3 - The Scoop on the Signs

The zodiac signs are like Snapchat filters for the planets. As planets move through the signs, they adopt different personalities and styles. In this foundational episode of Third House Gossip, learn how each zodiac sign gives a planet a new tone of voice. Starting with the four elements and the three modes, listen to this episode whenever you need a quick but thorough refresher on the signs. 

• 01:04 Introduction to the 12 Zodiac Signs
• 03:27 The Four Elements
• 08:08 The Three Modes
• 12:24 Fire Signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius)
• 17:35 Air Signs (Libra, Aquarius, Gemini)
• 21:57 Earth Signs (Capricorn, Taurus, Virgo)
• 25:59 Water Signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces)

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Transcript

Hi, I'm Claire Gallagher, and this is Third House Gossip, where we spill the astrological tea. So pour something delicious and let's chat. This podcast is sponsored by me. So to support the show and support yourself, come see me for an astrology reading. Just head to astrologywithclaire. com. That's astrology with C L A I R E dot com.

You know that feeling when you sit down to record a podcast and the neighbor's weed whacker just suddenly comes out of the garage? Yes, I'm having that feeling right now. I'm also having another feeling and that feeling is when you sit down to record a podcast and a thunderstorm just materializes out of nowhere.

But, I wouldn't expect anything less because the beloved moon, right this second as I'm recording this episode, is in Aquarius, making a square to Uranus, or Uranus or Uranus, you know, whatever floats your boat, just say it however you like. I like Uranus, it just rolls off the tongue. Anyhow, I wouldn't expect anything less than a few hiccups. So we're just going to roll with the punches today and we're also going to hope that Uranus strikes me with some amazing info lightning because we've got a lot to talk about and that is the 12 zodiac signs. If you are brand new to astrology, this is going to be great for you. A really wonderful primer in what the zodiac signs are all about. We're going to break it down to the very basics and then slowly build our way back up because that is what this Virgo likes to do. So pour something delicious and let's get started.

All right. First things first, the planets move through the zodiac signs. You probably already know that but just in case you didn't, because I didn't know that, that's what happens. So, Mars moves through Taurus. Taurus doesn't move through Mars. You'd be surprised how many people get that mixed up. So, planets move through the zodiac signs.

I like to think of the zodiac signs as a couple things. First one is like a filter, like a Snapchat filter. They are like disguises or clothing that the planets put on and when a planet moves through a different sign it kind of adopts a new look, a new personality, a new style. I also like to think of the zodiac signs as tones, like tones of voice, and we're going to talk about that a lot today because this is Third House Gossip and we're all about what the planets are saying and talking about. An Aries Mars is going to talk very differently than a Taurus Mars, or a Pisces Mercury is going to express itself very differently than a Leo Mercury. So the zodiac signs give planets tones.

And the other thing that zodiac signs do is they act like environments. And I like to think of them as homes almost, where there are furnishings and tools and a look. And so as the planets move through these different environments, they become comfortable or uncomfortable. They have access to new tools or to tools that they don't know how to use. That's a little bit beyond the scope of today's pod. But I just want you to know that some signs are easier, some filters are more flattering, some tones are more natural, some environments are more comfortable for certain planets than others.

The zodiac signs are comprised of a couple pieces. The first one is an element, and in Western astrology, there are four elements, fire, air, earth, and water. And a mode. And there are three modes, cardinal, fixed, and mutable. And these all combine to form the twelve zodiac signs. So the element, fire, air, earth, or water, kind of describes the basic substance, or energy of a zodiac sign, like what is it? Whereas the mode describes how that energy moves through the world. So I like to think of the elements as types of energy, and the mode as how that energy expresses. 

So let's start with fire, and we'll go through all of the elements one by one, and then we'll go through the modes, and then we'll put them together and discuss how they make up the signs. So fire is hot and dry. In astrology, when something is hot, it's quick, it's fast, it's speedy. And when something is dry, it creates separateness. And so, when we put these two together in fire, what fire does is it creates an individual. It individuates us. That's what dryness does. And it does it in a quick, magnetic type of way. Fire is associated with vital energy. It's that oomph, that spark of life that makes you you. Fire also draws the eye, so when planets are in fire signs, they take on a really dynamic and passionate tone that demands attention. 

Air is also hot in astrology, so it is also a quick moving element and when planets move through air signs, they tend to go at a quicker clip. But it's also wet, unlike fire, which is dry. And so when something is wet, it excels at combining things together. So there's an element of togetherness in air that fire doesn't have. Remember, fire is about the individual. It individuates us. It separates us. It makes us us. Whereas air is about how we connect with other people. So air shares and exchanges, it makes connections, and it's also really good at seeing patterns, where other things connect. So this is mental and social energy, and when planets move through air signs, they take on a kind of lively, curious, stimulating tone, sometimes a brainy tone.

 Air moves in all types of directions. It moves up and out. It swirls about. So it's quick to change. It also carries things in it, right? It carries smell. It carries sound. Little birds fly through it. Insects, etc. It carries information. And this is part of where the air signs get that social and mental piece from.

The earth element, unlike air and fire, is cold. When something is cold in astrology, it slows down. Earth is also dry. Remember that dryness creates separation. So when we have something cold and dry like earth, it creates form. It creates our reality. I like to think of Earth as mechanical energy. And when planets are in Earth signs, they like to make things happen. They like to construct things. They like to provide the necessities. When planets are in Earth signs, they take on a very methodical and organized tone. They can be very factual. Earth is about stuff we can touch.

Water is also cold, but it's wet. It's about deep connection and intimacy. This connection is slower than air, which spitballing and exchanging on the fly. Water is like, "Let's have a deep conversation." It's emotional and spiritual energy. Water is relational, it's receptive, it's reflective. And when planets are in water signs, they take on a really soothing and nurturing tone. 

That was a really fast way to describe the elements, but hopefully that's tracking with you. Let's move on to the modes. So, there's fire, air, earth, and water. But, there's different types of water, and there's different types of fire, and different ways air expresses. A mode is how an element moves through the world. And this is what distinguishes the fire signs from each other, or the earth signs from each other, because they're not all the same. It's the mode that makes them different. So we can think of the mode as giving an element different expressions. For example, a spark versus a bonfire versus a wildfire. A mode is a method or a way of doing something. It can refer to the style of a sign or its operating system or its process. Mode is very much how something moves or acts. 

Again, the three modes in astrology are cardinal, fixed, and mutable. And I think what makes these much easier to understand is placing them on top of the seasonal wheel. So the cardinal signs, Aries, Libra, Cancer, and Capricorn correspond with the equinoxes and the solstices. These are the page turners of the seasons. Aries kicks off spring, Libra kicks off fall, at least in my hemisphere. Cancer kicks off summer, Capricorn kicks off winter. Cardinal starts the season. From that we get a little bit of information about how Cardinal signs move through the world. They initiate, they step out, they inspire, they're responsive, they're courageous. Yes, even Cancer. A challenge with cardinal signs is that they can go out with a lot of passion and a lot of energy and it ends up being unsustainable. Or there's a lack of foresight or a lack of preparation before they step out because they're so excited.

 The fixed signs are Taurus, Scorpio, Leo, and Aquarius. They sustain the season. They're right in the middle of whatever season they're a part of. Taurus is smack dab in the middle of spring. Aquarius is in midwinter. What this symbolism gives to the fixed signs is consistency. They are what they are. They are sustainable, they're organized, they're committed, they have a rhythm, they've got a pattern going. And they tend to bring things to completion. This is where some of that stubbornness comes from in the fixed signs.

And next up we have the mutable signs, which are Gemini, Sagittarius, Virgo, and Pisces. And these signs shift the season. So they're at the end of a season, right before it's the next one. They're transforming, they're changing, they're on the move. And this gives us some ideas about what mutable signs are all about. They like variety, they're curious, they're flexible. They like to change their mind. They're good at letting go. They're good at shifting. They're good at transforming

And there was one other thing that gives the zodiac sign a lot of its characteristics, and that's the planet that rules it. So if you don't know, you're about to know, all of the zodiac signs are ruled by a planet. The Sun rules Leo, Moon rules Cancer, Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo, Venus rules Taurus and Libra, Mars rules Aries and Scorpio, Jupiter rules Sagittarius and Pisces, and Saturn rules Capricorn and Aquarius. A lot of what we know about the zodiac signs, the key words, the things we hear in pop culture, come from the planet that rules that sign. It gives a lot of its personality to that sign. Okay, so we've talked about element, mode, and ruling planet, and now we're going to put them together and breeze through the 12 zodiac signs one by one. 

First up we have Aries. This is our cardinal fire sign. It is ruled by Mars and that gives us a lot of information about Aries. Aries is going to be interested in talking about and doing Mars things, which is taking action. It's going to initiate. It's going to be bold. It may be a little impulsive. So those are the types of tones that a planet would take when it's traveling through Aries. So if we're thinking about gossip, a. k. a. what planets are talking about, a. k. a. what's happening in our lives, the planets are going to be doing things in a much more enthusiastic, direct, maybe impatient manner than they would in other signs.

If we think about Aries as an environment, I like to think of it as a gym or as an emergency room. So there's a lot happening in these places. There's a lot of activity going on and there's some urgency happening, especially in an emergency room. Tools that planets have when they move through Aries include high energy, drive, and courage. When planets are moving through Aries, the stuff that's going on around us tends to pick up the pace. It tends to go at a quick clip. 

Our next fire sign is Leo. And this is our fixed fire sign. So I like to think of Leo as a bonfire. This is a place where people gather, people really want to be here, it's where the cool kids hang out. Leo is ruled by the sun, which kind of adds to this idea of a bonfire bringing people together. So, think about the sun. Sun worshipers, people want to get in the sun, cats especially just want to lay there. So, there's this warmth. There's this magnetism that the sun gives to Leo. So when planets are moving through the sign of Leo, they take on this warm tone. There's a confidence. There's an encouraging and uplifting tone. And yes, sometimes a little bit of drama. 

If we think of Leo as an environment that planets move through, it's kind of like rolling out the red carpet, or going to a pep rally, or maybe being poolside with all of the upper crust around town. There's a lot of see and be seen type of energy with Leo. Tools that planets have when they move through Leo include this magnetism. They also include self expression. Planets in Leo have radiance that they don't have in other signs. Leadership is a really great Leo tool. And that comes from the sun being the leader of the planets. Then there's loyalty, which comes from the steadiness of the sun. It rises and sets every day. We don't have to think about it. We don't have to worry about it. So the fixed nature of Leo and the steadiness of its ruler gives Leo this loyal quality.

Our mutable fire sign is Sagittarius. I like to think of Sagittarius as a wildfire. It is just all over the place, and it's ruled by affable Jupiter. We love Jupiter. So when we combine these ideas together, we've got something quick moving, it's very hot, and it's ruled by this planet that just has a bigger than life personality. We get a tone that's exaggerated and excited, and it's like, "I've got all of the ideas, and I want to do all the things." It can be really upbeat and bubbly, sometimes a little scattered, sometimes a little ungrounded, but fun all the same. 

If we think of Sagittarius as a place or an environment, I like to think of it as being on an airplane. You're going somewhere exciting and you're ready to explore. Other places of Sagittarian nature are natural wonders. Things that create awe. Things that just make your jaw drop. And of course, a classroom, because Jupiter loves to learn and Sagittarius, by extension, loves to gather all of the information and do all of the things. Tools that planets have when they move through Sagittarius include a beautiful open mindedness. It's really tolerant. Really open to people being different than itself. And then there's wisdom, of course. Jupiter is one of our wisdom planets, and so Sagittarius does carry that, even though it's also a bag of fun. And then hope. I think hope is one of the most beautiful Sagittarian characteristics. And so when planets move through Sagittarius, they tend to have this everything's gonna turn out okay sort of bent to them.

Let's move on to our air signs. We're going to start with our cardinal air sign, which is Libra. Libra is ruled by the planet Venus, and this gives it a really relational focus. If I were to imagine Libra as a type of air, it would be a pleasant breeze. Something that is just delicious to sit in. Something that's cooling and just what you needed. That's the Venusian piece of Libra. So when planets move through Libra, they take on a charming tone. They take on a kind tone and also a tactful tone. If you've ever talked to someone with Mercury in Libra or Venus in Libra, they just have a real poise about them. Environments of Libra are art galleries or parties, of course. If a planet's moving through Libra, it tends to pick up some social skills. It also tends to pick up cooperation, maybe a little good taste and also some good judgment.

Our fixed air sign is Aquarius, and I like to think of Aquarius as a pressure system, kind of like that thunderstorm that totally materialized out of nowhere at the beginning of the podcast, which has since dissipated. Thank you, Uranus. Aquarius is ruled by the planet Saturn. Saturn gives Aquarius this rejecting quality, which makes it really unique. Saturn is like, "No, no, and no, I don't think so." And that gives Aquarius this, I'm going to be different. I'm going to reject the status quo and I'm going to do my own thing. The tone that Aquarius has can be unique. It can be a little weird in the best type of way. And it can also be really brainy and intelligent. If we think of Aquarius as an environment, it could be a protest, or it could be a lab with a bunch of mad scientists. Take your pick. When planets move through Aquarius, they have originality. They got spunk. They're gonna do things their own way, and they're stubborn enough to keep it going. 

Next up we have Gemini. Gemini is our mutable air sign. If we think of Gemini out in nature, I like to think of it as a bumblebee or a butterfly that's always hopping from one thing to the next. This is re-emphasized by the fact that Mercury rules Gemini. And we know Mercury to be this changeable, quick moving planet that just likes to be up in everybody's business. When planets move through Gemini, they get this really curious tone, they get this witty tone, this playful tone. They can also talk at a really rapid pace and they might get kind of logical or a little technical. Remember that Mercury loves to gather all the data, all the facts, all the figures. And so sometimes Gemini tones can be really, number heavy, or logistics heavy, etc. 

When planets move through Gemini and they visit Gemini Land, it's like they've landed at this amazing cosmic internet cafe where everybody and their brother is just hanging out chit chatting, and on all their devices all at the same time. I also like to think of Gemini Land as, "News Channel 5, on the scene." Wherever the hubbub is happening, that's Gemini land. And so planets in Gemini land are in the mix of all of the juicy information and stuff going on as it's happening.

When planets move through Gemini, they can pick up a lot of great tools. One is social skill, but one is information, like learning and having more data than you had before. Another thing is adaptability. So when planets move through any mutable sign, but especially Gemini, they become really flexible and able to change on a dime.

Next up, we have our Earth signs. We're going to start with Capricorn, which is our cardinal Earth sign. I like to think of Capricorn as a mountain trail, something that goes straight up to the top. And that's because this sign is super ambitious. It's going places. It's super disciplined. It's gonna get there come hell or high water. And it's helped a little bit by its planetary ruler, which is Saturn. Saturn and Earth give Capricorn a really practical tone, a really mature tone. It goes the distance. It might be a little reserved as well. Regardless of the tone, it has a lot of discipline. It has a lot of excellence. When planets move through Capricorn, they're serious. They're getting down to business. Environments of Capricorn include offices or factories, wherever business is happening. 

Taurus is our fixed earth sign. If we think of Taurus in nature, I like to think of it as a couple things. One is a rock, you know, just a rock, or one is really rich soil. Taurus is ruled by Venus, and Venus gives this Earth a really nurturing, nourishing type of feel to it. It's got all types of nutrients in there. So the tone of Taurus is nurturing, and calming, and very grounded, and relaxed. The tone of Taurus is really steady, thanks to its fixed nature. And when planets move through Taurus, they become a little more relaxed, a little more consistent, maybe a little slower than you'd like them to be, but we all need a little calm sometimes. I like to think of Taurus environments as backyards, or organic farms, or brunch. Taurus would definitely be found at brunch. And when planets move through Taurus, they pick up tools like patience or consistency and endurance.

Virgo is our mutable Earth sign. I like to think of Virgo as just a little cute flower that's popped up out of the potting soil. Delicate earth energy. It's ruled by the planet Mercury. So it has a lot of similarities to Gemini. It's this mutable mercurial sign, but it's a little bit more down to earth. When we think of the tone that a planet might take when it moves through Virgo, it's going to be. very factual , but it's also going to be very kind. It's going to be kind, but to the point. It's really going to be very clear. Virgo is very efficient. I am a Virgo and I run on bulleted lists. I may not have a lot to say, but I know exactly what I want to say and I try to be precise with it. A classroom is a classic Virgo environment. Planets in Virgo become much more detail oriented. They can become more organized versions of themselves, more efficient versions of themselves. And they can also become really discerning. Virgo being this dry, mercurial sign is really good at sorting and sifting through information, which is discernment.

Moving on to our water signs, last but definitely not least. Remember, these are our emotional and spiritual energetic signs. We're starting with Cancer, which is cardinal water. I like to think of Cancer as a faucet. You just turn it on and poof, water. A bath for sure. Cancer initiates feeling. It's like, "I'm gonna make you feel this." We don't typically think of Cancer as an initiating type of sign, but it is cardinal. And what it initiates is emotional experiences, deep feelings. It's ruled by the moon. And so putting all this together, if we think of tones as planets move through Cancer and talk with a Cancer voice, they're going to talk in a really caring and nurturing type of way. They may have a protective tone. And tools that they pick up as they move through Cancer include empathy. Planets in Cancer become very sensitive to the needs of others. Another tool is intuition. I think all of the signs have their own version of intuition, but Cancer is really that kind classic intuitive voice. If we think about planets moving through Cancer land, they might land in a bathtub, they might land in a kitchen or a bedroom. This is a really intimate part of the chart and part of the life where safety and security is found. 

Next up is Scorpio, which is our fixed water sign. If we think about water being fixed, it's being frozen. Scorpio is kind of like ice. It is ruled by Mars. This gives Scorpio a really intense tone of voice. It goes deep really really quickly. There is absolutely no small talk here. Sometimes there's no talk. It really depends. It's really interesting being an astrologer and having Scorpio risings come to see you. Sometimes they will not talk at all. Or they will mow you over and they will just go to town and be really, really intense. Anyway, that was a tangent. My point is, the tone of Scorpio can be really intense, but that intensity can manifest in lots of different ways. There's also a mysterious tone to Scorpio. There's an allure, there's a magic going on here. 

If we think of Scorpio as an environment that planets visit, it's like an intense therapy session, or an operating room. It's a place where there is 100 percent full attention happening now. There's also high stakes in these environments. Tools that planets pick up when they move through Scorpio include determination. Scorpio is gonna do it. Sometimes it gets a little obsessed with it, but it's determined. And it's so determined that it can regenerate and create and destroy and create and destroy and create and destroy. It has a really resurrective type of power to it.

And finally, we have beautiful Pisces, which is our mutable water sign. I like to think of Pisces in nature as a bubbling brook, moving water. It's moving around rocks and just has a lot of noise and liveliness going on. And I think this comes from its planetary ruler, which is Jupiter. So there is a life giving, affirming, buoyant tone to this Pisces type of water. So if we think of Pisces as a tone of voice that planets take on when they travel through Pisces land, it can become very buoyant. Sometimes planets become really exaggerated and extra in Pisces. That can definitely happen. But for the most part, the tone of voice is really gentle. It can be super poetic, maybe really imaginative, and sometimes it can be a little circuitous. We can get a little mixed up in that churning water at times. If we think of Pisces as an environment that planets visit, it's like going to a spiritual gathering. And so some of the tools that they might pick up here include compassion, or a bigger perspective, or wisdom. And other great Pisces tools include flexibility and fluidity and flow.

And there you have it. Those are the 12 zodiac signs from a Third House Gossip perspective. Essentials to remember. Planets move through the signs, and as they do so, they augment and they change. So signs act as filters for planetary energy. Signs act as different pathways of expression for a planet. So planets take on different tones of voice as they move through signs. They also find themselves in different environments. If you think of the planets as people and the signs as places that they visit, some environments are more comfortable than others. Some environments have different tools and resources than others. So I want you to start thinking creatively about planets moving through the signs and how they might speak, how they might walk, how they might dress. That's the fun part of astrology. All right, until next time