The 4 Elements in Astrology

Air · Fire · Water · Earth

In astrology, each element correlates to an aspect of human nature and experience. The Air Element corresponds to thought, communication, and knowledge. The Element of Earth corresponds to the material world, finances, and productivity. The Fire Element corresponds to action, exploration, and creativity. And the Element of Water corresponds to emotions, imagination, and dreams.

The elements are also assigned to the astronomical bodies and calculated points that make up an astrology chart; the Sun is a fire point; the Moon is a water point, Mercury is both air and earth, and so on. Each house has an element; the first house is a firehouse, the second an earthhouse, and so on. The elements are extremely important to the makeup of astrological knowledge.

Points

* Before the discovery of the outer planets (Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto), Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn did “double duty” like Mercury and Venus, so they once managed two elements.

** Chiron is slowly being considered the ruler for Virgo, making it an earth point that may eventually remove Venus from its “double duty” with air and earth.

Signs

Houses

Rulership

Rulership describes the “natural” alignment of the house, sign, point, and element. Below is the chart putting all alignments together, including the classical (pre-Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Chiron assignments).

Zodiac Elements

Zodiac elements in astrology correspond with each Sun sign, which influences their properties or attributes. They energize the personality, character, and relationships of the individual based on whether or not that person has his or her Sun in an air, earth, fire, or water sign.

Thus, the astrology chart of a person is a complex mix of intersecting elements connected by Aspects, which is the term used to describe certain angular relationships between points.

If someone’s Sun opposes their Moon in a chart, then the Sun and Moon are in opposite elements, either fire is opposing air or water is opposing earth. If this is the case, then the person must find a way to balance those elements in terms of their Life Path (Sun) and Soul Path (Moon).