"In delineating a chart, one of the first steps after setting up the chart is seeing what sign the Sun, Moon and the Ascendant are in, in order to give a general overview of the individual in question.  The next step would be seeing what the elements and the modalities of planets are, to provide a more precise general view of how the individual will react and how quickly.  Most everyone is aware of the four elements which is fire, earth, air and water.  The modality of the planets are less emphasized and generally less well known or used by the general public, although i

"The Sun’s entry into these signs marks the equinoxes and solstices. The first day the Sun is in Aries is the first day of Spring (in the Northern hemisphere). The first day he is in Cancer is the first day of Summer. The first day in Libra marks the beginning of Fall, and the first day in Capricorn is winter."

Description of sign elementes and qualities: cardinal/fixed/mutable , fire/earth/air/water, active/receptive.

"In describing a personality, it's important to check the mode of activity or the manner that a person adapts to circumstances in his/her environment. These modes of activity are sometimes referred to as the quadruplicities.  Modes or quadruplicities are divided into three groups of four planets each. Each group has one sign from each of the four elements. The three groups are the cardinal signs, the fixed signs, and the mutable signs.

"Astrology is mainly concerned with a narrow “belt” of space around the Sun’s apparent path across the sky. We call this belt the Zodiac and we divide it into twelve equal portions called Signs. Each sign is unique and has its own influence. They can, however, be grouped according to certain similarities. One way is by Element, or basic character. The other way to group signs is by Quality, or by how they tend to act. "