Element
From Astrowiki-en
In addition to being divided into qualities, the zodiac is also divided into four elements: Fire, Earth, Air and Water. According to ancient Greek science, the four elements form the basis of all being. They originate from the archetypal qualities of dry/wet and hot/cold. Dry and hot form Fire; wet and hot Air; wet and cold water; dry and cold Earth. The four temperaments are also reflected in the elements. The choleric equates to Fire, sanguine to Air, phlegmatic to Water and melancholic to Earth. Ancient astrology also assigned the twelve signs of the zodiac to the four elements. This classification still remains valid.
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Fire
Everything begins with Fire which is associated with the signs of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. Fire stands for dynamism, energy and power. Fire is the initiator of our actions and a force for change. It transforms matter into energy, a process which can result in the radiation of pleasant warmth or destructive heat. On a spiritual level, Fire symbolises the divine spark or spiritual purification. This idea finds expression in the image of the fires of purgatory as a place of transformation.
Earth
The element that comes after Fire in the zodiac is Earth. This principle is embodied in the signs of Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn. Earth forms the basis for all human life, including basics such as material needs or the responsibility for physical well-being. The challenge facing the Earth signs is to find appropriate avenues for material needs beyond mere avarice on the one side and disdain on the other. Energy centres in nature are visible manifestations of how our planet can act as a mediator for spiritual experiences.
Air
After Earth comes Air which is symbolised by Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. Air stands for contact with others, intellectual capacity, but also the way to higher spiritual understanding. It is no coincidence that two out of the three zodiac symbols associated with this element incorporate the human form. It stimulates clarity of thought and the ability to make decisions. Without clarity of thought no insight is possible, and this is one of the elements of meditative contemplation in many wisdom teachings considered to be a necessary prerequisite to gain access to spiritual dimensions.
Water
Air is followed by Water which is symbolised by Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. Water stands for the emotions and intuition. It is the origin of all life and manifests in an unpredictable way. Water can be soft and smooth, but also effervescent and engulfing. No barrier is capable of holding it back. It is the only element symbolised in astrology exclusively by animals, an allusion to the fact that in Water intuition and instinct are more powerful than intellect. On a spiritual level, Water becomes the carrier of the all-encompassing divine love. The ancient myth of the holy grail is an expression of this quality.
Fire and Air are said to be masculine elements, embodying the active and positive pole, with Earth and Water embodying the feminine, receptive 'negative' pole. It is important to point out that the terms 'positive' and 'negative' are not used in any kind of judgmental sense (Polarity). In Chinese astrology there are five elements – Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. Wood is the first element which, when burned to ashes (through Fire), becomes Earth. The Earth brings forth veins of Metal out of which Water flows which in turn nourishes the Earth which brings forth Wood etc. Each planet equates with one of the five classical planets: Jupiter with Wood, Mars with Fire, Saturn with Earth, Venus with Metal and Mercury with Water (Chinese Astrology).
