What is polarity?

Polarity is the most basic division of the signs, splitting the zodiac into two groups of six that alternate all the way around the wheel. Aries is one charge, Taurus the next, Gemini the first again, and so on, so no two neighboring signs share a polarity. The two go by several names: yang and yin, active and receptive, masculine and feminine, positive and negative. The charges line up with the elements. Fire and air signs are yang, projecting their energy outward into the world. Earth and water signs are yin, drawing their energy inward and responding to what comes. Every sign is one or the other. Polarity describes a basic orientation rather than a fine detail of character. Yang signs tend to initiate and express, while yin signs tend to absorb and reflect. The balance between the two in a chart shows whether a person leans toward outward action or inward response, and most people carry a mix of both. The entries here define each charge in turn.