Astrology 101: The Signs, Elements, & Modes of Y-O-U

Back to Basics Part 2: Signs, Elements, Modes, and…why they matter ✨

Often in my forecasts, I’ll say things like “Mercury is zipping through the fixed fire sign” or “as the moon illuminates the cardinal earth sign” and it might sound…confusing. Or flowery, even. Like I’m just being fancy with my verbiage. When actually, I’m speaking the language of astrology—specifically, the language of the zodiac signs. Welcome to Part 2 of my Back to Basics summer series, an Astrology 101 crash course where we explore the most talked about astro-topics out there and re-learn how astrology really works. We’ve already talked about your Big 3 and what it means for your life and birth chart; today, we’re diving deep into the zodiac signs. Specifically, the elements and modes.

As both a Gemini, a writer, and self-proclaimed word nerd, the language of the zodiac has fascinated me for years, but it hasn’t been until I’ve started making astrology content (TikToks, weekly forecast) that I realized just how little we talk about the elements and modes. Technically, astrologers talk about the elements and modes all the freaking time—we just don’t often explain what the heck they are or why they are so crucial to understanding the core energetic differences between the 12 zodiac signs. Because they are crucial. In fact, they can help you understand the distinct motivations, habits, and instincts of the 12 zodiac signs.

You probably already know the four elements of astrology, as they are the same four elements we interact with on a daily basis: fire, earth, air, and water. Modes…well, that might be a different story. Again, we (astrologers) talk about the modes often—cardinal, fixed, and mutable—but it’s seldom explained what they signify or why they’re important at all. The best way to understand modes and elements is to think of them simply as classifications. If we have 12 zodiac signs, then the elements and modes help us codify each of those signs into an astrological taxonomy, which then helps us better understand how planets in those signs function, how they interact with each other, and so on.

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Every zodiac sign belongs to one of four elements (Fire, Earth, Air, Water) and one of three modes (Cardinal, Fixed, Mutable). But elements and modes also help us to make distinctions between the 12 signs, and help us further understand what each sign wants—what its primary function is—and how it goes about fulfilling that. Like a prophecy, except not as fatalistic. Combined, the elements and modes detail the energetic blueprint of each zodiac sign. Though signs of the same elements share characteristics (ex: all air signs love to chit-chat and most water signs tend to feel a lot), the modes are what really help distinguish those signs from one another.

For you personally? Elements and modes are keys to how you vibe, thrive, and maybe barely survive daily life. The elements of your planets and Rising sign shows how you express energy. The modes then show you how you handle movement, momentum, and change. Together, they explain why you always need a to-do list (hi, Earth), spring into action without much thought (hi, Fire), or spiral because someone didn’t use an exclamation point in a text (hi, Water). And if that wasn’t confusing enough, you actually have ALL the elements and modes in your chart (because every birth chart has the 12 zodiac signs in it); you just won’t have all your placements in them. But I digress…let’s get back to basics!

Astrological Elements and Modes collage art by Cosmic Cannibal

The Elements in Astrology: how you express yourself

Fun fact: Hippocrates and other ancient Greek physicians tied the elements to the four humors (blood, phlegm, yellow and black bile), forming the medical and temperament basis of Western astrology. These humors were thought to be fundamental bodily fluids that governed not only human health, but also temperament. However, these physicians like Hippocrates and the Roman Galin believed the humors were due to organ imbalances. (Too much blood? You’re so sanguine! Too much phlegm? You’re sluggish and melancholic.)

Western astrology has continued on with that association, linking the four elements—fire, earth, air, and water—to a sign’s emotional temperament and disposition. This not only reveals key facets about each sign’s nature, but also helps fortify their classification. So, that’s a great way to think of the elements: a sign’s temperament, nature, and disposition. We can even go as far as saying the elements describe each sign’s flavor. Unlike the four humors, which can be somewhat confusing (phlegmatic? WTF?), the astrological elements are more straightforward. Sort of. Let’s break it down.