ASTRO BASICS: THE ELEMENTS
The best way to jump into astrology is with both feet. Grab the journal and colorful pens you got the other day. This is going to be where you can take notes to begin organizing the elements, signs, planets, houses and keywords that are going to continue to build upon one another. The pictures posted below are things you can copy into your journal. The best way to remember is to do it in your own handwriting. This isn't just memorizing terms. This is also work in symbolism and understanding how the Esoterics had to communicate in the early centuries.
Copy the above image in your own handwriting. These are the first and oldest symbols we will be working with. This correlates closely with Tarot in that the Minor Arcana is broken down into four sections organized by elements. Fire is represented by the wands. Earth is represented by the pentacles. Air is represented by the swords. Water is represented by the cups. The best symbol to explain the elements together is the pentagram. This has long been viewed as an evil symbol or that others are signaling their allegiance to witchcraft with the pentagram. Simply untrue, the pentagram has long been a symbol for man. The five points of the star symbolizing the makeup of man. Spirit is the fifth element, or the quintessence as its definition in Latin. Often in astrology and tarot texts, there are only symbols for the elements. My notes in black ink above created an example easy enough for elementary students to know which symbol is for each element.
These elements are based on our primary response to most things. Our response to most things in life is to act, to analyze, to gain something or to feel.
Fire is a very useful, if not the most useful tool man has available to him. The Sun in included in that energy. It provides light, warmth and the conditions needed to grow food for survivability. Think of a fire uncontained. It is completely unmanageable and often the destruction is rampant. Eventually that fire could even turn on itself and put itself out.
Fire is the force of Spirit, an active life force that animates and energizes. Fire is the identity principle, trying to realize itself. One of the most important astrology principles is that any positive point when exaggerated can become negative. Enthusiastic and impulsive behaviors scream of the native's courage and vitality to live life to the fullest. The primary response of fire signs is to act. They are the epitome of do first, ask questions later. Considering facts or feelings is not what fire energy does. In this we can see how someone's idealism can also swing to the other pole of being a fanatic of one's own ideas, unwilling to cooperate.
The Earth herself is a very deeply layered and complex organism. So much of the Earth is buried within herself as we only see the top layer of dirt and grass. Earth energy is security in materiality. However, the Earth shows us time and again that we can pollute and use her resources thinking we are building a future. Only for Earth to shake and rumble and swallow up what humans try to form out of her crust.
Man is ultimately a builder, and we learn our lessons of consciousness through our experiences on Earth. Man's strongest instincts will always be to create something out of matter to prove his existence. For earth energy, this is building up of their resources, their physical body or their home and foundations. The primary response of earth signs is to gain something through experiences.
It is the mind that sets humans apart from animals. The way we communicate and express our breath of life is specific to us. Thoughts become structures that we can then communicate to make social and intellectual connections. Air is the second most important to fire. It is a collective element that unites all humans and animals together. Our atmosphere is extremely important to Earth as it protects us from harmful rays, radioactive particles and meteors. The atmosphere is also a conductor of radio waves by which humans have communicated for centuries. Air being an element of the mind is significant to understand the layers. There is more than one way to communicate and think. I would argue the mind is man's most important tool. This will tie later into our section on manifestation as we can take each element to bring our dreams and goals to reality.
The element of water corresponds to the emotional realm of feelings and intuition. Water is a powerful force on this planet. It covers over 70 percent of the mass of this planet. As scientists discovered recently, an ocean under the Earth's crust could provide more clues to the evolution of our planet. No other planet in our solar system has the water supply that we do. Man's body is also 70% water showing our likeness to Mother Nature.
Water is the "universal solvent." It can dissolve more substances that any other liquid known to man. The energy of water itself is so changeable. You can freeze it, steam it, liquify it and it can take on any shape, evaporate or flow. This is not unlike the emotions and soul energy of man. Emotions can be happy, sad, joyful or nostalgic. In order to be effective, water must know it's limitations.
Now that we have an understanding of the elements, we can build up to understanding the signs of astrology. Before we do that, jot down these journal prompts below and really let the element energy soak into your mind. You'll be able to reference these questions in the future as we breakdown the natal chart.
What element do I connect most with?
What element am I disconnected from?
What can I be most enthusiastic about?
How can I best communicate the way I feel right now?
How well do I check in with my emotions and regulate accordingly?
