How Fixed are You? Here’s the Score!

©9-14-2010 by Donna Cunningham, MSW

Readers by the thousands have enjoyed my tests to measure the strength of the planets in their birth chart. Recently it occurred to me that it would be possible to create similar scales to see which of the three modes of being—Cardinal, Fixed, or Mutable—dominate an astrology chart.

Here’s the first of three such tests. This time it’s easier for beginning students, because you don’t have to work with aspects.

 The fixed signs are Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius.  They represent our ability to persevere and to bring our ideas and hopes into a concrete, finished form and then preserve them.

 They’re a mixed blessing—when we have little or no fixed energy in the horoscope, we lack permanency and stability.  When we have too much, we become rigid and can’t cope well with the inevitable changes life brings our way.  The fixed signs are the stubbornest, and once they make up their minds, it would just about take an act of  Congress to get them to recant.   Below is a scale you can use to determine how strong the fixed signs are in a given chart.

Bonus Points–the Hidden Side of the Fixed Function

You may be surprised at how high your scores are.  I’ve added some non-traditional features, such as extra points for the strength of Saturn and Pluto as measured in the planetary tests. I include them because both planets contribute a great deal to our ability to bring ideas into form and preserve them.

 Again, these planets are a mixed blessing, in that they can also create a good deal of rigidity and resistance to change. Pluto does rule one of the fixed signs, Scorpio, but Saturn rules Capricorn, a Cardinal sign.

Add 10 % of your score on the tests for those planets (linked below).  Then round them off.  For example, 10% of a score of 35 would give you 3.5, rounded off  to 4 points, but a score of  33 would be 3.3,  rounded off to 3.  (If you’ve lost track of your scores, just ballpark them–3 points for the 30s, 4 for the 40s, and so on.)

Taurus is the fixed earth sign, but I’ve also added a few points for planets in the other earth signs—Virgo and Capricorn—because earth is far more concrete and permanent than water, air, or fire.  It therefore adds fixity.

I haven’t added points for the houses that correspond to the fixed signs (2nd, 5th, 8th, and 11th) because planets in those houses don’t necessarily add fixity any more than, say, the 10th does.    

Here’s the test. As in the planetary scales, include points for each chart feature that applies, then total up all the points for your final score. 

 ____  The Sun, Moon, Ascendant, or Midheaven in fixed signs, 5 points each

____   Other planets or Chiron in fixed signs, 3 points each.

_____  The Moon’s Nodes in fixed signs (found in opposite signs and houses), 2 points total.

_____  Bonus points: Planets in Virgo or Capricorn, 1 point each

_____   Bonus points:  10% of your Saturn score, rounded off. (see: How Strong is your Saturn? Here’s the Score! )

_____   Bonus points:  10% of your Pluto score, rounded off. (see: How Strong is your Pluto? Here’s the Score!)

Since this is a brand new measurement, I don’t know yet how many points would make your score strong or weak–your results can help me determine that. I’d say below 10 would probably be considered weak. 

In this case, I’d say a moderate score is the probably best result—too few points would mean that it’s hard for you to go all the way to a goal or concrete result and then preserve what you’ve created.  Too many points could mean you’re rather rigid and have a hard time adapting to changing conditions. You may get stuck in patterns that become outdated, and may have a hard time letting go of losses or difficult experiences. 

 How did you do?  Since this is a completely new test, you’re a beta tester and your input is valuable. Let us know your score in the comment section down below this article so we can see what the range of scores is on this test. 

 More posts about the Elements and Modes:

• How Cardinal are You? Here’s the Score!
• How Mutable are You? Here’s the Score!
• Mars Mission 3: Understanding Mars in the Fixed Signs
• Cardinal T-Square Articles
• Venus in the Elements: Fire, Earth, Air, & Water
• Missing Elements and How They Affect Your Relationships
• Four Kinds of Smart—Air, Earth, Fire, and Water
• How You Know You’re a Water Sign
• A Water Sign, in her Element at Last—Writing Wet, not Dry
• Cosmic Piñata #4: Astrological Oddities—or Not?

In case you missed them, here are the other popular astrology tests:  

• How Strong is your Sun? Here’s the Score!
• How Strong is your Moon? Here’s the Score?
• How Strong is your Mercury? Here’s the Score!
• How Strong is your Mars? Here’s the Score!
• How Strong is your Saturn? Here’s the Score!
• How Strong is your Uranus? Here’s the Score!
• How Strong is your Neptune? Here’s the Score! 
• How Strong is your Pluto? Here’s the Score! 
• From Joyce Mason: Chiron Quiz: How Strong is Your Chiron? and The Chiron Resonance Quiz: What’s Your Chi-Res Score?

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