Download Pluses and Minuses of your SOTC`s Sign

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The Stellium Handbook
Chapter 2—Building Blocks of the 12 Signs
The Elements and Modes of Operation
This brief chapter is intended as an orientation to the zodiac signs for newcomers to astrology and
beginning students. It will deepen your understanding of the similarities and differences between
the signs. You’ll discover what the qualities of your stellium or triple conjunction’s sign explain
about how you approach your mission. (Those of you who’ve been involved with astrology
longer might still want to scan this chapter, to be clear about how these fundamental features
apply to stelliums)
Here, you’ll learn the ways each sign is influenced by which of the four elements it belongs to—
fire, earth, air, or water. The dominant element in your chart is as basic a part of the way
you move through life as the blood that pounds through your veins. You’ll gain further
insight by understanding that sign’s characteristic mode of action—cardinal, fixed, or mutable.
Suppose that your stellium is in Scorpio, and you read that it’s a fixed water sign. That’s not
enough information. What are the qualities of a water sign? And, how does being fixed make it
different from the other water signs, Cancer and Pisces?
In interpreting any chart, it’s helpful to know what these building blocks mean. With a stellium,
however, several planets are concentrated in one sign. That sign’s element and mode are part of
what makes your gifts so special, on one hand, and sets up challenges, on the other.
Beginners, use the cheat sheet if you don’t know what signs and planets the symbols on your
chart represent. If you find your attention wandering, move on to Chapter 3, where you’ll find
an in-depth portrait of your stellium sign
What the Elements Add to a Stellium’s Sign
One path to a fuller understanding of the signs is to study the elements associated with them.
We’ll explore them further, but, briefly, their characteristics are about what you’d imagine: earth
signs are down to earth, water signs are highly emotional, air signs can live in their heads, and
fire signs are fiery and energetic.
If several of your planets are in one sign, as they are in a stellium, that sign’s element is
emphasized and may even be the dominant one. We’ll pinpoint and explore your dominant
element later, and we’ll consider what missing or underrepresented elements say about you.
The sequence of elements is an orderly progression, as the table below shows. The four elements
are in zodiac order in rows across the page. Following the columns down the table, you’ll see that
there are three signs in each element and each element is highlighted with an appropriate color.
Aries: fire
Leo: fire
Sagittarius: fire
Taurus: earth
Virgo: earth
Cap: earth
Gemini: air
Libra: air
Aquarius: air
Cancer: water
Scorpio: water
Pisces: water
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Signs that share an element have many qualities in common and are very compatible.
If your chart has additional planets in signs from the same element as your stellium, the
connections between them support and enhance your mission. For instance, if your stellium is in
the air sign Aquarius and you also have planets in Gemini or Libra, then air may be dominant.
You’d want to pay special attention to the element of your Sun, Moon, and Ascendant. Those
three essential parts of your makeup can either support or detract from your capacity to
express the gifts your stellium portrays, depending on how compatible their signs are. The
elements that support one another are fire with air and water with earth. Both air and fire are
discordant with water and earth.
If your stellium is in the water sign, Scorpio, and your Sun, Moon, or Ascendant are in the water
signs Cancer or Pisces, they support the stellium’s aims and purposes by creating a harmonious
energy flow. Likewise, some sign pairs clash with or even disrupt your efforts, like cerebral, Über
air Aquarius with intensely watery Scorpio, spacey Pisces with always ON Leo, or self-critical
Virgo with cocky Aries.
Finding your Dominant Element
Below is a table to help your find the balance of elements in your chart. The element with
the most points is the dominant one—usually that of your stellium sign. You’re likely to have
an abundance of both the positive and the challenging qualities of that element, as described in
the next section.
The planets in your chart are given one point apiece. The Sun, Moon, Ascendant, and Midheaven
are given 2 points each because of their greater weight in a chart. Here are their meanings:
 The Sun, which represents the center of your being, your core self, or ego
 The Moon, which shows how you deal with issues like emotions, security, and nurturing
 The Ascendant (Rising sign, 1st house sign), describing the facade you present to the world
 The Midheaven (10th house sign), indicating potential careers and life achievements
To find your dominant element, print out and use the form below.
Chart
Feature and #
of points for it
Sun
2
Moon
2
Ascendant 2
Midheaven 2
Mercury 1
Venus
1
Mars
1
Jupiter
1
Saturn
1
Uranus
1
Neptune 1
Pluto
1
Totals:
Zodiac Sign
of that
feature
Fire (Aries,
Leo, or
Sagittarius)
Earth (Taurus,
Virgo, or
Capricorn)
Air (Gemini,
Libra or
Aquarius)
Water (Cancer,
Pisces, or
Scorpio)
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What do low-scoring Elements Show about You ?
In most charts with stelliums, there are one or two underrepresented elements because of
the intense concentration in a single sign. That doesn't mean you're completely lacking in the
element’s qualities, as described below. Still, you may have to work harder and more consciously
to develop the element’s assets, as they don't come naturally. For instance, without much earth,
the business end of developing and marketing your stellium’s gifts can be an ongoing challenge.
You can still learn to do it consistently and well, even if it never becomes second nature.
One good tactic is to join forces with other people who have your underemphasized
element’s strong points covered and who can advise you or take over those parts of your
mission. My only planet in earth is dreamy, nebulous Neptune in Virgo—nothing to write home
about! However, several of my close friends are richly blessed with earthy qualities, and they’re
generous with their wise counsel and practical abilities. (Some of them can even FIX things!)
But is that element really missing? Several factors can make seemingly absent elements
stronger than you think, as you’ll note in the table below. There are houses associated with each
element. The three career-related houses (the 2nd, 6th, and 10th) have an earthy quality. There are
also planets associated with each element—Mars, Jupiter, and the Sun are fiery.
Element:
Associated Signs:
Houses:
Associated Planets:
Fire
Earth
Air
Water
Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
1, 5, 9
2, 6,10
3, 7, 11
4, 8, 12
Mars, Sun, Jupiter
Earth? Chiron? Saturn
Mercury, Venus, Uranus
Moon, Pluto, Neptune
Astrology students are often concerned if they’re missing an element. Analyzing their charts,
however, I often find compensating factors. Perhaps planets associated with the missing element
(like the Moon, Pluto, and Neptune for water) have many aspects. Or, they may have planets in
the houses associated with that element (the 4th, 8th, and 12th for water). If so, they can still have
many qualities of that seemingly-missing element—for better or worse.
Find more information on the elements on Skywriter here: Missing Elements and How They
Affect Your Relationships and here: Bringing Balance to the 4 Elements–a Useful Collection
of Articles.
Similarities between Signs in the same Element
Fire signs (Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius) take an action-oriented approach, yet often do so
impulsively and without thinking things through. They are dynamic, can do types, yet they may
not get enough rest and so may crash and burn periodically. Here are qualities they often share.
Element: Fire
Possible
positive traits
Possible
difficult traits
Signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Energetic, fiery, dynamic, vivacious, proactive, resilient, assertive,
confident, spunky, outgoing, self-starting, both able and eager to lead.
Impatient, arrogant, cocky, pushy, domineering, quick-tempered, putting
own desires first, not considering others’ needs and wants.
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To write about: What planets do you have in fire signs? Which qualities listed above do you
relate to? Which positive ones would you want to strengthen? How do the difficult ones get
in your way?
Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn) approach their tasks in a down to earth,
productive, and practical way, usually slowly and methodically by time-tested methods, but may
not be particularly inventive or imaginative.
(It’s important to note, however, that those with stelliums or triple conjunctions who were born in
the late 1980s-early 1990s might score high on earth, yet not fully relate to the description. That’s
because distinctly unearthly Uranus and Neptune are among their Capricorn planets.)
Here are qualities the earth signs often share:
Element: Earth Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Practical, businesslike, hard-working, productive, stable, grounded, reliable,
Possible
realistic, dogged persistence, a deep attunement to the Earth and its seasons.
positive traits
Unbending, rigid in habits, materialistic, perfectionistic, unimaginative,
Possible
predictable, workaholic.
difficult traits
What planets do you have in earth signs? Which qualities listed above do you relate to?
Which positive ones would you want to strengthen? How do difficult ones get in your way?
With the air signs (Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius), the approach to a new task is mental, reading
up on the subject, maybe researching it on the Internet, and communicating with experts,
sometimes to the point of keeping it a strictly mental exercise rather than getting to work on it.
Here are qualities they often share.
Element: Air
Signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Bright, quick witted and often witty, gregarious, extroverted and generally
Possible
have good people skills, curious and eager to learn, communicative.
positive traits
Overly cerebral, out of touch with feelings, lacking in true empathy, talking
Possible
rather than doing.
difficult traits
What planets do you have in air signs? Which qualities listed above do you relate to?
Which positive ones would you want to strengthen? How do difficult ones get in your way?
Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces) may be responsive, adaptive, intuitive, and
emotional, yet possibly too subjective and impractical. Here are qualities they often share.
Element: Water
Possible
positive traits
Possible
difficult traits
Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
Sensitive, responsive, empathic, picks up on nuances, introspective,
imaginative, intuitive, attuned to the spiritual dimensions of life.
Ruled by emotions, liable to shifting moods, insecure, soaks up the energies
of people around them, impractical.
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What planets do you have in water signs? Which qualities listed above do you relate to?
Which positive ones would you want to strengthen? How do difficult ones get in your way?
Although all three signs listed under one element in the tables above share a number of the
qualities given for that element, there are still noticeable differences between them.
As a case in point, let’s suppose people with stelliums in the three earth signs are all in the market
for a new car—AND have the funds to buy what they want. (Sounds like the setup for a bad joke,
right? “A Taurus, a Virgo, and a Capricorn walk into an auto dealership…”) All three would
research their purchase carefully ahead of time for durability, reliability, and trade-in value, and
would be meticulous in caring for their vehicle once they owned it.
The Taurus might want a large, solid, and somewhat flashy car like a Cadillac, probably a timetested domestic brand. The Virgo would tend to go for a gently-used and environmentallyfriendly hybrid, choosing a compact for single person usage, or a quality minivan for business or
family use. The Capricorn might lease a prestigious Lexus or BMW, making sure it’s a tax writeoff, and would probably trade it in yearly for a newer model.
Your Dominant Element—What Kind of Smart are You?
I'm guessing that if you have a stellium or triple conjunction, you're pretty bright. There’s a
reason this book isn’t named Stelliums for Dummies! Some of you will protest and tell me how
bad your grades were in school. You may believe that in order to be considered brilliant, you
have to be a computer wizard. Not so. Each element has its own version of genius, so there are
four different kinds of smart, based on the four elements.
People with a concentration of planets in the air signs (Gemini, Libra, or Aquarius) who do
well academically may be air smart. They might have a million bright ideas in the course of a
lifetime. Yet, without earth or fire represented in their charts, they may lack the skill or
motivation to put them into practice. They also tend to talk endlessly about an idea—building
castles in the air—rather than moving on it.
Individuals with a strong earth element—like those born with a stellium or triple conjunction
in Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn—may have only one or two truly brilliant ideas in a lifetime. Yet,
they may develop the practical applications of that idea thoroughly enough to earn a comfortable
living. The trend-setting idea may not even be their own, yet they have the business ability to
market it. Common sense is an uncommon quality, but earth signs often have plenty of it.
A water smart person (Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces) is deeply intuitive and keenly perceptive
about emotions. Looking deeply under the surface, they gain wisdom that helps heal themselves
and others. They can flow with the course of events better than, say, an earth type, and are keenly
sensitive to how those events affect others.
Fire smart individuals—Aries, Leos, and Sagittarians—have a genius for enrolling others in
their enthusiasms, and so they can become inspiring leaders who know how to make things
happen. They’re the ones who light the Olympic torch for all of us, the ones with fire in the belly
who can’t wait around for the rest of us to do something about the state of our world. Alas, that
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fiery enthusiasm for an idea, goal, or relationship can burn down if there are too many obstacles.
In their zeal, they can trample over the wants and needs of others who are involved.
What your Stellium Sign Reveals about the Way You Operate
The Modes as Modifiers: Another traditional—and highly productive—method of classifying
the signs is by their mode of action: cardinal, fixed, or mutable. The mode is a big part of what
distinguishes between the three signs that make up an element. For instance, what makes the fire
signs—Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius—different? The modes show a sign’s characteristic pattern of
action, which is important to understand in making the best use of stellium planets’ energies.
Here are some traits associated with these three distinct patterns:



Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn) are action oriented, goal driven, and
forever on the move.
Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius) are stable and intent on preserving the
status quo. They’re gifted with endurance, but stubbornly resistant to change.
Mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces) are adaptable, flexible, and can cope
with change, yet are sometimes scattered in their energy.
This table shows both the element and the mode of the 12 signs, in zodiac order:
Aries: cardinal fire
Leo: fixed fire
Sagittarius: mutable fire
Taurus: fixed earth
Virgo: mutable earth
Cap: cardinal earth
Gemini: mutable air
Libra: cardinal air
Aquarius: fixed air
Cancer: cardinal water
Scorpio: fixed water
Pisces: mutable water
In my observations, I believe the elements are stronger than the modes. It’s no stretch to see how
the signs in a given element are related. The qualities attributed to the modes, however, aren’t
equally true of all the signs in that group. I’ve noted some exceptions below.
Let’s continue with the example of buying a car. The Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and
Capricorn) would generally pursue the search energetically and decisively as soon as possible
after realizing they need one. They’d look for the model and features that would do the best job of
helping them pursue their goals, with the least interference. (Librans, however, have a harder time
making up their minds and may just go with what their partner wants.)
The Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius) hate change and can put off getting a new
car until the old one is too far gone to patch up. Then they’d probably buy the same brand and
model as before or, if that’s not possible, go with one that’s tried and true. (Exception: Aquarius
is a fixed sign but it’s also air. Aquarians do want change, but mostly want change in other people
or in society’s problems. Not in their opinions or beliefs!)
The Mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces) have a diversity of needs and
preferences. They’d go on test drives with so many different makes and ponder so many optional
features that choosing one car boggles the mind. They may make an impulsive choice just to get it
over with, because their many projects and fascinations are calling them. (The exception, Virgo,
is a mutable sign, but it’s also earth, so Virgos don’t make many impulsive choices.)
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Let’s look at another example of the differences between three signs in the same element but
in different modes—the three water signs, Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. Suppose they are
talking with someone in an emotionally-charged crisis. All three are sensitive, perceptive,
empathic, and highly responsive to other people’s state of mind, but the difference is in
what they do with their perceptions.
Cancer is both water and Cardinal, so its first impulse is to go into action—most likely to
nurture and protect the other by doing something about the person’s upset state of mind.
Pisces, the Mutable water sign, often absorbs the other’s emotions like a psychic sponge and
reacts as if the feeling were their own. They can be overwhelmed by the intensity of it, becoming
scattered and confused. They may try to escape the feeling by deadening it in some way, like
having too many drinks.
The third water sign, Scorpio, is Fixed. They can also soak up emotion, but hold onto it, often
for long periods. The ones who are healers by nature look deeply under the surface to see what’s
causing the upset, then reflect it back to the other person to give them insight.
Scoring the Modes in your Chart
Print out and use the table below to find your dominant mode. Note, once again, that the
Sun, Moon, Ascendant, and Midheaven receive 2 points because of their greater weight.
Chart feature
and # of
points for it
Sun
2
Moon
2
Ascendant 2
Midheaven 2
Mercury 1
Venus
1
Mars
1
Jupiter
1
Saturn
1
Uranus
1
Neptune 1
Pluto
1
Totals:
Zodiac Sign
of that
feature
Cardinal: Aries,
Cancer, Libra,
Capricorn
Fixed: Taurus,
Leo, Scorpio, and
Aquarius
Mutable: Gemini,
Virgo, Sagittarius,
and Pisces
In most charts with stelliums, one of the modes can be underrepresented, because of an
intense concentration in a single sign. That doesn't mean you're completely lacking in its
qualities. Still, you may have to work consciously to develop strategies that compensate. For
instance, without much in the fixed signs, getting to the endpoint of a goal can be challenging,
and you may need to partner with others who are good at follow through.
Now that you have scores for both the elements and the modes, here’s an interesting thing to find
out about yourself. Put together your highest scoring element and your highest scoring mode, and
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consult the table two pages back to see a sign you often act like. If it’s Cardinal fire, for example,
you have some of the qualities of an Aries, even if that’s not your Sun or stellium sign.
Onward to the Individual Signs!
With this brief but essential foundation for understanding the zodiac signs, let’s move on to
Chapter 3. There, we’ll delve into the individual signs to learn how they operate in the context of
a stellium or triple conjunction.
Because your Sun, Moon, and Ascendant are very strong parts of your total being, you’d find it
helpful to read about those signs as well, even if they’re not part of your stellium. We’re focusing
on stelliums in this book, but never lose sight of these other important parts of yourself.