(c)3-8-2011 by Donna Cunningham, MSW
The four elements—fire, earth, air, and water—are an important key to understanding the 12 zodiac signs. Studying them and meditating on them helps us get in touch with the profound levels of our being that they represent.
Now that we have tests to measure how strong each element is in our charts, it’s time to put that knowledge to work. Why not make a project of getting to know yourself that way?
Here are links to a collection of articles about the elements published on Skywriter. Below that are two excellent series on the elements found elsewhere on the web.
One is Molly Hall’s wise and practical advice about managing any imbalances between them. The other is an exploration by Fabienne Lopez about their role in the creative process.
The Tests for the Elements:
- Are You a Fire Type? Here’s the Score!
- Are You an Air Type? Here’s the Score!
- Are You a Water Type? Here’s the Score!
- A Terribly Tentative Test for the Earth Element in your Chart
More Perspectives on the Elements: 
- Venus in the Elements: Fire, Earth, Air, & Water
- Missing Elements and How They Affect Your Relationships
- Four Kinds of Smart—Air, Earth, Fire, and Water
- Cosmic Piñata #4: Astrological Oddities—or Not?
- Get to Know the Water in your Chart–a Wetting Reception
- A Water Sign, in her Element at Last—Writing Wet, not Dry
How to Heal Imbalances:
- Healing With Fire, Earth, Air and Water
- Flower Essences for Difficult Patterns of Water and Air Signs
- Flower Essences for Difficult Patterns of the Fire and Earth Signs
- Bailing out the Water Signs–The Emotional Hangover Remedy
- Ways to Use Water to Heal Yourself and Others
- Much, Much More about your Watery Signs, Planets, and Houses!
- Our Precious Water Supply and How We Can Preserve It
From Elsewhere on the Web
Molly Hall has a wealth of solid, educational articles about astrology on About.com. Here’s a very illuminating and healthful series on the four elements:
- Balance the Elements: Fire
- Balance the Elements: Earth
- Balance the Elements-Air
- Balance the Elements – Water
Recently, I came across Fabienne Lopez’ blog, Astrology Unboxed. This blog is full of potential and is as yet largely undiscovered. Here are links to her excellent series about the elements, creativity, and art:
- Creativity and the 4 Elements – Air
- Creativity and the 4 Elements – Water
- Creativity and the 4 Elements – Fire
- Creativity and the 4 Elements – Water
- Writers! Learn How to Use the Fire Element to Develop Characters
- And a related series starts here: 7 Sins of Creativity – Sloth
AN INDEX OF SKYWRITER’S 470 POSTS by category. Excellent resource for students. Save it to your hard drive rather than print it, and then all the links are live. (Download it here: 1-Articles Index Skywriter 3-2011.)
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Sky Writer 
Water 47, Earth 54. Fire( revised) 59 and Air 73.
It came as a surprise about my Earth score but not after really thinking about it. The Water score was lowest which was no surprise, but even so all the elements are strong.
I have great respect for the elemental kingdom; which as incarnates on Earth, are extremely powerful players….much more so than humanity itself. Without them we would not be making this earth walk.They exert and incredible influence whether one is aware of it or not.( this includes the 3 lower kingdoms)
Of all the elements the ones which have their downsides, for me are water and earth.
Water, because the lower emotions from the solar plexus are to be avoided or transformed in favor of higher intuitional detached Love energies of the Heart. Love s action implemented by Wisdom. Since this is the aspect so strong in society today it is very powerful.
The Earth plane because its so slow and time consuming dealing with density, as far as action goes.
I remember the spirit world before incarnation and as the mind thinks , so it was, faster than the speed of light. The slowness of the earth plane is not just , even when comparing snail mail to the internet. But then given the state of world affairs this is a blessing.
By: Barehand on March 8, 2011
at 9:50 am
Thanks for those insights into the elementals–to me, I delight in the air elementals most of all, always have adored the wind.
Where I live now, in an 8th floor apartment, I feel such a connection to the ever-changing clouds, sunrise, sunset, all day long, I marvel at them and they often uplift me when illuminated. I feel they must be water that has taken form, but the wind constantly moves and shapes them, so they could be water/air. Any thoughts on them?
Your scores, by the way, are in the top ranks for all four elements, none of them counting as low. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on March 8, 2011
at 1:41 pm
My Clan from the Maternal Grandmother is the Thunder Beings.
This is also the central deity Clan of all Mongolia and was instrumental in Genghis Khans life. It gave him the battle to establish rule over Mongolia; which led to his taking over the most countries in world history. It was not for power but to protect Mongolias borders so they could continue their perfered nomadic life style with out interferance from foreign powers…and it remains this way until today.
It was permissible for them to make war in concert with the Thunder Beings but it is NOT permissible in North American Indian Culture which is in concert with its Spiritual aspect above all else. Our people were severely tested because they carried lightening in their purse .
The Thunder Birds work for our Creator in watering earths beautiful garden; refreshing water ways for the creatures etc.It combines all the elements, Wind, water and fire via the lightening which causes forest fires making room for berries the next spring which feeds people, birds and bears etc. Lightening strikes also neutralize negative earth energies.
In the news today we see them trying to wash down the east coast which conveys piles of pollution into the oceans and land.
The winds and clouds are super messengers because they can reflect messages to you. Once I was driving through the country from here to the west coast going along the northern route through long stretches of uninhabited lands in Montana ; when up in the sky, made with clouds , was a formation of a helping hand reaching toward another hand. I thought , they want me to help someone.
Over the next hill I saw a couple hitchhikers who looked very dirty and rough. A man and a boy. I had my 3 yr, old son in the truck cab with me and would ordinarily not have stopped, in order to keep him safe.
But because of the sign in the clouds I stopped. It was a father and his teen son who had hitched hiked into the country from Seattle looking for work but had been unsuccessful and they had stood there 3 days without a ride. They were so happy to get a ride. I took them into Seattle.
I believe the Gypsy caravan travels are guided in this way and the Wind and Clouds are extremely important to their way of life.
If you honor the winds with poetry , you can also offer a pinch of tobacco and ask for any guidance you might need and see if it appears in the clouds. Its akin to tea leaf reading. It sounds like you are in an excellent location to observe this.
I worry however that you are so far off the earth. Dancing in the park will keep you healthy and rev up those tired cells. I started taking karate and notice my body is no longer stiff in the morning and that my bone density and energy has increased! You do so much good work here but you must take time for yourself. I am selfish in this because I enjoy your Skywriter blog so much.
By: Barehand on March 9, 2011
at 7:58 am
Thank you for all that information, BH. I have never felt so close to the clouds in my life and now they uplift and comfort me every day. I especially liked knowing that we can read them as signs. It makes sense. I do have tobbaco, and can make an offering.
Recently I did a ritual with the angels, and then we drove to the ocean on a rare cloudless day, and on the way home, there was one huge cloud in the sky shaped just like an angel with wings and a long robe.
It’s true that I’m very tired just now, but I am resting. For me, what revives me is swimming, and they take us to the pool every Monday. This week, I swam for an hour, and it was bliss. Water is not my strongest element, but I do have a Sun-Jupiter conjunction in Cancer in the 12th, so I am certainly watery enough. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on March 9, 2011
at 2:36 pm
Donna, I enjoyed your comments here and my image of: Your head marveling in the clouds all day long. Truly a reflection and metaphor for your vast mindfulness, I’d say. 🙂
Yes, I think clouds are formed with water in the air. So, it seems Fire (heat) warms the Earth to circulate Air to draw and release Water for us to survive (Fire) to warm our life (Earth) …
Thanks for the collection of links here. I look forward to checking them out.
By: pdw on March 9, 2011
at 1:08 pm
My score for a Uranus Type is 49 – if I give 3 points for N Node in Aquarius!
I didn’t see the Node mentioned.
Judy Crichton
By: Judy Crichton on March 8, 2011
at 3:22 pm
No, the Nodes aren’t included, as I try to keep the number of factors manageable. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on March 8, 2011
at 7:51 pm
Thank you Donna,
I guess a score of 46 is enough to prove I am a Uranian type!
By: Judy Crichton on March 9, 2011
at 2:48 pm
I’ve completed your excellent series of tests and water turned out to be my strongest element. Funnily enough, I hate swimming pools and swimming in general. As a child I was made to attend swimming classes because of my spine problems and I hated them – I never even learnt to swim well in spite of attending them for years.
I just put these two things together today and felt like sharing my discovery. Since air is my weakest element, should I take up skydiving? 🙂
By: tatiana.larina on March 9, 2011
at 1:27 pm
LOL. Only with a parachute. Donna
By: Donna Cunningham on March 9, 2011
at 2:29 pm
Fabienne’s blog is a great read, and I highly recommend it. Thanks, Donna, for the link!
By: katley on March 10, 2011
at 11:03 am
I just went through and retook all of those tests using the CORRECT orbs …whew!
So I’m a Moon/Mercury/Neptune type I guess?…that’s dominantly Mutable Fire…. Hmm…cool. 🙂
My lower earth score could explain why I can’t grow anything when I try to garden though.
Sun: 64 Strong
Moon: 44 Very Strong
Mercury:43 Very Strong
Venus:36 strong
Mars:32 strong
Jupiter: 33 strong
Saturn:12 weak
Uranus:13 weak
Neptune:36 Very strong
Pluto:24 moderate
Chiron:30 High
Cardinal:20 moderate
Fixed:27 Strong
Mutable: 32 Strong
Water:32 moderate
Fire:50 Very strong
Air:33 moderate
Earth:21 moderate
By: Robin on April 12, 2011
at 9:14 pm