Cardinal

Cardinal is one of the three modalities, the mode of initiation. Its signs are Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn, and they open each of the four seasons, falling at the equinoxes and solstices. They carry the energy of starting things, taking action, and setting events in motion. Cardinal signs are the natural initiators of the zodiac. Each cardinal sign begins in the style of its element. Aries starts through bold action, Cancer through emotional care, Libra through relationship, and Capricorn through ambition and structure. What they share is the push to begin, to move first rather than wait. The strength of cardinal energy is momentum and a willingness to lead. Its shadow is follow-through, since the thrill of beginning can fade once the slow middle work arrives. A chart heavy in cardinal signs gives a person who is driven and enterprising but may start more than they finish, and grow restless when a project settles into routine. The work of cardinal energy is to carry initiative through to lasting results.