How to Quickly Memorize Zodiac Traits
Sometimes zodiac traits can be hard to memorize, especially if we haven’t had personal experiences with these signs. Or perhaps you can memorize them, but have no idea where these traits come from.
The 12 zodiac signs are divided into four elements and three modes (mutable, cardinal, fixed), all with their own traits assigned to them.
The elements are divided into fire, earth, air, and water, with three signs per element, going in that specific order through the signs (Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer). Memorizing the element of a sign is usually simple and predictable based on our knowledge of the sign (except Aquarius, which is an air sign), but if you can’t you can also count off through the signs from a reference point because the signs are in specific order. (If you know Pisces is a water sign, and not Cancer, but know Pisces is three signs from Cancer, you can conclude Cancer is a water sign). Elements are extremely useful to learn as they are direct indicators of compatibility, Earth-Water and Fire-Air being the most compatible, and Earth-Air and Water-Fire being the least.
The traits for elements are as follows:
Fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius): Passionate, short tempered, courageous, explorative
Earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn): Practical, stable, materialistic, reserved
Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius): Social, imaginative, impulsive, cynical
Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces): Sensitive, caring, emotional, intuitive
The modes (cardinal, fixed, mutable) also go in that order through the signs, with four signs per mode, no mode having more than one member of the same element, and having one member of each element. The modes may also explain an attraction between two signs of incompatible elements, as they have their own exclusive traits, but do not necessarily indicate one, like with elements.
The traits for modes are as follows:
Cardinal (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn): Ambitious, natural leaders, demanding, independent
Fixed (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius): Determined, stable, stubborn, follows inertia
Mutable (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces): Adaptable, Intuitive, undependable, empathetic
If you can learn to memorize either elements or modes, and the order of the signs, or both elements and modes, but not the order of the signs, you will be able to, without the assitance of a reference, be able to quickly recall and understand zodiac traits and compatibility. Here are some examples of these concepts in use.
Say you meet a Pisces, but don’t know the traits for Pisces. You know Pisces is exemplified by two fish, therefore is likely a water sign, and count four signs from Pisces to reference Gemini, which you know is a mutable sign. From this you can deduce that Pisces is a mutable water sign, combining the traits of both to make a sensitive, especially intuitive, and adaptable personality.
Following the same example, say you know a Sagittarius and are considering their compatibility to Pisces.
Sagittarius is mutable fire, which will make them incompatible to Pisces elementally, and likely make them uncomfortable around each other, both feeling misunderstood. However, they are both mutable, indicating that they have the ability to work together and understand each other on the level of both being adaptable people.
Also, with a quick fyi, Virgo-Gemini and Taurus-Libra, despte being elementally incompatible are ruled by the same planet, Virgo-Gemini being ruled by Mercury, making them compatible in communication, and Taurus-Libra being ruled by Venus, making them, not necessarily compatible, but commonly focused on love and sensuality. However, ruling planets are a whole other issue and perhaps harder to understand.
I hope this helps anyone hoping to quickly recall and understand zodiac traits! Remember! Practice makes perfect.
