Astrological Elements — Fire,Earth,Air,Water & Spirit
Astrological Elements
Fire, Earth, Air, Water & Spirit
Qualities, Gender, Elemental, Direction, Color, Symbols, Herbs, Planets, Sun Signs, Season,Time
FIRE
Spirit Warmth & Energy
Aries — Leo — Sagittarius
Fire is associated with strength, activity, blood and life-force. It is also seen has highly purifying and protective, consuming impurities and driving back the darkness. Fire is traditionally seen as the most rarefied and spiritual of the physical elements because of its masculine properties (which were superior to female properties), its lack of physical existence, its production of light, and its transformative power when it comes in contact with more physical material.
Fire is the element of fullness and life, and it is closely associated with the Sun. Fire is active, confident, and assertive. People with a strong emphasis of the fire element are spontaneous and impulsive, they apply their energies wholeheartedly. Their emotional response is quick and they have a lively imagination. The fire signs can’t sit around and wait for something to happen, and have to get up and do something. This makes them the most daring signs. They tend to have a lot of energy, and they tend to be more enthusiastic and positive than the other signs. They’re also more impulsive and hot-headed though. The fire signs are Aries, which is the most energetic of the three; Leo, which is the most warm of the three; and Sagittarius, which is the most optimistic of the three.
Qualities: Warm, Dry
Gender: Masculine (active)
Elemental: Firedrakes (visible to humans as dragon shaped flames in a fire)
Golden Dawn direction: South
Golden Dawn color: Red
Symbols: Candle, Sword, Athame, Incense Burner
Herbs: Cinnamon, Pepper, Ginger, Garlic, Basil, Cedar, Rosemary, Dragon’s Blood
Planets: Sol (Sun), Mars, Jupiter
Sun Signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Season: Summer
Time of Day: Noon
~
EARTH
Material, Possessions, Security
Taurus — Virgo — Capricorn
Earth is the element of stability, groundedness, fertility, materiality, potential and stillness. Earth can also be an element of beginnings and endings, or death and rebirth, as life comes from the ground and then decomposes back into earth after death. Earth corresponds with midnight, winter, and the new moon. While these things might represent barrenness, more often they are representative of potential and transformation, the point where the old gives way to the new; the empty fertility ready to feed new creations. Earth is stable, practical, and sensible. Earthy people react quietly and slowly. They apply themselves with endurance. Emotionally they are deeply rooted and slow to change. The earth signs have patience, and they prefer to wait, letting things happen in their own time, instead of pushing the matter. This can make them stuck in their ways at times, and they can be the most closed of the signs. They prefer to have a calm, stable life, and are the most hard-working. The earth signs are Taurus, which is the most immoveable of the three; Virgo, which is the most practical of the three; and Capricorn, which is the hardest worker of the three.
Qualities: Cold, Dry
Gender: Feminine (passive)
Elemental: Gnomes
Golden Dawn direction: North
Golden Dawn color: Green
Symbols: Salt, Stones, Herbs, Cords
Herbs: Fern, Vervain, Primrose, Mugwort, Honeysuckle
Planets: Venus, Saturn, Mercury
Sun Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Season: Winter
Time of Day: Midnight
~
AIR
Communication, Intellect
Gemini — Libra — Aquarius
Air is the element of new beginnings, intelligence, youth, increase and creativity. As such, it is associated with spring, the waxing moon, and sunrise. Things are growing warmer and brighter, while plants and animals give birth to a new generation. Air is intellectual, sociable, and open. Airy people are quick and animated. They apply their energies in very diverse ways. They tend to intellectualize their feelings and expectations. The air signs experience the world through their minds, and they can overdo it more than the other signs. They love conversation for the mental stimulation, and this makes them the most sociable signs, as well as the most open. They can be too aloof or detached at times, and have a hard time with emotions. The air signs are Gemini, which is the most adaptable of the three; Libra, which is the most fair of the three; and Aquarius, which is the most inventive of the three. Largely intangible and without permanent form, air is an active, masculine element, superior to the more material elements of water and earth.
Qualities: Warm, Moist
Gender: Masculine (active)
Elemental: Sylphs (tiny winged creatures)
Golden Dawn direction: East
Golden Dawn color: Yellow
Symbols: Feather, Incense, Wand, Oils
Herbs: Clover, Lavender, Mistletoe, Meadowsweet, Sage
Planets: Mercury, Venus, Uranus
Sun Signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Season: Spring
Time of Day: Dawn
~
WATER
Emotion, Nurturing, Intuition
Cancer — Scorpio — Pisces
Water is the element of emotion, the unconscious, as opposed to the conscious intellectualism of air, and wisdom, particularly the wisdom of age. Water is one of two elements that have a physical existence that can interact with all of the physical senses. Water is still considered less material (and thus superior) to earth because possesses more motion and activity than earth. It represents a time past the peak of livelihood, moving toward the end of the cycle. Water is changeable, emotional, and sensitive. People with a strongly emphasized water element are feeling types and are very sensitive. Their imaginative and emotional lives are deep and rich. The water signs experience the world through their feelings, and they can have a hard time sifting through them properly, becoming overwhelmed by their emotions. They are the most sensitive of the signs, to their own problems and to other people’s. The water signs are Cancer, which is the most nurturing of the three; Scorpio, which is the most intense of the three; and Pisces, which is the most compassionate of the three.
Qualities: Cold, Moist
Gender: Feminine (passive)
Elemental: Nymphs (similar to water faeries), Undines (water-based nymphs)
Golden Dawn direction: West
Golden Dawn color: Blue
Symbols: Chalice, Goblet, Cauldron, Mirror
Herbs: Jasmine, Gardenia, Rose, Yarrow, Irish Moss, Sandalwood
Planets: Moon, Venus, Neptune,Pluto,
Sun Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
Season: Fall
Time of Day: Dusk
~
SPIRIT
5th Element — Quinta Essentia
Western traditional sources also take into account a fifth element, the ‘quinta essentia’. This very simply describes the soul or the spiritual being of a person. It stands apart from the other four elements and is not depicted in the horoscope. This is why it is frequently overlooked. It takes us beyond the doctrine of the four elements and their application in the field of astrology. It hints at the freedom of man and reminds us of the great mystery of the eternal.
The element of spirit does not have the same arrangements of correspondences as the physical elements, since spirit is not physical. Various different systems may associate planets, tools and so-forth to it, but such correspondences are far less standardized than those of the other four elements. The element of spirit goes by several names, the most common being spirit, ether or aether and quintessence, which is literally Latin for “fifth element.” There is also no standard symbol for spirit, although circles are common. Eight-spoked wheels and spirals are also sometimes used to represent spirit.
Spirit is a bridge between the physical and the spiritual. In cosmological models, spirit is the transitory material between the physical and celestial realms. Within the microcosm, spirit is the bridge between body and soul.
Golden Dawn direction: Above, Below, Within
Golden Dawn color: Violet, Orange, White
~
Elemental Correspondences
[astrological element information]
catherine beyer;about.com,starbreezes.com,thewhitegoddess.com
Intuitive Integrative Healing Art 