The elements

The four elements of nature are important to our in-depth understanding of astrology and many other things in life: earth , water , the fire And the air . They all have a long history, recognized well before our time. Used by alchemists to find answers, or by ordinary people trying to understand Mother Nature, these four elements have been the backbone of everything around us and everything we carry within us.

The zodiac and the elements

The four elements speak to certain tendencies that each zodiac sign possesses simply because it belongs to one of them. They help us understand that there are other ways of seeing each individual, give us patience for those who are different from us, and make it clearer why some signs are more compatible than others.

Basically, Earth agrees with Water, and Fire with Air. This makes perfect sense if you think about it, because Water gives the Earth its fertility and gives us life, while Air maintains Fire and brings forth light and our power of creation.

The natural order of things

If we observe this division on a larger scale, we will notice that life itself would not be possible without any of these elements. In nature, they are in perfect harmony, working with each other every day. The division into their higher and lower energies only reflects the human race's need to divide things in two - good and bad, emotion and reason, masculine and feminine, plus and minus.

Whatever you make of what you read here, keep in mind that none has much value without the other, and that all elements have one thing in common in the world as we know it - the matter. This is a link that connects them all in the image we have of our body, and it is densely presented by the element of Earth. Without it, life in this form would not be possible and you would be unable to taste, touch, smell or even listen. This means that the manifestation of all things depends on the Earth element, and it is the most difficult element to replace in the birth chart when it is not strongly positioned.

Interpretation of the elements

As soon as you see a person's birth chart, the first thing you need to do is check the occupancy of each item. If you see that a person does not have planets in any of them, this is a very broad but still specific problem that he must deal with in this life.

The absence of planets in any of the elements reflects a person's inability to connect to that element, which creates problems on all other planes of existence, since all four elements must work together for us to can create something true and meaningful in our lives. This lack is often overcome by the use of houses in relation to the element in question, but it will never be easy for a person with this situation in their chart to find the balance between the levels of existence that the elements.

When the situation is completely different and your client has many planets in just one of the elements, it will be difficult to sort things out, balance this plane with all the others and stay in a state of peace.

Special planets

A very special situation arises when a person has only one planet in one of the elements, especially if it is one of the bright or visible planets. She feels a bit like a drowning man who has only one straw, which he clings to as if it were his only escape. If there is such a planet in your chart, you will probably realize that you have given a lot of your energy to focus on it, just to have a little peace in the search for overall balance.

The Air element

It is the element that connects all the other elements, even though it may seem less relevant, invisible as it is. The distance from Earth's nature lifts us up high, into impractical and mental planes that do not satisfy our physical needs. However, it is the element that we find in all the others, which maintains the fire like the Sun burns hydrogen. We can say that the beginning of life would not be possible without Fire, but there would be no Fire on our planet without Air.

The Air element gives us space to breathe, expands our lungs, and with them, opens our soul to personal freedom. All signs that belong to this element have a strong need to feel liberated and free.

Air Signs

The signs that represent the Air element in the zodiac are Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. Interestingly, two of them have a problem with the Sun, with Libra taking it down and Aquarius taking it down. This is understandable because the Sun keeps all things in order and revolves around it, and Air needs to be free to revolve around the Universe instead.

Looking at the bigger picture, people born under the strong influence of these signs find it difficult to fit into the regular order of their environment, whether it be their country or location of work. Their main goal in life is often to stop pleasing other people and worrying about their opinions, so that they can follow their brightest and most liberating ideas.

How to balance the air?

The biggest challenge for any Air-marked individual is finding the basics and understanding the importance of their body. They have a strong tendency to stay in the higher spheres, where everything is lighter and seems possible. It is not easy to find a way to implement their ideas, intelligence and knowledge into practical things and really make them come alive.

To truly achieve personal growth and overall development, the most important thing for Airy individuals is to stop talking and start taking concrete, practical actions to achieve themselves. They are balanced by the Earth element and need a healthy daily routine, with their meals repeated at the same time each day, and physical activity to remain conscious of their physical existence. If they forget to eat, for example, that hole in their stomach will have an effect on any rational plan they had. The importance of meeting their physical needs is paramount and irreplaceable.

The Fire Element

When talking about the Fire element, we must keep in mind that it is the only element that shines. Water can glow, true, but only if it reflects the light created by Fire, whether it be a campfire or the Sun as a huge fiery celestial body.

It is the element that represents energy itself, and although there is a lot of earthly energy in the Water element, it cannot be compared to the amount of energy that lives in the Sun, even though they are of equal importance to the human race.

Fire signs

The Fire element is represented in the zodiac by Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. These signs truly exalt the strength of the Sun and each individual born under one of these Sun signs is on a mission to nurture and cherish their emotional side. They often need to be trained in compassion and a deeper understanding of others, and have basic problems in relationships triggered by their need to give more than they should to those who have asked for nothing.

Every fiery individual must use his energy only on his own life, unless someone seeks his advice and commitment. Of the three, Sagittarius is the most generous, as he is at the end of this fire trine, having already learned so much, with a solid life philosophy and many good intentions.

How to balance Fire?

It is the first element with strong masculine energy, and it easily neglects the feminine principles within it, burning everything that surrounds a person and causing all the Water from their body and life to evaporate. A life without love is not worth living, and to be happier, all ardent people must respect their emotional side and recognize their emotional needs. In the outside world, this translates into their relationship with women, the suppression of the feminine principle on a larger scale, leading to all kinds of conflicts that ultimately cost human beings their lives.

The greatest challenge for anyone guided by the element of fire is to remain calm and peaceful throughout their journey. With a strong need to move forward, people born with an ascendant or many planets in Fire tend to forget that a passive approach is necessary as much as an active approach. Therapy could work wonders here, as they don't lack awareness or excitement when they learn something new and have the opportunity to save or recycle some of their wasted energy.

The Water element

It is the element of constant movement, but slow and steady, swirling inside each of us and retaining its mystery. It is the element of conception and death, of illusions and fairy tales, which holds the secret of our soul - its beginning and its end.

In the Water element, we literally deal with matters of life and death, our genetic heritage, and all of our ancestors. Strangely, it is also the element of emotions. We all need to understand that our emotions have already been experienced by someone in our family tree, and that they are passed down from generation to generation, most often through the role of the mother.

Water signs

The signs belonging to the Water element are Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. This makes the need for this element a bit complicated, because Cancer's ruler falls in Scorpio, and Pisces seems to be there to hide his body. It is perhaps the greatest task of all, for each of us, to embrace emotion, to accept the negative as well as the positive, anger and sadness as much as love.

Typical representatives of the Air element have often been said to be too emotional. They might face a lot of suffering before realizing it doesn't exist. Their sensitivity and fragile nature make them perfect counselors and compassionate therapists, helping those with deep emotional problems. They came to this planet to teach everyone else that love is truly endless and that feelings are our greatest quality.

How to balance water?

People with an accentuated Water element have something to learn about their emotional nature. It is the element of greatest possibilities but it often puts us to sleep and prevents a person from expressing themselves creatively. It is the field of all the talents and everything that has been left to us for this life. Here is the river of all those who have lived before us and of all those who will one day be born.

Water is a pool of infinite possibilities and it is almost impossible to find direction in it if you are not in contact with Fire. The Fire element burns as a guiding light, and gives the person energy, passion and direction where their talents can be found and properly utilized by creation. The Water element, on its own, simply transports us from one bank to the other, from left to right, and although life can be magical and dreamy within it, we might just go around in circles without finding any issue.

The Earth element

The Earth element is the sole purpose of all elements, as it represents a basis for each of them, for our existence, and something we all want to achieve - the materialization of our desires. It is a somewhat complicated element because it is rigid and immovable, especially when a person has many planets in this element, but not enough in the Air element to balance it.

This is the element of our planet, which also gave it its name. We should keep this in mind when interpreting someone's chart, as the lack of Earth could indicate big problems for a person finding the earth or connecting to the earth where they were born.

Earth Signs

The signs ruled by the Earth element are Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn. It's immediately obvious that these are all practical signs who value material things, work hard, and know how to make a plan and implement it. All three have the ability to be specific and concrete, and expect everyone else to share their practical worldview and reasonable approach.

The Earth represents matter itself, our physical body, and with it our finances, the food we eat, and our daily routine. Strongly anchored in their habits, people who have this accentuated element tend to comply with an immutable routine for years, sometimes too afraid to break out of it. In challenge mode, they will stick to habits that don't make them happy just because they are convinced they have to, or stay in a job because of financial security, while completely neglecting their intelligence and their creativity.

How to balance the Earth?

The greatest challenge facing Earth is recognizing something as fast, unstable and transparent as Air. Unbalanced Earthlings must shed their rigid habits, make changes to their lives and routines without regret, and stop second-guessing every decision they have ever made. Their sense of purpose must be clear and their touch with emotion strong and unwavering, and this takes special effort for someone like Virgo, who takes Venus in autumn.

To get in touch with the Air element, these people should read, take a coffee break, walk aimlessly, and socialize as much as possible. They need words rather than writing, a new computer, people who change location and ambitions to teach them how to move, and lots of relaxation and stretching to prepare their bodies for the change. The best exercise for anyone pressed by the Earth is dancing, spontaneous and carefree, with loud modern music and preferably a relaxed partner.