The Astrological Elements of Fire, Air, Earth, and Water are a foundation of astrology. We are all made up of each of them, differing in balance and modes of expression. But what can this tell us about ourselves?
Whether you find yourself immersed in the esoteric and mystical, or simply desiring to live with greater presence, authenticity, awareness and joy, astrology seems to offer a pathway for us all.
Through our Sun sign we are offered the wisdom to strengthen our life force and individuality, while our Moon sign supports us to nurture ourselves and our Rising Sign helps us move through the world, another layer of self-insight within this vast language is that of the Elements.
Just as every zodiac sign lives within and expresses itself through us, we also hold our own unique balance and blend of the Elements within, too. We are our very own makeup of the four astrological elements – that of Fire, Air, Earth, and Water.
And it is through exploring and understanding this unique blend that we gain greater insights into the tools and gifts available to us, how we uniquely move through the world, and our relationship with emotion, change, action, inspiration and more.
Knowing our Elemental Nature is like holding up a mirror to how we can support ourselves, and how to move and work with our nature, as opposed to against it.
Each zodiac sign and astrological house is assigned an Element, and while we are often dominant in one or two elements, we can also call upon and strengthen each of the elements from within us with intention, certain actions and practices, and we can often find ourselves attracting those that are dominant in the elements that we may be ‘lacking’ in.
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How to Find your Dominant Elements
To find your Elemental Balance, you can use calculators such as this, to which you will need your birth details handy. Calculators such as these will not only look at the element of your Sun sign, but will consider every zodiac, planet, aspect, and house placement within your Natal Chart and how they are expressing themselves.
While you may be a Leo Sun and therefore hold the element of Fire, beyond the surface may be a lot of water swimming within you, with an emphasis on Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces.
Fire Element
Fire Zodiacs: Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius
Passion, inspiration, and movement. The fire element is excitement, expression, and adventure. Those strong in fire are invited to live life in their own way, to learn and grow through taking action, and to follow their desires without restraint. There is a quick nature to this energy, an excitement that overflows into the need to move, create, and express, and it is through trusting in and acting on their instincts that those strong in fire develop and fine tune their intuition.
Fire can support us to bring more excitement into our lives, to follow our desires, build confidence, spark inspiration, and take action wherever we feel we’ve reached a roadblock. It is medicine if ever we are doubting our own potential, encouraging us to remember our magic and try anyway, and if we ‘fail’, to try again, or try a new way. As long as we continue, as long as we follow the path that calls our name. And if ever it looks as if there are no opportunities presenting themselves, fire guides us to create our own.
Earth Element
Earth Zodiacs: Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn
A strong Earth element is a life path rooted in the tangible world, with an invitation to build security and stability for ourselves through practical action and occupying the body. It is a path that invites us to create something lasting, building the foundations of our dreams with focus, time, effort, and reliable action. A gift of a dominant Earth Element? There is a calmness that this energy invites, a grounded and regulated nervous system that supports us in the movement of life around us.
Naturally, the Earth element in Astrology is medicine in grounding, practicality, consistency, reliability, and stability. It is when we feel disconnected that this element can bring us into connection, where we feel unstable that it supports us to reach into stability, and where we are impatient that it reminds us of the power in small, consistent, and intentional movement over time. This element supports us in landing our dreams, desires, and excitements into reality, as it builds in the tangible inspired and informed by the passions of fire, the ideas of air, and the emotional meaning of water. And it is our partner to reach out to if ever we need to feel safe, secure, and at home.
Air Element
Air Zodiacs: Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius
 Just like air itself, this element, and the zodiacs it represents, must have the freedom to move, to shift, to change at any moment and to venture wherever desired. The Air element in Astrology represents the mind, communication, and our thought processes. Those strong in Air hold an invitation for a lifetime of learning, exploring, and expanding on the mental level. Their path is rich with, and fulfilled through, stimulating communication, and seeking new perspectives through which to understand life.
Air supports us to step back and find objectivity within any situation. If ever we are lost in the waters of emotion, the fires of passion, or the routine of Earth, Air invites us to step back and observe with a level of healthy detachment and curiosity, allowing for a greater perspective. It is an element that we can reach into in moments that feel stagnant, lacking in perspective, or simply when we are ready for a cleansing breath of new life to flow through our minds, bodies, and lives.
Water Element
Water Zodiacs: Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces
Water represents our emotions. It is feeling, intuition, and observing the movement beneath the surface. A life path of those dominant in water includes sensing beyond the words spoken or actions taken and observing the emotional currents informing each decision made by both ourselves, and those around us. It is a path guided by our emotions, where what is right for us is felt in our inner waters just as what is not right for us. Here, our emotions are our compass.
Water heals by inviting us to feel our emotions. No matter if we have much or little water in our elemental nature, we all have emotions. Yet not all of us feel safe, or are comfortable, with feeling them. Water supports us in this. It guides us open to both ourselves and our chosen others with vulnerability, emotional honesty, and intimacy. It welcomes more of life into our experience through feeling the colours, textures, and offerings that are on offer in each and every moment. And the more we begin to connect with water, the more we learn how to nurture ourselves.
Balancing Your Elements
Each of these elements support one another much like a family – for they are in a way incomplete on their own. It is when we find our own sense of harmony and balance within the elements that we can both reach into our fires of passion and excitement, and have them grounded by the earth with practical and tangible action in our chosen direction.
It is where we can feel the waters of our emotions and understand how to nurture ourselves, just as we can bring in air of objectivity, logic, and perspective into our decision making. It is where we can ground ourselves into a stable home and routine with our earth, just as we can feel the freedom of movement and flow at our fingertips with our air. And it is where we can swim through the movements of our emotional body just as we can feel safe and secure in our body doing so.
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