In astrology, cardinal signs (also called by older astrologers a moveable sign) are associated with being active, self-motivated, insightful and ambitious. Observable of ills and issues in their environment, they have keen qualties in great leadership and initiating change. They can, on the other hand, be bossy, inconsiderate and domineering, as they feel their way is the best for everyone to follow.
The word "cardinal" originates from the Latin word for "hinge," since they each mark the turning point of a temperate season. They were called moveable by traditional astrologers because, as Bonatti says, the "air" changes when the Sun enters each of these signs, bringing a change of season. Sometimes the word cardinal is confused with the word angular. Angular signs are those signs which are located on the astrological angles of any given natal chart. Angular houses may be cardinal, fixed or mutable, depending on the birth time of the chart, but only Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn are cardinal signs. Their starts are related to equinoxes and solstices.
The four cardinal signs of the Zodiac are: