In Astrology, the Elements represent the different forces and energies of Nature. Therefore, the Celestial Sphere was created by a harmonious arrangement between the four: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. Fire gives visibility and Earth gives tangibility. These two Elements are joined by Water and Air, forming an indissoluble unit. Together, these Elements complement each other and help to characterize the personalities of the Zodiac Signs.
Index
What Are the Elements in Astrology?
In Astrology, the energy of the planets in the astral map is filtered by the four Elements - Fire, Earth, Water and Air, and each of the sun signs is part of one of these groups. Each Element has its own characteristics and is related to a specific "I" function:
- Fire with spirit and intuition.
- Earth with body and matter.
- Water with emotions.
- Air with mind and intellect.
Each of these Elements has a gender or polarity negative (female or Yin, in Chinese Astrology) or a polarity positive (male or Yang). Remember that in Astrology, the concept of “negative” is not a value judgment.
Negative Zodiac Signs are introverted and receptive (or passive) whereas positive Signs are extroverted and self-expressive (or active). These different energetic poles complement each other and one is not understood to be better than the other. They just represent different ways of being in life and of facing or reacting to situations.
Together, the four Elements represent the forces of the natural world and in some ways depend on each other's existence to find their own balance and to create an overall balanced energy flow.
What do the Elements in Astrology Mean?
The Elements represent different postures of facing life. Zodiac Signs sharing the same Element energize each other while signs from different Elements may have more difficulty relating. Traditionally, it is said that:
- Fire is "hot and dry"
- Earth is "cold and dry"
- Water is "cold and wet"
- Air is "hot and wet"
To independent Fire Signs, for example, Water people can seem overly dependent and introspective. On the other hand, Water Signs express their feelings non-verbally, which can be quite disconcerting for the talkative and expressive Air Signs.
What Signs Group the Elements?
The Elements each act three times through a different Quality (also called Quadruplicity) to form the 12 divisions of the Zodiac.
Each Element gathers signs of a different Quality. In other words, each Element adds a Cardinal Sign, a Fixed Sign, and a Mutable Sign:
| Element | Cardinal | Fixed | Mutable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire | Aries | Leo | Sagittarius |
| Earth | Taurus | Virgo | Capricorn |
| Water | Cancer | Scorpio | Pisces |
| Air | Libra | Aquarius | Gemini |
Elements in Astrology
What is the Personality of the Fire Element Signs?
Fire symbolizes the potential for enthusiasm, motivation and creativity. Radiant in scope, this Element has an energy that influences creativity and new ideas, sparks adventure, and drives action. On the other hand, the effervescent energy of Fire promotes spiritual elevation, extreme lucidity and purification of the soul. In human life, the Fire Element represents the superconscious mind.
In Astrology, Fire is the Element of action and the pleasure of living. This Element opens doors for creativity and for the creation of new ideas. A Sign ruled by Fire lives intensely and passionately. But precisely because they are so active and determined natives, the signs led by this Element tend to be easily irritated. Like flames, which are often uncontrollable, Fire Signs are often impulsive.
What is the Personality of the Earth Element Signs?
An Earth sign naturally has a connection with everything that is stable, realistic and firm. A person with a greater influence of Earth Signs has a tendency to be more concerned with safety, practicality and what is material. For this reason, it follows reason more easily than emotion, facing life with a very objective and secure posture.
What is the Personality of the Water Element Signs?
Of a sensitive and intuitive nature, a Water Sign tends to express and capture feelings and emotions with greater ease. Eternal dreamers and romantics, the natives ruled by this Element like to surprise others and are often good advisers. However, all this emotion on the surface makes the Water Signs have some difficulty in separating personal matters from professionals.
What is the Personality of the Air Element Signs?
In Astrology, Air is the key element of communication and creativity. As its name implies, an Air Sign tends to be quite “airy”, preferring to cultivate the mind, imagination, and communication.
Natives governed by this Element have a broad ability to communicate, in addition to having among their qualities creativity and the power of the argument. Like air, personalities driven by this Element can be quite volatile: they quickly and easily change their minds and favor change and freedom in their lives.
The Astrological Elements and the Zodiac Signs
The 12 Zodiac signs are grouped into four elements: Fire, Earth, Air, and Water. Know each one of them and how they affect your astrological personality.
- The Four Zodiac Elements - What's My Zodiac Sign Element?
- The Fire Signs of the Zodiac - Aries, Leo & Sagittarius
- The Earth Signs of the Zodiac - Capricorn, Taurus & Virgo
- The Water Signs of the Zodiac - Cancer, Scorpio & Pisces
- The Air Signs of the Zodiac - Gemini, Libra & Aquarius
