Cardinal
Cardinal signs open each season — Aries for spring, Cancer for summer, Libra for autumn, Capricorn for winter — and the tradition gives them the job of beginnings. They are the ones who launch, propose, organize and take the first step so that others have something to join.
- Keywords
- Start, lead, initiate
Its strength
Nothing gets off the ground without somebody willing to begin. A cardinal emphasis in a chart usually signals someone who makes decisions, gets projects moving and is comfortable taking the lead.
The watch-out
Too many beginnings and too few endings. Starting can feel like progress, so a cardinal person sometimes opens a fresh front instead of finishing the one already in progress.
The signs in this group
The Sign That Opens a Season
Cardinal comes from the Latin for "hinge," and these four signs are exactly that: Aries opens spring at the March equinox, Cancer opens summer at the June solstice, Libra opens autumn at the September equinox and Capricorn opens winter at the December solstice. Each is a hinge the year turns on.
In personality terms, cardinal people are the ones who start conversations, projects and movements. They are comfortable deciding, and they tend to be quick to propose a direction even when they are unsure of the destination.
Cardinal in the Four Elements
Aries is cardinal fire and initiates through action. Cancer is cardinal water and initiates through care. Libra is cardinal air and initiates through relationship. Capricorn is cardinal earth and initiates through structure. They are four different styles of leading: the charge, the shelter, the negotiation and the plan.
Working With a Cardinal Emphasis
If your chart leans cardinal, the skill to develop is finishing. Keep a short list of open projects and give each a finish line before opening another. If you are light on cardinal placements, you may need an external push to begin, such as a partner, a deadline or a scheduled first step.
Questions to Ask About Your Own Chart
How many of your Sun, Moon, rising sign, Mercury, Venus and Mars are cardinal? If it is three or more, you probably recognize the habit of beginning things eagerly. Ask which of your open projects could be finished this month. If it is none, ask who in your life is a good starter, and whether you could borrow their energy at the beginning of something new.