2012 on your personal journey through life. |
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The Four Elements and Your Essential Makeup
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| The division of the zodiac into four elements — fire, earth, air, and water — stretches back to medieval times and beyond. One reason this division has lasted for so many centuries is that it penetrates so deeply into the nature of the human being, even into the nature of matter itself. Knowing which elements dominate your horoscope, and which ones are muted, gives you many insights into your core qualities and needs and how you respond to circumstances. | ||
The signs are arranged by element, as follows:Fire: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius; Earth: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn; Air: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius; and Water: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces. Traditionally, air types are said to be mental and communicative, sometimes living in their heads too much. Earth types are often down to earth, productive, and practical, though sometimes materialistic. Fire types can be lively, action-oriented, and warm, yet often impulsive or even pushy. Typical water types are responsive, adaptable, intuitive, and emotional, yet possibly too subjective.Long articles have been written about the elements, but an intellectual, conceptual, verbal grasp of them won’t take you far: That would be an air-only approach. Be earthy as well — try for a sensual, visceral, even tactile appreciation. In a watery way, immerse yourself in the elements, bathe in them, let them flow through you. And, finally, chase them down in an active, fiery fashion — go get them, do them, walk them, recreate them, and they will be yours. Don’t just think about fire, make a fire! Enrich your understanding of astrologyTo enrich your understanding of astrology, spend time with the elements and experience how you respond to them. For the element fire, light a candle, sit by a campfire, and watch the flames flicker, or bask in the warmth of the Sun. To love the earth, plant or visit a garden and enjoy fresh, home-grown tomatoes, inhale the rich, fertile smell of the soil or the flowers that grow in it, or be awed by the majesty of a mountain. For water, gulp down a cool drink when you are parched, go swimming, or allow yourself to get drenched in a sudden downpour. For air, feel the wind on your face, fly a kite, or go sky diving. Do these things with the conscious intention of getting to know the elements, for they are an essential part of all of us.Elemental balanceThink about your own chart and the charts of people you know well. Some of us are strong in one particular element but lacking in another. Some of us are equally strong in all four elements, which tends us toward a balanced life. When one element is missing from the chart, expressing that element becomes a challenge. For determining the When one element is missing from the chart, expressing that element becomes a challenge. For determining the elemental balance, I use a 16-point system, assigning two points to the Sun, Moon, Ascendant, and Midheaven because they are such key features, and one point to other planets. You may wish to include a point for Chiron as well.For example, let’s look at the balance of elements in the chart of actress/comedienne, Whoopi Goldberg. According to her birth certificate, Goldberg was born on November 13, 1955, at 12:48 PM EST, in New York, NY 74W00; 40N42. She has four planets in Scorpio (a water sign), including two points each for the Sun and Moon, for a total of six points in water. In fire, she has three planets in Leo plus Venus and the Midheaven in Sagittarius, for a total of six points. In Air, she has an Aquarius Ascendant, Chiron in Aquarius, and Mars and Neptune in Libra, for a total of five points. Whoopi, then, is strongly fire and water in nature, with a good complement of air, but lacks any planets in earth. We can easily see the fire in her nature: She is warm, lively, and outgoing and can be somewhat of a firebrand. With so much water, her emotions are powerful and strongly projected, as seen in her Oscar-nominated performances. Her airy side is shown by her wit, intelligence, and superb verbal abilities. Yet, how do you explain her lack of earth? No one seems more down to earth or earthy than this woman who came up from poverty the hard way, and she has certainly done very well materially, through decades of living a Hollywood lifestyle. She is realistic to a fault and never hesitates to puncture the balloons of those who dwell in fantasy. What chart feature counteracts the void in earth signs? Part of the answer is that when we are missing an element, or weak in that element, we can overcompensate. Life circumstances can force us to develop the qualities and abilities more naturally conveyed by that element, so over time we learn to make up for our lack by conscious attention and diligent efforts. |
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| People who are lacking in earth may stumble their way into practicality through trial and error — and too many bounced checks. Air-sign Moons can learn to reason their way into an understanding of the emotions. The gifts of a missing element are never natural and instinctive, but they become easier as we work at them. There is another way, however, that the qualities of an element can be part of us, and this is true of Whoopi. She is earthy because her Sun is closely conjunct Saturn, giving her a Capricorn-like core. Likewise, someone with no chart factors in water who has Neptune on the Ascendant and Pluto conjunct the Moon will be strongly emotional, intuitive, and highly sensitive to others. If air is missing from your chart don’t conclude that you can’t succeed at intellectual tasks. If you have Mercury aspecting Uranus, or on the Ascendant, or conjunct the Sun, you may be every bit as bright and witty as an air-sign dominant person. Like any single chart factor, analyzing the elemental balance can be productive, but it certainly cannot convey the full picture. |
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| This article is excerpted from Donna Cunningham’s e-book, The Outer Planets and Inner Life, Volume 3. For information about her ebooks, visit Moon Maven Publications at http://www.moonmavenpublications.com ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Donna Cunningham, an internationally respected astrologer with over 35 years experience, is the author of 15 books on metaphysical topics. Listed in several Who’s Who volumes, she has given seminars on astrology around the world and won the prestigious Regulus Award at the 1998 UAC. She also has a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Columbia University. She uses this combined approach in her “Dear Abby” type column in Dell Horoscope and her ongoing series of articles in The Mountain Astrologer. |
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Astrology and You
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