The Four Elements of the Twelve Zodiac Signs in Astrology

Four elements of the twelve zodiac signs

Four elements of the twelve zodiac signs

Hi, it’s Keiko. 

Lately you may have seen many references to the “Air Era” in my blog posts.  And many of you may be wondering, “what is she talking about when she mentions Air?”  

Actually, along with Fire, Earth, and Water, Air is one of the four elements, or groups, that the twelve Zodiac signs are divided into.  

In today’s post I am going to tell you all about these four elements. 

The four elements are said to be the four elements that make up the Universe.  Each of the elements has different energy and traits, and you can see which signs belong to which elements in the chart below. 

  • Fire  Aries, Leo, Sagittarius

  • Earth Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

  • Air Gemini, Libra, Aquarius

  • Water Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

Now I’m going to tell you all about the traits of each of the elements. 

Fire

Fire signifies “intuition and action.”  It governs over passion, which is like a hot burning flame, and aspiration to achieve goals.  

It combines instinctive intuition with a high ability to take action, so the phrase “when something feels right act immediately” is the perfect way to describe it.  However, for better or for worse, Fire is impulsive and lacks sustaining power, so it needs to be watched carefully. 

Entertainment and the power of appeal belong to the Fire element, so you could say it is a very colourful group. 

Earth

Earth signifies “substance and stability.”  Of the four elements, it is the only solid form and it is considered the most pragmatic element.  It is linked to income and assets, the body and other things which can be confirmed by touch, status and authority, and formalities. 

Earth energy lacks speed, but it has the power to deliver results, and its stability is second to none. 

Plants and minerals that are the product of the earth belong to the Earth element. 

Air 

Air signifies “intelligence and information.”  It governs trends, change, chance and other things which move fluidly like the wind. 

It is an intelligent element which aims to properly verbalize things, and likes to think about things logically.  On one hand it has social properties such as communication and personal connections, but on the other hand it has little tenacity and is dry and unemotional.  

Sounds and smells which can be felt through the movement of the air are considered symbols of the Air element. 

Also, the Air Era will start in December 2020 and continue for over two centuries, so people whose signs belong to the Air element should be mindful of this. 

Water

Water signifies “emotion and spirit.”  It governs invisible things such as peoples’ minds, the unconscious world, emotions, and all things spiritual.  

Like liquids, a feature of the Water element is that it mixes and fuses the energy of different things. 

It has high empathy, and although it is good at communicating deeply with others, it also has a delicateness that makes it easy to lose sight of oneself. 

Water has a deep connection with healing and purification. 

The Four Elements and Astrological Charts

Looking at the characteristics of the four elements, I think you will find that they complement each other quite well.  It would be wonderful if you understand that each of the elements is a necessary existence.  One more advantage of knowing about the four elements is that it can help you to better understand astrological charts. 

The power balance of the elements changes depending on which signs the planets are located in. Roughly speaking, when the planets are concentrated in Fire element signs, things are likely to develop rapidly, and when the planets are concentrated in Water element signs, the spotlight will be on human emotions. 

When looking at astrological charts people tend to focus on minor details, but you should always be sure to focus on the four elements too!