Chapter 1: General Characteristics

Your fundamental needs, values, and orientation towards life are symbolized by the four astrological elements. Each person has their own unique balance of these four basic energies: fire (warmth, inspiration, enthusiasm), earth (practicality, realism, material interests), air (social and intellectual qualities), and water (emotional needs and feelings). Your "elemental make-up" is described below. Remember that most people are "unbalanced" or lopsided, and if you are lacking or deficient in a certain element (or elements), it simply means that you need to consciously develop that aspect of yourself to learn to appreciate and/or to work harder in that dimension of life. Sometimes we overvalue the element that we are least endowed with, sensing it as a lack within ourselves, but more often we neglect or ignore it. The qualities described below will be reiterated and explained in more detail in the following chapters. Your common sense and your ability to use, enjoy, and deal effectively with the physical world are your greatest strengths. You are down-to-earth and capable of managing practical affairs, working, and taking care of the business of day to day living very well. You have a strong urge to be useful and productive. For you, the bottom line is practicality: Does it work? Is it functional? Of what practical use is it? Theories and speculations mean little to you unless there is some concrete purpose, some way to use them in the real world. You are methodical and enjoy, even thrive on, a steady routine. Your first response to anything novel or experimental is caution, resistance, or skepticism. Basically conservative, you usually make the best of the status quo rather than venturing into the unknown or making changes that could jeopardize your security in any way. Material security is particularly important to you and your sense of well-being is directly linked with financial assets or knowing you have a steady, reliable source of income. You may hold yourself back or pass over opportunities simply because you cannot control or know the outcome ahead of time. Patience and persistence are your gifts, and you build your life on a firm foundation through discipline, work, and planning. You also have a deep affinity with the natural world, and need to be close to the earth (gardening, camping, or working with your hands using natural materials) in order to feel your best. Although fundamentally realistic, with a definite conservative bent, you come across as rather liberal and open-minded, as you will read in the next chapter. Your apparent tolerance for varying points of view is limited, however, to those which seem well-grounded and workable to you. Astrological influences analyzed in Chapter 1: Earth Element is Strong (F,E,A,W Scores = 6,26,12,5) Earth is Strong and Ascendant is in Air sign