Fire, Earth, Air and Water
Western astrology sorts the twelve signs into four elements. Fire signs are spirited, Earth signs practical, Air signs thoughtful and Water signs feeling. The balance of elements in your chart says a lot about you.
The full deep dive
The four elements
| Element | Signs | Keywords |
|---|---|---|
| Fire | Aries, Leo, Sagittarius | spirit, courage, enthusiasm |
| Earth | Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn | practicality, patience, the senses |
| Air | Gemini, Libra, Aquarius | ideas, conversation, connection |
| Water | Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces | feeling, intuition, empathy |
How they get on
Signs of the same element usually understand each other easily. Fire and Air also tend to get along (air feeds fire), as do Earth and Water (water nourishes earth). Fire with Water, or Air with Earth, can be harder work, but they balance what the other lacks.
Your elemental balance
Count where the planets in your chart fall. A chart heavy in one element shows a strong theme, while a missing element can show something you admire in others or learn later in life. A Fire-heavy person with no Earth may be full of inspiration but need help with the practical details, for example.
Western and Chinese elements
The Western elements (Fire, Earth, Air, Water) and the Chinese elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) are different systems that grew up separately. They share some names, but not meanings: Chinese Fire is close to Western Fire, but there is no Western Wood or Metal, and no Chinese Air. On Starlight, each is always labelled with its tradition. See The five elements (Wu Xing).
Sources and perspectives
- Stephen Arroyo, Astrology, Psychology and the Four Elements