Continuing our journey through the astrological elements… we finally come to the element of water.

“With time and with water, everything changes”

This quote, attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, encourages us never to underestimate the power of water.

The water signs are Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces.    The sign of Cancer dips a toe into the watery world of sense impressions and feelings,  Scorpio dives deep into them and Pisces floats around in them!

The water signs are receptive and more than ready to explore the world of feelings.   They operate a sort of psychic internet, tuning in to the unseen world via their third eye.   Indeed, water signs see best when they don’t see at all!   They learn by osmosis, soaking things up from the atmosphere that surrounds them.   The platonic solids, the icosohedron could be said to represent the multifaceted sense impressions that water signs deal with on a daily basis.

Represented in the Tarot deck by the cups or chalices, water signs put us in touch with our safety and security needs, our emotional world and our more intimate relationships.

Water signs have an inner wisdom which is based on their non-rational radar system.  However, they may find that they need to guard against a certain hypersensitivity which could result in a neediness and an ungrounded approach to life.

How does water act in contact with the other elements?

Fire – Aries, Leo, Sagittarius -can agitate water

Earth – Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn – conversely can contain and ground it

And air – Gemini, Libra and Aquarius – can dry it out

Too little water and we can have trouble understanding our feelings, too much water and we may feel overwhelmed by our emotions

Sue Dibnah   Astrologer

Let’s continue our journey through the elements and their relationship to Astrology with a look now at the Air signs.

The Air signs are Gemini, Libra and Aquarius

These signs concern themselves with our social life and the different types of relationships we may be drawn to.

Gemini has an interest in making connections between people, Libra forms an intimate relationship and Aquarius concerns itself more with the relationships formed between groups of people.

Air gives a lightness of movement, a curiosity and a need to learn.    The quality of air is abstract, intellectual, rational and ingenious.   Air signs love to learn and to pass on information to others.

Indeed, a  prime skill of the airy signs is the ability to communicate, to express thoughts and feelings.   Remember that in order to vocalise and speak, we need air to pass over our vocal cords!   This love of communication brings  to mind a quote by Mark Twain

“If you have nothing to say – say nothing”!

Represented in the Tarot deck by the swords, airy signs encourage us to cut through our illusions, and to develop a rational and objective approach to our problems and dilemmas.

While this element can bring a ‘breath of fresh air’ into stale situations, we must remember that it is difficult to catch or contain air, it needs to be free. 

The downside of this could be that the air signs could come across as being ruled by their head and not their heart.

Too much air, therefore, could result in us living with our head in the clouds, wearing ourselves down with constant movement.   Too little air could mean that we lack a rational and objective approach to setbacks and problems.

And airy contacts with other elements?

Fire needs the oxygen of air in order to set alight its desires

Earth could confine air, making it feel stale and lacklustre

Water can feel that air ruffles its calm surface, causing waves.

Sue Dibnah  Astrologer

As each of the elements corresponds to a sign of the Zodiac, let’s move on now and look at the element of earth and its signs.

The Earth signs are Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn.

These signs represent the apothecary of the Zodiac and the guardians of Gaia and our Mother Earth.

In earthy terms we could think of Taurus as planting the seed, Virgo as harvesting the crop,  and Capricorn as using and conserving the harvest.

Represented in the Tarot as the Pentacles, the earthy signs usually have more than a passing link with the physical and material world.   The earth signs take care of the earth’s resources , are thrifty, hard working and have a talent for attracting abundance, on every level.

The earthy practicality of these signs is summed up rather nicely by Oscar Wilde, when he is quoted as saying

“It is better to have a permanent income than to be fascinating”!

The element of earth teaches us patience, and understands that everything will be taken care of in due time.   As strong, stable builders, earth signs will enjoy finding practical solutions to problems, testing them against the past and what is known.   In other words, an earthy mantra could be – if it ‘aint broken, don’t fix it!

The down side of this is that, earth signs could be seen to plough a straight furrow, and their need for ritual and routines could result in stagnation or missed opportunities. This potential problem is counter balanced by a dogged determination to see things through and this element will sustain us, protect us and offer us security.

Let’s consider earthy contacts with the other elements…..

Water will fertilize and nourish the earth, the zeal and heat of fire may scorch earth and create a desert and air could agitate the earth causing dust storms .

Too much earth –and we could feel ‘bogged ‘ down and heavy, too little earth and we may feel untethered and ungrounded.

SUE DIBNAH –  ASTROLOGER

A series of 4 articles looking at each of the astrological elements…..

Each of the signs of the Zodiac resonates with one of the four elements, i.e. fire, earth, air and water.

Let’s begin with Fire.   The fire signs are Aries, Leo and Sagittarius.

Aries lights the spark and sets things in motion, Leo radiates the warmth of the flickering candle and Sagittarius carries the torch of truth out into the world in the quest for enlightenment.

Represented in the Tarot deck by the wands or rods, the fire signs share a certain idealism and vision, shining their light into the future and brightening the dark corners with their optimistic and idealistic approach to life.

A lovely quote from Sagittarian, Winston Churchill, encapsulated this when he stated that “We are all worms, but I do believe that I am a glow worm”!

Independent and freedom loving, fire signs dislike restriction and have a strong dislike of being micromanaged.   While being able to make a commitment to a vocational path or a cause, Fire signs need the stimulation of a vision or the call of an adventure, to drive them forward, to fire them up.

And contact with the other elements?

Earth can contain or put out the fire, water can douse it or create steam

Air can fan the flames and stimulate fiery passions and rhetoric

Too little fire and we can feel lacklustre and jaded, too much fire and we have a forest fire, suffering burnout.

And to finish – here’s a quote for the fire signs…

“Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.”

SUE DIBNAH – ASTROLOGER