|
Elements and qualities provide a background flavour to any astrological chart, and the balance of elements and qualities present and - just as importantly - lacking should be carefully considered. When looking at any astrological chart, whether personal, electional or horary, it is very important to start off by assessing the balances of elements and qualities within the chart. Here we will try to give a brief explanation of what elements and modes are, and what they mean to an astrological chart. Each and every sign of the zodiac is associated with both an element and a quality. There are four elements – earth, air, fire and water, and three qualities – cardinal, fixed and mutable. Each of the three earth signs has a different quality, as does each of the three fire signs and so on. The way it works out is like this: Aries Fire Cardinal Taurus Earth Fixed Gemini Air Mutable Cancer Water Cardinal Leo Fire Fixed Virgo Earth Mutable Libra Air Cardinal Scorpio Water Fixed Sagittarius Fire Mutable Capricorn Earth Cardinal Aquarius Air Fixed Pisces Water Mutable We work out the balances of elements and qualities by adding up the planets and important points to be found within each sign, and weighting the results according to whether a planet is a ruling planet or a weaker one. The results can be said to give a good overall ‘flavour’ of the chart in question, and as we draw more detailed conclusions, we always consider the flavour of the modes and elements. Briefly, they can be interpreted like this: FIRE: A chart that is strong in fire will be optimistic, energetic and, as the name implies, fiery. Pride and anger are fire traits, as is generosity. EARTH: Earth charts tend to be just that – down to earth, no nonsense types. Practical and hardworking, solid and reliable, with plenty of common sense and patience. AIR: A strong air chart will be above all else communicative. Air also confers logic and reasoning ability, together with objectivity and agility. WATER: A chart that is strong in water will be dominated by emotions and sensitivity. Dreaminess and psychic abilities are also water traits. CARDINAL: A strong cardinal chart will be full of ‘get-up-and-go’ and the drive for action. Cardinal charts get things done – not necessarily the right things, at the right time, but they take the initiative at all times. FIXED: Fixed charts are just that in many ways. These are stable and steady, with endurance and determination, but not very good at getting the ball rolling to start with. MUTABLE: Strong mutable charts are very flexible and adaptable, often being all things to all people. An ability to change is their greatest asset, but indecisiveness is common. From these very brief sketches, you can see that if a chart is particularly lacking in an element of quality, that person or situation will not be benefiting from the positive traits it can bring. On the other hand, a very strong dominating element or mode can mean that the negative traits of that element or mode outweigh the positive ones. We cannot draw any startling conclusions simply from looking at the balance of modes and elements alone, but we must base the conclusions we do draw against the backdrop of this overall flavour
|
© elysian.co.uk 2002 |
