The Elements in Astrology

As promised, we’re diving deeper into the elements of the birth chart this week—literally, the four elements that make up the frequency + vibe of everything we’ve covered so far.

If you’re new to this study + to my blog, welcome! I’m really excited to be sharing my own astrology research, and I hope these insights are helping you out on a spiritual + intellectual level. The coolest part about astrology is that you can seek to master it as a discipline, or you can study it as a form of self-care + self-actualization….and you might find you’re able to do both.

There’s no wrong way to start learning the birth chart, but I’ve personally found that researching the foundational pieces—inner planets + outer planets, the north + south nodes, the first and second half of the zodiac signs, the houses, and now the elements, is a great place to start. I’ve linked information on all of these aspects of the chart within this blog, and I also have a growing master list of astrology resources you can access at the end of this post (and every topic within the Birth Chart Basics series).

Whether you’re all caught up on these basics or not, you can still dive into this week’s summary of the elements and return to the other resources to enhance your knowledge further. Think of this series as a choose your own adventure, knowing that there is plenty to learn and no rush or order in which you need to pursue that knowledge.

Now that you know what’s up with the Birth Chart Basics series, let’s get into this week’s topic!

There are four elements in the birth chart: Fire, Earth, Air, and Water. Elements manifest as a person’s energy—their ‘vibe.’ Elements govern our approach to life, how we make sense of others and of the world around us and how those perceptions shape who we are + how we act—or don’t act.

We find the elements of our chart based on the Zodiac Signs associated with that element, then see where those signs fall in our chart—planets + houses. What sign are the planets placed in? What is the element of that sign? The same questions apply to the houses. You can access your birth chart here, if you haven’t already, and study the elements in tandem with your chart.

Ideally, there would be a nice balance of the elements in our chart, but—more often than not—we may express more elements than others. For example, excluding my South Node in Pisces, I have a waterless Birth Chart—what I’m calling a dehydrated chart. Not only is my chart lacking in water, it is also extremely airy...which makes that lack of water feel even more extreme. This is not a flaw on our part, but recognizing where we’re lacking or in excess of elements is key to understanding our approach to life and how our authentic elements influence our ‘life energy.’

Here’s a summary of each element + prescribed actions to take if you’re lacking or excessive in any given energy.

Fire—Passion

Aries / Leo / Sagittarius

Mars / Sun / Jupiter

1st / 5th / 9th

Fire signs—you guessed it—bring heat and, in turn, energy into our lives. This element is high-vibe, rambunctious, joyful, and a great catalyst for confidence and movement in ourselves + for others.

Fire energy is direct, bolstered by an intense pride—naturally self-assured. When something is on fire, you really can’t miss it! Fire signs enjoy the attention they receive when they’re blazing their own trail through life.

What does fire do? Spread—quickly. Fire energy is restless, so easily bored, and so ready to move on to something new, not a fan of being contained or controlled. But, sometimes fire needs to be controlled to be most effective.

When a fire is out of control, it can destroy. We can see some low-grade (or unfortunately destructive) chaos in a chart ruled mainly by fire. How can this fire rage for so long without putting itself out? Well, it can’t. Exhaustion + burnout are possible where too much fire burns. Also, anger and outbursts or destructive behaviors are possible.

But without some fire, where can there be sparks? If we lack fire in the chart, we risk feeling low in spirit, low in energy, and low on inspiration + motivation.

finding balance in fire

We must call fire into our lives, via practices + people, to be the catalyst + nudge that we naturally lack. Same goes when we’re too fiery, we must seek practices + people that are grounding + balancing, or airy enough to revive our lost flames.

Earth—Presence

Taurus / Virgo / Capricorn

Venus / Mercury / Saturn

2nd / 6th / 10th

Earth Energy is the epitome of presence—material + physical awareness. Highly sensual, earth energy uses what can be felt / seen / heard / touched / tasted to build their understanding of how things work + what they value. This is practical + patient energy, which means it can be quite avoidant of anything abstract or lofty—seeing + sensing is believing, no room for the gray areas.

Habitual, secure, ritualistic, this element invests in what we value and methodically curates it. Being too earthy is being too rigid—fear of change, fear of the unknown, a tendency for stagnation or a melancholy outlook.Earth energy in massive quantities will need some fire to ignite it, some air to rustle it, some water to immerse it.

But what if we lack earthly energy? Well that can manifest as lack of understanding of what is practical in life...being non-committal, unorganized, unaware, building a life of ideas and not a life one could stand on.

finding balance in earth

The best remedy for a chart lacking earth is to seek practices + people that help us tap into our senses and cultivate our presence. Over-earthy charts must seek practices + people which encourage leaving the comfort zone and experimenting + growing via new ideas + experiences.

Air—Intellect

Gemini / Libra / Aquarius

Mercury / Venus / Uranus

3rd / 7th / 11th

Air signs are up in the clouds and in this metaphor, the clouds represent all things mental. Air energy loves to intellectualize life, and understands the world by thinking + talking about it—definitely not through feeling it. Air energy is detached, the master of objectivity with a craft for separating thoughts from emotions, finding emotions to be irrational + misleading.

That much brain power makes for a curious + voracious appetite for knowledge and to connect with others though ideas, to expand their skills. Air needs space to expand in this way, but enough stimulation as well. Too much space can be quite isolating.

When a chart is too airy, one can have an excruciatingly active mind. Living in thought constantly can result in unhealthy detachment from emotions, fear of intimacy, and a deep-rooted loneliness caused by a demand for space + freedom.

But, without enough air, one will find it hard to get moving, thinking, or growing. Lack of air could result in lack of healthy detachment. Life could become emotionally conflated, and solving problems when we’re too attached to situations can blind us from making clear decisions.

finding balance in air

A chart lacking in air must seek practices + people that help to separate thought and emotion, and to give new perspectives. Airy charts must seek practices + people that are grounding and sensual, fostering the growth of emotional intelligence.

Water—Instinct

Cancer / Scorpio / Pisces

The Moon / Pluto / Neptune

4th / 8th / 12th

Water understands the world by feeling it—feeling ALL of it. Water is immersive, seeking to soak up and connect all things. It envelops us, it takes it all in. Deeply emotional waters are highly empathic, able to tune in and flow with anyone and anything.

Water energy is calming because it accepts + covers anything it comes in contact with. Water takes the shape of anything it goes in, so these signs are shape-shifters. They’ll be whatever life + others ask them to be.

A water chart is wet, indeed—full of sensitive + collected emotions, an expansive ocean of unconditional love and overwhelming sensations. Being ‘lost at sea’ is not an exaggeration in a watery chart. Too much water can drown out reality, creating an emotionally turbulent version of reality. Water will spread infinitely if we do not find healthy ways to contain it.

Waterless charts—dehydrated charts—can resemble emotional deserts: dry, difficult to sustain life or cultivate new feelings about it, lacking in emotional intelligence.

finding balance in water

Watery charts must seek practices + people that—in a healthy + constructive manner—provide some boundaries, airy energy to shake up stagnant waters, fire to boil up some passion. Dehydrated charts must seek practices + people which replenish, “fill” their creative + emotional wells, immerse them in their feelings and their intuition.

I don’t know about you guys, but all this elemental research is giving me the urge to rewatch Avatar, or to update my Grimoire, or adorn my alter with natural energies. If you feel called to connect with any of these elements physically, I encourage you to do so! There is a world of rituals including fire, earth, air, and water that you can utilize in your own spiritual / self-care practices.

If you’re new to these rituals, it might seem kind of funny to try at first. If it seems funny, then let it be a light-hearted first try. There’s no need to be so serious when handling these elements, unless it feels authentic to do so. Whatever is true to your intention + desire is exactly what needs to be felt + seen + accomplished.

Now take what you’ve learned here and start to apply it to other areas of your chart, and don’t be afraid to admit where your lack or your abundance of certain elements may be hindering you. Now that we can see a possible cause, we can begin to work on shifting that energy.

Drop me a DM on instagram or leave a comment below about what elements you are most authentically connected to, and what elements you may need to call in! Then take that info and dive into more resources available in the list below.

Stay safe, stay well, and stay present.