According to traditional teachings on the four elements, there are two elements respectively that fit well together, while the other combinations are more difficult. Fire and air are considered to be masculine elements that are related to each other and harmonize well, as do the feminine elements of earth and water.
Popular astrological partnership predictions, usually follow this simple basic pattern. It’s obvious that we can get along well with the signs of the same element. After all, we are in our own element with them, which means we look at the world in the same way. Moreover, we have a good understanding of people with the related element so that in this very fundamental consideration of the twelve signs there are six masculine and six feminine signs, each of which harmonize well with the others of the same group.
Masculine and Feminine Elements
MASCULINE
FEMININE
The Four Elements of Fire, Air, Earth and Water
FIRE AIR EARTH WATER
Aries Libra Capricorn Cancer
Leo Aquarius Taurus Scorpio
Sagittarius Gemini Virgo Pisces
Whether we should take a simplistic approach to an essential area of life such as partnership is an open question. Even everyday language has two extremely contradictory opinions about this situation. On the one hand it says that “birds of a feather flock together”, but then there is also the following expression: “opposites attract”. So which of these two elemental theories should we believe?
“Birds of a feather flock together” is certainly a good basis for the friendships we cultivate, and for the experiences we have within a group. This is also where we can apply the statements about elements that harmonize with each other. By way of comparison, “opposites attract” is the motto for a relationship — or is there a greater contrast than between a man and a woman? This is why it is very questionable when astrological statements about partnership are made only according to this basic pattern. In fact, it has been demonstrated often enough that although we get along well with our own and the related element, such connections may not create enough excitement to keep a relationship full of life. Understood in this manner, relationships between all the elements — and all the astrological signs — are obviously possible without the difficult ones necessarily being any worse than others or even hopeless.
Since we can ultimately become whole only by developing the four elements within us, we must first understand the nature of each individual element, how it gets along with the other element, and how these complement it. In the following descriptions, each element will be described as if a person were to consist of just this element alone. However, there is no such extreme form, since we are all mixed types. One element is so strongly developed in each of us that we appear to primarily represent this type of element.
The Fire Element:
The Strong-Willed Individual
The fire person lives in a world of optimism, enthusiasm, and has a great capacity for exuberance. His courage in taking risks and a strong belief in himself are the basis of his nearly inexhaustible drive. He trusts the power of his intuition, follows his will, his convictions, and at the same time, likes to place himself at the center of all events. Attention is simply important; this is why he also does a great deal in order to be seen.
With his fire power, he may also spark other’s interest and enthuse them for his goals. This is how he sets developments in motion, gives dynamic impulses, motivates and spurs others on, and is a master at playing to an audience. His passion is expressing his will. This is why he loves the still unstructured future, which he can form according to his own will. He likes to risk the big success or new beginning, which causes the blood to surge through his veins. He looks for challenges and, even if he happens to fail at some point, he quickly recovers, gets up, and tries it again. For him there is always a next time, a new try.
He is the master of the beginning, yet his fire sometimes flags when translating his projects into concrete terms. Impatience is his distinguishing feature, and the time between the sowing and the harvest often becomes a hard trial of patience for him. Fire ignites easily, but staying power and a careful treatment of energy reserves are not his strength. Routine work is not at all to his taste because it leaves no room for spontaneity, and also sets tiresome limits on his urge for freedom and desire for what is new.
The past is extremely uninteresting and boring for a fire person because it can no longer be changed, even with the best of will. This is why consideration means little since he prefers to charge forward and wants to be the first. Believing in the goal is the engine that drives him on.
Fiery people prefer to actively intervene in life instead of waiting and taking what’s in store for them. More than any other element, fire individuals have a more difficult time tolerating inner tensions, which is why they translate impulses and drives into action as quickly as possible and work them off. This direct power of expression, the sometimes childlike spontaneity, and the uninhibited way of always claiming the entire pie has something very winning about it. However, the high degree of willingness to take a risk, the lack of self-control, and the deep aversion to any type of criticism — not to even mention self-criticism — in connection with fiery impatience can let some of the noble plans turn into an unimagined adventure that may also end with everything razed to the ground.
Fire with the other signs
Fire has quite a difficult time with the earth signs, although their realism, deliberateness, and objectivity form a good counterbalance to it. But from the perspective of fire, earth is simply much too slow, too boring, always coming up with misgivings, constantly urging caution and, on top of everything else, even demanding facts that the fire individual should substantiate. All of this is much too arduous, too unimaginative and dry, especially since it threatens to stifle his enthusiasm.
However, fire also has its difficulties time and again with the emotionality of the water signs because water’s lack of drive, connected with a frequently pessimistic keynote, could put out the fire. The sensitivity that sometimes lets the water individual be cautious and shy is often interpreted as cowardice by the fire person. Yet, it is precisely this opposite pole that could teach him to perceive what goes on around him instead of simply placing himself at the center of attention in a self-confident or high-handed manner.
On the other hand, air is the element that fans the flames of fire. Fire individuals love air types because the latter’s breezy ideas constantly give their fiery will fresh nourishment. He loves them at least as long as they spare him of their smart-alecky questions and don’t ask him to give reasons for his convictions. When ideas (air) and will (fire) connect in a positive way, this can naturally be the birth of some good projects; however, some things also just keep on being hot air or end up as a lot of noise (air) and smoke (fire).
(The Four Elements Pt2 continued …)
Authors Details: Hajo Banzhaf & Brigitte Theler. Excerpt from “Secrets of Love & Partnership” Web Site
