Horoscope Glossary

Every profession has its jargon, and astrology is no exception. Here are some of the more common examples:

Elements: In the ancient world, it was thought that everything was made up of a combination of four elements – air, fire, water and earth. Each sign was thought to have just a little more of one element than the other three, which affected personality. This belief still permeates modern horoscopes. The elements that rule the signs are:

• Fire: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
• Earth: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
• Air: Libra, Gemini, Aquarius
• Water: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

Why is Scorpio a water element? An ancient belief was that scorpions carried a secret well of water in their bodies, which was how they survived in the desert.

Planetary ruler: Each zodiac sign is thought to be ruled (or most influenced) by a certain planet. So, when you learn which planet is your ruler, pay attention to any mention of that planet or planets in your horoscope. The rulers are:

• The Sun: Leo
• The Moon: Cancer
• Mercury: Gemini and Virgo
• Venus: Taurus and Libra
• Mars: Aries and Scorpio
• Jupiter: Pisces and Sagittarius
• Saturn: Aquarius and Capricorn
• Uranus: Aquarius
• Neptune: Pisces
• Pluto: Scorpio

Quadruplicates or qualities: Are you better at starting a project or finishing it? One reason why could be your quadruplicate. This attitude to creativity is another way of looking at the signs:

• Cardinal: Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn are great at getting things going.
• Fixed: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius do not like change for change's sake but can strengthen projects that are already under way.
• Mutable: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces are great at finishing projects or adapting them to fit new situations.