Zodiac Signs

The band that opens at the March equinox, when day and night are equal and the light is lengthening in the northern hemisphere. The tropical zodiac counts from this point: zero degrees of Aries is the equinox itself, which is why every degree on the wheel is measured from here. Cardinal fire is the temperament of the opening move: it starts, and it starts before the shape of the thing is clear. Read that as the weather around the gates in this band, not as a description of a person.

The band after the equinox surge, when growth stops being an event and becomes a condition. Light continues to lengthen toward the June solstice, and the pace of change slows. Fixed earth is the temperament of holding: it consolidates what the opening move started, and it resists being hurried. Read that as context for the gates in this band, not as a character reading.

The last band before the June solstice. Light is still lengthening, but the rate of change is slowing as the Sun approaches its highest declination. Mutable air is the temperament of circulation: it moves between things rather than settling on one. Read that as the weather around the gates in this band, not as a description of a person.

The band that opens at the June solstice, the longest day in the northern hemisphere. The light peaks here and immediately begins to shorten, so this band marks a turn rather than a plateau. Cardinal water is the temperament of the protective opening: it begins by drawing something in and putting a boundary around it. Read that as context for the gates in this band, not as a character reading.

The band of held heat: the days are shortening, but the accumulated warmth of the year is at its highest. The lag between peak light and peak temperature is what this band sits in. Fixed fire is the temperament of sustained output: it keeps burning at a steady rate rather than flaring. Read that as the weather around the gates in this band, not as a description of a person.

The last band before the September equinox. Light is falling steadily and the growing season is ending, which is why this band has always been associated with harvest and sorting. Mutable earth is the temperament of refinement: it works on what already exists rather than starting something. Read that as context for the gates in this band, not as a character reading.

The band that opens at the September equinox, the second point in the year when day and night are equal. From here the nights are longer than the days in the northern hemisphere. Cardinal air is the temperament of the opening that involves someone else: it begins by relating rather than by acting alone. Read that as the weather around the gates in this band, not as a description of a person.

The band where the light falls away fastest. The rate of change in day length is at its steepest either side of the equinoxes, and this band sits on the descending side of it. Fixed water is the temperament of depth held under pressure: it does not disperse, and it does not surface easily. Read that as context for the gates in this band, not as a character reading.

The last band before the December solstice. The days are at their shortest and still shortening, and the change slows as the Sun approaches its lowest declination. Mutable fire is the temperament of the wide view: it ranges rather than staying put. Read that as the weather around the gates in this band, not as a description of a person.

The band that opens at the December solstice, the shortest day in the northern hemisphere. The light begins to return here, which is the reason so many calendars place a turning point in this band. Cardinal earth is the temperament of the structural opening: it starts by building something that has to hold. Read that as context for the gates in this band, not as a character reading.

The band the Human Design year begins in. The Sun enters Gate 41 at 2 degrees 7 minutes of Aquarius, which is the zero point of the 64 gate wheel, so the mandala is counted from inside this band rather than from the equinox. Fixed air is the temperament of a held idea: it keeps a position and works outward from it. Read that as the weather around the gates in this band, not as a description of a person.

The last band of the tropical year, closing at the March equinox where the count begins again. Light is lengthening and the boundary between one cycle and the next is the thing this band sits on. Mutable water is the temperament of dissolving edges: it merges what was separate rather than holding it apart. Read that as context for the gates in this band, not as a character reading.