Mutable Signs—Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces—are the Tricksters of the Zodiac. But if it’s true in fact that “Truth is Subjectivity,” as Kierkegaard famously said, then where (and when) exactly does the notion of Objectivity factor in? What is the line between (harmless) Farce and Fact—or, more importantly, between Imagination and Reality?

This is the line of questioning that those born with a heavy concentration of planets (especially the Sun, Moon, Mercury and Saturn, I have found) and angles (particularly the Ascendant, which reflects our Persona, or the image of ourselves we unconsciously project into the outer world as opposed to our true, essential Self) in Mutable Signs are faced with in life. 

As natural-born Story-tellers, individuals born with their Sun, Moon and Rising in the Mutable Signs enter the world as curious investigators drawn to philosophical explorations of human nature. In this process, Mutable Signs look to experience as much as Life as possible, rarely able to sit still for long, always looking for their next adventure, whether it be a trip overseas or simply trying out a new restaurant (or even grocery store).

Observant and adaptable, Mutable Signs engage with the world, whether vicariously or through their own direct experience, in constant search of meaning. And in doing so, they construct their own life as an eternally evolving narrative—one that can be, well, challenging to keep up with after a while.

When the subjective narrative of personal experience inevitably clashes at some point with objective fact—whether through Relationships (or the Reality of another’s lived experience), in a confrontation of some kind with The Law or a Moral Code to which they don’t subscribe, or in some other experience that contradicts their carefully-constructed Narrative (read: Image) of Self—it’s as if the Fall of Rome has come. A most unsettling experience indeed.  

In my experience as an Astrologer and Psychologist, because individuals with a noticeably heavy concentration of Mutable Signs in their Birth Charts are such miraculously talented Storytellers, they’re similarly excellent at manipulating facts to suit whatever situation it is that contradicts their Narrative of Self.

Mutable Signs are singular in their intelligence in one very specific respect: more than any of the other twelve Zodiac Signs, the Mutable signs typically realize far sooner than most others the dynamic nature of subjective experience and, in turn, of Philosophy.

Consequently, once philosophical concepts have been studied and experiences have been had, Mutable Signs are quick to recognize that Life, like any Religious or Philosophical Creed, is rife with contradictions. This is typically where the Mutable Signs’ difficulty with the question of Truth begins. 

Gaslighting and the Self-Concept

Once the Mutable Sign individual tends more and more to believe that Perception is Reality—and, in turn, that their very existence hinges upon being “seen.” To exist is to be seen and to be seen is to exist: this is the Mutable Sign ethos by which they (unconsciously) live their lives.

And so, having slowly but surely discarded static ideals, moral codes and other such norms or even personal “rules to live by,” Mutable Signs become progressively less trustworthy, as their Narrative of Self—which they usually if not always seem to end up conflating with their Self-Image—begins to take over, and the Truth of their Personality becomes less and less discernible, changing like the tides, never static, always dynamic, so that it becomes increasingly impossible for other to keep up. 

For those with Secrets or other Skeletons in their Closets, Life can become like Charlotte’s Web, adept as Mutable Signs are at spinning yarns to avoid being confronted with any concerns, contradictions, or opinions that they feel run contrary to their ever-changing Narratives.

Masters of Gaslighting, Mutable Signs will unconsciously make you question the Truth of your perceptions if they run contrary to their own. This, of course, is more of an unconscious defense mechanism than anything else; but that doesn’t mean such table-turning has no effect on those on its receiving end. In fact, it can do much psychological damage to those whose loyalty they gain in life. 

Despite this fact, those with mutable signs dominant in their birth charts are keenly aware of the need for allies in life. At times, depending on the gender, conditioning and background of the individual, heavy mutability in a chart can lend a person to “latching on” to the ideals of significant others, doing their best to fulfill that ideal of the partner. This is especially true for female-identifying Mutable signs, who may let a male partner dictate their identity for far too long.

Virgo, for example, is known in Astrology as the eternal Personal Assistant, preferring to be of service to some more powerful figure—a manager, boss or romantic partner, for instance—than to embody that power in themselves, as life to them can (for a time) feel “safer” in this way.

Gemini, in contrast, will tend to take on the role of the Mimic, looking to those around them for mentorship, watching closely those they want to emulate and, like a mime, copying what they do and how they do it, hoping that by following suit, the same actions will achieve the same results. Gemini very much wants to keep up with the Joneses, as they say, so they’ll look to their peers and see what they’re doing, then jump on the bandwagon.

Sagittarius is probably the most individualistic of the Mutables; however, social status is of prime importance to them, as is attention. Avoiding boredom at all costs, they’ll dance til they drop—Tina Turner and Britney Spears, both Sagittarius Suns—at the behest of tyrannical managers wanting to capitalize on Sagittarius’ inherent star power. That is, until they decide it’s time to break free.

Pisces is a strange one. Emotional sponges, they can go from Dr. Jeckyll to Mr. Hyde on a dime. Much like Sagittarius though, Pisces has a natural instinct for the art of performance, and often finds their outlet in pursuing solitary creative pursuits—if only to avoid feeling all the feelings (not just theirs, but of everyone’s in the room). This creativity often spans a variety of fields for Pisces: from inventing new investment banking strategies to starting a cult, there’s no end to where Pisces’ imaginations will let them go.

Forgetting & Denial as Survival Tools

Not wanting to look back; difficulty with trauma & the Chironian theme of “the wound that never heals.” Of note: only commonality between Woody Allen + Tina Turner is this rhetoric around past wounds and having no desire to reflect on them. 

Famous Examples

Famous examples of celebrities with heavily-Mutable Astrology in their Birth Charts include Woody Allen, Donald Trump, Lance Armstrong and Roy Cohn, to name a few (note: all White Males here—a point worth keeping in mind). By clinging to ever-changing Narratives of Self, it makes it, well, quite easy to flat out lie, regardless of context or consequences, however high the stakes. Why? Because again and again, no matter what they might have to lose, for Mutable Signs it always comes down to the question of preserving the Self-Image. And so they scramble when, inevitably, they find their “innocent” hands caught in some cookie jar or another.