Astrology is the convergence and interpretation of time and space. Space contains four basic elements that, because of their very essence, seep into the way we speak. Without even knowing how to calculate a horoscope chart or read its criss-cross of symbols and lines, you can intuit [...]]]> You already speak astrologically, whether you know it or not.

Astrology is the convergence and interpretation of time and space. Space contains four basic elements that, because of their very essence, seep into the way we speak. Without even knowing how to calculate a horoscope chart or read its criss-cross of symbols and lines, you can intuit the meaning of fire, earth, air and water — which astrologers use as metaphors for human temperament — just by considering the colloquialisms you use every day.

We evoke Fire energy when we say “Fire away!” or “rapid fire” or “He really lit a fire under me.” A fireball is someone with lots of energy, about whom people say things like, “She’s on fire!” and we create fireworks when we argue heatedly with someone. Heat is also evoked — literally and figuratively — in the presence of sexual chemistry as well as in the friction between two people, two hands or two sticks.

Our language tells us what someone with lots of fire in his horoscope chart is like: quick, energetic, motivated, active, bright, magnetic, idealistic, creative and — yes — crackling, sometimes, with tension and impatience. Albert Einstein, Che Guevara, Leonard Bernstein and Jim Morrison all had considerable amounts of native fire in their horoscope charts, as does Sir Elton John.*

Earth is the antidote to fire — the solid container that gives form to restless or runaway energy. When someone is “earthy,” she’s in touch with the physical qualities of the world around her. The best of these people are grounded and down to earth. But if her mind wanders airily (see below!), or she gets a little airy-fairy, we might knock on her forehead and say, “Earth to Kathy!” She’s the one inclined to do the groundwork, so she and her cohorts can hit the ground running (though she’s really more likely to walk) and produce tangible, physical, productive results. But you’re not likely to find her at the center of the party. More fiery people might even call her a stick-in-the-mud.

We know intuitively what people with earth-heavy horoscope charts are like: slower, more plodding than fire, quiet and contained. Their creativity is fertile (especially when watered), steady-going, patient, deliberate, solid and genuinely productive. Their efforts are logically connected to physical and sensory evidence. It’s true that quicker-moving people can see earthy ones as boring or dry, but you have to admit these folks deliver the goods. Sean Connery has lots of native earth in his chart, as did Walt Disney, John F. Kennedy and — I hesitate to say it — Adolf Hitler.*

When we talk about what’s “in the Air,” we’re talking about Zeitgeist: the ideas, ideals and attitudes that circulate through a society. We talk about airheads as though that’s a bad thing, but maybe those folks are so lost in thought that they need a little grounding. Airtight rooms, airtight theories and airtight alibis are ones that can’t be penetrated — that are sealed so tightly that no new ideas or information can enter. In those rooms, breaking wind with an air biscuit can be especially embarrassing! (Though laughing it off with a breezy attitude can help put everyone at ease.) “Letting the air out of our tires” means we’re going nowhere, which is a terrible thing for a person strong in air.

From the language we use, we already know about people with lots of air in their horoscope charts. They’re the social butterflies of the zodiac and, as such, need to circulate. They thrive on taking things in (inhale!) and communicating things back (exhale!). To these folks, there is beauty in the exchange of information, ideas and ideals. As the dealer of data, people with lots of air like to analyze, but because air is dry it can be relatively objective and democratic, especially in Gemini form. Yet there is excitement, interest and movement here: The winds of change are blowing!

Gene Hackman, Henry Kissinger and Vladimir Putin have lots of native air in their horoscope charts. So did Sophia Loren and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.*

You know you’re in deep Water when the dam breaks and it’s all you can do to tread water and keep your head above it. Diving in to uncharted waters can be both exciting and frightening because of the element of the unknown. If there are no sympathetic parties around, you might have to turn on the waterworks to get some help — or just bail yourself out before the whole ship sinks.

Our language informs us that people with lots of water in their horoscope chart bubble with emotional depth and, because of this, they can empathize easily and protect you (and themselves) instinctively. But many of us like to stuff our negative emotions, so the watery person — who very well may not — can be mysterious and even scary to the uninitiated. That they’re comfortable with discomfort means they’re also able to look at life’s shadows: sex, death, drugs, taxes and such. People with lots of native water in their horoscope charts include Drew Barrymore, Kurt Cobain, Hugh Hefner, Charles Manson and Edgar Allen Poe.*

Do you know instinctively what element is prominent in your chart? Do you want to know? E-mail us for a chart reading today.

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* Every chart is a unique combination of all four elements; not everyone is strictly one or the other. That means that, though we tend toward one or two elements more than the others, we can all draw on all these qualities at different times in our lives. That’s why you’ll see an earthy man like JFK giving a fiery speech or a moody musician like Mozart work in the intricate details and data of composing classical music.

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