If you take more than a passing interest in your horoscope, you'll know the 12 signs of the zodiac are grouped into four elements - Fire, Earth, Air and Water. What astrologers have kept to themselves is that the signs divide into three further subgroups, which offer a shortcut to understanding your underlying drives and needs. Known as the Qualities, the Mutable, Cardinal and Fixed subgroups, each contains one star sign from each of the four elements (Fire, Earth, Air and Water).

The Qualities describe how you express your energy, and to get what you want out of life you need to be able to express the energy of your particular Quality freely. Astrologers are increasingly using the Qualities to help clients solve both relationship and work problems.

THE INITIATORS Cardinal signs

ARIES - Fire

CAPRICORN - Earth

LIBRA - Air

CANCER - Water

As the dynamos of the zodiac, Cardinal signs share an ability to get things moving, lead other people and generally buzz round like a Mr.Fixit on speed.

The Bad News: You're not so good at finishing projects or seeing the bigger picture.

Work the System: Invite a Mutable sign to give you the top line and inspiration for a work or domestic project, then kick it off and give a Fixed sign the job of getting it done.

THE ADAPTERS Mutable signs

SAGITTARIUS - Fire

VIRGO- Earth

GEMINI- Air

PISCES- Water

Adaptable, flexible and versatile, you are world class at holding onto many complex concepts all at once. You can also accommodate change easily. In fact, you thrive on it.

The Bad News: You can be so adaptable that you never make a decision, and you're often so busy seeing others' points of view that what you want for yourself gets lost.

Work the System: Use your resourcefulness to help Fixed friends and partners deal better with change and Cardinal signs to see the bigger picture.

THE CONSOLIDATORS Fixed signs

LEO - Fire

TAURUS - Earth

AQUARIUS- Air

SCORPIO- Water

Everyone needs you on his or her side - you hold everything together. Always reliable, you're endlessly practical, as well as organised and fabulously efficient.

The Bad News: You can be a stick-in-the-mud, digging your heels in over a point of principle.

Work the System: Lighten up. It won't kill you to do something spontaneous, you know. Try to respect the flexibility of the Mutable signs, while enjoying how easily you can put Cardinal's plans into action.