The Year…a la Mode

By Jim Trader

The modes are a fairly well known and uncontroversial subject in Western tropical astrology. Even The Farmer’s Almanac has a page describing them (see https://www.almanac.com/cardinal-fixed-mutable-cardinal-signs). But there is a meta-pattern to the modes that I have never heard discussed, and it has some interesting implications regarding the annual seasons of our activities, which are separate from the meteorological seasons we experience every year.

First, a quick review of the modes: There are three — cardinal, fixed, and mutable — and each one represents certain traits of the sign it comprises. Cardinal signs — Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn — seize the initiative; fixed signs — Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius — doggedly follow through on their endeavors; and mutable signs — Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces — camouflage and adapt.

Modes reflect the part of a season the Sun moves through when in the Sign in question. For example, Aries — beginning as it does on the spring equinox — is the first sign of the spring season, so its mode is cardinal. Taurus is the second sign of the spring season, so its mode is fixed. Gemini is the third and final sign of the spring season, and so its mode is mutable. This pattern repeats through the other three seasons and the corresponding nine signs.

The same cardinal-fixed-mutable pattern that defines each season of the year also shows up in the zodiac as a whole, thereby dividing it into thirds. The first four signs are “bracketed” by cardinal signs — Aries and Cancer. The second set of four signs, however, is bracketed by by fixed signs — Leo and Scorpio. And the final set of four signs is bracketed by mutable signs —Sagittarius and Pisces.

So not only every season, but every year, exhibits the cardinal-fixed-mutable modal sequence. It’s not clear to me whether this pattern was intentionally laid out by ancient astrologers or not, but I believe its presence tells us something significant from a mundane astrological standpoint. It shows us times of every year that generally favor certain activities or approaches, while de-emphasizing others.  

The cardinal period of the year — the time from the spring equinox until the last day the Sun is in Cancer — is a good time for beginnings. Projects begun are more likely to eventually reach a successful completion, and goals set during this time of year, versus other times, are more likely to lead us to happiness and healthy growth. However, it may be harder to prioritize projects or goals carried over from the previous year. Also, we may find ourselves so caught up in the excitement of the new that reflecting on our overall situation — or releasing or otherwise ending something we need to be rid of — may be rather low on our list of priorities.

The fixed period of the year — when the Sun moves into Leo until it leaves Scorpio — is the time to both cultivate the fields we have already planted and to gather in our well-earned harvests. Whether we planted new seeds during the cardinal period or are sustaining our focus on goals that take years to come to fruition, the fixed period is when we are likely to make the most progress and eventually harvest the greatest bounty. As our already-planted fields take up our time and energy during this period, we are unlikely to have enough oomph to make a good start on anything really new. And, as in the cardinal period, we are likely to be too busy and focused on the day-to-day activities that create our immediate success to be able to reflect or release in the best possible way.

The mutable period of the year — from the time the Sun enters Sagittarius until it leaves Pisces — is the time for us to reflect and release. Our focus naturally turns inwards, and withdrawal often comes more naturally than advancement during this time. On the one hand, this is the perfect time to reflect on our overall situation. It is a good time to retreat, gain perspective, plan what new beginnings we need to make and let go of what is no longer serving us. On the other hand, genuine new beginnings may prove thin on the ground until around the time of the spring equinox. Equally, sometimes it’s hard to sustain those projects, goals, relationships or possessions we’ve worked so hard to gain during the first two thirds of the year. Sometimes that’s just because we need to take a well-deserved break. Other times, it’s because those projects, goals, relationships or possessions have run their course, and we need to let them go.

This could explain why New Year’s resolutions often go so poorly for so many of us. We’re trying to turn over new leaves at a time of year when there aren’t any new leaves to be had. It also supports the idea of spring cleaning that so many of us have grown up with. As the old goes out with winter, or at least what wintertime shows us that we are better off without, spring is a time to bring in the new — as in the genuine astrological New Year, begun by the spring equinox.

Jim Trader is a professional astrologer living in Denver, Colorado. Although he cast his first charts for money back in 1985, he did not formally begin his full-time astrology practice until 2009. Jim does quite a bit of original research on various astrological topics, some of which is presented in his book, Hero and Wanderer: A Reappraisal of Pluto’s Astrological Significance, available on Amazon. Contact Jim for a reading, questions or general conversation at mnesipholos@gmail.com.