under the cardinal sign category: Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn, says certified astrologer Donna Page. Unfamiliar with this astro term? Think of it as just one way of categorizing each of the signs in the zodiac by various qualities-this time by modality, specifically. (You know, like Scorpio, or Gemini, or Taurus, etc.) And while your Sun sign is what you look at when reading your horoscope, there’s so much more to astrology than that sign alone. TBH, when you think about ~ astrology~ or zodiac signs in general, your mind probably goes straight to your Sun sign.

Cardinal meaning