Man I can't think of a better way to explain it to ya.
But I'll try.
It is in the subjunctive mood because the phrase,
standing alone, does not convey the condition/stipulation.
Only the additional info
following the subjunctive gives the condition/stipulation.
To use some examples you gave earlier .... (and I will color code them)
Might you eat some spinach?
Were I to eat spinach, I would get sick.
Should I get sick, I would not be able to go to work.
If you were unable to go to work, you would not be paid.
In the first one - no additional info (condition/stipulation) is given, so the possibilities of what will happen when/if you eat spinach are left open.
Might get sick and might not.
Standing alone, the phrase is left wide open as to the possibilities.
In the next 3,
additional info follows the subjunctive so it now has a condition/stipulation and is no longer left wide open as to the possibilities.
Were I to eat spinach, [if left alone, this phrase has no condition and is left wide open for possibilities] I would get sick. [
this additional info does give a condition and therefore modifies the red subjunctive phrase]
The
green additional info modifies the uncertainty of the
red phrase.
