Each combination of energy, quality, and element appears in only one sign. Aries, for example, has a yang energy, a cardinal quality, and the element of fire. Once you understand what each of these characteristics represents, you also can begin to understand certain aspects of an Aries personality. A Sun sign represents the position of the Sun in the heavens at the moment of your birth. When someone asks you what your sign is, he or she is referring to your Sun sign.
Qualities represent different types of activities and are related to where in a season a sign falls.
Every sign is either direct or indirect, male or female. All fire and air signs are yang, while all earth and water signs are yin. Each energy has certain characteristics that, coupled with the qualities and elements, create a unique picture for each sign. Yang signs tend toward direct action rather than waiting for things to come to them, like the bee that pollinates the flower. Yin represents the indirect forces and actions, those that understand what is needed to attract and create the desired outcome, like the flower that blooms in order to attract the bee.