Signs of Zodiac
ARIES, the RAM March 21 — April 20 Cardinal Fire
Aries is the springtime sign of the zodiac. Its symbol suggests a seed shooting out of the ground. Since the sprout has no roots and is as yet untrammeled by the earth from which it emerges, the horizon is not visible — only the new plant rising like a living fountain. Aries evokes the will to begin and to take initiative in launching new endeavors. As the cosmic principle of action, Aries signifies the drive to externalize latent possibilities and to become in actuality that which, in essence, one already is.
The symbol for Aries also represents the horns of a ram. This can be a battering ram thrusting rambunctiously, or even rampageously, forward. Anatomically, Aries rules the head and its headstrong impulsiveness often impels its natives to plunge headlong into situations without taking account of the consequences of their behavior. Their self-assertiveness can prevent them from judging the reactions of other people. If, however, the Arian constantly butts up against opposition, his spirit may be broken. Then the sign denotes not the dashing ram but the driven sheep rambling from place to place with no purpose or destination.
Metaphysically inclined astrologers see the glyph for Aries as a fork in the road, showing the opportunity to turn one way or the other. Although each sign is conditioned by and reacts against the sign which immediately precedes it, Aries at the forefront of the parade, is endowed with the relative freedom to choose either the path to the left or the path to the right. Therefore, those who personify its pioneering traits are peculiarly insistent upon exercising their powers of decision: since they cherish the spark of independence which makes them separate, self-determining individuals.
Finally, this symbol can be interpreted as representing the line of the nose and eyebrows in the human face. The frontal area houses the forebrain which is an instrument of the higher mind and will. The spiritually evolved Arian realizes that his freedom of choice depends largely upon the range of his intellectual faculties. All things begin with ideas, and to the extent that he uses his head, he forges ahead.
Taurus, The Bull Fixed Earth April 21 — May 21
Taurus harnesses the vitality of Aries. As the glyph indicates, force ceases to shoot into the atmosphere like a geyser, but is bent into the shape of a wheel which restrains and contains the energy previously unleashed. This is also a wheel which can carry loads. The boundless exuberance of Aries encounters the material resistance of Taurus and is transformed into power which can be turned to practical uses. Nature's dynamism is slowed down and channeled through biological drives.
Taurus is the sign of money and possessions, and of the values these represent. Through careful conservation of resources the Taurean takes time to appreciate the quality of things. The driving excitement of Aries becomes intensity of feeling in Taurus. The out-rushing fires of passion are banked to produce the warming glow of steadier, more sustained satisfactions, as the desire for sensation is converted into the quiet capacity for love.
The pictograph for Taurus shows the horns of a bull, suggesting the immense fertility of this sign. In the course of the year, the Sun is in Taurus during the mating season. Bulky in build, the Taurean may also be "bullish" in his erotic instincts. He can, however, be domesticated into a bulwark of strength and security for his family.
In the body, Taurus rules the neck which supports the weight of the head. Members of this sign are often characterized by an obstinacy which results in their being called "bullnecked," but they can also be as gentle and persevering as the bullocks of the Orient who bend their necks willingly to the farmer's yoke.
The unevolved Taurean can be an insensitive "bully," insisting on his own way with "bulldog" stubbornness. His temper is aroused slowly, but when goaded past the point of endurance he will charge wildly at his opponent, or thrash about as clumsily as the proverbial "bull in a china shop."
The Taurean derives a profound satisfaction from increasing his assets. In the world of finance, a "bull market" reflects the tendency of the sign to promote growth and prosperity. Many Taureans have a knack for making money reproduce itself by leaving it alone and allowing it to breed naturally. Consequently, they often become wealthy simply by making the best use of that which has already been given.
The symbol for Taurus shows the crescent Moon surmounting the circle of the Sun. The Moon is placed in the position of a chalice which contains the overflowing energy of the preceding sign, as the lunar principle of response supersedes the solar principle of self-expression. Aries expends its resources unstintingly but Taurus receives and conserves the bountiful supply.
While Aries surges forward, Taurus stabilizes. In Aries, the sprout shoots toward the Sun; in Taurus, roots reach down through the soil in the endeavor to establish a durable organism. In the natural order of the zodiac, each sign represents the assets, resources, and values of the preceding sign, and this process begins with the emergence of selfhood in Aries and the accumulation of possessions in Taurus.
Mutable Air GEMINI
May 22 — June 21
In Gemini, the circle which in Taurus appeared as a wheel, becomes a circuit. Action and reaction give rise to interaction. Out of the archetypal opposition between subject and object, knower and known, represented by the first two signs, there emerges a third factor which is the relationship between these two, and this comprises the field of knowledge and communication.
Gemini signifies not only the duality implicit in the upright lines of its symbol, but also their union. Parallel columns are connected top and bottom, suggesting a grill or web of interwoven strands. This network is indicative of the nervous system, and also of the fabric of cause and effect which underlies the phenomenal world. The Geminian capacity for awareness enables an individual to perceive meaningful designs in a previously incoherent jumble of sensations. Insofar as isolated objects are studied in terms of their relationships with one another, they become intelligible and therefore subject to analysis and discussion.
If the vertical bars are slightly lengthened, the glyph becomes the symbol for numbers (#), indicating the propensity of people born under this sign to enumerate facts, list particulars, and reduce them to a system. The Geminian's world is composed of numerous discrete parts which he feels compelled to arrange according to a rationally demonstrable order. His incessantly active mind brings things together for comparison, but it also holds them apart for contrast, as he classifies items into logical categories. The intellectuality of this sign is suggested by the glyph's resemblance to two books on a shelf, a reminder that almost all Geminians love to read.
Anatomically, Gemini's dualism is reflected in its rulership of the two arms and hands, and of the two lungs which, by alternately expanding and contracting, allow oxygen to pass through the membranes separating the interior of an organism from the outer atmosphere. Gemini also rules the nervous system which is subdivided into central and autonomic branches. The former relates man to the external world, the latter to the visceral realm of his own body.
The pictogram for Gemini depicts the door or portal leading from one state to another. Its twin pillars connect heaven and earth within the consciousness of man. This is the first sign to be associated with a human form (the twins) rather than with an animal form. It represents the peculiarly human quality of intelligence which links man's baser instincts with his divine essence. Thus, reasonable people can work side by side, joining that which is above with that which is below, and bringing heaven and earth together through the ability to draw connecting lines between innately related factors.
CANCER, the CRAB
Cardinal Water
June 22 — July 23
In Cancer, the Sun reaches its highest point of northern declination and then retreats, crablike, backward toward the ecliptic. It has gone as far as it can go. Cancer connotes containment. The duality of Gemini lingers in the matching whirls of its symbol, but the reciprocal relationship of the two curves forms a more dynamically integrated unit.
The bi-polar circular glyph suggests the breasts and stomach. These Cancer-ruled organs are concerned with the functions of nourishment and bodily sustenance. As the representative of the negative, responsive principle in nature, Cancer is associated with housing, motherhood, the masses, the unconscious, all life-giving fluids, and the sea. The in-turning spirals show the Cancerian proclivity to return to the womb, revert to the past, and retire into the subjective spaces of the psyche.
The two vortices of this pictograph also represent male and female parents complementing each other within the sanctuary of the home. The domestically inclined Cancerian is vitally interested in all that occurs within his family environment and in the sphere of his special sympathies, even while presenting a hard shell of indifference to whatever transpires outside that charmed circle. His motto is, "Charity begins at home." He is aptly characterized by the crab which carries its "shell-ter" wherever it goes. Prone to anxiety because of his inner vulnerability, he compensates by withdrawing into himself and reinforcing his outer defenses. It can be said, therefore, that members of this sign have two seemingly contradictory sides to their personalities. They can be avidly acquisitive and simultaneously self-sacrificing for the sake of those they love.
The strength of the crab's attachments is shown by the size of its claws in proportion to the rest of its body. The tenacity of this crustacean is so compulsive that it will suffer destruction rather than relinquish its grip. Such indomitability is a close cousin to the stolid stubbornness of Taurus, but is more passively resigned. The difference is that earth (Taurus) holds together through sheer bulk and by pressing toward a gravitational center, while water (Cancer) yields unresistingly to every blow, flows into any container, yet remains as it always was.
Cancer is a paradox of strength through surrender, and its persistence makes a fair substitute for bravery. Although women have been called the weaker sex, the influence of the female parent is remarkably enduring, and the fortitude of a mother protecting her child is well documented in nature's annals. Cancer is not generally regarded as a sign of abundant vitality. However, its biologically based responses to the emotion-fraught situations of family living draw in and hold others in a firmer grip than could be attained by the exercise of physical force. The endeavor to resist its oceanic maternal instinct can be as futile as fighting the waves of the sea, and those who have mastered the art of floating gently upon the ever changing tides of time and circumstance are generally willing to allow Mother Nature to have her way.
Fixed Fire LEO
July 24 — Aug 23
The symbol for Leo, like that for Cancer, comprises a double curve. However, the figure is unitary and opens out instead of closing in. Leo is self-expressive; Cancer is self-repressive. The former is extroverted; the latter, introverted.
Leo's glyph is drawn with a single bold stroke. Similarly, his character is all of a piece. In the evolutionary process, Leo represents the stage of psychological integration called "individuation." It confers the ability to assert one's own will and to proclaim, "I want to be me!" The Leonian is determined to be his own master and does not take kindly to those who impinge on his prerogatives. Having established himself as a separate entity, he endeavors to relate all that he perceives back to himself and to the circle of his personal interests.
This circle is analogous to the nimbus of the Sun rather than to the shell of a crab. Leo's power is that of the solar fire which streams out into space without reservation. Its symbol suggests an upturned cup pouring forth its contents. Seasonally, Leo rules during midsummer when the Sun's rays are most intense.
Lordly Leo loves to exhibit his generosity with grandiose gestures. His sovereign spirit can be characterized by the words magnanimous, magnificent, and magniloquent. The Latin root magna is reminiscent of the magi who were kings bearing gifts for the Christ child. Financially, the Leonian likes to think in terms of large round sums, and he often becomes a magnate in business and industry.
The pictogram for this sign has been compared to the proudly swishing tail of the lion, king of beasts. It also resembles the curve of his sweeping mane. (Leo people like to cultivate mane-like heads of hair.) A group of lions is called "a pride," and pride is one of Leo's outstanding traits. The Leonian often becomes "a social lion," and is seldom averse to being lionized by his admirers. His regality may be displayed by the grand manner in which he wields his influence over the subjects he rules. His real mission, however, is to exercise the will to attain dominion over his own instincts and desires.
The Sun is the heart or core of the planetary scheme. Similarly, Leo, the sign of the Sun, is associated with the heart in the body, the nucleus of a cell, and the pivotal point in any system. The word "courageous," which epitomizes the indomitability of Leo, derives from the Latin cor, meaning heart. Most Leonians like to behave in a hearty or heartfelt way. If not duly appreciated they will feel "heartbroken" or overcompensate by showing off. This glyph has been likened to a heart, but it also suggests the idea of centrality which makes these individuals the most intensely self-aware members of the zodiac.
Mutable Earth VIRGO
August 24 — September 23
Each sign contrasts with its predecessor. Where Leo is outgoing and demonstrative, Virgo is introspective and discreet. Its assets are modesty and chastity, its liabilities fussiness and prudishness.
The glyph for Virgo represents the female generative organs, closed as in the virgin state. It resembles the letter "M" which stands for Mary (the Virgin), maiden, medicine, measure, and meticulousness. "M" also stands for mind, showing that the major purpose of this sign is to submit all matters (and matter) to a scrupulous analysis, with refinement and purification as the goal. Hence "the virgin" is remarkable for her highly developed faculty of discrimination, which can manifest itself less agreeably as aloofness, squeamishness, and pettiness - all undesirable attributes of the proverbial old maid. Virgo aspires to a standard of purity and perfection which few mortals can hope to attain.
Virgo is symbolized by a maiden carrying a sheaf of wheat - a reminder that people of this temperament are adept at separating the wheat from the chaff. Wheat cannot be eaten in its natural form but must be threshed to detach the particles of grain which are then ground and cooked. Although wheat grows in all parts of the world, it has never been discovered in its wild state and has defied every attempt to trace its origin. Similarly, most Virgoans love nature, but only when cultivated and not in its primeval luxuriance.
The segregated compartments into which this pictograph is divided suggest the sign's tendency to fractionalize every aspect of life, an inclination so pronounced that Virgo has been called "the filing clerk of the zodiac." Anatomically, the principle of analysis describes the function of the pancreas, intestines, and digestive organs, which split up and reduce food to its elementary components in order that the body may select that which serves its requirements and reject whatever it deems unfit for consumption. These assimilative occupations may seem humble when compared to the central task of the pulsating heart, but they are essential in maintaining the general well-being of the organism.
The Sun is in Virgo during the growing season when the fruits of the earth are garnered, processed, and stored. This is the busy time of year, and no one toils more diligently than the Virgoan workers of the world. As the sign of employment, Virgo is associated with diet and health, serving as a reminder that most people must undertake some form of daily labor in order to feed themselves and survive. Virgoan jobs can be repetitive and dull, but the industrious attention to duty fostered by this sign anticipates the possible privations of the long winter ahead. Proletarian and utilitarian though it may be, it opens the way for a fresh cycle of experience in the second half of the zodiac.
Cardinal Air LIBRA
September 24 — October 23
Libra is the sunset sign. Its glyph represents the Sun sinking below the horizon, half seen and half unseen. As the Sun passes through this midway zone at the autumnal equinox, days and nights are of equal length. Literally, nature reaches a point of balance. Libra deals, therefore, with the complementary halves of life and their joining in partnership.
Libra's symbol is the scales — the balance of justice which weighs and considers the demands of opposing factions. Scales represent the laws of society which conciliate contending parties and effect compromises based on the principle of equal rights. Libra's balance also refers to the laws of harmony and proportion which make this the sign of artistic sensitivity. Ideally, culture-conscious Libra reaps the benefits for which Virgo was willing to work and serve. When the Libran energies are misused, they show the disharmony which results when justice has not been done. Therefore, the sign rules war as well as peace, and enemies as well as friends.
In Latin, the word "liber" means book. This indicates the tendency of justice to operate "by the book." The pictograph for the sign resembles an open book lying face down. At first, Libra seems contradictory since it refers to the regulation of conduct and also to the social graces. It denotes both law and love. Ultimately, however, it shows that the deeper purpose of all relationships is to demonstrate that love is the law of the universe.
Anatomically, Libra refers to the endocrine system which serves as lawgiver for the entire organism, holding all parts in balance and keeping them proportionate to one another. Libra also rules the kidneys which mediate between Virgo's assimilative and Scorpio's eliminative functions, while regulating the liquid content of the body.
Libra's symbol is shaped like a yoke, a reminder that this is the sign of marital and professional partners who must function as a team if they are to accomplish their purpose. Marriage is a union sanctified by formal decree. Leo would as soon have a love affair. Virgo knows better. But ceremonious Libra feels compelled to dignify its liaisons with legal contracts officially signed and sealed.
While the first half of the zodiac deals primarily with individual unfoldment, the second half concerns the evolution of the collective consciousness and emphasizes the structuring of relationships. Libra introduces this social side of the zodiac with fitting decorum. Being new to the rites and rituals of the organized establishment, Libra can overdo its insistence upon the amenities of behavior. Yet this desire that convention be honored ensures the peace of mind and harmony of surroundings which the Libran holds so dear.
When the Sun enters Libra, the year is half gone. Time is becoming more valuable. Therefore, the native of this sign takes special care not to waste his precious hours and days making mistakes which will ultimately have to be rectified.
Fixed Water SCORPIO
October 24 — November 22
Scorpio's symbol is unabashedly phallic. The generative organs represented by its pictograph are no longer closed off, as in Virgo, but are potent and active. In contrast with Virgo's preoccupation with propriety, and Libra's need for the niceties of life, Scorpio ruthlessly eliminates nonessentials and penetrates to the depths of things. Natives of this sign have a profound interest in the fundamentally mysterious issues of sex, death, and the afterlife. They harbor strong subterranean drives which set up powerful currents of attraction and repulsion, and this energy must find an outlet. The dual symbolism of the crawling scorpion and the soaring eagle suggests the different levels of expression of the Scorpio-ruled libidinal forces which underlie the sexual instinct.
Scorpio resembles Virgo, not only in the way its glyph is drawn, but also in its predisposition to take things apart and extract the vital element. The signs diverge in that Scorpio is capable of relentlessly eliminating as waste whatever Libra has weighed in her scales, judged, and found superfluous. Virgo, on the other side of the scales, is consummately careful to avoid offense and often prefers to skirt issues that might prove controversial. As an autumnal sign, Scorpio is associated with the dying part of the year when the life-force of the plant retreats to its roots and into the seed.
Scorpio has a grim reputation because of the death-dealing sting in the scorpion's tail, and also because it rules the organs of sex and elimination at the tail end of the body. Excrement is the despised refuse of the body, while the seminal fluid is its most precious product. Similarly, there are two contrasting types of Scorpians. Those who respond to the coarser vibrations of the sign can be cruel, selfish, and sensual — "stung" by their own passions — while evolved types are represented by the eagle which soars higher than any earthly creature. Mythologically, this bird is portrayed by the phoenix which, after a period of self-immolation, rises reborn from its ashes. Scorpio denotes degeneration and regeneration, death and resurrection.
The glyph for Scorpio, like that for Virgo, resembles an "M." This "M" stands for money. Scorpio, like its polar opposite Taurus, concerns basic resources, being representative of the finances of the partnership entered into in Libra. The Scorpian's resourcefulness and reserve make him an excellent businessman. He is often an efficient manager of other people's funds, for he respects money as one of the fundamental powers of the social organism. (Appropriately, groups which handle large sums of money are called foundations.) Therefore, the eagle of Scorpio is imprinted on every United States dollar, half-dollar, and quarter.
Libra, sign of war and peace, is symbolized by Justice holding a pair of scales in one hand and a sword in the other. The sword implies that even the conciliatory Libran will take aggressive action when affairs slip too far out of balance. Scorpio's eagle also carries the symbols of war and peace in the form of a sheaf of barbed arrows and an olive branch, but the eagle looks away from the arrows and toward the branch. Thus, the transformed Scorpian will struggle to the death for the sake of the values he espouses, even while his eyes are fixed on the ideal of peace.
Mutable Fire Sagittarius
November 23 — December 21
In Sagittarius, life opens out in a new dimension. As winter closes in and nights outlast the days, a man must seek new vistas of the mind. He may turn to religious and philosophical pursuits in compensation for his less frequent contact with nature. If not intellectually inclined, he may engage in sports, games, and travel. These characteristically Sagittarian activities imply goal-directedness. Therefore, the symbol of this sign is the upward-pointing arrow of the archer with a piece of the bow included. This is the shaft of aspiration directed by understanding.
Sagittarians have a reputation for being high-minded, just as Scorpians have a reputation for getting down to the gritty facts of life. Although no sign of the zodiac should be considered superior to any other, the Sagittarian virtues of devotion to truth, pursuit of knowledge, and the maintenance of elevated moral standards are popularly admired. The faults of the sign stem from an excess rather than a deficiency of exuberance and may include a tendency to proselytize. Over-optimism, especially with regard to enterprises of a speculative nature, such as horse racing or playing the stock market, can scatter the resources so jealously guarded in the previous sign.
Sagittarius is both teacher and preacher. As a teacher, he tries to raise his students' sights to higher verities; as a preacher he realizes that men must be motivated to follow the paths of righteousness. This underlying motive power is symbolized by the equine body of the horse. In mythology, the sign is represented by the wise centaur, Chiron, said to have been the teacher of Achilles, Asclepius, and other ancient heroes. The centaur has immense power in his loins, but he looks forward and aims his bow toward the heavens. The flight of the arrow is but the final outcome of a series of actions. The horse's body, the man's arm, and the bow are all engaged in releasing the shaft which flies out of sight.
Like the arrow, Sagittarians want to ascend, and like the bow, they can be high-strung. As soon as they spy a new vision, they shoot forth a volley of enthusiastic words in order to attract attention to their discovery. Unlike Scorpians, who keep their ideas private until they have been thoroughly substantiated, Sagittarians make the transition from fact to theory with lightning speed and, once the lightning has struck, they listen eagerly for the thunder of applause.
Sagittarius rules the thighs which constitute man's primary means of locomotion. Virtually all members of this sign love to walk, run, or travel. New scenery brings them new ideas. The centaur's four legs enable him to move about freely, while his modern counterpart may be almost as attached to the four wheels of his automobile. Wherever he ranges he wants to journey with a destination in mind. First, he must gain mobility, but his ultimate purpose is to achieve the wisdom to understand whither he goes.
way from the arrows and toward the branch. Thus, the transformed Scorpian will struggle to the death for the sake of the values he espouses, even while his eyes are fixed on the ideal of peace.
Cardinal Earth Capricorn
December 22 — January 20
Ideally, Capricorn practices what Sagittarius preaches, for its purpose is to concretize abstract ideas and give tangible expression to the centaur's vision. As the last of the trinity of earth signs, it signifies the completion of earthly experience.
Capricorn's glyph is obscure, although some see in it a resemblance to the rounded kneecap, the part of the body this sign is said to rule. Despite his ambitious nature, the Capricornian cannot reach his goal until he learns to acknowledge something higher than self. He must bend his knees to a mightier power, even as he would have others kneel before him. Kneeling is the posture considered most suitable for prayer in many religions, while curtsying and other forms of genuflection are all manifestations of the principle of obeisance implicit in Capricorn.
In addition to the knees, Capricorn has general dominion over the skin, ligaments, joints, bones, nails, teeth and other ossified parts of the body. But the knees and backbone are particularly characteristic of this sign because they enable a man to raise and lower himself at will.
Capricorn is the sign of the executive who is determined to rise to the peak of his profession. He will work unremittingly until he has reached the summit — or the end of his tether. The manner of a Capricornian who is not expressing the better side of his nature can be cold, superior, and patronizing toward those he considers beneath him, and overly solicitous and obsequious toward those he acknowledges as his "betters." Even the more evolved types are notable for their cool and controlled self- containment. This is truly a Janus (January) sign, representing a summation of the achievements of the past, on one side, and serving as a point of departure for greater things to come, on the other. Chronologically, Capricorn links the old and new years.
Both Christ and Caesar are said to have been born in Capricorn. The Caesar image signifies the triumph of the old order when the year is at its end. It represents the ultimate crystallization of the social system into rigidly structured institutions enforcing duty and discipline. The child in Mary's arms holds the promise of the new year, a promise substantiated by the fact that after the winter solstice on December twenty-first, darkness is no longer victorious. The days have started to lengthen and will continue to increase until nature bursts forth once more in springtime splendor. Although Capricorn is reputed to be a wintry, pessimistic sign, its natives have an abiding faith in themselves and in the outcome of their endeavors.
Capricorn's mascot is the mountain goat who sure-footedly ascends the crags where others dare not venture. He can also be the long-faced scapegoat tethered to a peg, patient and persevering, but bound by inexorable fate. This sign's durability includes the ability to endure prolonged hard work. Eventually, however, persistence is rewarded and obstacles are overcome. The well- prepared Capricornian knows that his organizing talent is needed, that he can deliver the goods, and that in time he is bound to achieve the position he deserves.
Fixed Air AQUARIUS
January 21 — February 19
When a climber has scaled the heights, he is obliged to look around for a broader field of endeavor. A radically new program must be sought, preferably one which involves the opening up of more subtle dimensions of being. The "atom-splitting" potential of the Aquarian mind instigates the development of scientific techniques which release unsuspected radiations out of the heart of matter and enable man to transcend previous accomplishments.
The study of vibrations and electrical force fields has revealed the permeability of a world previously assumed to be solidly material. The parallel lines, symbolic of Aquarius, indicate its association with the dawning "new age" of scientific enlightenment in which people are becoming increasingly conscious of the invisible waves that pervade the body of space.
Although Aquarius is an air sign, its true nature is sometimes misunderstood because it is depicted by a man carrying an urn of water which he offers to all who will receive it. In ancient times, when astrology was formulated, the concept of radiations and oscillatory impulses passing through the atmosphere and even through solid matter was impossible to convey graphically. The only way people could imagine the existence of such subtle vibratory energies was by thinking of waves on the surface of a lake or sea. Thus, the image of a man with a vessel of water was used to suggest the fluid quality of nature's finer forces.
The generosity with which the water-bearer pours out the contents of his urn shows the liberality with which these vibratory energies are distributed throughout the cosmos. Having ascended the mountain peak of Capricorn (a stage of attainment depicted literally by the placement of Capricorn at the summit of the zodiacal wheel), the Aquarian is less concerned with climbing an executive pyramid than with bringing down and distributing the gains achieved. Thus, where Sagittarius aspires to reach a higher position, Aquarius inspires the multitude below.
Knowledge of the truth is not enough to satisfy the spiritually awakened Aquarian. He wants to make his ideas available to all who strive to uplift mankind. He believes that people everywhere should benefit from the miracles of technology, not merely the privileged few who have achieved material success in the Capricornian phase of development. The true Aquarian is a universalist, as indifferent to social distinctions and prejudices as are radio waves to the walls of buildings. The danger is that he may overreact to the conservatism of the previous sign by becoming rebellious, eccentric, or perverse. On the other hand, if he has failed to develop a social conscience, he may be aimless and ineffectual — up in the air.
Aquarius represents the ankles, the circulatory system, and the aura. The aura is the matrix of electromagnetic emanations which envelops all living things and interfuses them with vitality. When, through the radiatory potency of his subtle psychic force field, an individual serves as a broadcasting center for the energies of will, love, and intelligence, he expresses the highest side of the Aquarian urge to transform the quality of life on this planet.
Mutable Water Pisces
February 20 — March 20
The sign Pisces is frequently portrayed by two fishes tied together but swimming in opposite directions. This "fishes circle" describes the contradictory nature of the unevolved Piscean whose tendency to work against himself has sometimes caused him to be described as "a poor fish" or "a fish out of water." He may be confused or deceptive, in which case people will suspect that there is something "fishy" about him. But the two fishes may also complement each other as in the Yin-Yang symbol of the ancient Chinese. The enlightened Piscean understands intuitively how to create a meaningful synthesis out of apparent contradictions.
The fish is a symbol of Christ. Images of fishes were scratched in the sand by the early Christians as identifying marks because the Greek initials I. CH. TH. U. S. -- standing for Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior — made an acronym that spelled "fish." Scholars who are knowledgeable in the field of astrology believe that the symbol was adopted because the vernal equinox was moving into the sign of the fishes, ushering in the Piscean Age.
Although some of his disciples were lowly fishermen, Jesus promised to make them "fishers of men" if they would renounce the world and follow him. He also fed the multitude with loaves and fishes, the loaves representing the opposite sign of the Virgin with her sheaf of wheat. Like the disciples, Pisceans are capable of renouncing their material goods for the sake of spiritual gain. They hold fast to the faith that they will be replenished by some mysterious act of grace — and surprisingly often they are.
The two semicircles have also been likened to crescent Moons representing real and imaginary worlds, even as the Moon on the sea mirrors its counterpart in the sky. Pisceans are intrigued with illusions which may take the form of imaginative creations or escapist fantasies. The more dynamic exponents of this sign are drawn to the arts and enterprises connected with pleasure and entertainment. Their less-realistic brethren succumb to a variety of delusions, refusing to "face facts," and withdrawing into a private world of fantasy, addiction, or obsession.
A vivid sense of the dramatic lures many Pisceans into the theater and show business. Pisces rules the feet and, literally or figuratively, the dancing feet of the elusive Piscean scarcely touch the earth. This sign also rules the astral body whose existence has been denied by science, but which clairvoyants register in terms of shifting color tones surrounding the physical form.
Pisces completes the round of the zodiac. The two sides of its glyph can be recombined to form a circle as complementary halves of life are placed back to back and linked by the line of the horizon. In this manner, opposing aspects of the self pull away from each other, yet are deliberately conjoined. While Aquarius produces fission (which carries over into the duality of Pisces), members of this final sign yearn for fusion. Pisceans must realize, however, that this is a fusion which occurs in consciousness even while the external world remains divided as before.
Aries is the springtime sign of the zodiac. Its symbol suggests a seed shooting out of the ground. Since the sprout has no roots and is as yet untrammeled by the earth from which it emerges, the horizon is not visible — only the new plant rising like a living fountain. Aries evokes the will to begin and to take initiative in launching new endeavors. As the cosmic principle of action, Aries signifies the drive to externalize latent possibilities and to become in actuality that which, in essence, one already is.
The symbol for Aries also represents the horns of a ram. This can be a battering ram thrusting rambunctiously, or even rampageously, forward. Anatomically, Aries rules the head and its headstrong impulsiveness often impels its natives to plunge headlong into situations without taking account of the consequences of their behavior. Their self-assertiveness can prevent them from judging the reactions of other people. If, however, the Arian constantly butts up against opposition, his spirit may be broken. Then the sign denotes not the dashing ram but the driven sheep rambling from place to place with no purpose or destination.
Metaphysically inclined astrologers see the glyph for Aries as a fork in the road, showing the opportunity to turn one way or the other. Although each sign is conditioned by and reacts against the sign which immediately precedes it, Aries at the forefront of the parade, is endowed with the relative freedom to choose either the path to the left or the path to the right. Therefore, those who personify its pioneering traits are peculiarly insistent upon exercising their powers of decision: since they cherish the spark of independence which makes them separate, self-determining individuals.
Finally, this symbol can be interpreted as representing the line of the nose and eyebrows in the human face. The frontal area houses the forebrain which is an instrument of the higher mind and will. The spiritually evolved Arian realizes that his freedom of choice depends largely upon the range of his intellectual faculties. All things begin with ideas, and to the extent that he uses his head, he forges ahead.
Taurus, The Bull Fixed Earth April 21 — May 21
Taurus harnesses the vitality of Aries. As the glyph indicates, force ceases to shoot into the atmosphere like a geyser, but is bent into the shape of a wheel which restrains and contains the energy previously unleashed. This is also a wheel which can carry loads. The boundless exuberance of Aries encounters the material resistance of Taurus and is transformed into power which can be turned to practical uses. Nature's dynamism is slowed down and channeled through biological drives.
Taurus is the sign of money and possessions, and of the values these represent. Through careful conservation of resources the Taurean takes time to appreciate the quality of things. The driving excitement of Aries becomes intensity of feeling in Taurus. The out-rushing fires of passion are banked to produce the warming glow of steadier, more sustained satisfactions, as the desire for sensation is converted into the quiet capacity for love.
The pictograph for Taurus shows the horns of a bull, suggesting the immense fertility of this sign. In the course of the year, the Sun is in Taurus during the mating season. Bulky in build, the Taurean may also be "bullish" in his erotic instincts. He can, however, be domesticated into a bulwark of strength and security for his family.
In the body, Taurus rules the neck which supports the weight of the head. Members of this sign are often characterized by an obstinacy which results in their being called "bullnecked," but they can also be as gentle and persevering as the bullocks of the Orient who bend their necks willingly to the farmer's yoke.
The unevolved Taurean can be an insensitive "bully," insisting on his own way with "bulldog" stubbornness. His temper is aroused slowly, but when goaded past the point of endurance he will charge wildly at his opponent, or thrash about as clumsily as the proverbial "bull in a china shop."
The Taurean derives a profound satisfaction from increasing his assets. In the world of finance, a "bull market" reflects the tendency of the sign to promote growth and prosperity. Many Taureans have a knack for making money reproduce itself by leaving it alone and allowing it to breed naturally. Consequently, they often become wealthy simply by making the best use of that which has already been given.
The symbol for Taurus shows the crescent Moon surmounting the circle of the Sun. The Moon is placed in the position of a chalice which contains the overflowing energy of the preceding sign, as the lunar principle of response supersedes the solar principle of self-expression. Aries expends its resources unstintingly but Taurus receives and conserves the bountiful supply.
While Aries surges forward, Taurus stabilizes. In Aries, the sprout shoots toward the Sun; in Taurus, roots reach down through the soil in the endeavor to establish a durable organism. In the natural order of the zodiac, each sign represents the assets, resources, and values of the preceding sign, and this process begins with the emergence of selfhood in Aries and the accumulation of possessions in Taurus.
Mutable Air GEMINI
May 22 — June 21
In Gemini, the circle which in Taurus appeared as a wheel, becomes a circuit. Action and reaction give rise to interaction. Out of the archetypal opposition between subject and object, knower and known, represented by the first two signs, there emerges a third factor which is the relationship between these two, and this comprises the field of knowledge and communication.
Gemini signifies not only the duality implicit in the upright lines of its symbol, but also their union. Parallel columns are connected top and bottom, suggesting a grill or web of interwoven strands. This network is indicative of the nervous system, and also of the fabric of cause and effect which underlies the phenomenal world. The Geminian capacity for awareness enables an individual to perceive meaningful designs in a previously incoherent jumble of sensations. Insofar as isolated objects are studied in terms of their relationships with one another, they become intelligible and therefore subject to analysis and discussion.
If the vertical bars are slightly lengthened, the glyph becomes the symbol for numbers (#), indicating the propensity of people born under this sign to enumerate facts, list particulars, and reduce them to a system. The Geminian's world is composed of numerous discrete parts which he feels compelled to arrange according to a rationally demonstrable order. His incessantly active mind brings things together for comparison, but it also holds them apart for contrast, as he classifies items into logical categories. The intellectuality of this sign is suggested by the glyph's resemblance to two books on a shelf, a reminder that almost all Geminians love to read.
Anatomically, Gemini's dualism is reflected in its rulership of the two arms and hands, and of the two lungs which, by alternately expanding and contracting, allow oxygen to pass through the membranes separating the interior of an organism from the outer atmosphere. Gemini also rules the nervous system which is subdivided into central and autonomic branches. The former relates man to the external world, the latter to the visceral realm of his own body.
The pictogram for Gemini depicts the door or portal leading from one state to another. Its twin pillars connect heaven and earth within the consciousness of man. This is the first sign to be associated with a human form (the twins) rather than with an animal form. It represents the peculiarly human quality of intelligence which links man's baser instincts with his divine essence. Thus, reasonable people can work side by side, joining that which is above with that which is below, and bringing heaven and earth together through the ability to draw connecting lines between innately related factors.
CANCER, the CRAB
Cardinal Water
June 22 — July 23
In Cancer, the Sun reaches its highest point of northern declination and then retreats, crablike, backward toward the ecliptic. It has gone as far as it can go. Cancer connotes containment. The duality of Gemini lingers in the matching whirls of its symbol, but the reciprocal relationship of the two curves forms a more dynamically integrated unit.
The bi-polar circular glyph suggests the breasts and stomach. These Cancer-ruled organs are concerned with the functions of nourishment and bodily sustenance. As the representative of the negative, responsive principle in nature, Cancer is associated with housing, motherhood, the masses, the unconscious, all life-giving fluids, and the sea. The in-turning spirals show the Cancerian proclivity to return to the womb, revert to the past, and retire into the subjective spaces of the psyche.
The two vortices of this pictograph also represent male and female parents complementing each other within the sanctuary of the home. The domestically inclined Cancerian is vitally interested in all that occurs within his family environment and in the sphere of his special sympathies, even while presenting a hard shell of indifference to whatever transpires outside that charmed circle. His motto is, "Charity begins at home." He is aptly characterized by the crab which carries its "shell-ter" wherever it goes. Prone to anxiety because of his inner vulnerability, he compensates by withdrawing into himself and reinforcing his outer defenses. It can be said, therefore, that members of this sign have two seemingly contradictory sides to their personalities. They can be avidly acquisitive and simultaneously self-sacrificing for the sake of those they love.
The strength of the crab's attachments is shown by the size of its claws in proportion to the rest of its body. The tenacity of this crustacean is so compulsive that it will suffer destruction rather than relinquish its grip. Such indomitability is a close cousin to the stolid stubbornness of Taurus, but is more passively resigned. The difference is that earth (Taurus) holds together through sheer bulk and by pressing toward a gravitational center, while water (Cancer) yields unresistingly to every blow, flows into any container, yet remains as it always was.
Cancer is a paradox of strength through surrender, and its persistence makes a fair substitute for bravery. Although women have been called the weaker sex, the influence of the female parent is remarkably enduring, and the fortitude of a mother protecting her child is well documented in nature's annals. Cancer is not generally regarded as a sign of abundant vitality. However, its biologically based responses to the emotion-fraught situations of family living draw in and hold others in a firmer grip than could be attained by the exercise of physical force. The endeavor to resist its oceanic maternal instinct can be as futile as fighting the waves of the sea, and those who have mastered the art of floating gently upon the ever changing tides of time and circumstance are generally willing to allow Mother Nature to have her way.
Fixed Fire LEO
July 24 — Aug 23
The symbol for Leo, like that for Cancer, comprises a double curve. However, the figure is unitary and opens out instead of closing in. Leo is self-expressive; Cancer is self-repressive. The former is extroverted; the latter, introverted.
Leo's glyph is drawn with a single bold stroke. Similarly, his character is all of a piece. In the evolutionary process, Leo represents the stage of psychological integration called "individuation." It confers the ability to assert one's own will and to proclaim, "I want to be me!" The Leonian is determined to be his own master and does not take kindly to those who impinge on his prerogatives. Having established himself as a separate entity, he endeavors to relate all that he perceives back to himself and to the circle of his personal interests.
This circle is analogous to the nimbus of the Sun rather than to the shell of a crab. Leo's power is that of the solar fire which streams out into space without reservation. Its symbol suggests an upturned cup pouring forth its contents. Seasonally, Leo rules during midsummer when the Sun's rays are most intense.
Lordly Leo loves to exhibit his generosity with grandiose gestures. His sovereign spirit can be characterized by the words magnanimous, magnificent, and magniloquent. The Latin root magna is reminiscent of the magi who were kings bearing gifts for the Christ child. Financially, the Leonian likes to think in terms of large round sums, and he often becomes a magnate in business and industry.
The pictogram for this sign has been compared to the proudly swishing tail of the lion, king of beasts. It also resembles the curve of his sweeping mane. (Leo people like to cultivate mane-like heads of hair.) A group of lions is called "a pride," and pride is one of Leo's outstanding traits. The Leonian often becomes "a social lion," and is seldom averse to being lionized by his admirers. His regality may be displayed by the grand manner in which he wields his influence over the subjects he rules. His real mission, however, is to exercise the will to attain dominion over his own instincts and desires.
The Sun is the heart or core of the planetary scheme. Similarly, Leo, the sign of the Sun, is associated with the heart in the body, the nucleus of a cell, and the pivotal point in any system. The word "courageous," which epitomizes the indomitability of Leo, derives from the Latin cor, meaning heart. Most Leonians like to behave in a hearty or heartfelt way. If not duly appreciated they will feel "heartbroken" or overcompensate by showing off. This glyph has been likened to a heart, but it also suggests the idea of centrality which makes these individuals the most intensely self-aware members of the zodiac.
Mutable Earth VIRGO
August 24 — September 23
Each sign contrasts with its predecessor. Where Leo is outgoing and demonstrative, Virgo is introspective and discreet. Its assets are modesty and chastity, its liabilities fussiness and prudishness.
The glyph for Virgo represents the female generative organs, closed as in the virgin state. It resembles the letter "M" which stands for Mary (the Virgin), maiden, medicine, measure, and meticulousness. "M" also stands for mind, showing that the major purpose of this sign is to submit all matters (and matter) to a scrupulous analysis, with refinement and purification as the goal. Hence "the virgin" is remarkable for her highly developed faculty of discrimination, which can manifest itself less agreeably as aloofness, squeamishness, and pettiness - all undesirable attributes of the proverbial old maid. Virgo aspires to a standard of purity and perfection which few mortals can hope to attain.
Virgo is symbolized by a maiden carrying a sheaf of wheat - a reminder that people of this temperament are adept at separating the wheat from the chaff. Wheat cannot be eaten in its natural form but must be threshed to detach the particles of grain which are then ground and cooked. Although wheat grows in all parts of the world, it has never been discovered in its wild state and has defied every attempt to trace its origin. Similarly, most Virgoans love nature, but only when cultivated and not in its primeval luxuriance.
The segregated compartments into which this pictograph is divided suggest the sign's tendency to fractionalize every aspect of life, an inclination so pronounced that Virgo has been called "the filing clerk of the zodiac." Anatomically, the principle of analysis describes the function of the pancreas, intestines, and digestive organs, which split up and reduce food to its elementary components in order that the body may select that which serves its requirements and reject whatever it deems unfit for consumption. These assimilative occupations may seem humble when compared to the central task of the pulsating heart, but they are essential in maintaining the general well-being of the organism.
The Sun is in Virgo during the growing season when the fruits of the earth are garnered, processed, and stored. This is the busy time of year, and no one toils more diligently than the Virgoan workers of the world. As the sign of employment, Virgo is associated with diet and health, serving as a reminder that most people must undertake some form of daily labor in order to feed themselves and survive. Virgoan jobs can be repetitive and dull, but the industrious attention to duty fostered by this sign anticipates the possible privations of the long winter ahead. Proletarian and utilitarian though it may be, it opens the way for a fresh cycle of experience in the second half of the zodiac.
Cardinal Air LIBRA
September 24 — October 23
Libra is the sunset sign. Its glyph represents the Sun sinking below the horizon, half seen and half unseen. As the Sun passes through this midway zone at the autumnal equinox, days and nights are of equal length. Literally, nature reaches a point of balance. Libra deals, therefore, with the complementary halves of life and their joining in partnership.
Libra's symbol is the scales — the balance of justice which weighs and considers the demands of opposing factions. Scales represent the laws of society which conciliate contending parties and effect compromises based on the principle of equal rights. Libra's balance also refers to the laws of harmony and proportion which make this the sign of artistic sensitivity. Ideally, culture-conscious Libra reaps the benefits for which Virgo was willing to work and serve. When the Libran energies are misused, they show the disharmony which results when justice has not been done. Therefore, the sign rules war as well as peace, and enemies as well as friends.
In Latin, the word "liber" means book. This indicates the tendency of justice to operate "by the book." The pictograph for the sign resembles an open book lying face down. At first, Libra seems contradictory since it refers to the regulation of conduct and also to the social graces. It denotes both law and love. Ultimately, however, it shows that the deeper purpose of all relationships is to demonstrate that love is the law of the universe.
Anatomically, Libra refers to the endocrine system which serves as lawgiver for the entire organism, holding all parts in balance and keeping them proportionate to one another. Libra also rules the kidneys which mediate between Virgo's assimilative and Scorpio's eliminative functions, while regulating the liquid content of the body.
Libra's symbol is shaped like a yoke, a reminder that this is the sign of marital and professional partners who must function as a team if they are to accomplish their purpose. Marriage is a union sanctified by formal decree. Leo would as soon have a love affair. Virgo knows better. But ceremonious Libra feels compelled to dignify its liaisons with legal contracts officially signed and sealed.
While the first half of the zodiac deals primarily with individual unfoldment, the second half concerns the evolution of the collective consciousness and emphasizes the structuring of relationships. Libra introduces this social side of the zodiac with fitting decorum. Being new to the rites and rituals of the organized establishment, Libra can overdo its insistence upon the amenities of behavior. Yet this desire that convention be honored ensures the peace of mind and harmony of surroundings which the Libran holds so dear.
When the Sun enters Libra, the year is half gone. Time is becoming more valuable. Therefore, the native of this sign takes special care not to waste his precious hours and days making mistakes which will ultimately have to be rectified.
Fixed Water SCORPIO
October 24 — November 22
Scorpio's symbol is unabashedly phallic. The generative organs represented by its pictograph are no longer closed off, as in Virgo, but are potent and active. In contrast with Virgo's preoccupation with propriety, and Libra's need for the niceties of life, Scorpio ruthlessly eliminates nonessentials and penetrates to the depths of things. Natives of this sign have a profound interest in the fundamentally mysterious issues of sex, death, and the afterlife. They harbor strong subterranean drives which set up powerful currents of attraction and repulsion, and this energy must find an outlet. The dual symbolism of the crawling scorpion and the soaring eagle suggests the different levels of expression of the Scorpio-ruled libidinal forces which underlie the sexual instinct.
Scorpio resembles Virgo, not only in the way its glyph is drawn, but also in its predisposition to take things apart and extract the vital element. The signs diverge in that Scorpio is capable of relentlessly eliminating as waste whatever Libra has weighed in her scales, judged, and found superfluous. Virgo, on the other side of the scales, is consummately careful to avoid offense and often prefers to skirt issues that might prove controversial. As an autumnal sign, Scorpio is associated with the dying part of the year when the life-force of the plant retreats to its roots and into the seed.
Scorpio has a grim reputation because of the death-dealing sting in the scorpion's tail, and also because it rules the organs of sex and elimination at the tail end of the body. Excrement is the despised refuse of the body, while the seminal fluid is its most precious product. Similarly, there are two contrasting types of Scorpians. Those who respond to the coarser vibrations of the sign can be cruel, selfish, and sensual — "stung" by their own passions — while evolved types are represented by the eagle which soars higher than any earthly creature. Mythologically, this bird is portrayed by the phoenix which, after a period of self-immolation, rises reborn from its ashes. Scorpio denotes degeneration and regeneration, death and resurrection.
The glyph for Scorpio, like that for Virgo, resembles an "M." This "M" stands for money. Scorpio, like its polar opposite Taurus, concerns basic resources, being representative of the finances of the partnership entered into in Libra. The Scorpian's resourcefulness and reserve make him an excellent businessman. He is often an efficient manager of other people's funds, for he respects money as one of the fundamental powers of the social organism. (Appropriately, groups which handle large sums of money are called foundations.) Therefore, the eagle of Scorpio is imprinted on every United States dollar, half-dollar, and quarter.
Libra, sign of war and peace, is symbolized by Justice holding a pair of scales in one hand and a sword in the other. The sword implies that even the conciliatory Libran will take aggressive action when affairs slip too far out of balance. Scorpio's eagle also carries the symbols of war and peace in the form of a sheaf of barbed arrows and an olive branch, but the eagle looks away from the arrows and toward the branch. Thus, the transformed Scorpian will struggle to the death for the sake of the values he espouses, even while his eyes are fixed on the ideal of peace.
Mutable Fire Sagittarius
November 23 — December 21
In Sagittarius, life opens out in a new dimension. As winter closes in and nights outlast the days, a man must seek new vistas of the mind. He may turn to religious and philosophical pursuits in compensation for his less frequent contact with nature. If not intellectually inclined, he may engage in sports, games, and travel. These characteristically Sagittarian activities imply goal-directedness. Therefore, the symbol of this sign is the upward-pointing arrow of the archer with a piece of the bow included. This is the shaft of aspiration directed by understanding.
Sagittarians have a reputation for being high-minded, just as Scorpians have a reputation for getting down to the gritty facts of life. Although no sign of the zodiac should be considered superior to any other, the Sagittarian virtues of devotion to truth, pursuit of knowledge, and the maintenance of elevated moral standards are popularly admired. The faults of the sign stem from an excess rather than a deficiency of exuberance and may include a tendency to proselytize. Over-optimism, especially with regard to enterprises of a speculative nature, such as horse racing or playing the stock market, can scatter the resources so jealously guarded in the previous sign.
Sagittarius is both teacher and preacher. As a teacher, he tries to raise his students' sights to higher verities; as a preacher he realizes that men must be motivated to follow the paths of righteousness. This underlying motive power is symbolized by the equine body of the horse. In mythology, the sign is represented by the wise centaur, Chiron, said to have been the teacher of Achilles, Asclepius, and other ancient heroes. The centaur has immense power in his loins, but he looks forward and aims his bow toward the heavens. The flight of the arrow is but the final outcome of a series of actions. The horse's body, the man's arm, and the bow are all engaged in releasing the shaft which flies out of sight.
Like the arrow, Sagittarians want to ascend, and like the bow, they can be high-strung. As soon as they spy a new vision, they shoot forth a volley of enthusiastic words in order to attract attention to their discovery. Unlike Scorpians, who keep their ideas private until they have been thoroughly substantiated, Sagittarians make the transition from fact to theory with lightning speed and, once the lightning has struck, they listen eagerly for the thunder of applause.
Sagittarius rules the thighs which constitute man's primary means of locomotion. Virtually all members of this sign love to walk, run, or travel. New scenery brings them new ideas. The centaur's four legs enable him to move about freely, while his modern counterpart may be almost as attached to the four wheels of his automobile. Wherever he ranges he wants to journey with a destination in mind. First, he must gain mobility, but his ultimate purpose is to achieve the wisdom to understand whither he goes.
way from the arrows and toward the branch. Thus, the transformed Scorpian will struggle to the death for the sake of the values he espouses, even while his eyes are fixed on the ideal of peace.
Cardinal Earth Capricorn
December 22 — January 20
Ideally, Capricorn practices what Sagittarius preaches, for its purpose is to concretize abstract ideas and give tangible expression to the centaur's vision. As the last of the trinity of earth signs, it signifies the completion of earthly experience.
Capricorn's glyph is obscure, although some see in it a resemblance to the rounded kneecap, the part of the body this sign is said to rule. Despite his ambitious nature, the Capricornian cannot reach his goal until he learns to acknowledge something higher than self. He must bend his knees to a mightier power, even as he would have others kneel before him. Kneeling is the posture considered most suitable for prayer in many religions, while curtsying and other forms of genuflection are all manifestations of the principle of obeisance implicit in Capricorn.
In addition to the knees, Capricorn has general dominion over the skin, ligaments, joints, bones, nails, teeth and other ossified parts of the body. But the knees and backbone are particularly characteristic of this sign because they enable a man to raise and lower himself at will.
Capricorn is the sign of the executive who is determined to rise to the peak of his profession. He will work unremittingly until he has reached the summit — or the end of his tether. The manner of a Capricornian who is not expressing the better side of his nature can be cold, superior, and patronizing toward those he considers beneath him, and overly solicitous and obsequious toward those he acknowledges as his "betters." Even the more evolved types are notable for their cool and controlled self- containment. This is truly a Janus (January) sign, representing a summation of the achievements of the past, on one side, and serving as a point of departure for greater things to come, on the other. Chronologically, Capricorn links the old and new years.
Both Christ and Caesar are said to have been born in Capricorn. The Caesar image signifies the triumph of the old order when the year is at its end. It represents the ultimate crystallization of the social system into rigidly structured institutions enforcing duty and discipline. The child in Mary's arms holds the promise of the new year, a promise substantiated by the fact that after the winter solstice on December twenty-first, darkness is no longer victorious. The days have started to lengthen and will continue to increase until nature bursts forth once more in springtime splendor. Although Capricorn is reputed to be a wintry, pessimistic sign, its natives have an abiding faith in themselves and in the outcome of their endeavors.
Capricorn's mascot is the mountain goat who sure-footedly ascends the crags where others dare not venture. He can also be the long-faced scapegoat tethered to a peg, patient and persevering, but bound by inexorable fate. This sign's durability includes the ability to endure prolonged hard work. Eventually, however, persistence is rewarded and obstacles are overcome. The well- prepared Capricornian knows that his organizing talent is needed, that he can deliver the goods, and that in time he is bound to achieve the position he deserves.
Fixed Air AQUARIUS
January 21 — February 19
When a climber has scaled the heights, he is obliged to look around for a broader field of endeavor. A radically new program must be sought, preferably one which involves the opening up of more subtle dimensions of being. The "atom-splitting" potential of the Aquarian mind instigates the development of scientific techniques which release unsuspected radiations out of the heart of matter and enable man to transcend previous accomplishments.
The study of vibrations and electrical force fields has revealed the permeability of a world previously assumed to be solidly material. The parallel lines, symbolic of Aquarius, indicate its association with the dawning "new age" of scientific enlightenment in which people are becoming increasingly conscious of the invisible waves that pervade the body of space.
Although Aquarius is an air sign, its true nature is sometimes misunderstood because it is depicted by a man carrying an urn of water which he offers to all who will receive it. In ancient times, when astrology was formulated, the concept of radiations and oscillatory impulses passing through the atmosphere and even through solid matter was impossible to convey graphically. The only way people could imagine the existence of such subtle vibratory energies was by thinking of waves on the surface of a lake or sea. Thus, the image of a man with a vessel of water was used to suggest the fluid quality of nature's finer forces.
The generosity with which the water-bearer pours out the contents of his urn shows the liberality with which these vibratory energies are distributed throughout the cosmos. Having ascended the mountain peak of Capricorn (a stage of attainment depicted literally by the placement of Capricorn at the summit of the zodiacal wheel), the Aquarian is less concerned with climbing an executive pyramid than with bringing down and distributing the gains achieved. Thus, where Sagittarius aspires to reach a higher position, Aquarius inspires the multitude below.
Knowledge of the truth is not enough to satisfy the spiritually awakened Aquarian. He wants to make his ideas available to all who strive to uplift mankind. He believes that people everywhere should benefit from the miracles of technology, not merely the privileged few who have achieved material success in the Capricornian phase of development. The true Aquarian is a universalist, as indifferent to social distinctions and prejudices as are radio waves to the walls of buildings. The danger is that he may overreact to the conservatism of the previous sign by becoming rebellious, eccentric, or perverse. On the other hand, if he has failed to develop a social conscience, he may be aimless and ineffectual — up in the air.
Aquarius represents the ankles, the circulatory system, and the aura. The aura is the matrix of electromagnetic emanations which envelops all living things and interfuses them with vitality. When, through the radiatory potency of his subtle psychic force field, an individual serves as a broadcasting center for the energies of will, love, and intelligence, he expresses the highest side of the Aquarian urge to transform the quality of life on this planet.
Mutable Water Pisces
February 20 — March 20
The sign Pisces is frequently portrayed by two fishes tied together but swimming in opposite directions. This "fishes circle" describes the contradictory nature of the unevolved Piscean whose tendency to work against himself has sometimes caused him to be described as "a poor fish" or "a fish out of water." He may be confused or deceptive, in which case people will suspect that there is something "fishy" about him. But the two fishes may also complement each other as in the Yin-Yang symbol of the ancient Chinese. The enlightened Piscean understands intuitively how to create a meaningful synthesis out of apparent contradictions.
The fish is a symbol of Christ. Images of fishes were scratched in the sand by the early Christians as identifying marks because the Greek initials I. CH. TH. U. S. -- standing for Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior — made an acronym that spelled "fish." Scholars who are knowledgeable in the field of astrology believe that the symbol was adopted because the vernal equinox was moving into the sign of the fishes, ushering in the Piscean Age.
Although some of his disciples were lowly fishermen, Jesus promised to make them "fishers of men" if they would renounce the world and follow him. He also fed the multitude with loaves and fishes, the loaves representing the opposite sign of the Virgin with her sheaf of wheat. Like the disciples, Pisceans are capable of renouncing their material goods for the sake of spiritual gain. They hold fast to the faith that they will be replenished by some mysterious act of grace — and surprisingly often they are.
The two semicircles have also been likened to crescent Moons representing real and imaginary worlds, even as the Moon on the sea mirrors its counterpart in the sky. Pisceans are intrigued with illusions which may take the form of imaginative creations or escapist fantasies. The more dynamic exponents of this sign are drawn to the arts and enterprises connected with pleasure and entertainment. Their less-realistic brethren succumb to a variety of delusions, refusing to "face facts," and withdrawing into a private world of fantasy, addiction, or obsession.
A vivid sense of the dramatic lures many Pisceans into the theater and show business. Pisces rules the feet and, literally or figuratively, the dancing feet of the elusive Piscean scarcely touch the earth. This sign also rules the astral body whose existence has been denied by science, but which clairvoyants register in terms of shifting color tones surrounding the physical form.
Pisces completes the round of the zodiac. The two sides of its glyph can be recombined to form a circle as complementary halves of life are placed back to back and linked by the line of the horizon. In this manner, opposing aspects of the self pull away from each other, yet are deliberately conjoined. While Aquarius produces fission (which carries over into the duality of Pisces), members of this final sign yearn for fusion. Pisceans must realize, however, that this is a fusion which occurs in consciousness even while the external world remains divided as before.
4 Elements in Astrology
Seeing the world in terms of elements is a tradition that goes back thousands of years throughout many cultures. The elements represent the basic principles of life, and different systems have delineated the elements in various ways. Western Astrology uses four elements -- Fire, Earth, Air and Water -- and each of the 12 zodiac signs falls into one of these categories.
In your birth chart, the elements represent your fundamental qualities and temperament -- the "stuff" you are made of. The element of your Sun sign will certainly be a big part of who you are, but it's the whole chart -- the Moon, Ascendant and other planets -- that reveals your elemental emphasis. While all four elements come into play to some degree for each individual, often two are predominant, while the other two require more effort to express.
For example, let's say an individual has an elemental emphasis in Earth and Air. This person might be very adept at taking care of pragmatic, material-world tasks (Earth) and have a gift for thinking logically and viewing situations objectively (Air). However, she might find it challenging to get in touch with and feel her emotions (Water) and could struggle with summoning the initiative and courage to take action (Fire).
Because all four elements are necessary to live a balanced and fulfilling life, we are compelled to compensate for those elements we are naturally lacking in our birth chart. We often attract people into our lives who are strong in our weak elements, and vice versa. Of course, these partnerships work out best when, instead of relying on the other person to make up for what we're lacking, we learn to develop these qualities, inspired by the other person’s example.
Just by understanding one's elemental make-up you can learn a lot about a person. If you only know your (or someone else's) Sun sign, that's an excellent place to start. Even without knowing the rest of your birth chart, you'll probably have a sense of which elements are stronger or weaker for you. As you'll see, no element is "good" or "bad" in itself -- they are neutral energies that can be expressed in positive or negative ways, depending on an individual's level of awareness.
The twelve zodiac signs are grouped into four elements—fire, earth, air and water. Each of these elementary groups has distinct traits. Together, they form the natural world, so each is in some way dependent on the other.
Fire Signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Earth Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Air Signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Water Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
The Fire Signs: Aries, Leo, SagittariusLike fire itself, fire signs tend to be passionate, dynamic, and temperamental. Fire can keep you warm, or it can do great destruction. While fire burns out quickly without fuel to keep it going, it can also regenerate its power from the ashes. A single spark can set off a forest fire. As a result, fire signs need to be nurtured and managed carefully.
FIRE has traditionally been associated with Spirit -- the primal force of animation. Fire represents the desire for life, the will to be and become. It's no mistake that a Fire sign -- Aries -- launches the cycle of the Zodiac, as Fire signs often embody leadership, initiative and courage. People with a fiery emphasis tend to be impulsive, spontaneous, creative and enthusiastic. Ideally, Fire signs serve as an inspiration to others, stimulating creative action based on high ideals.
When negatively expressed, there can be an over-emphasis on self-expression without consideration for others' feelings, resulting in selfishness, egotism or fanaticism. Fire can "burn itself out" when it lacks a practical outlet for its high-voltage energy. If someone is lacking in Fire, they may need to cultivate self-confidence, vitality, courage and passion.
The element of Fire can't be ignored. Fire gives light and warmth. Without it, there's no chance at life. Fire signs are excitable, vital and enthusiastic. They command attention, whether they realize it or not. Let's keep it real ... Fire signs know exactly the effect they're having on the rest of us. They're lighting up our lives!
Fire signs are known as the ones who bring joy, color and sass to what would be an otherwise dull world. This is energy that can't be contained and rightly so. The Fire element is essential to our basic life force. This is the element that's focused on the creation of self or personal identity.
The idiom "To light a fire under someone" encapsulates the potency of the Fire element. Nothing gets you moving more than fire. Period. The element of Fire is, without a doubt, the most active, self-motivated, high spirited and animated force. If you're a Fire sign, you'll never need anyone else to light that fire under you. You've got it naturally.
Fiery traitsThe element of Fire is responsible for courage, confidence and initiative. Fire has no fear. Quite the contrary, Fire is to be feared. Interestingly enough, the element of Fire is not out to destroy -- although it can. Fire may be bold, direct and occasionally reckless or impatient but it's not vicious. There's an innocent, honest quality in that the Fire element that yearns to freely express itself. Like a child. Fire symbolizes passion, energy, impulse, enthusiasm, inspiration, idealism, faith. Fire signs are the leaders and the cheerleaders of the zodiac. They provide us with much needed inspiration, motivation and creative energy.
When the element of Fire expresses itself in such a way it can either be endearing or downright irritating -- especially to those who are more sensitive to the feelings of others. Fire isn't trying
to hurt, but it can. It can be the bluntly honest remark, the lack of self-control or its hasty nature, hungry for immediate gratification. Fire gives radiant life but it can, of course, burn.
Fire signs are distinguished for their enthusiastic, active nature. They exhibit a positive, upward, extroverted energy/temperament. Fire mainly generates warmth and light; accordingly, Fire signs are renowned for their generosity, their idealism, their persistent need for a vision and their ceaseless efforts to spiritually evolve through it. People belonging to a Fire sign can hardly be called defeatists and strongly dislike passivity. They are spontaneous, optimistic, and buoyant, with a tendency to ‘look upwards’.
It should be noted, though, that people with Fire too prominent in their birth chart are generally prone to childish behaviours, as they tend to heedlessly dive into anything new that comes their way and often end up disappointed, due to their inability to set realistic goals. That is why it is extremely important, on the one hand, that the elements should be balanced in a birth chart, and on the other, that every birth chart should be examined as a whole –not in parts.
The Fire element is one of spontaneity, inspiration, intuition, and big passions. Fiery guys and gals are excitable, impulsive, and love to light a fire under others.
My favorite phrase for fire signs is "Spirit in Motion" from Henrick Gullfoss' "The Complete Book of Spiritual Astrology."
Those with planets in fire signs have a simmering at-the-ready stance, as they hunt for things that light them up. They're prone to sudden illuminating flashes of insight and bursts of enthusiasm. Like fire itself, they can flare up when inspired, making them seem very passionate about life. They like to live large, and often feel frustrated by mundane chores and duties.
Fire signs are known to be intuitive, and to rely on gut-level instincts. Going on faith in their inner guidance gets them far, but they have a tendency to skip crucial steps, or to be unaware of the emotional impact of their actions.
Fire and WaterFire's greatest gift is being able to inspire, and this appeals to Water's desire for meaning. A generous Fire person shows Water how to be in the moment, even if they're carrying lots of psychological baggage.
Water takes Fire on an emotional journey that helps them see how they're related to others. At its worst and most out of balance, Fire can zap Water by being totally overwhelming and Water smothers Fire when it offers only insular, claustrophobic intimacy.
Fire and EarthSometimes Fire has lots of visionary ideas that Earth can help put into tangible form. This can make pragmatic Earth feel needed and appreciated, not to mention that Fire's enthusiasm is contagious. If Earth becomes too slow and plodding for Fire, this match could get snagged in frustration. Through Earth's eyes, Fire may seem unrealistic and unwilling to do the legwork to make things happen.
Fire and AirWhen Fire and Air get together, there can be a lot of inspired thinking. Fire helps Air find focus when scattered and adds optimism to any plans hatched. Air can articulate the big picture for the impulse-driven Fire, while the latter keeps things from being all talk and no action. These two keep each other in stitches, open the doors of perception and find new ways to astonish the other.
Fire and FireWhen Fire meets Fire, life can be an exuberant adventure. It's a vital match where there are mutual inspiration and encouragement.
The challenge comes when fiery temperaments turn into struggles for dominance. If there is only drama, without an emotional foundation, this match can burn itself out.
IlluminatedWhen the fire element is present, there's a warm radiance, a trust in life's journey and a willingness to take risks. Any party or celebration is made better with the presence of a fully-charged up fire sign. They're great catalysts for play, and liable to unearth the spontaneous side of those around them. Because they sense a golden thread of destiny and potential running through their own lives, they have a knack for leading others to theirs.
Fire signs act on instinct or "sixth sense," and that makes them look reckless to more cautious types. They're actually following a powerful intuition that keeps them at the leading edge of fresh experiences.
Fire is infused with the divine spark, and this can spread like wildfire to everyone around them. They've got a lust for life that is enviable. Those that are weighted down might try to toss a wet blanket on their enthusiasm, so Fire must vigilantly guard its beacon. It's important for them to have cheerleaders to fan the flames of their interests.
But Fire that thinks only of itself learns the wisdom of the other elements the hard way. They'll keep coming up against resistance until there is a willingness to see there are no shortcuts. Each of the other elements has something to offer, and in return, Fire gives off a glow that is as nourishing as the rays of the Sun.
Positive keywords: extroverted, energetic, enthusiastic, inspirational, visionary, high-spirited, simple and direct, physically active, dramatic, courageous, warm.
Negative keywords: overly active to the point of burnout, restless, impatient, selfish, insensitive, willful, hasty, lacking in perspective, thoughtless, impulsive, reckless, extravagant, wild.
A person with:
** 2-4 planets in fire in her chart will be enthusiastic and idealistic, and could also be insecure, egocentric and impractical.
**5 or more planets in fire appears deceptively aggressive...
**0-1 planets in fire indicates a person with a lower energy level who seeks out others to inspire or motivate her.
Broken down by sign...The three Fire signs of the zodiac are Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. While they all share the essential nature of the Fire element, they each express it in a slightly different way.
Aries is concerned with the development of a strong ego self. This sign is action oriented and a born leader. As a result, this sign will use its Fire nature in a way that promotes new experiences.
Leo will focus on using the Fire element of light and fire to sustain warmth and joy. Leo is fun loving and dramatic, using the flamboyant nature of fire in a way to promote personal theatrics and to gain respect and recognition.
Sagittarius is a Fire sign that's eternally seeking the truth in life. This sign will use its Fire energy to bravely assert opinions and ideals and to feed a never ending supply of optimism and inspiration.
Air signs: Gemini, Libra, AquariusAIR signifies the mind and communication. Individuals with an "airy emphasis" are the connectors of the zodiac, linking up diverse people with each other and with new ideas and information. Air signs are typically intellectual, objective, curious, socially-oriented, cooperative and communicative. Air signs bring the gift of detachment and perspective -- the ability to step back from a situation and see it from different points of view, with neutrality. This quality can also be its curse depending on who they are interacting with...
When negatively expressed, Air signs take impartiality to the extreme and become cold and aloof. There can also be the "all talk, no action" phenomenon -- a lot of words without meaning or substance to back them up.
When Air is lacking in a person's chart, they are challenged to develop a greater awareness of other people's perceptions and to develop the ability to "Detach" emotionally, mentally and physically. Astrologically speaking, the element of Air is focused on inhaling mental energy. Air signs are gifted with the ability to concentrate their dynamism on ideas that have not yet come into the material world so that eventually ... they do.
The element of Air has an intellectual idealism attached to it of course -- and sometimes also a highbrow superiority complex.
The Air Signs: Gemini, Libra, AquariusAir signs are all about action, ideas, and motion—they are the “winds of change.” When a strong gust hits you, you can’t help but move. While some within their ranks may be true-life “airheads,” others are as powerful as a gravity-defying G-force. Air signs bring everyone a breath of fresh air when things start to get stale. Like the breeze, you can’t quite catch them, and you never know where they’ll drop you once they sweep you up. It will almost always been an adventure, though.
When you think about air you immediately realize a few things. Air is invisible, it cannot be enclosed and it is changeable. Air can be a calm balmy breeze or a ferocious wind storm, but either way, there's a sense of detachment about it along with an ability to cover extensive ground. Again, let's apply this astrologically...
Breezy traitsAir signs are known for being more detached and cerebral than others. Air signs aren't overly emotional, which gives them the ability to think logically and to achieve a broad overview of their idea. Air signs also require extensive freedom of movement in order to express their ideas and individuality. You can never contain an Air sign! They are also the folks who live, "Come Close..... Oh No! Not That Close." Freedom is a keyword for Air Folks.
The element of Air is detached from the immediate experience of daily life -- never quite touching it -- but always flowing around it. This detachment gives air its hallmark ability to be objective and to use its gifts to benefit many. [these are the teflon people...]
Ironically, although the element of Air has little emotion or sensitivity, it is the most social element. How is this possible? Air has the ability to objectively appreciate anyone or any group's thoughts whether or not they agree with them. They can be masters at small talk.
The downside of Air is that occasionally, if air remains all "in their head" there's a chance that it can become mentally imbalanced. That's when you'll see an eccentric Air side. If Air overvalues intellect it can become difficult to live in our physical world.
Air signs resemble their element in that they are elusive, ever-moving, and unstable. The fact that they are not symbolically represented by animals, but either by human figures (Gemini, Aquarius) or by an object (Libra), points to their more ‘civilized’, humanistic nature.
What characterizes people with Air prominent in their birth chart is their need for communication, their sociability, and their capacity for approaching matters in a rational, objective manner. If the element of Air is too prominent, however, they have the tendency to view things from a theoretical perspective, without considering whether their ideas can be practically implemented. That is why they are overcome with stress and indecisiveness when faced with the distance separating their theory from actual practice.
The signs of the Zodiac are grouped by elements in their triplicity, but they are also grouped by something known as their quality. Another name for quality is attitude.
Social CuriosityThe air signs are social creatures, since their currency is ideas, and they'll find more stimulation when out mingling.
Some are drawn to words and become professional communicators, while others -- especially Aquarius—have a more conceptual way of thinking.
Air signs are masters at navigating through the collective waters, and therefore are astute commentators of the cultural trends, attitudes, the consciousness of the times.
When Air is out of balance, you can encounter a talking head, someone cut off from his own physical self. Air signs are more vulnerable to the excesses of our mind-body split and could benefit from yoga and other somatic practices.
In relationships, the distance of Air to their emotions can be refreshing. They're great conversationalists because they're the keepers of so much knowledge, gossip, strange factoids, etc. Talking with an inspired Air sign can be like skipping through a kind of virtual reality full of detail, specificity, and local color.
Big MindThose with planets in air signs use their minds to make sense of their lives. With Air, there's more space between the life lived and the observing mind. This can lead air signs to appear detached, aloof, remote, cool. Sometimes they'll try to talk their way through feelings or analyze a situation instead of encountering its full emotional weight.
The gift of Air is flexibility, and their ability to experience life through many prisms. They're often excellent communicators, storytellers, interpreters, and journalists. They link people together socially and often have a curiosity that keeps them out and about.
Air and Earth (Capricorn, Taurus, and Virgo): It can be a relief for the weighted down Earth to be lifted up by Air's ideas and free-thinking. Air may offer a different spin on how to prioritize things, which can be liberating for duty-bound Earth. Earth helps the remote Air discover the mind-body connection. Earth can also advise Air so that some of their dreams can be made real.
Air and Fire (Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius): This is a dynamic combo, with Air being able to create an outline of meaning through thought for the Fire to be inspired by.
Air helps Fire take a more logical path toward success, some direction for their leaps of faith. Fire gives Air a sense of mission, purpose, and shines a light of focus through the jumble of collected data, thoughts, information.
Air and Water (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces): These two benefit from each other by bringing balance to feeling and thought. Water shows Air a path to the feelings and can help them grow toward being more nurturing, emotionally expressive, etc. Water helps Air make the heart connection. Air lifts Water out of the murky swamp into the realm of thought. Like talk-therapy, Air encourages Water to find distance and to become intellectually curious about their experiences.
Air and Air (Libra, Aquarius, and Gemini): Here is a meeting of the minds, and when balanced by other elements, it can mean a lifetime of shared interests. The way of connecting is through the exchange of ideas. The deeper emotional truth of the situation at hand can be discussed coolly. This bond thrives when there is also emotional authenticity, action, and physical touch.
Positive keywords: articulate, objective, mentally clear, detached, capable of forethought, understanding, socially adept and adaptable, cooperative, relational.
Negative keywords: unemotional, lacking in sympathy, impractical, disassociated from the body and the physical world, over-adaptive, abstracted, glib and facile, hyperactive.
The air signs are Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Air symbolizes mental processes, language, intellect, reason, human communication and social relationships. Air signs provide the ideas that make things happen.
**An airy chart represents a very intelligent person with many ideas to share. He may lack grounding, however, and tries to do too many things at once.
**5 or more planets in air in a chart often manifests as someone who feels disconnected from what is happening around her.
**People with 0-1 planets in air usually have no problem with the intellectual side of life and are often highly educated.
Broken down by sign...Although the three Air signs Gemini, Libra and Aquarius, share many of these traits in common, each will express the element's qualities in a unique way.
GEMINI will manifest the element of Air as an acute ability to instantly notice and communicate about everything in its environment.
Libra will apply the element of Air as a drive to use its intellect in a way that promotes social harmony.
Aquarius will utilize the element of air to achieve the most remarkably detached ability to connect all people and every concept. They are all about "their own space" and "Freedom."
Earth signs: Taurus, Virgo, CapricornEARTH represents manifestation in the physical world. With their feet firmly planted on terra firma, Earth people are the builders and producers of the zodiac, possessing the gift of bringing dreams into reality. Earth signs provide the physical necessities of life and establish structures and systems to increase security and comfort. Pragmatism, endurance, ambition and sensuality are typical Earth-sign qualities.
In its negative expression, an unbalanced Earth emphasis can lead to materialism, greed, over-indulgence, stagnation and fear. The Earth signs get in trouble when they forget that there is more to life than the five senses, and that the inner world is as "real" as the physical plane. People lacking in Earth may have to work hard at bringing their ideas into form and dealing with the everyday tasks of life.
Earth is most connected to the physicality of life. Earth is NOT aggressive, it's receptive. And that is key to understanding its potency. There is a quality of strength and endurance Earth possesses that is an indomitable force. At the same time, however, there is a certain amount of peacefulness connected to the Earth element. Sure, Earth can be passive ... but by no means is Earth weak!
Without Earth, we would have nothing to hold us up. No foundation. No support. Earth is attuned to form and matter. These assets help to explain why the Earth signs are the most practical and durable of the zodiac.
What also helps Earth succeed wildly in our corporeal environment is the fact that the element of Earth is intricately connected with the physical senses. This allows Earth an intuitive grasp as to how the material world works -- an almost natural understanding. Earth has the ability to use this instinct to ensure physical security is maintained, while also achieving a thorough enjoyment and appreciation of everything the physical world has to offer.
Solid traitsThe Earth Signs: Taurus, Virgo, CapricornEarth signs keep it real. They are the “grounded” people on the planet, the ones who bring us down to earth and remind us to start with a solid foundation. Slow and steady, these “builders” are loyal and stable, and stick by their people through hard times. On good days, they’re practical; at worst, they can be materialistic or too focused on the surface of things to dig into the depths.
Because of these propensities, Earth is the element of patience, stability, commitment, discipline, permanence and strength. Nothing can grow without these qualities and the end result with Earth is typically prosperity. Earth may be slow and methodical, but it is also ultimately successful.
Earth's tendencies towards being so practical can have its drawbacks. Imagination may be lacking in Earth since the focus is mostly on what can be proven to exist by virtue of what one sees, tastes, touches, feels or hears. An inability to deal with what cannot be explained in our physical universe can limit Earth's potency and lead to a rigid, narrow minded, materialistic view of life and our world.
Still, if Earth can open itself up to that which it cannot sink its teeth into then, its potential to achieve prosperity will enhance tenfold.
Earth is solid, fertile, and stable; by extension, people belonging to Earth signs are realists, practical, and grounded, with a deep perception of the material world and an intense need to feel productive and useful. They seek financial security, and, contrary to Fire people, they struggle to preserve what they already have instead of striving for more. Individuals with Earth prominent in their birth chart accept the limits obtaining within a materialistic society and abide by its rules, recognizing the obligations and the responsibilities that stem from being a part of it.
On the other hand, if the element of Earth features too prominently in somebody’s birth chart, they will tend to fearfully refrain from taking any risks and, consequently, their personal development will be hindered. Their need to preserve what they have acquired and their fear of losing it often lead them to suppress their feelings, by enduring people and situations that imprison them in an unpleasant reality.
Earth signs are Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn.
Earth represents practicality, stability, materialism, realism.
Practical and dependable, earth signs provide the resources necessary for the functions of life. There is usually a deep affinity with nature. Earth signs are the builders of long-lasting structures.
Positive keywords: practical, efficient, organized, realistic, patient, self-disciplined, hard-working, productive, enduring, persistent, dependable, stable, good common sense.
Negative keywords: slow, stodgy, lacking in vision, unimaginative, petty, excessively conventional, narrow-minded, stubborn, resistant to change, hoarding, ultra conservative.
Someone with
** 2-4 planets in earth signs is resourceful and possesses talent in dealing with reality and material things, such as money, business, or crafts.
**A person with 5 or more planets in earth signs can get so stuck in the material aspects of things that they do not see the deeper meanings.
** A person with 0-1 planets in earth signs usually does not have to worry over finances. Bill Gates, for example. Although they do tend to be impractical and out of touch with their bodies.
Are You "Earthy?"The Earth element is one of rooting in, crafting, and conserving and is highly connected to the senses.
Have you ever heard someone described as "earthy?" The term usually describes people who are oriented toward what's real, often making them very productive and able to create tangible results. But if there are no balancing elements, earth's extremes could lead to being a workaholic, hoarding of possessions, pettiness, getting stuck in the mundane, stubbornness, etc.
Earth and WaterEarth signs can help the emotional Water signs find tangible outlets for imaginative gifts. Like the banks to a flowing river, the Earth sign can guide the Water sign toward a goal. Water can help Earth by softening its rigid structure. Think about how a potter uses water to soften, and then re-shape clay on the wheel.
Similarly, water nourishes the ground of Earth with a feeling of being cared for.
Earth and FireThe inspirational quality of Fire signs brings a sense of adventure to the lives of Earth signs. Earth signs are be energized by Fire signs, as long as they take it slow. A little Fire goes a long way with Earth. On the other hand, Fire can be guided by Earth's mastery of structure. All those brilliant ideas can begin to take shape with Earth as your worldly advisor.
Earth and AirWhen Earth meets Air, it's like opening the window to let the fresh air in. It can be exhilarating to Earth to be lifted up if only temporarily, to see from the lofty heights of fantasy and rapid ideation. But if Air doesn't offer Earth anything tangible, only pies in the sky, there could be a loss of respect. As with the other signs, Earth brings Air down to ground level and offers practical ways to take a concept to reality. Air can find Earth stuffy and slow, but will begrudgingly respect the way they get things done.
Earth and EarthHere is a power duo, able to build empires, plan things down to the last detail and always with one eye on preparing for the future. Theirs is a world full of things to see, touch, hear, taste and feel together.
But two Earth signs can fall into the trap of working for tomorrow and not living for today. They'll avoid this by seeking out sensual pleasures, and making time for relaxation in their "garden."
Some keywords might be: practical, useful, structure, productivity, tangible, grounded, sensual, tactile, dependable.
Those with Earth signs often seem to inhabit their physical bodies which can be described in new-age terms as "grounded." Whatever their ground is -- whether it is a high-rise office building or rural cottage -- they're sending out feelers through the senses. The physical is the densest plane, and they're masters at assessing and organizing tangible things.
One expression of Earth sign qualities, might be someone who is easy-going and languid, aware of the local flora and fauna, often have leaves in their hair or dirt on their hands.
They're intimately attuned to the dance of nature, and love to spend time outdoors.
But Earth signs can just as easily work their magic in urban places since they're often centers of a certain kind of high-level productivity. The focus on the tasks at hand makes them vulnerable to the "all work and no play" cul de sac of life.
They're more apt to base their reality on what is around them in form, instead of creating personal myths or assigning symbolic meanings to everything. That's why too much of a good thing -- Earth -- can be stifling to things like inspiration, going on faith, a sense of purpose.
Earth signs are here to shape, manifest, cultivate and revel in Earthly delights. Their gift to others is bringing form to ideas, making them a balancing partner for an idle dreamer with potential. They tend their own garden and inspire others to make the most of theirs.
Broken down by sign...While all of the Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn) will share these qualities of the Earth element, each will express them in a unique manner.
TAURUS will convey a deep connection to and appreciation of the physical senses and will often successfully take command of preserving physical security.
VIRGO will masterfully volunteer to be of service to others, displaying a humble, flexible demeanor while expertly executing any task they commit to.
CAPRICORN will climb the most unbearable mountain with perseverance and ambitious determination in order to achieve any goal they set for themselves.
Water signs: Cancer, Scorpio, PiscesWATER, representing the realm of emotions, is perhaps the least understood element. Watery individuals are the feelers of the zodiac -- a role that is generally not held in high regard in our contemporary culture.
Extremely sensitive to their environment, Water signs are in touch not only with their own deep feelings, but with everyone else's as well, and may even be psychic. Typical Water signs are intuitive, nurturing, compassionate, resourceful, creative and imaginative.
The down side to this sensitivity is the potential for absorbing other people's emotions to the point of feeling overwhelmed -- this is why Water people need time alone to recharge.
The feeling nature is at least partly unconscious and that's a vital piece of information to help us understand the Water element. What's interesting about the Water signs are that all of them have an acute awareness of the potency behind the unconscious while also being primarily driven by what they, themselves, are unconscious of.
Positive keywords: deeply emotional, sympathetic, empathetic, nurturing, calm and peaceful, sensitive, compassionate, imaginative, intuitive, psychically aware.
Negative keywords: emotionally insecure and unstable, shy, timid, lacking in confidence, oversensitive, easily influenced and manipulated, withdrawn, uncommunicative, vindictive and vengeful, takes everything personally, moody and depressed.
The Water Signs: Cancer, Scorpio PiscesIntuitive, emotional and ultra-sensitive, water signs can be as mysterious as the ocean itself. Like water, they can be refreshing, or they can drown you in their depths. These signs often have intense dreams and borderline-psychic intuition. Security is important to them—after all, water needs a container, or it dries up and disappears.
Flowing traitsWithout a doubt, the Water element is the most sensitive and intuitive. This element is capable of nourishing our soul through a deep, psychic understanding of what makes us operate. The element of Water is in touch with the source of creation and can sense that we, too, are a part of this divine birthplace. Water signs are incredibly empathic and can feel the emotions of others.
Water can also drown in another person's emotional abyss if not careful because water has no boundaries. It soaks into us. Think about it. The element of Water can conform to the elements around it. When mixed with fire it creates steam, with earth it creates mud and with air it creates rain.
Water has no shape or permanent ability to remain solid. For this reason, water functions at its best when allowed to remain fluid. In fact, the power of water should not be underestimated. Water can extinguish fire, wash away earth and saturate the atmosphere so completely that it stops wind in its tracks.
Putting this into an astrological context, we can see that water has unlimited emotional depth and is self-contained. Water is also self-protective. If provoked, it won't lose a battle with any other element ... it prefers to do whatever it takes to guard itself from outside influences. This guarantees a serene place for personal reflection and insight.
Water signs are the “feelers,” the nurturers, the caretakers.
People with Water prominent in their birth chart have a profound need for emotional safety, which renders them extremely sensitive and vulnerable. Their emotional state tends to transform very often, due to their ability to sense the ambience prevailing. Their problem, if Water features too prominently in their birth chart, is that, in the same way that water has no form and takes the shape of its container, they tend to lose themselves in the mood of those surrounding them and hence often emotionally depend on others.
Those with planets in Water signs are often assessing a situation by its undercurrents.
It can give them an air of being aloof or even shy at first, but they're the warmest of souls when you've won their trust. Water signs are very self-protective because they're emotionally sensitive.
Going forward in a relationship or situation often means being sure of their emotional ground, a kind of decision-making process that is baffling to others.
Their perceptions border on psychic, but these insights get clouded by the intensity of feelings or are altered by the vivid imagination.
The nuances of feeling experienced by Water signs can lead them into the arts. Some find release from their own personal dramas when they're able to express them as universal. As writers, musicians and actors, they help others make sense of the human experience. But this also happens in everyday life, since Water signs soften the edges of the mundane by padding it with emotional meaning.
Water is a formless element on its own, and that's why those with this sign are so quickly shaped by their relationships to others. They need time alone to remember where they end and others begin. And to let what's been stirred up by life find its way to a quiet calm again. These are people who need people, but also need the restoring space of solitude.
Water and EarthWater signs can soften Earth and take them into the deeper emotional layers of intimacy. This brings touchy and feely together for a satisfying physical relationship in romance. Earth can help Water with the practical challenges of life, and encourage them to bring their gifts into the real world through some tangible effort.
Water and FireWater and Fire can be one steamy combination under the right circumstances. Water can add emotional nuance to Fire's instinctual responses, and help Fire learn things like tact, compassion and how to nurture. Fire can blaze a trail for Water out of the swampy abyss of inaction. Their vitality and enthusiasm lifts Water up, so they can find their way. Like with any element, there's a danger here of mutual harm if things are not in balance. Fire can dry up Water, and make them feel brittle and undernourished. Water can smother Fire, put out the flames of inspiration, which usually sends them right out the door.
Water and AirWater can help the Air sign make the deeper emotional connection. Water inspires Air to create a stronger personal base for what they're saying, by meaning what they say.
Air signs help Water put their feelings into words, and understand the patterns at play in their lives. Air encourages the insights of Water and can be a motivating force for creative expression.
Water and WaterHere is a pair that can dive together into the deep end, for better and worse. They'll understand the need of the other for "me" time to process all they've experienced. But two Water signs can easily merge and lose their sense of boundaries. This might not always be a bad thing, but at times it might feel like two people at the mercy of the emotional highs and lows of life. With balancing elements, this can be an incredibly close bond, to the point of being telepathic.
Positive keywords: deeply emotional, sympathetic, empathetic, nurturing, calm and peaceful, sensitive, compassionate, imaginative, intuitive, psychically aware.
Negative keywords: emotionally insecure and unstable, shy, timid, lacking in confidence, oversensitive, easily influenced and manipulated, withdrawn, uncommunicative, vindictive and vengeful, takes everything personally, moody and depressed.
**A person with 2-4 planets in water is a very sensitive and emotional person. He will have intuitive and even psychic abilities.
**A person with 5 or more planets in water signs is so sensitive that she holds back, and may appear detached or aloof.
**A chart with 0-1 planets in water does not mean the person has no feelings! In fact, they are quite emotional, although sometimes are out of touch with their feelings, since they are more comfortable with their dominant element [fire, air or earth].
Broken down by sign...Although each of the three water signs: Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces, will express the qualities of the Water element in a different way, what they all have in common is emotional depth. Individually however...
CANCER will express the element of water to pursue emotional security and to nurture and protect that which it feels most deeply connected to.
SCORPIO will display the element of water in ways that encourage deep saturation of, and comfort with, emotional power.
PISCES will showcase the element of water by extending the deepest empathy and healing to everything that suffers.
LACK OF ELEMENTS IN A NATAL CHARTIt is possible for an element to be completely absent from a birth chart. it is not uncommon for one to be comparatively weak or lacking, with its energy thus feeling unfamiliar to the individual. In this case, the weak element tends to emerge from extraneous sources. For instance, someone lacking Air in their chart is likely to counterbalance the lack by socializing with people with said element prominent in their chart..
Seeing the world in terms of elements is a tradition that goes back thousands of years throughout many cultures. The elements represent the basic principles of life, and different systems have delineated the elements in various ways. Western Astrology uses four elements -- Fire, Earth, Air and Water -- and each of the 12 zodiac signs falls into one of these categories.
In your birth chart, the elements represent your fundamental qualities and temperament -- the "stuff" you are made of. The element of your Sun sign will certainly be a big part of who you are, but it's the whole chart -- the Moon, Ascendant and other planets -- that reveals your elemental emphasis. While all four elements come into play to some degree for each individual, often two are predominant, while the other two require more effort to express.
For example, let's say an individual has an elemental emphasis in Earth and Air. This person might be very adept at taking care of pragmatic, material-world tasks (Earth) and have a gift for thinking logically and viewing situations objectively (Air). However, she might find it challenging to get in touch with and feel her emotions (Water) and could struggle with summoning the initiative and courage to take action (Fire).
Because all four elements are necessary to live a balanced and fulfilling life, we are compelled to compensate for those elements we are naturally lacking in our birth chart. We often attract people into our lives who are strong in our weak elements, and vice versa. Of course, these partnerships work out best when, instead of relying on the other person to make up for what we're lacking, we learn to develop these qualities, inspired by the other person’s example.
Just by understanding one's elemental make-up you can learn a lot about a person. If you only know your (or someone else's) Sun sign, that's an excellent place to start. Even without knowing the rest of your birth chart, you'll probably have a sense of which elements are stronger or weaker for you. As you'll see, no element is "good" or "bad" in itself -- they are neutral energies that can be expressed in positive or negative ways, depending on an individual's level of awareness.
The twelve zodiac signs are grouped into four elements—fire, earth, air and water. Each of these elementary groups has distinct traits. Together, they form the natural world, so each is in some way dependent on the other.
Fire Signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Earth Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Air Signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Water Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
The Fire Signs: Aries, Leo, SagittariusLike fire itself, fire signs tend to be passionate, dynamic, and temperamental. Fire can keep you warm, or it can do great destruction. While fire burns out quickly without fuel to keep it going, it can also regenerate its power from the ashes. A single spark can set off a forest fire. As a result, fire signs need to be nurtured and managed carefully.
FIRE has traditionally been associated with Spirit -- the primal force of animation. Fire represents the desire for life, the will to be and become. It's no mistake that a Fire sign -- Aries -- launches the cycle of the Zodiac, as Fire signs often embody leadership, initiative and courage. People with a fiery emphasis tend to be impulsive, spontaneous, creative and enthusiastic. Ideally, Fire signs serve as an inspiration to others, stimulating creative action based on high ideals.
When negatively expressed, there can be an over-emphasis on self-expression without consideration for others' feelings, resulting in selfishness, egotism or fanaticism. Fire can "burn itself out" when it lacks a practical outlet for its high-voltage energy. If someone is lacking in Fire, they may need to cultivate self-confidence, vitality, courage and passion.
The element of Fire can't be ignored. Fire gives light and warmth. Without it, there's no chance at life. Fire signs are excitable, vital and enthusiastic. They command attention, whether they realize it or not. Let's keep it real ... Fire signs know exactly the effect they're having on the rest of us. They're lighting up our lives!
Fire signs are known as the ones who bring joy, color and sass to what would be an otherwise dull world. This is energy that can't be contained and rightly so. The Fire element is essential to our basic life force. This is the element that's focused on the creation of self or personal identity.
The idiom "To light a fire under someone" encapsulates the potency of the Fire element. Nothing gets you moving more than fire. Period. The element of Fire is, without a doubt, the most active, self-motivated, high spirited and animated force. If you're a Fire sign, you'll never need anyone else to light that fire under you. You've got it naturally.
Fiery traitsThe element of Fire is responsible for courage, confidence and initiative. Fire has no fear. Quite the contrary, Fire is to be feared. Interestingly enough, the element of Fire is not out to destroy -- although it can. Fire may be bold, direct and occasionally reckless or impatient but it's not vicious. There's an innocent, honest quality in that the Fire element that yearns to freely express itself. Like a child. Fire symbolizes passion, energy, impulse, enthusiasm, inspiration, idealism, faith. Fire signs are the leaders and the cheerleaders of the zodiac. They provide us with much needed inspiration, motivation and creative energy.
When the element of Fire expresses itself in such a way it can either be endearing or downright irritating -- especially to those who are more sensitive to the feelings of others. Fire isn't trying
to hurt, but it can. It can be the bluntly honest remark, the lack of self-control or its hasty nature, hungry for immediate gratification. Fire gives radiant life but it can, of course, burn.
Fire signs are distinguished for their enthusiastic, active nature. They exhibit a positive, upward, extroverted energy/temperament. Fire mainly generates warmth and light; accordingly, Fire signs are renowned for their generosity, their idealism, their persistent need for a vision and their ceaseless efforts to spiritually evolve through it. People belonging to a Fire sign can hardly be called defeatists and strongly dislike passivity. They are spontaneous, optimistic, and buoyant, with a tendency to ‘look upwards’.
It should be noted, though, that people with Fire too prominent in their birth chart are generally prone to childish behaviours, as they tend to heedlessly dive into anything new that comes their way and often end up disappointed, due to their inability to set realistic goals. That is why it is extremely important, on the one hand, that the elements should be balanced in a birth chart, and on the other, that every birth chart should be examined as a whole –not in parts.
The Fire element is one of spontaneity, inspiration, intuition, and big passions. Fiery guys and gals are excitable, impulsive, and love to light a fire under others.
My favorite phrase for fire signs is "Spirit in Motion" from Henrick Gullfoss' "The Complete Book of Spiritual Astrology."
Those with planets in fire signs have a simmering at-the-ready stance, as they hunt for things that light them up. They're prone to sudden illuminating flashes of insight and bursts of enthusiasm. Like fire itself, they can flare up when inspired, making them seem very passionate about life. They like to live large, and often feel frustrated by mundane chores and duties.
Fire signs are known to be intuitive, and to rely on gut-level instincts. Going on faith in their inner guidance gets them far, but they have a tendency to skip crucial steps, or to be unaware of the emotional impact of their actions.
Fire and WaterFire's greatest gift is being able to inspire, and this appeals to Water's desire for meaning. A generous Fire person shows Water how to be in the moment, even if they're carrying lots of psychological baggage.
Water takes Fire on an emotional journey that helps them see how they're related to others. At its worst and most out of balance, Fire can zap Water by being totally overwhelming and Water smothers Fire when it offers only insular, claustrophobic intimacy.
Fire and EarthSometimes Fire has lots of visionary ideas that Earth can help put into tangible form. This can make pragmatic Earth feel needed and appreciated, not to mention that Fire's enthusiasm is contagious. If Earth becomes too slow and plodding for Fire, this match could get snagged in frustration. Through Earth's eyes, Fire may seem unrealistic and unwilling to do the legwork to make things happen.
Fire and AirWhen Fire and Air get together, there can be a lot of inspired thinking. Fire helps Air find focus when scattered and adds optimism to any plans hatched. Air can articulate the big picture for the impulse-driven Fire, while the latter keeps things from being all talk and no action. These two keep each other in stitches, open the doors of perception and find new ways to astonish the other.
Fire and FireWhen Fire meets Fire, life can be an exuberant adventure. It's a vital match where there are mutual inspiration and encouragement.
The challenge comes when fiery temperaments turn into struggles for dominance. If there is only drama, without an emotional foundation, this match can burn itself out.
IlluminatedWhen the fire element is present, there's a warm radiance, a trust in life's journey and a willingness to take risks. Any party or celebration is made better with the presence of a fully-charged up fire sign. They're great catalysts for play, and liable to unearth the spontaneous side of those around them. Because they sense a golden thread of destiny and potential running through their own lives, they have a knack for leading others to theirs.
Fire signs act on instinct or "sixth sense," and that makes them look reckless to more cautious types. They're actually following a powerful intuition that keeps them at the leading edge of fresh experiences.
Fire is infused with the divine spark, and this can spread like wildfire to everyone around them. They've got a lust for life that is enviable. Those that are weighted down might try to toss a wet blanket on their enthusiasm, so Fire must vigilantly guard its beacon. It's important for them to have cheerleaders to fan the flames of their interests.
But Fire that thinks only of itself learns the wisdom of the other elements the hard way. They'll keep coming up against resistance until there is a willingness to see there are no shortcuts. Each of the other elements has something to offer, and in return, Fire gives off a glow that is as nourishing as the rays of the Sun.
Positive keywords: extroverted, energetic, enthusiastic, inspirational, visionary, high-spirited, simple and direct, physically active, dramatic, courageous, warm.
Negative keywords: overly active to the point of burnout, restless, impatient, selfish, insensitive, willful, hasty, lacking in perspective, thoughtless, impulsive, reckless, extravagant, wild.
A person with:
** 2-4 planets in fire in her chart will be enthusiastic and idealistic, and could also be insecure, egocentric and impractical.
**5 or more planets in fire appears deceptively aggressive...
**0-1 planets in fire indicates a person with a lower energy level who seeks out others to inspire or motivate her.
Broken down by sign...The three Fire signs of the zodiac are Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. While they all share the essential nature of the Fire element, they each express it in a slightly different way.
Aries is concerned with the development of a strong ego self. This sign is action oriented and a born leader. As a result, this sign will use its Fire nature in a way that promotes new experiences.
Leo will focus on using the Fire element of light and fire to sustain warmth and joy. Leo is fun loving and dramatic, using the flamboyant nature of fire in a way to promote personal theatrics and to gain respect and recognition.
Sagittarius is a Fire sign that's eternally seeking the truth in life. This sign will use its Fire energy to bravely assert opinions and ideals and to feed a never ending supply of optimism and inspiration.
Air signs: Gemini, Libra, AquariusAIR signifies the mind and communication. Individuals with an "airy emphasis" are the connectors of the zodiac, linking up diverse people with each other and with new ideas and information. Air signs are typically intellectual, objective, curious, socially-oriented, cooperative and communicative. Air signs bring the gift of detachment and perspective -- the ability to step back from a situation and see it from different points of view, with neutrality. This quality can also be its curse depending on who they are interacting with...
When negatively expressed, Air signs take impartiality to the extreme and become cold and aloof. There can also be the "all talk, no action" phenomenon -- a lot of words without meaning or substance to back them up.
When Air is lacking in a person's chart, they are challenged to develop a greater awareness of other people's perceptions and to develop the ability to "Detach" emotionally, mentally and physically. Astrologically speaking, the element of Air is focused on inhaling mental energy. Air signs are gifted with the ability to concentrate their dynamism on ideas that have not yet come into the material world so that eventually ... they do.
The element of Air has an intellectual idealism attached to it of course -- and sometimes also a highbrow superiority complex.
The Air Signs: Gemini, Libra, AquariusAir signs are all about action, ideas, and motion—they are the “winds of change.” When a strong gust hits you, you can’t help but move. While some within their ranks may be true-life “airheads,” others are as powerful as a gravity-defying G-force. Air signs bring everyone a breath of fresh air when things start to get stale. Like the breeze, you can’t quite catch them, and you never know where they’ll drop you once they sweep you up. It will almost always been an adventure, though.
When you think about air you immediately realize a few things. Air is invisible, it cannot be enclosed and it is changeable. Air can be a calm balmy breeze or a ferocious wind storm, but either way, there's a sense of detachment about it along with an ability to cover extensive ground. Again, let's apply this astrologically...
Breezy traitsAir signs are known for being more detached and cerebral than others. Air signs aren't overly emotional, which gives them the ability to think logically and to achieve a broad overview of their idea. Air signs also require extensive freedom of movement in order to express their ideas and individuality. You can never contain an Air sign! They are also the folks who live, "Come Close..... Oh No! Not That Close." Freedom is a keyword for Air Folks.
The element of Air is detached from the immediate experience of daily life -- never quite touching it -- but always flowing around it. This detachment gives air its hallmark ability to be objective and to use its gifts to benefit many. [these are the teflon people...]
Ironically, although the element of Air has little emotion or sensitivity, it is the most social element. How is this possible? Air has the ability to objectively appreciate anyone or any group's thoughts whether or not they agree with them. They can be masters at small talk.
The downside of Air is that occasionally, if air remains all "in their head" there's a chance that it can become mentally imbalanced. That's when you'll see an eccentric Air side. If Air overvalues intellect it can become difficult to live in our physical world.
Air signs resemble their element in that they are elusive, ever-moving, and unstable. The fact that they are not symbolically represented by animals, but either by human figures (Gemini, Aquarius) or by an object (Libra), points to their more ‘civilized’, humanistic nature.
What characterizes people with Air prominent in their birth chart is their need for communication, their sociability, and their capacity for approaching matters in a rational, objective manner. If the element of Air is too prominent, however, they have the tendency to view things from a theoretical perspective, without considering whether their ideas can be practically implemented. That is why they are overcome with stress and indecisiveness when faced with the distance separating their theory from actual practice.
The signs of the Zodiac are grouped by elements in their triplicity, but they are also grouped by something known as their quality. Another name for quality is attitude.
- Libra is wild and relentless about justice and has an equally passionate need for beauty.
- Aquarius has one ear attuned to the outer limits and is a visionary and loner.
- Gemini is light and changeable, and a witty observer of life's spectacle.
Social CuriosityThe air signs are social creatures, since their currency is ideas, and they'll find more stimulation when out mingling.
Some are drawn to words and become professional communicators, while others -- especially Aquarius—have a more conceptual way of thinking.
Air signs are masters at navigating through the collective waters, and therefore are astute commentators of the cultural trends, attitudes, the consciousness of the times.
When Air is out of balance, you can encounter a talking head, someone cut off from his own physical self. Air signs are more vulnerable to the excesses of our mind-body split and could benefit from yoga and other somatic practices.
In relationships, the distance of Air to their emotions can be refreshing. They're great conversationalists because they're the keepers of so much knowledge, gossip, strange factoids, etc. Talking with an inspired Air sign can be like skipping through a kind of virtual reality full of detail, specificity, and local color.
Big MindThose with planets in air signs use their minds to make sense of their lives. With Air, there's more space between the life lived and the observing mind. This can lead air signs to appear detached, aloof, remote, cool. Sometimes they'll try to talk their way through feelings or analyze a situation instead of encountering its full emotional weight.
The gift of Air is flexibility, and their ability to experience life through many prisms. They're often excellent communicators, storytellers, interpreters, and journalists. They link people together socially and often have a curiosity that keeps them out and about.
Air and Earth (Capricorn, Taurus, and Virgo): It can be a relief for the weighted down Earth to be lifted up by Air's ideas and free-thinking. Air may offer a different spin on how to prioritize things, which can be liberating for duty-bound Earth. Earth helps the remote Air discover the mind-body connection. Earth can also advise Air so that some of their dreams can be made real.
Air and Fire (Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius): This is a dynamic combo, with Air being able to create an outline of meaning through thought for the Fire to be inspired by.
Air helps Fire take a more logical path toward success, some direction for their leaps of faith. Fire gives Air a sense of mission, purpose, and shines a light of focus through the jumble of collected data, thoughts, information.
Air and Water (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces): These two benefit from each other by bringing balance to feeling and thought. Water shows Air a path to the feelings and can help them grow toward being more nurturing, emotionally expressive, etc. Water helps Air make the heart connection. Air lifts Water out of the murky swamp into the realm of thought. Like talk-therapy, Air encourages Water to find distance and to become intellectually curious about their experiences.
Air and Air (Libra, Aquarius, and Gemini): Here is a meeting of the minds, and when balanced by other elements, it can mean a lifetime of shared interests. The way of connecting is through the exchange of ideas. The deeper emotional truth of the situation at hand can be discussed coolly. This bond thrives when there is also emotional authenticity, action, and physical touch.
Positive keywords: articulate, objective, mentally clear, detached, capable of forethought, understanding, socially adept and adaptable, cooperative, relational.
Negative keywords: unemotional, lacking in sympathy, impractical, disassociated from the body and the physical world, over-adaptive, abstracted, glib and facile, hyperactive.
The air signs are Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Air symbolizes mental processes, language, intellect, reason, human communication and social relationships. Air signs provide the ideas that make things happen.
**An airy chart represents a very intelligent person with many ideas to share. He may lack grounding, however, and tries to do too many things at once.
**5 or more planets in air in a chart often manifests as someone who feels disconnected from what is happening around her.
**People with 0-1 planets in air usually have no problem with the intellectual side of life and are often highly educated.
Broken down by sign...Although the three Air signs Gemini, Libra and Aquarius, share many of these traits in common, each will express the element's qualities in a unique way.
GEMINI will manifest the element of Air as an acute ability to instantly notice and communicate about everything in its environment.
Libra will apply the element of Air as a drive to use its intellect in a way that promotes social harmony.
Aquarius will utilize the element of air to achieve the most remarkably detached ability to connect all people and every concept. They are all about "their own space" and "Freedom."
Earth signs: Taurus, Virgo, CapricornEARTH represents manifestation in the physical world. With their feet firmly planted on terra firma, Earth people are the builders and producers of the zodiac, possessing the gift of bringing dreams into reality. Earth signs provide the physical necessities of life and establish structures and systems to increase security and comfort. Pragmatism, endurance, ambition and sensuality are typical Earth-sign qualities.
In its negative expression, an unbalanced Earth emphasis can lead to materialism, greed, over-indulgence, stagnation and fear. The Earth signs get in trouble when they forget that there is more to life than the five senses, and that the inner world is as "real" as the physical plane. People lacking in Earth may have to work hard at bringing their ideas into form and dealing with the everyday tasks of life.
Earth is most connected to the physicality of life. Earth is NOT aggressive, it's receptive. And that is key to understanding its potency. There is a quality of strength and endurance Earth possesses that is an indomitable force. At the same time, however, there is a certain amount of peacefulness connected to the Earth element. Sure, Earth can be passive ... but by no means is Earth weak!
Without Earth, we would have nothing to hold us up. No foundation. No support. Earth is attuned to form and matter. These assets help to explain why the Earth signs are the most practical and durable of the zodiac.
What also helps Earth succeed wildly in our corporeal environment is the fact that the element of Earth is intricately connected with the physical senses. This allows Earth an intuitive grasp as to how the material world works -- an almost natural understanding. Earth has the ability to use this instinct to ensure physical security is maintained, while also achieving a thorough enjoyment and appreciation of everything the physical world has to offer.
Solid traitsThe Earth Signs: Taurus, Virgo, CapricornEarth signs keep it real. They are the “grounded” people on the planet, the ones who bring us down to earth and remind us to start with a solid foundation. Slow and steady, these “builders” are loyal and stable, and stick by their people through hard times. On good days, they’re practical; at worst, they can be materialistic or too focused on the surface of things to dig into the depths.
Because of these propensities, Earth is the element of patience, stability, commitment, discipline, permanence and strength. Nothing can grow without these qualities and the end result with Earth is typically prosperity. Earth may be slow and methodical, but it is also ultimately successful.
Earth's tendencies towards being so practical can have its drawbacks. Imagination may be lacking in Earth since the focus is mostly on what can be proven to exist by virtue of what one sees, tastes, touches, feels or hears. An inability to deal with what cannot be explained in our physical universe can limit Earth's potency and lead to a rigid, narrow minded, materialistic view of life and our world.
Still, if Earth can open itself up to that which it cannot sink its teeth into then, its potential to achieve prosperity will enhance tenfold.
Earth is solid, fertile, and stable; by extension, people belonging to Earth signs are realists, practical, and grounded, with a deep perception of the material world and an intense need to feel productive and useful. They seek financial security, and, contrary to Fire people, they struggle to preserve what they already have instead of striving for more. Individuals with Earth prominent in their birth chart accept the limits obtaining within a materialistic society and abide by its rules, recognizing the obligations and the responsibilities that stem from being a part of it.
On the other hand, if the element of Earth features too prominently in somebody’s birth chart, they will tend to fearfully refrain from taking any risks and, consequently, their personal development will be hindered. Their need to preserve what they have acquired and their fear of losing it often lead them to suppress their feelings, by enduring people and situations that imprison them in an unpleasant reality.
Earth signs are Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn.
Earth represents practicality, stability, materialism, realism.
Practical and dependable, earth signs provide the resources necessary for the functions of life. There is usually a deep affinity with nature. Earth signs are the builders of long-lasting structures.
Positive keywords: practical, efficient, organized, realistic, patient, self-disciplined, hard-working, productive, enduring, persistent, dependable, stable, good common sense.
Negative keywords: slow, stodgy, lacking in vision, unimaginative, petty, excessively conventional, narrow-minded, stubborn, resistant to change, hoarding, ultra conservative.
Someone with
** 2-4 planets in earth signs is resourceful and possesses talent in dealing with reality and material things, such as money, business, or crafts.
**A person with 5 or more planets in earth signs can get so stuck in the material aspects of things that they do not see the deeper meanings.
** A person with 0-1 planets in earth signs usually does not have to worry over finances. Bill Gates, for example. Although they do tend to be impractical and out of touch with their bodies.
Are You "Earthy?"The Earth element is one of rooting in, crafting, and conserving and is highly connected to the senses.
Have you ever heard someone described as "earthy?" The term usually describes people who are oriented toward what's real, often making them very productive and able to create tangible results. But if there are no balancing elements, earth's extremes could lead to being a workaholic, hoarding of possessions, pettiness, getting stuck in the mundane, stubbornness, etc.
Earth and WaterEarth signs can help the emotional Water signs find tangible outlets for imaginative gifts. Like the banks to a flowing river, the Earth sign can guide the Water sign toward a goal. Water can help Earth by softening its rigid structure. Think about how a potter uses water to soften, and then re-shape clay on the wheel.
Similarly, water nourishes the ground of Earth with a feeling of being cared for.
Earth and FireThe inspirational quality of Fire signs brings a sense of adventure to the lives of Earth signs. Earth signs are be energized by Fire signs, as long as they take it slow. A little Fire goes a long way with Earth. On the other hand, Fire can be guided by Earth's mastery of structure. All those brilliant ideas can begin to take shape with Earth as your worldly advisor.
Earth and AirWhen Earth meets Air, it's like opening the window to let the fresh air in. It can be exhilarating to Earth to be lifted up if only temporarily, to see from the lofty heights of fantasy and rapid ideation. But if Air doesn't offer Earth anything tangible, only pies in the sky, there could be a loss of respect. As with the other signs, Earth brings Air down to ground level and offers practical ways to take a concept to reality. Air can find Earth stuffy and slow, but will begrudgingly respect the way they get things done.
Earth and EarthHere is a power duo, able to build empires, plan things down to the last detail and always with one eye on preparing for the future. Theirs is a world full of things to see, touch, hear, taste and feel together.
But two Earth signs can fall into the trap of working for tomorrow and not living for today. They'll avoid this by seeking out sensual pleasures, and making time for relaxation in their "garden."
Some keywords might be: practical, useful, structure, productivity, tangible, grounded, sensual, tactile, dependable.
Those with Earth signs often seem to inhabit their physical bodies which can be described in new-age terms as "grounded." Whatever their ground is -- whether it is a high-rise office building or rural cottage -- they're sending out feelers through the senses. The physical is the densest plane, and they're masters at assessing and organizing tangible things.
One expression of Earth sign qualities, might be someone who is easy-going and languid, aware of the local flora and fauna, often have leaves in their hair or dirt on their hands.
They're intimately attuned to the dance of nature, and love to spend time outdoors.
But Earth signs can just as easily work their magic in urban places since they're often centers of a certain kind of high-level productivity. The focus on the tasks at hand makes them vulnerable to the "all work and no play" cul de sac of life.
They're more apt to base their reality on what is around them in form, instead of creating personal myths or assigning symbolic meanings to everything. That's why too much of a good thing -- Earth -- can be stifling to things like inspiration, going on faith, a sense of purpose.
Earth signs are here to shape, manifest, cultivate and revel in Earthly delights. Their gift to others is bringing form to ideas, making them a balancing partner for an idle dreamer with potential. They tend their own garden and inspire others to make the most of theirs.
Broken down by sign...While all of the Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn) will share these qualities of the Earth element, each will express them in a unique manner.
TAURUS will convey a deep connection to and appreciation of the physical senses and will often successfully take command of preserving physical security.
VIRGO will masterfully volunteer to be of service to others, displaying a humble, flexible demeanor while expertly executing any task they commit to.
CAPRICORN will climb the most unbearable mountain with perseverance and ambitious determination in order to achieve any goal they set for themselves.
Water signs: Cancer, Scorpio, PiscesWATER, representing the realm of emotions, is perhaps the least understood element. Watery individuals are the feelers of the zodiac -- a role that is generally not held in high regard in our contemporary culture.
Extremely sensitive to their environment, Water signs are in touch not only with their own deep feelings, but with everyone else's as well, and may even be psychic. Typical Water signs are intuitive, nurturing, compassionate, resourceful, creative and imaginative.
The down side to this sensitivity is the potential for absorbing other people's emotions to the point of feeling overwhelmed -- this is why Water people need time alone to recharge.
- Excess Water in a person's chart can also lead to emotional over-reaction, paranoia and escapism.
- People lacking in Water may have a hard time accessing their emotions, and be insensitive to others' feelings. They are learning to develop compassion and intuition.
The feeling nature is at least partly unconscious and that's a vital piece of information to help us understand the Water element. What's interesting about the Water signs are that all of them have an acute awareness of the potency behind the unconscious while also being primarily driven by what they, themselves, are unconscious of.
Positive keywords: deeply emotional, sympathetic, empathetic, nurturing, calm and peaceful, sensitive, compassionate, imaginative, intuitive, psychically aware.
Negative keywords: emotionally insecure and unstable, shy, timid, lacking in confidence, oversensitive, easily influenced and manipulated, withdrawn, uncommunicative, vindictive and vengeful, takes everything personally, moody and depressed.
The Water Signs: Cancer, Scorpio PiscesIntuitive, emotional and ultra-sensitive, water signs can be as mysterious as the ocean itself. Like water, they can be refreshing, or they can drown you in their depths. These signs often have intense dreams and borderline-psychic intuition. Security is important to them—after all, water needs a container, or it dries up and disappears.
Flowing traitsWithout a doubt, the Water element is the most sensitive and intuitive. This element is capable of nourishing our soul through a deep, psychic understanding of what makes us operate. The element of Water is in touch with the source of creation and can sense that we, too, are a part of this divine birthplace. Water signs are incredibly empathic and can feel the emotions of others.
Water can also drown in another person's emotional abyss if not careful because water has no boundaries. It soaks into us. Think about it. The element of Water can conform to the elements around it. When mixed with fire it creates steam, with earth it creates mud and with air it creates rain.
Water has no shape or permanent ability to remain solid. For this reason, water functions at its best when allowed to remain fluid. In fact, the power of water should not be underestimated. Water can extinguish fire, wash away earth and saturate the atmosphere so completely that it stops wind in its tracks.
Putting this into an astrological context, we can see that water has unlimited emotional depth and is self-contained. Water is also self-protective. If provoked, it won't lose a battle with any other element ... it prefers to do whatever it takes to guard itself from outside influences. This guarantees a serene place for personal reflection and insight.
Water signs are the “feelers,” the nurturers, the caretakers.
- While Fire people envision something,
- Earth people put it into practice,
- and Air people become fully knowledgeable about it,
- Water people form sentimental bonds with it.
People with Water prominent in their birth chart have a profound need for emotional safety, which renders them extremely sensitive and vulnerable. Their emotional state tends to transform very often, due to their ability to sense the ambience prevailing. Their problem, if Water features too prominently in their birth chart, is that, in the same way that water has no form and takes the shape of its container, they tend to lose themselves in the mood of those surrounding them and hence often emotionally depend on others.
Those with planets in Water signs are often assessing a situation by its undercurrents.
It can give them an air of being aloof or even shy at first, but they're the warmest of souls when you've won their trust. Water signs are very self-protective because they're emotionally sensitive.
Going forward in a relationship or situation often means being sure of their emotional ground, a kind of decision-making process that is baffling to others.
Their perceptions border on psychic, but these insights get clouded by the intensity of feelings or are altered by the vivid imagination.
The nuances of feeling experienced by Water signs can lead them into the arts. Some find release from their own personal dramas when they're able to express them as universal. As writers, musicians and actors, they help others make sense of the human experience. But this also happens in everyday life, since Water signs soften the edges of the mundane by padding it with emotional meaning.
Water is a formless element on its own, and that's why those with this sign are so quickly shaped by their relationships to others. They need time alone to remember where they end and others begin. And to let what's been stirred up by life find its way to a quiet calm again. These are people who need people, but also need the restoring space of solitude.
Water and EarthWater signs can soften Earth and take them into the deeper emotional layers of intimacy. This brings touchy and feely together for a satisfying physical relationship in romance. Earth can help Water with the practical challenges of life, and encourage them to bring their gifts into the real world through some tangible effort.
Water and FireWater and Fire can be one steamy combination under the right circumstances. Water can add emotional nuance to Fire's instinctual responses, and help Fire learn things like tact, compassion and how to nurture. Fire can blaze a trail for Water out of the swampy abyss of inaction. Their vitality and enthusiasm lifts Water up, so they can find their way. Like with any element, there's a danger here of mutual harm if things are not in balance. Fire can dry up Water, and make them feel brittle and undernourished. Water can smother Fire, put out the flames of inspiration, which usually sends them right out the door.
Water and AirWater can help the Air sign make the deeper emotional connection. Water inspires Air to create a stronger personal base for what they're saying, by meaning what they say.
Air signs help Water put their feelings into words, and understand the patterns at play in their lives. Air encourages the insights of Water and can be a motivating force for creative expression.
Water and WaterHere is a pair that can dive together into the deep end, for better and worse. They'll understand the need of the other for "me" time to process all they've experienced. But two Water signs can easily merge and lose their sense of boundaries. This might not always be a bad thing, but at times it might feel like two people at the mercy of the emotional highs and lows of life. With balancing elements, this can be an incredibly close bond, to the point of being telepathic.
Positive keywords: deeply emotional, sympathetic, empathetic, nurturing, calm and peaceful, sensitive, compassionate, imaginative, intuitive, psychically aware.
Negative keywords: emotionally insecure and unstable, shy, timid, lacking in confidence, oversensitive, easily influenced and manipulated, withdrawn, uncommunicative, vindictive and vengeful, takes everything personally, moody and depressed.
**A person with 2-4 planets in water is a very sensitive and emotional person. He will have intuitive and even psychic abilities.
**A person with 5 or more planets in water signs is so sensitive that she holds back, and may appear detached or aloof.
**A chart with 0-1 planets in water does not mean the person has no feelings! In fact, they are quite emotional, although sometimes are out of touch with their feelings, since they are more comfortable with their dominant element [fire, air or earth].
Broken down by sign...Although each of the three water signs: Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces, will express the qualities of the Water element in a different way, what they all have in common is emotional depth. Individually however...
CANCER will express the element of water to pursue emotional security and to nurture and protect that which it feels most deeply connected to.
SCORPIO will display the element of water in ways that encourage deep saturation of, and comfort with, emotional power.
PISCES will showcase the element of water by extending the deepest empathy and healing to everything that suffers.
LACK OF ELEMENTS IN A NATAL CHARTIt is possible for an element to be completely absent from a birth chart. it is not uncommon for one to be comparatively weak or lacking, with its energy thus feeling unfamiliar to the individual. In this case, the weak element tends to emerge from extraneous sources. For instance, someone lacking Air in their chart is likely to counterbalance the lack by socializing with people with said element prominent in their chart..
- People lacking Fire are often characterized by low self-esteem and lack confidence in the diverse situations they are called to handle in their everyday life; not spontaneous and often lacking a sense of humor; they can also start 10 projects and rarely finish One!!!!
- the lack of the element of Earth causes one to be alienated from their body and the physical world and to have an ill-defined perception of their limits; they often can think of a project – they cannot figure out the steps necessary to get the job done.
- those lacking Air tend to become too absorbed in details, thus missing the big picture, and feel uncomfortable socializing and handling their co-existence with others as these folks dislike 'small talk'
- and those whose chart is lacking in Water are not conversant with their emotions and find it difficult to understand and control them. More importantly, they find being around too much water can be over whelming.