This week I will give
you another tool you can use for understanding the people you encounter
everyday. All it takes is the time to observe and see if you can fit the
person’s behavior into one of three groups.
Last week we divided
the 12 signs into four groups based upon the idea of the Elements: Fire,
Earth, Air, and Water. I explained how these terms could be the shorthand
for categorizing certain personality traits.
Why categorize “types”?
Many magazines and
newspapers offer Quizzes for determining your personality type. They may
be based upon psychological studies based upon the work of Sigmund Freud,
Carl Jung, and others. Any “self help” section of your local bookstore
will provide books that offer suggestions for analyzing yourself and others.
Recently a friend
sent a copy of What Color is you Personality? Red, Orange, Yellow,
Green, by Carol Ritberger, Ph. D. It is a clever concept and a good
read. Dr. Ritberger poses the question: “What is it that makes us different?”
So whether you sort it out by exploring your Ego, your Id, the color of
your personality, or the measurements of Myers-Briggs, you will become
more aware of what makes us different from each other. That is a good
thing.
Astrologers have
several ways of sorting or categorizing personality in addition to the
12 Astrological signs. Dividing the 12 signs into three groups that Astrologers
call Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable is just another way of realizing that
not everyone has the same motivational style. I will rename them to indicate
a trait they have in common. Again, we aren’t looking for birth signs.
We are looking for how people go after what they want.
Group 1: “Movers
and Shakers” (Cardinal), often found in signs: Aries, Cancer, Libra, and
Capricorn.
These eager folks
learn by doing. Even though they make false starts and discover they didn’t
have all of the facts needed to complete the project, they are unwilling
to “wait” or “prepare”. They will accept temporary setbacks in order to
plunge into the activity and learn from the experience, which seems to
be their best teacher. This self-starter becomes impatient when he/she
feels too many demands are put upon them. They often do not see the connection
between their demand for personal freedom and the difficulty in maintaining
lasting relationships. You will notice that the more mature in this group
have learned how to leave room for home and family, job demands, and hobbies/recreation.
This balance does not come easy. The drive to achieve goals in the business
world is one of their strongest traits.
Group 2. “Stabilizing
and Determined” (Fixed), often found in signs: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and
Aquarius.
Things, stuff, money,
property, real jewelry, in short things that satisfy the senses; in short
anything that contributes to their pleasure in life. You may notice that
some in this group will become alarmed at their need for more and more
and begin to reject their desires just to prove that they are in control.
The need to control others and to control their circumstances is a strong
trait. The tendency to swing from overindulgence to asceticism can be
confusing to those they love. The tendency to attract people into their
lives with similar drives can create a lot of conflict as they each try
to control the others indulgence. You will know this person by the stubborn
determination to keep every thing the way it has always been; in other
words, the “right way”
Group 3. “Flexible
and Communicating”, (Mutable), often found in signs: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius,
and Pisces.
You will recognize
this group with the phone to their ear, a mike in their hand, or browsing
the bookstore. They are the most flexible, adaptable persons you know.
The level of curiosity matches their active intellect, always eager to
learn, to explore, and to discuss; you choose the subject. The biggest
challenge for this group is settling on one thing and learning to do it
well. With multiple choices constantly before them, it is difficult to
decide, which thing is more important. For some it is their perfectionism
that sets them apart. Some are seeking the ultimate life style, the perfect
job, the ideal surroundings or place to live, and of course, the perfect
relationship. They often have different answers on different days. They
are charming, youthful, and intelligent. Try to have at least one on your
list of friends.
You will learn next
week how to mix and match. In other words how you have noticed that the
Fire person you have identified seems also to be a “Mover and Shaker”.
Or you may have a child who fits nicely into the Earthy category and at
the same time is too stubborn to be anything but “Stabilizing and Determined”
