If you’ve been exploring astrology, there’s a good chance that you’ve come across this term “Cardinal Zodiac Signs.” Digging deeper into astrology, it is only natural for you to ask: what are these signs? What do they mean? Am I a Cardinal sign?
To respond to your questions, we’ve prepared this short article in order to deepen your knowledge about zodiac signs. Come and join us as we unravel the meaning and significance of Cardinal Zodiac Signs!
What are Cardinal Zodiac Signs? What are their traits?
Cardinal zodiac signs are those sharing a particular modality among the 12 zodiac signs. As each sign is composed of both element and modality, the term “cardinal” falls under one of the modalities of the zodiac.
By general definition, a zodiac sign’s modality represents the ways in which they express themselves. While a zodiac sign’s element defines its basic properties, its modality defines its methodology.
As such, a sign can be attached to a particular element like water and be paired with a particular modality like mutable. Water + Mutable in zodiac terms equates to Pisces. Thus, we can have a general understanding that Pisces is someone who thrives in transitory emotions and intuitions.
To give you a better overview, here are the modalities of the zodiac:
Cardinal – season starters, initiators, leaders
Fixed – season dwellers, balancers, foundation builders
Mutable – season enders, consolidators, transitioners
As such, Cardinal zodiac signs are to be understood as those who love to initiate, lead, and begin things. In their dealings, these signs are good at finding new ways to rethink the same old things, as creativeness flows from them.
Add to that, Cardinal signs also mark the beginning of a season. For each of the 4 seasons, there’s a corresponding Cardinal sign with a particular element. This means that Cardinal Zodiac signs embody the strength of engagement and openings.
Eager to unravel new paths, these signs can unlock the doors to new beginnings. Since they are good at seeing opportunities and holding on to them, you can expect Cardinal signs to be very curious and inquisitive.
Finally, those bearing this sign also have that unique sense of determination and strength. Emotionally empowered from within, they are unafraid of new challenges as they live for them. Nothing can topple over these Cardinal signs, especially if a challenge lands on their elemental bias.
Question: Are Cardinal Signs naturally born as leaders?
Each of the 12 zodiac signs can become leaders, one way or another. While it is true that they will have varying natural proficiencies, their strengths can always become paths to leadership. In the same way, all 12 zodiac signs can also fail in this task. Depending on how they lead their lives, they can still fail to become a good leader even when they’re born to do it.
As such, this begs the question: are Cardinal signs naturally born as leaders?
The answer is yes.
Cardinal signs are naturally endowed with the ability to lead others, especially in the element that they’re attuned with. Given their unique strength in a specific area of life, they are tasked to lead others towards progress.
Given this, let’s get to know more about the four cardinal zodiac signs!
The Four Cardinal Zodiac Signs
For each of the four elements, there’s an assigned Cardinal zodiac sign. Marking the start of the season, you can quickly identify these zodiac signs by taking note of the dates. With that, here are the four cardinal zodiac signs:
Aries (March 20 – April 21)
Element: Fire
Season: Spring
Also known as the Cardinal fire sign, Aries is the leader among all leaders (well, that’s excluding Leo). Born to initiate, this courageous fire sign will jump right into the flames. They are always eager and unafraid to leap towards new bounds.
As a zodiac sign, Aries is a natural-born leader. Like the god of war himself, Aries can lead armies towards their success (or death). Their ability to communicate and inspire others to take action is so formidable, for it has the power to turn thoughts into action.
Add to that, Aries also bears the power to spot opportunities and pounce on them. Like an inkling, they know when to take that blind leap of faith. And when they decide to do so, they will head forward with pure focus.
Even then, Aries also has its own fair share of challenges. When left unchecked, these weaknesses can get the best of them, despite being a Cardinal sign.
Sometimes, they can be overly aggressive towards opportunity. Sometimes, they can ditch their calculations in favor of taking big risks with incommensurate rewards. Since they love the thrill of being placed in life or death situations, those bearing the sign of Aries might act even before they can think.
Add to that, their dominance can also be over-the-top. Without knowing, they can overstep bounds as they pursue their goals. Before they know it, they are already encroaching on the personal lives of those around them, despite being an unwelcome visitor.
Cancer (March 20 – April 21)
Element: Water
Season: Summer
Also known as the Cardinal water sign, Cancer is the caregiver archetype among the 12 zodiac signs. Nurturing those around them, they channel the water that brings life to all.
As a zodiac sign, Cancer is caring and loving. Like the neighbor in the story of the good samaritan, they are always ready to help others. Dedicating their time, talents, and treasures to those they value, their desire to express emotions through actions channels their Cardinal nature.
Add to that, Cancer is also known to think outside the box. Since they have a strong sense of intuition, they don’t wait for things to come to them. Instead, their crab senses allow them to feel joy or disgust a mile away. This makes for strong interpersonal skills, as they open the hearts of others.
Even then, Cancer also has its own fair share of challenges. When left unchecked, these weaknesses can get the best of them, despite being a Cardinal sign.
Sometimes, they can cower away from opportunities. With their strong sense of intuition, a bad inkling signals them not to move forward. Like a reflex, they will take a step back even before logically assessing the situation. Though they are a Cardinal sign, their focus on emotions can sometimes prevent them from realizing the truth.
Add to that, they can also be incredibly moody. Basing their judgment on their emotions alone, Cancer can quickly lose control over the steering wheel, even before they realize it. As such, potential or even existing connections can suddenly fade away.
Libra (September 23 – October 22)
Element: Air
Season: Fall
Also known as the Cardinal air sign, Libra is the diplomat among the 12 zodiac signs. Judging everything through the scales of reason, they are the only sign that’s not represented by a person or an animal.
As a zodiac sign, Libra is rational and communicative. Being the lifeblood of social gatherings, the party simply won’t start without them. Since Libra acts like a glue that brings everyone together, their peers are often looking forward to those intelligent and witty conversations with them.
Add to that, Libra also has that sense of sophistication. Appreciating the finer things in life, they are well-versed in arts and history. When engaging in conversations, Libra is likely to begin the talk given their wide array of knowledge and eagerness to speak-up.
Even then, Libra also has its own fair share of challenges. When left unchecked, these weaknesses can get the best of them, despite being a Cardinal sign.
Sometimes, they tend to be indecisive. While they are good at starting talks with others, their wide array of know-hows can prevent them from choosing a specialized path. Heck, they can even be so indecisive that they can’t pick their side when talking about “what-if” scenarios.
Add to that, they can also be hypocritical to others and to themselves. They may tell you to care about the environment but end-up justifying leaving their trash behind so that others can have a job to clean after them.
Capricorn (December 21 – January 21)
Element: Earth
Season: Winter
Also known as the Cardinal earth sign, Capricorn is the most disciplined archetype among the 12 zodiac signs. Following and trusting the process, they are laser-focused to finish the task at hand.
As a zodiac sign, Capricorn is cold and calculating. Strategic with their approach, they love doing step-backs before dipping one foot on the water. This may appear a bit absurd for a Cardinal sign. Yet in reality, their diligence and committedness express how they treat opportunities and tribulations alike.
Add to that, Capricorn is also utilitarian in their approach. They always prioritize courses of action that yield the most benefit. Thus, they often excel in their pursuits, as they can rationally dissect a task and pick the fastest way to get there.
Even then, Capricorn also has its own fair share of challenges. When left unchecked, these weaknesses can get the best of them, despite being a Cardinal sign.
For one, they are known to be overly vigilant. Barring any forms of potential threats, their vigilance serves them well most of the time. However, there are many instances where they can quickly ditch others for the sake of prioritizing their own good, even when no threat is truly posed against them.
Add to that, they can also hold grudges against others. Since they love bottling their own feelings, they tend to end-up harboring those negative feelings from within. This often contributes to their cynical mindset, as they tend to trust no one other than themselves.
Final Word
In this short piece, we’ve done a quick run-through of the four cardinal signs of the zodiac. Defining the uniqueness of cardinal zodiac signs, we’ve also unraveled its meaning and purpose.
With that, we hope to have contributed to your overall knowledge and understanding of the zodiacs!