In astrology, a triplicity is a group of three signs belonging to the same element.

Trines

Western astrology assumes that each sign of the same triplicity is 120 degrees apart, forming angles to one another called trines, which are each equivalent to the 360 degrees of the circle divided by three. Trines are considered to be very powerful and yet very comfortable, free-flowing connections. This suggests that the signs in each element are very comfortable and compatible with one another and tend to have many of the same qualities in common.

Method of organization

In traditional astrology, the concept of triplicity embodied several factors concerning the four classical elements and were considered of particular importance. Besides the four classical elements, two other ways triplicity could be organized were by rulership type and by season. However, neither are given much attention by modern astrologers. However, astrology by season, in particular has been adopted by astrologers who practice in modern Neopaganism, Druidism and Wicca.

Classical elements

In traditional Western astrology there are four triplicities based on the classical elements. Beginning with the first sign Aries which is a Fire sign, the next in line Taurus is Earth, then to Gemini which is Air, and finally to Cancer which is Water -- in Western astrology the sequence is always Fire, Earth, Air, & Water in that exact order (except in sidereal astrology, where currently Pisces is the first sign). This cycle continues on twice more and ends with the twelfth and final astrological sign, Pisces. The elemental rulerships for the twelve astrological signs of the zodiac (according to Marcus Manilius) are summarised as follows:

• Fire - Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius - hot, dry, ardent
• Earth - Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn - heavy, cold, dry
• Air - Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius - light, hot, wet
• Water - Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces - wet, soft, cold

Rulerships

In traditional astrology, each triplicity has several planetary rulers, which change with conditions of sect--that is, whether the chart is a day chart or a night chart.

Triplicity rulerships are a very important essential dignity--one of the several factors used by traditional astrologers to weigh the strength, effectiveness and integrity of each planet in a chart. Many Hellenistic astrologers (for example, Dorotheus of Sidon) considered triplicity rulership the most powerful and demonstrable of the several essential dignities of a planet.

Triplicty rulerships (using the "Dorothean system") are as follows:

Triplicity Rulerships

Triplicity	Day Ruler	Night Ruler	Participating Ruler
Fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius):	Sun	Jupiter	Saturn
Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius):	Saturn	Mercury	Jupiter
Earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn):	Venus	Moon	Mars
Water * (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces):	Venus *	Mars	Moon

"Participating" rulers were not used after the Hellenistic period.

One way in which triplicty rulerships were used by earlier astrologers was to divide a person's life into three periods: early, middle, and late. The condition of the triplicity ruler that is in sect in the chart is evaluated when considering the tenor of the early part of life; the ruler out of sect is examined for the middle of life; and the last third of life is evaluated by looking at the condition of the participating triplicity ruler.

In medieval systems of astrology, each essential dignity was given a different weight. Domicile rulers were given 5 points of weight; exaltation rulers were given 4 points; and triplicity rulers were assigned 3 points of weight. This gives some idea of how much power medieval astrologers accorded to each essential dignity.

Actual seasons

Traditional astrology also organize triplicities according to the actual season in which the zodiac rose. For example, Aries, Taurus, and Gemini appear during the spring season.

The triplicities of seasonal elements in ancient astrology were the following:

• Spring - Earth - Aries, Taurus, Gemini
• Summer - Fire - Cancer, Leo, Virgo
• Autumn - Air - Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius
• Winter - Water - Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces

Personality

In modern astrology, the elements have become associated with different personality types. These are summarized in the following tables:

The Three Qualities	Mutable sign	Cardinal sign	Fixed sign

	The four elements
	Fire (E)xtroverted (J)udging	Earth (I)ntroverted (J)udging	Air (E)xtroverted (P)erceiving	Water (I)ntroverted (P)erceiving
Individual focus Agreeableness	Aries ENTJ - Mobilizing	Taurus ISTJ - Certifying	Gemini ENFP - Motivating	Cancer INTP - Designing
Group focus Conscientiousness	Leo ESTJ - Enforcing	Virgo INFJ - Guiding	Libra ENTP - Devising	Scorpio ISTP - Instrumenting
Humanity as a whole Openness	Sagittarius ENFJ - Educating	Capricorn INTJ - Entailing	Aquarius ESTP - Persuading	Pisces INFP - Conciliating
Positive personality traits	Confidently progresses Through starting conversations, they tell others what they should do. These people have the confidence to get results they can be proud of. They are persistent on the actions to be done and downplay any fear they may have of failing.	Performs reliably Down-to-earth people are conservative about what to do and are determined to get practical results, and they tend to do so in a resourceful manner. They persistently aim on the point of doing actions in the first place and tend to have little emotional impact from any trouble they have from carrying a task forward.	Perceptive to suggestions These people are flexible about what to do and like to discuss about how to get ideal results. While cautious and objective about the possible future, they recuperate easily from past change. They are persistent on understanding the behavior of social groups.	Perceptive to the feelings of others Discussions about how to get nurturing results are the main attraction to these people, so it is important for them to be responsive to others and their wants. They do so in a emotionally sensitive manner. They are persistent in helping individuals under emotional stress.
Negative personality traits	Overly demanding They can be very controlling of others to the point of being seen as arrogant and lacking sympathy for those they lead. They also tend to take credit for the work of others who realize their demands.	Resists change Their conservative views about what needs to be done limits their participation in discussion, as very few changes in their methods are seen as necessary to achieve the same goal. As a result, others may see them as dull and materialistic.	Lacks a true standing Their flexibility about what ought to be done arises from a lack of personal support for the action. By lacking a foundation for taking action, these people are seen as superficial and impractical. They do not wish to be settled and struggle to obtain freedom.	Relies on indulgences to avoid defending oneself If their emotions become too strong, these signs can become addicted to drugs, alcohol, food, or anything that keeps them from being on the defense. Along with their empathy, also comes a tendency to be hindered by other people's emotional issues.

Notes

See also

• Astrology and the classical elements