All Around The Zodiac: Exploring Astrologys Twelve Signs

84 Pages·2001·68.75 MB·English

by  Bil Tierney

Chapter One
Signs&
Elements
WHy SrcNsA cr rHE Wev Tnnv Do
Beforea nalyzinge acho f the twelves igns,i t's good to first exploret wo
prime featurest hat contribute much to understandinge achs ign's
characteristicsit:s element (fire, earth,a i6 or water) and its mode
(cardinalf,i xed,o r mutable).T he blendo f theset wo factorsh elpse x-
plain why a sign behavesth e way it does,w hy it's motivatedt o re-
spondt o life in a manneru nlikea nyo thers ign,a ndh ow it goesa bout
gettingi ts needsm et.N otet hat no two signss haret he exacts amee le-
ment-modem ix:
Sign Image Symbol Element Mode
Aries The Ram T Fire Cardinal
Taurus The Bull U Earth Fixed
Gemini The Twins tr Air Mutable
Cancer The Crab $ Water Cardinal
Leo The Lion {1 Fire Fixed
Virgo TheVirgin lW Earth Mutable
Libra The Scales fr Air Cardinal
Scorpio The Scorpion llt Water Fixed
Sagittarius The Archer f, Fire Mutable
Capricorn The Goat R Earth Cardinal
Aquarius The WaterB earer N Air Fixed
Pisces The Fishes X Water Mutable
15
16 Signs6 Elements Signs(t Elements 17
Repetitivep atterns can be found in theset wo primary sign classifica- something in common that the remaining nine signs do not. The
tions. In the element column, note that the zodiac begins with a sign earth signs are Taurus,Virgo, and Capricorn. The air signs are Gem-
of the fire element,f ollowed by earth, and then ait until the cyclee nds ini, Libra, and Aquarius, and the water signs are Cancer, Scorpio, and
with a sign whose element is water. This element pattern then repeats Pisces.I t is vital that studentso f astrologyl earn thesef our main group-
tlvo more times. In the mode column, cardinal energy begins the ings as soon as possible,w hich is why I am presentingt hem so early on
cycle, followed by fixed energy,a nd ending with mutable energy-a in this book.
pattern that then repeatst hree more times. Let's explorew hat all these Although we could attempt to memorize a handfrrl of traits ("key-
groupings mean regardingt he psychologyo f the signs,s tarting with a words") belonging to, say,A ries or Scorpio, it is more helpfirl to first
look at the four elements. know a sign by its elemental properties. Many standard traits pos-
sessedb y eachs ign are very much the result of its elementalm akeup,
especially at its core level. They reflect a sign s innate qualities, al-
Tnn ErBuBNrs
though such features can be molded, even distorted, by the constant
Fire,E arth,A ir, andWater pressureso f social programming. It's impossible to find any of us
Before anaLyzingth e basic features of all twelve signs,k nowing each doing a pure expressiono f any element, untainted by unconscious
sign'se lement will tell us much about how that particular sign inter- collectivea ttitudes and assumptionst hat we'vel ikely adopted.
prets its surroundings-what is its natural orientation toward life in Let's explore thesee lementsi n detail, starting first with fire.
general?W hat is the lens it usest o assessre ality? Each element repre-
sentsa basicq uality of consciousnessth at contributes to our personal
awareness-it acts like a psychologicals enseo rgan. It describesh ow
we are apt to perceiveb oth our inner world and outer environment.
Elements are the four filters we use to interpret what's happening to
us. They describe how we naturally perceive the people and things
around us, as well as how we understand our internal drives and
urges.I deally, we need to partake of the insights afforded by eacha s-
trological element, even if only certain ones actually dominate our
basic,d ay-to-dayt emperament.
The four elementso f astrology all have equal value and are inter-
dependent, although in a manner not always obvious at first. They
also unfold in a meaningful sequence.T here is an intelligent reason
why-from Aries to Pisces,a ll around the zodiac-fire alwayss tarts
eachc yclea nd water alwaysc ompletesi t.
The twelve signs are thus divided into these four categories.E ach
element is associatedw ith three zodiacs igns.T he fire signs are Aries,
Leo, and Sagittarius. This immediately tells us that theset hree share
ii l8 TheF ireE lement TheF ireE lement 19
Tnn FrnnE rnuENr nessesin the corporate world, and are taking on high political offrce-
I
all due to their readinessa nd willingness to embracet he strengthso f
FlameR ide
fire, and thus breakg ender-basesdt ereotypes.
Although all elementsr epresentq ualities that are equally valuable to Newborn babiesc ome into this world alreadyd isplaying their raw,
our inner growth, the element of fire symbolizesa particularly domi-
untempered fire drives-they'll cry a decidedly impatient and angry
nant cultural force throughout the world. Fire is associatedw ith cry as their immediatew ay of assertingt heir being, as if claiming," I
"doing" rather than with "thinking" or "reflecting." It's an action-ori- am alive and I am here.D eal with my needsn ow!" Here is a purer, un-
ented element that freely moves out into life to dynamically seizet he cultured fire at work, accentingi ts customary focus on fulfilling "me"
moment-think of flames energetically shooting upward and out-
concerns.A lthough not exclusivelya ssociatedw ith fire symbolism-
ward. Fire's "burning" urge is to experience life adventurously and
despitet he fact that astrologersr elatei t primarily to the Sun-the ego
with full gusto. Although not particularly organized,logical, or even
knows how to burn this element'sv olatile fuel when needing to draw
considerateo f others,f ire motivatesu s to take quick, decisivea ction in
attention to itself. Fire pumps up the ego'ss enseo f commanding
the here and now-to strike boldly while the iron is hot and our pas-
power. Thus, expect fire to be very self-focuseda nd concerned with
sions are running high.
fulfilling its own desires,f irst and foremost. The signsA ries and Leo
Until relatively recently the archetypal world of fire has been the havev ery much been accusedo f this, but lesss o Sagittarius( and we'll
exclusived omain of traditional male behavior,r einforced by centuries
analyzew hy later).
of unquestioneda nd unbroken socialc onditioning. Societyp ermits
Strongly fire-oriented people can spenda n entire lifetime acting as
men to "do" their fire without much penalty-"boys will be boys"-
l if their personal needs require urgent attention-they are not to be
that is, at least until males overdo their fiery expressiona nd become
postponedo r denied.I nstant gratificationi s what fire wants and ex-
destructively" macho."
pects.H owever,i n the processo f exuberantlye xpressingw ho they are,
Fire is a fighting element,r eadyt o attackw hatevert ries to thwart its
fire types can depletet he energyo f others.T hey can indulge in too
energy or get in its way. Applied on a mass level, this becomesw ar-
much of a good thing, and in an uncontained manner.W e tend to as-
fare-a collective drama where men, historically, have releasedf ire's
sume that fire people give of themselvesin abundance-they warmly
l
potential fury by engagingi n large-scalev iolence.M any men of today
and generouslyr adiate their light and heat-but they also need fresh
also vent their fire by being active in sports, by sexual conquest,b y
energy sources to refuel themselves.I t's exhausting to be around
hunting, or by plunging into exciting forms of physicalr isk-daredev-
i people who colorfully flare out all the time, who happily expend
ils are born of the fire element.A bhorring timid, wishy-washyb ehav- themselvesb, ut then consume some of your vitality just to keep their
ior, fire is no coward when it comest o finding wayst o satisfr its urges.
own blazeg oing. Fire is thus a very demanding,e vend raining, force to
Women today are also learning firsthand-and perhaps cau-
be around for long periods of time. It canw ear out other less-energetic
tiously-that it is psychologicallya nd physicallyb eneficialt o own and
elements-most so earth and water, who prefer cooler temperatures,
openly expressw hat fire represents:o ur human ability to move bravely
anyway.
out into the world accordingt o the spontaneousim pulseso f our desire
Still, it's no wonder that this headstrongs, elf-assurede lementh as
and self-will. More and more females are joining the ranks in such
long been associatedw ith natural leadership ability and royal com-
rli fields asb oxing, football, soccerw, eightlifting, and so on-formerly all mand (especiallyL eo'sp roud and dignified, if not bossy,d isplay of
male-dominateda ctivities.M ore women are also running big busi-
fire). Fearlesslym oving ahead into the challengingw orld, to take
tiir
l,ilii
20 TheF ireE lement TheF ireE lement 2l
chancesl eft and right, while leaning on no one for supervision and commitment (although loyal Leo has more stayingp ower in this area,
support, fire will stand tall on its own. Yet again,o nce it has used up a as long as few restrictionsa re imposed;t his is becauseL eo is also a
temporary sourceo f energg leaving only ashes,f ire needsa fresh sup- fixed sign, a factor that will be explained later). Settled relationships
ply to keep going. Fire can be a very hungry element, due to its huge also hint at a shared life of expectedb ehavior and routine habits,
appetite for living. "Give me more of what keepsm e vibrant and ac- something that fire fearsw ill prove too tedious to bear.W here'sa ll the
ll tive," roars fire. excitementa ndpizzazz of living? That's what fire craves.
L So far, we get a senset hat this element can come on strong and will Since fire isn't all that deeply absorbed in others-it's not one to
fight to survive. It is willing to do battle to ensuret hat it will continue merge or share-it won't allow itself to get sucked into the compli-
to thrive. Our capacity to thrust ourselvesb ravely out into life, and catedw orlds of people in need (that's more water'sd ilemma). Fire
Li1 thereby developa momentum for vigorous expressionb, elongsm ainly doesn't even feel it has to blend with the other elementsi n order to
to the fire element.A ries is a dynamic exampleo f this. It's also a cardi- enhancei tself (which is not true). It's too self-centeredt o even realize
nal sign-as we shall later explore-and thus has an advantagew hen it the value of exploring other ways of perceiving the world-it's much
comes to initiating energizeda ction in the world. Becausei t's such a too sold on its own way of sizing up reality. Still, our growth process
natural self-starter,f iery Aries proves a smart choice as the sign to involves a skillful and consciousi ntegration of many astrologicalf ac-
begin the zodiac (our cosmic'Twelve Step" program for living a bet- tors that initially appear to have little in common, or that typically
ter, frrller life). clashw hen combined (the old "incompatibility" issue).
iil Although fire can foster selfishnessi,t 's this element's somewhat Some of us may be born with a heavyf ire emphasis:b esidesA ries,
innocent self-absorption that allows it to retain its streak of indepen- Leo, and Sagittarius,t here are also" fire" planetst o contend with-the
dence,w hich then reinforces its instinct to follow a self-chosenp ath. Sun,M ars, and ]upiter. Sincet here are other signsa nd planetsi n our
Pioneers and trailblazers thus honor the fire principle within them chart associatedw ith the three remaining elements,w e need to better
when they show guts by going off in new and even controversial di- combine our fire energiesw ith theseo ther components.T his will help
rections. They don t need permission to go where they wish to in life, us develop a more well-rounded awarenesso f ourselvesa nd of the
nor is gaining the approval of others what determines whether fire world in which we live. We can t afford to take an exclusivelyf ired-up
types single-handedlye mbark on a chosenc ourseo f action. (Sure, approach to living, plus others would soon take issue with such a
they'd enjoy having such support, but ultimately they don t need it to headstrongm anner of behaving-we'd be accusedo f being arrogant,
initiate a major undertaking of personal interest.) "I'm here to please pushy,c onceited,b ossy,o pinionated, or even too self-righteous.
myself, first and foremost,"f ire honestly admits. So,w hen it comest o courageouslyli ving the life we were meant to
There is a bit of a "loner" streaki n fire. This is not an elementt hat live-unfazed by the attempts of others to censor us or "rain on our
easilya ttachesi tself to others for long periods of time. Fire doesn't parade"-fire is the elementt hat points us in the right direction. It be-
comfortably settlei nto structured relationships,a nd event he security lievesi n authentic self-expressiona nd relishesd isplaying an upfront,
of enduring intimacy is not what it wants-especially if that meansi ts spirited senseo f self-and to heck with what the neighborst hink! Fire
freedom to spontaneouslym ove about will be curtailed. (Trap fire in a has a hard time bowing down to the dictateso f others.I t won't blindly
ti.ny metal box, and eventuallyi t's life-spark will extinguish.) Thus, in follow set rules of conduct, especiallyw hen they prove to be stifling.
matters of close involvement, expect fire to have problems with total We need fire in our veins to give us the gumption required to take on
22 TheF ireE lement TheE arth Element 23
THn Eenru ErBvrnNr
the world in a lusty, passionatem anner. Dramatic fire makess ure that
our life won't be dull and anemic. It's good to note where our fire TerraF irma
signs are located in our chart, for here is where we will be supported
The fire element appropriately begins the zodiac with energeticA ries
by a more robust and honest approacht o people and situations.
becauset his element symbolizest he vital thrust behind the "will to
Now let's move on to the next element: earth.
be" that gives rise to all action. Life means movement, and fire stirs
our basic need for motion. Think of fire as representingt he essential,
vital spark within every seedj ust waiting to explode into a rush of ac-
tivity that initiates a plant's growth cycle( amazingly, seedsf ound in
the tombs of ancient Egyptian mummies have been known to come
alive and sprout-their inner life force, although dormant' survives
for centuries of time without weakening). Thus, all sorts of begin-
nings and births in life are associatedw ith fire. Freshnessa nd newness
belong to this element.Y et at some pivotal point, fire's expansivee n-
ergy will need structure and organization to be usefrrl.S uch necessary
containment comesf rom earth, an element that logically follows fire
throughout the zodiac.
We live in a material realm that imposesa ll sorts of constraints,y et
activity on Earth requiresa slower paces o that we can better deal with
most issueso f physical reality. The heavinesso f gravity abounds, and
time is ever-present,b ut together they help us feel securelya nchored
to the solid, comforting world of form. Fire is more at home with a
rapid, even agitated, alteration of conditions-i1'5 a highly kinetic
force-but to undergo too much of that could prove hectic and dis-
orienting (not to mention physically debilitating). We instead need a
more leisurelyp acei n order to function reliably,a nd thus earth makes
sure that fire's dynamic energyi s grounded and better conserved.H u-
mankind long ago learned the value of preserving actual fire, rather
than wasting it by letting it burn itself out. Astrological earth is urging
us to do the same,e speciallyo n the psychologicall evel.
Earth is admittedly less showy and vibrant than fire. It appears
passivea nd inactive (a clump of dirt or a log of wood seemsi nert and
dull compared to the high drama of a raging inferno). Nevertheless,
earth providesa necessarys tillnessa nd an economy of movement that
helps fire's energy endure longer and thereby extend its potential.
ilr
24 TheE arthE lement TheE arthE lement 25
I
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il Earth doesn't like to uset hings up too quickly or to run out of needed If close-mindednessa nd inflexibility can be avoided, then earth
supplies prematurely.L essr efueling is required by this stablee lement becomesa wonderful element blessedw ith the power to manifest the
becausei t conservesf ire's life force in smart, effectivew ays.A ctually, deeperp otentialo f the other elementsE. arth helpsl esst angiblee ner-
i
earth is not so much "smart" in its operations as it is blessedw ith giesi ncarnatea nd encloset hemselvesin matter suitablef or their pur-
,i common sense-an instinctual "know-how" that is not basedo n mere poses-earth givess pirit needed shape.W e all have the signs Taurus,
i intellectual knowledge. Virgo, and Capricorn located somewherei n our chart, indicating
I
As a result, earth is very sawy when it comest o understandingt he areasw here we can expresso ur needsa nd demonstrateo ur abilities in
material world and figuring out what can and cannot be accom- worldly, concrete terms. Earth has a talent for building something
plished with available resources.E arth signs all share a respectful solid and supportive for us, and it believesi n working long and hard
ti awarenesso f life's inherent limitations. Fire may balk at acceptingt hat to achievew hat it wants. Patiencei s its virtue, and time is its friend.
li life issuesr estraining orders now and then, but earth makesp eace And yet, becauseit is astrology'sl essg lamorous element-one not
with this obvious fact and learns to function well within such condi- given to colorful display,e motional depth, or imaginative thinking-
tions. (By the wa5 all elementsh ave their own take on "reality," but earth is typically treated with less fanfare. It evokesa "ho-hum" re-
earth's version of what actually exists-something highly dependent sponse. (No one ever says,e xcept sarcastically," Wow, it must be so
on what our physicals ensesr egister-seems lesso pen to debateo r excitingt o be born with all that earth in your chart!") Earth is more
subjectivei nterpretation; at leastt hat's how earth seesit .) Earthy real- like a little brown sparrow in contrast to fire's gloriously strutting
ity is tied to the tried-and-true rhythms of the physicalw orld, with its peacock.E arth is as plain and functional as a "sensible"p air of shoes,
predictable, natural cycles.E arth dependso n repetitive, reliable phe- comparedt o diamond-studdedh igh heels.I t's as com$' and familiar
nomena. It's obvious that this elementp lays a key role in the scientific asa n old sweater.B eing highly praiseda s someonew ho's trustworthy,
disciplines,w here an earthy capacityf or clear-headednessp,a instaking dependable,a nd humble-all earthy traits-seems lessa compliment
testing, and sober observation are a must. than being touted as dashing,w itty, and effervescent.
As humans, we are so unavoidably earthbound and attached to Nonetheless,e arth quietly makes sure that much of our ordinary
our physical impressionso f life that it's no wonder this element is so world runs in a timely, organizedf ashion-it tries to keept hings oper-
darn sure about what it regards as real. After all, the tangible proof ating smoothly, day by day, and this typically involves setting up sys-
that earth needs to function is clearly found all around us-rnaffs1 tems of efficiency.S hould this conscientiouse lement decidet o pack it
undeniably exists.E arth signss teadilyf ocus on this most evident level up and archetlpe itself elsewherein the Universe,c haoso n our planet
of experience,y et they run the risk of assuming that this tangible would soon spreadl ike wildfire, and we'd all be horrified at how messy
realm of ours is what counts the most and what truly makes up our life would quickly become,a s everything broke down or becamem is-
l prime reality-the only one on which we should frrlly depend.A II else placed (nothing would stayp ut). Earth signst hus do what they can to
has lessw orth in the long run. Well, we can quickly seeh ow this atti- keep such chaos at bay, mainly by devising and enforcing necessary
tude may lead to narrow, materialistic assumptions concerning life's rules and regulationst hat ensureo rder. Earth is the custodial element
i
potential. Things in the outer world potentially hold more attraction of life, dutifirlly straighteningu p the world wheneveri t getso ut of con-
lIr to earthy types than do internal, psycho-spiritualr ealms of being. trol, while also carefully attending to all-important details,n o matter
il
Earth is skepticalo f anything as abstracta s a soul or a psyche. how small,t hat help prevent future trouble from brewing.
iriii
illltlli
26 TheE arthE lement TheE arthE lement 27
But just so we don't pigeonhole earth as all work and no play, real- all projectst o their completion, no matter how demanding (it may
ize that the realm of bodily sensation also belongs to this element. complain a lot, but it getst he job done). Nothing is to be left in the air'
Earth (especiallyT hurus) enjoyst he creaturec omforts of being human. dangling. AII bothersome loose ends are to be wrapped up. Earth can
It believest hat there'sn othing wrong with feeling contentment in very therefore run a tight ship, especiallyw hen a deadlinei s fast approach-
physical ways. The body is not such a bad thing to own and satisfr. ing. It's no wonder that all the other elementst end to leavep oor, de-
ti Earth wants us to proclaim, "Yeah,I 'm part animal and proud of it!" pendablee arth holding the bag-earth is a suckerf or doing "the dirty
Varying degreeso fsensuality play a role in the life experiencesfo stered worK'that no other element wants to touch. Yet earth is quietly con-
by this element. We shouldn t automatically think that means sex,s ince fident that it can handle the task and successfullye nd up with solid
our earthy needsc an alsob e met by taking a long, hot bath or evenb y results.
ril
having a professionalm assage-and let's not forget the satisfactiono f A common problem with earth is its tendencyt o hold back emo-
eating a wonderfully cookedm eal while in comfortable,v isually pleas- tions, to restrain feelingst hat sometimesn eed proper venting. This
ing surroundings. kind of self-controlm akese arth look composeda nd mild-mannered
Earth also realizest hat physicalw ell-being is very important in life, on the surface.T his alsog ivest his elementt he appearanceo f awesome
li
and thus this element will urge us to listen to our body's signalsa nd strength and composure-no wonder the weak and the easllyf tazzled
r'
know when to quit doing whateverc ould turn out to be abusivet o our are drawn to "Rock of Gibraltar" earthy t1pes.S till, more animated el-
health. It's as simple as this: When tired, earth rests.W hen hungry, ements (fire and air) often want to give earth a good shake,a nd tell it
earth eats.W hen stressedo ut, earth . . . shops!( I'm only half-joking). to loosen up. They feel earth needs to show what it's really going
i
Fire, in contrast, will keep going until it runs out of gas.I t often can't through on the inside for a change,a nd to start reacting to life more
even tell that it's exhaustedu ntil it collapses( and even then it expects dramatically.
to rally quickly). Wise earth respectsi ts physical limits. In real life, Well, sorry,b ut earth doesn'tg et fired up quickly about anything. It
however,p eople with a Virgo or Capricorn emphasisi n their charts would rather evaluate people and situations with a degree of level-
l need to monitor their workaholic tendencies, since overwork and headedc almnessa nd from a safep osition if possible( "You neverk now
i
other taxing mundane pressuresc an drain a body's resources.I still who or what's going to explode in your face,"w arns earth). Still, earth
contend that it's the fiery factors of our chart that make us neverw ant needst o work at learning not to repressi ts emotionality or even its
to stays till and relax-fire alwaysl ooks for more excitement,m ore ac- anger,i n favor of playing it safet hroughout life by not making waves.
i tion, more hustle and bustle. Now let's changet he scenerya nd explore the world of the next el-
Earth is an element that carefully plans its activities, but it needs ement air.
sufhcient time to do so. Nothing is to be rushed, since haste makes
waste (earth is lessf orgiving of its "dumb" mistakest han fire and air
are of theirs). Poorly organized folks depend on earthy types to get
things finished, and done correctly.A s a result, earth can take on more
responsibilitiest han it should. It can carry heavyw eight on its shoul-
ri ders by over-obligating itself, which becomesb urdensome. Remem-
ir ber, earth likes to havet hings running efficiently and will therefore see
,
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TheA ir Element 29
28 TheAirElement
but the greatero ur altitude, the grander the overview we can achieve.
Tnn AIn ETeMENT
We can also feel an expansives enseo f freedom. Thus, expectt his ele-
CooIB reeze
ment to be interestedi n comprehendingl ife's bigger picture.
First, brazen fire urges us to go out there and do it, whatever it is. Air alsol ikes to mix life's ingredients and then stepb ack to witness
Don't think about it, don't analyze the pros and cons, just act! Get the unpredictable results.T his element enjoys observing how two or
your motor running, jump on the opportunity, take the big plunge, more things link up. It looks for apparent similarities between such
and hit the ground running-now,not tomorrow!-and don't fret factorsa st hey combine,w hile noting obvious contrastst o be found as
too much about the possiblec onsequenceso f any bold actions taken. well. "If I join this with that, what will happen and why?"w onders air.
Next, it's security-conscious earth, wanting us to slow down the This sounds like the dawning of scientific inquiry, or perhaps just
tempo, get settled,a nd start to consolidatew hat we've enterprisingly human mischief in the making. Our capacityt o undergo experimen-
initiated for ourselves.S ustainingo ur earthy focus helps us fortifr our tal, trial-and-error stagesin life that hopefrrlly enlighten us is something
efforts better, thus enabling our accomplishments to last longer (in related to air, an element that's alwayse agert o teach us something new.
contrast, fi.re's outcomes can have a "flash in the pan" quality- Highly consciousa nd wide-awake, air is related to our ability to
sparkling and energizing,b ut here today,g one tomorrow). Earth is think and reason. It's the brainiest of all the elements,t he one that
looking for permanent results, even if this takes time and demands loves to live life in its head and to createb rilliant ideast o sharew ith
much stick-to-it-tiveness.T he earth signsa dviseu s to ground our ac- the world. Where would we be if we couldn't connect our words and
tions more fully in the practical world by laying down solid founda- thoughts in intelligent ways?W e'd sound unintelligible, and that could
tions, and by attending to all pertinent details.W e can then keep our lead to social isolation, something that all air signsd read.
steadys ystemo f operations running as reliably as a Swissw atch. Not a big fan of gibberish, air demandst hat languageb e clear and
"Whoa," gaspsa ir, "let's call a time-out to think about all this talk precise if real communication is truly our objective (air can set the
about full-time commitment." sure enough, this next element seeksa standards here, I guess,b ecausei t even invented language).Y et that
bit of breathing spaceA. ir doesn'tw ant to becomet oo immersedi n doesn't mean air can't havef un playing with words. It comesu p with
earth'sb ig building projects.C reating a little healthy distanceh elps air new, catchy phrasesn ow and then; plus, lots of (hot) air produces
get an objectiveh andle on things-some neededp erspective-so that chatterboxesa t times. As air rules the wind, it's the element of wind-
it can think more clearly about what has materialized thus far. Air is bags,t alking up a storm.
afraid that earth will want to stop fire's momentum for good and in- Air is the one elemento f the rycle that keenly focuseso n causea nd
steadr emain stuck in dull, evens tagnating,r outines. It's air's nature to effect Bang head againstw all, get dizzy, passo ut. One condition not
circulate and to distribute its energyb roadly-air is not comfortable only influences another, but apparently can be the very causeo r the
with becoming too settledi n matter. It's not interestedi n tightly com- catalysto f that other condition. That's basicallyw hat air notices, as it
pressing energy into something that ends up densely packageda nd busily takesm ental notes on how life appearst o work-at leasto n the
immovable, so air intuitively backs off from any condition that ap- surface.O f course,i t's on life's more observables urfacew here many
pearst ime-consumingo r too slow to takes hape. superficialitiesa re to be found, being the home turf of much that is
Instead,t he realm more natural to air is that abovet he ground. It's shallow and trivial. Yet air gladly takes it all in, appreciating such things
obvious that the higher up we go, reaching even cloud level,t he more asm omentary stimulations or fleeting distractions,i f nothing else.
widely we can observet he terrain below. Details may seeml esss harp,
I
ll 30 TheA ir Element TheA ir Element 3-
il Fire can be passionatelys ingular in its short-lived interests,w hile tency. Even the previous two elementsw eren't equipped enough to
i
']r earth can be downright fixated on its long-range goals. But all air preparea ir for the powerful underground world of emotionality, since
rl signs need a lot of variety and change;t hey wither from too much that's not their expertise,e ither.
1lr monotony or a life that lacks detours (or even a room without win- Being emotionally disengagedw ith life is actually not a fault of air,
dows).A ir doesn'te njoy feelinga s driven as headstrongf ire, nor is it sincev enting deepf eelingsi sn't part of the job the Cosmosa ssigned
.il as task-oriented as earth. Actually, air can adapt to these and other this element to do-and we shouldn't blame one element for not be-
li stateso f consciousnessa,s l ong ast hey are experiencedin small doses having like another.Y et sometimes,d ue to air's strong ability to keenly
i1i for short periods of time. The bottom line, howevet is that air is elu- mimic what it observes,t his element can fake sentiments and emo-
sive and cannot be pinned down for long. It's not an easye lement to tions that seemc onvincing-at leastf or a while-but air doess o more
I
l grab onto and tightly control. out of sheerc uriosity as it attempts to figure out how others perceive
ilI Highly curious air believest hat life is a buffet table: Samplea n as- reality. Air wants to understand where another element is coming
I sortment of whateveri tems look tasty,b ut don't pig out on any one from, perceptually.I t's not afraidto confront experiencesth at it finds
l thing and fill up too fast. Life is too short notto spreado ne'sa ttention unfamiliar (in fact, it needss uch stimulation). Air looks forward to
tl everywhere,a nd thereby mentally benefit from the open-mindedness learning more about life from fresh angles.I t thus invites the environ-
such diversitye ncouragesA. ir typesc an be very cerebrali n tempera- ment to provide more and more information to excitet he mind'
;,
ment. They sound smart and seemt o know a lot; they evenm ake up Air's capacity for intellectual breadth (especiallyi n Aquarius) can
il the bulk of life's "eternal students,"f orever feedingt heir minds knowl- result in innovative thinking, but it also has a talent for quickly scan-
edge.A long with such brainpower comesa cool detachment that can ning situations and spotting small movements and changes-a trait
l
be invaluable when confronting life's more unsettling twists and that can result in either sharp attentivenesso r distractibility (the latter
ll
turns. When others becomeh ystericald uring disruptive times of great is most noted in Gemini). Air is also an excellent" people-watcher"e l-
ii
chaos,t hose with air emphasizedi n their charts are apt to keep their ement (here'sw here Libra excels).I t's fascinatedb y human experience
rii wits about them and not abandon logic or clarity. However,t his airy, and evenb y the way people behavei n diversec ultural settings.A s the
li cool-and-collectedd isposition doesnt work asw ell with life situations exchangeo f ideas is important to air (never an element to appear
,il
that require emotional depth and intimacy. unsociable),f inding ways to make human interactionss mooth and
rll
lrl While it can appeart o understand someonee lse'sli fe predicament hassle-freea ppealst o this element.M ore talking about issuesa nd less
rli sympathetically, air does not empathize very easily (that's more a fighting over them would be welcome, since air knows the value in
strengtho f the next element,w ater).T here is a bit of aloofnessto be "airing" thoset hings out now that could otherwise causet rouble later'
I
rrilr found hidden beneath what otherwise seemst o be an alert, inquisi- "So, can we talk about it first?" asksa ir.
ilir tive, likable nature that is eager to meet life straightforwardly. Air's The gift of analysisb elongs to this element.A ir helps us carefully
rri
clevernessa t times can make it seemt o be a bit of a trickster, playing considerl ife's multifacetedi ssuesb efore finding suitableo ptions to re-
ili
loosew ith the facts,b ut by nature it's not a deliberatelys neaky,d eceit- solvet hem. Air comesu p with bright solutions to life's nagging prob-
I'
i ful element.S till, it has a hard time being real with itself and others in lems, but it realizes that seldom is there only one "right" way of
liil the realm of gut response.A ir would sooner analyzef eelings (prefer- looking at any situation. It also enjoys speculativea pproachest o life's
ably somebodye lse's)r ather than simply "feel" their power at full po- ptzzles,although this can border on abstract mind gamest hat serve
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32 TheAirElement TheWaterE lement 33
no useful purpose;t hey're just a lot of intellectual gymnastics,s ound- THBW erBn ErrurNr
ing impressiveb ut impractical. While fire and earth can think in more
DeepWeIl
simplistic, black-or-white, or even right-or-wrong terms-air allows
us to recognizet he shadeso f gray in between. It evaluatest he many If the element cycle simply began with fire and ended with air, hu-
sides of any situation before coming up with a final and fair judg- manity could survive and thrive, yet we'd tend to be somewhat me-
ment. Obviously,t he introduction of air to the elementc ycles uddenly chanicali n our responsesto one another-almost like members of an
makes life more complicated. Now there are no easya nswerst o fall active ant or bee colony: organized,i ndustrious, teeming with energy,
L back on, no cut-and-dried conclusions,n o "one sizef its all." but rather flat and soullessin our interactions.S hould a member of
iti
Perhapsw hen exploring the far reacheso f the observableU niverse our human'hive'perish, we'd feel nothing but the urge to efficiently
and when gathering astronomical data needing to be systematically disposeo f the corpsea nd continue on with our endlesst asksa t hand.
decoded by cool, level-headedm inds, air becomesa fine tool for the No tearsw ould be shed sincew e'd feel no senseo f real loss regarding
unbiased evaluation of certain factual realities.H ere'sw here accuracy our dead coworker (perhapst he air in us would be curious about
counts, and where subjectivei mpressionsc an often lead to erroneous what causedt his death and if it could haveb een prevented,b ut that's
assumptionsY. etw hen using such precision-tuned,laser-sharmp en- about it).
tal equipment to probe the psychologicali nnards of a human being, Sincet he element cycLed oesc onclude with watet it adds one very
I air fails to do the trick. Someo ther approacht o perceivingo ur "inner" critical facett o our human experience:t he developmento f our feeling
reality is needed,e speciallys ince the world of our unconscious self is nature and our ability to sensitivelyt une in to others.W ater alsoh elps
not bound by logic or reason,n or doesi t follow linear time. We're not us reflect on the subtletieso f our inner life. Welcome to the world of
robots, programmed to respond in predictable ways to exact stimuli, emotions-from the raw to the sublime. This most receptiveo f ele-
again and again.A n unanticipated human quality arises,t he result of ments symbolizesp owerfi.rl,in visible currentst hat at times stir internal
deeplyi nternal impressionso f life. That's something all three elements turmoil for us,b ut that alsom ove us to act with selflessc ompassionf or
thus far have not had to deal with-mood swings coming from who others. That's becausew ater enablesu s to feel deeply connectedt o all
knows where. living things at a soul level, and this helps dissolveo ur usual senseo f
Now it's time to plumb the more mysterious depths of human na- being separatee ntities. If water sounds a bit mystical, it is! This is the
ture as we delve into the hidden dimensions of astrology'sf inal ele- only element that has a true feeling for inner stateso f Onenessa nd
ment: water. Unity. Water allows us to become a part of all that is, asw e merge our
consciousnesws ith our environment.
Merging seamlesslyw ith our surroundings, however,d oes havei ts
l problems. On one hand, this fluid ability givesw ater a chameleonlike
quality. Water excelsi n the art of camouflage-it loses its distinct
form while blending in with its habitat-something that has proven
invaluable to the survival of the fittest from an evolutionary perspec-
'il tive. Water is absorbedb y what it contactsa nd thus it losesi ts senseo f
I' self somewhat.T he boundaries become blurred. On the other hand,
i
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this characteristico f water is exactly what makes it so empathetic, so
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