The four Zodiac Elements...Fire, Earth, Air and Water...are also known as the Triplicities since there are three signs belonging to each Elemental category. Thus, this trio of Signs share something of a similar basic character. These Elements are also known as the Four Humors, utilized in Astro-Meteorology to describe a type of wind and in other matters associated with the weather. Empedocles, a Fifth Century Greek philosopher, originated the terms "Fire," "Earth," "Air" and "Water," explaining the nature of the universe as an interaction of two opposing principles called "Love" and "Strife" who manipulated the four Elements. Empedocles also stated that these four Elements were all equal and of the same age, each ruling its own province and each possessing its own individual character. Thus, different mixtures of these Elements produced the different natures of things.Many historic philosophers and alchemists also believed that the four Elements exhibited themeselves in humankind as four varying natures and that one would be more prevalent in each individual than the other three. Elemental signs are basic, being general or generic in nature. The related characteristics may be tempered by other factors, but the Elemental influence nonetheless refers to core human behavior and temperament. The Elemental quality associated with a Sign is dependent upon which of the Twelve Signs of the Zodiac the Sun was residing at the time of an individual's birth.
NOTE: In the Wiccan culture and some other Western traditions, there is also a Fifth Element known as Pure Spirit, "Quinta Essentia," or Akasha. Akasha is the life force...the basic substance of the Universe and the soul or spiritual being of an individual. It is the subtle spiritual essence that pervades all space...not precisely ether, but an ether-like substance of a spiritual rather than material nature which, in ancient writings, is said to operate by mean of sound or vibration. Thus, it is often identified with the Element of Air, but in a spiritual sense...the "Breath of God" concept. Essentially Akasha stands apart from the Four Elements of the Zodiac and is not depicted within an individual's horoscope. Akasha hints at the freedom of mankind and is a reminder of the "great mystery of the eternal."
Aries is governed by the Element of Fire...an Element it shares with the Signs of Leo and Sagittarius. Fire is also the ruler of the First, Fifth and Ninth Houses of the Zodiac. Fire is the beginning...the first Element of creation and spiritual energy. As such, Fire indiviudals are in tune with the wild and untamed forces of nature and understand the spiritual character of the human race. Fire is associated with the life force or energy which animates all things. It is sometimes referred to as the "living element" and may be the most ancient symbol of divinity, change and passion. It is also the least material of the four Elements. Fire's approach to life is to create, envigorate and accomplish. Fire also describes what is often referred to as the "sixth sense" or intuition...a dream or vision of how things are or how they might become. It is symbolic of a belief or faith in personal potential and the overall potentials to be found in life itself. The Ancients believed that Fire could lie hidden in a piece of wood and, by rubbing two pieces together, could thus be coaxed from its hiding place. Fire is both a creator and a destroyer, essential for the growth of plants upon which the cycle of life depends. Fire warms homes, cooks food and fuels passions, yet it cannot exist in physical form without destroying something else. Fire transforms objects into new forms, but must be contolled in order to be beneficial. The traditional symbol for Fire is a triangle pointing upward.
Fire individuals are impulsive, energetic, active and inspired. They strive for positive progress and have no time to wallow in the feelings that might pass through them. The spiritual Fire burning within these individuals consumes emotion and allows the ability to move on...to forgive and forget. Such people dislike having to fixate on one project. They need to constantly feed their inner flame with new experiences and perceptions. Far more than material riches, Fire natives desire recognition for their shining abilities. Those ruled by Fire can appear brusque and hurried. They tend to rush through conversations in order to reach the heart of the matter. They are easily bored with the same people and ideas, and constantly search for more with which to feed their fiery souls. They often feel compelled by some higher force to take off on a personal quest or adventure. This is why Fire subjects usually feel more comfortable with the other Signs which compose the Fiery Trigon (Leo and Sagittarius). Being extremely passionate, individuals governed by Fire live life to the fullest and have powerful emotions. Everything is intense and when nothing is occurring, they will create something...even if it is troublesome.
Fire people are seekers of passion and willing to suffer in order to avoid bordeom. They possess quick and active minds, often being equally as quick to anger...and equally as quick to forget about it. They tend to get involved at the drop of a hat, but lack the staying power of the other three Elements. In short, they are the epitome of passion and brilliance, living only for the moment. However, the downfall of Fire individuals may well be a tendency toward self-righteousness. Nevertheless, the gift of these natives is a natural connection to the spirit world which allows them to fully understand and forgive the perilous nature of humankind. The danger here is a tendency here toward arrogance and a self-centered nature. A Fire person should never be approached if sympathy or comfort is what is being sought...he or she simply does not have the time and posesses little patience for emotionalism or heaviness. In fact, Fire individuals tend to "run over" the more weaker and shyer Elemental Signs.
Brimming with power and light, those ruled by the Element of Fire are highly creative and bursting with enthusiasm and energy. Fire signs enjoy playing with new ideas and concepts and are invariably the Zodiac's trendsetters. Such individuals have high ideals and a broad vision, coupled with passion and assertiveness. Theirs is an inspirational and contagious "can-do" attitude which lacks nothing in the way of courage and initiative. It has been said that Fire Signs rule the spirit and primal life force. They are prone to have strong egos, so being the center of attention comes naturally to those governed by Fire. Individuals influenced by this Element place an enormous emphasis on individuality and independence. Thus, it is important that those around them make no attempt to "hem in" a native of Fire. Since Fire subjects are generally warm, enthusiastic and outgoing, they require an abundance of "fuel" and are constantly seeking for something new upon which to "feed." Those governed by the other Elements are often obliged to create boundaries in order to prevent Fire Signs from absorbing the entire resources and space within the vicinity. Those who fall under the jurisdiction of Fire, however, are not truly to blame for this since they are usually quite oblivious to the effects of their massive energy. When Fire Signs do reach a clearly defined edge drawn by another Elemental Sign, they rarely take offence and readily move in another direction. Fire Signs are extremely intuitive and rely heavily upon luck, which always seems to be with them.
Fire individuals frequently attract those governed by the Element of Earth (Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn). These Earth subjects do have the ability to stabilize and center natives of Fire, but there is little doubt that Fire and Earth will have a difficult time. From the perspective of Fire, Earth often appears much too slow, far too boring and always voicing misgivings while constantly urging caution. On top of everything else, Earth natives may even demand facts that Fire subjects should substantiate. All this may prove to be too arduous, unimaginative and dry for Fire individuals...particularly since it threatens to stifle enthusiasm. Fire individuals are also likely to experience difficulty with those governed by the Element of Water (Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces) and the emotionality associated with Water Signs due to the lack of drive inherent in these natives. Water subjects are also frequently pessimistic souls who threaten to "put out the fire." The sensitivity which makes natives of Water cautious and shy is often interpreted by Fire individuals as cowardice. Yet, it is precisely this opposite pole that could teach subjects of Fire to perceive what goes on around them instead of simply placing themselves at the center of attention in a self-confident or high-handed manner. Fire natives are generally most compatible with Air Signs (Gemini, Libra and Aquarius). In short, Air will "fan the flames" of Fire. However, individuals governed by Fire may become tired and/or bored with the intelluctual observations of the more communcative Air Signs. Fire natives will probably love their Air companions as long as they are spared the "smart-alecky" questions Air natives are prone to ask and as long as the Fire subject is not requested to provide reasons for his or her convictions. However, when ideas (Air) and will (Fire) connect in a positive way, then this can result quite naturally in the birth of some excellent projects. In short, without the encouragement and ideas of Air, Fire would indeed find itself to be hopelessly lost.
ASPECT/POLARITY: Masculine, which is not a reference to gender but to the associated type of energy. In the case of the masculine aspect, the energy is projective and traditionally conceived as being more active, less receptive and focused on the spiritual/mental world, lending spirituality and activity (both physical and mental) to the character. Masculine signs (Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius and Aquarius) are diurnal or day-oriented by nature, viewed in the same light as the Yang (or bright) polarity of the Tao.
Within each of the Triplicities or Elements is found a category known as the Qualities...also referred to as the Quadruplicities, Modes or Common States. There are three Qualities: Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable. Each Quality addresses the manner of expression which will be displayed by the individual who falls within its jurisdiction, based upon which of the four Elements predominates. Thus, the Element (either Fire, Earth, Air or Water) will dictate the core characteristics, while the Quality (Cardinal, Fixed or Mutable) will dictate the way in which those characteristics are expressed.
Aries is a Cardinal Quality Sign (a Quality it shares with Cancer, Libra and Capricorn). The world "cardinal" derives from the Latin for "hinge" and the four Signs which fall under its jurisdiction are, in essence, the Signs upon which the entire Zodiac hinges, marking the Seasons in much the same manner as the Cardinal points of the compass mark the directions. The job of Cardinal Signs is to initate the Season...the leaders or "scout signs" which bring forth the individual Seasons of the Year. As the first Zodiac Sign of Spring, Aries is the initiator of this Season. Cardinal Signs govern creativity, being pioneering and enterprising, indicative of a restless, self-motivated and ambitious character. Those who fall under the jurisdiction of a Cardinal Quality are intensely active and enthusiastic in their pursuit of life's experiences. Indeed, such natives are inclined to live life at a rather rapid, action-packed pace. They prefer to channel their energies into external events and their response is apt to be immediate reactions which can result in a crisis-driven way of life. Nevertheless, this is infinitely preferable to bordedom in the eyes of the Cardinal individual. Passionate about getting things moving, these individuals are active and quick. Many projects are started courtesy of the Cardinal initiative...although a vast number of such projects never seem to reach completion. This is due to the fact that Cardinal individuals are much more fond of beginning things rather than actually finishing them. Nonetheless, Cardinal Signs will never be found "slacking off." They are brimming with vim, vigor and rampant energy while possessing a drive and ambition which is unmistakable. Enthusiastic with a zest for life, the Cardinal individual can sometimes appear to be domineering and may forget about the "pack" when focusing busily on a personal endeavor. These are clever souls with an immense desire to win. They know how to use their abilities and dislike delay. Cardinal Signs represent centrifugal radiating energy and correlate with the principle of "action in a definite direction." The essential nature of Cardinal energy movement is to initiate action, get things started and get things going. Aries is a positive Cardinal Quality Sign, concerned with action in the present, based upon future considerations. These natives can, at times, be somewhat domineering but such a trait is part-and-parcel of such individuals' best qualtiies. In summary, Cardinal Signs are independent, spontaneous and forceful. Being the first Sign of the Zodiac itself, Aries expresses some of the qualities of its ruling Element in the purest fashion. It is the most entrepreneurial Sign...always generating fresh starts, new ideas and novel methods. Areas of business or the armed forces are natural arenas for Aries individuals. They are self-motiviated and at their happiest when self-employed or possibly running their own departments as if they owned them.As a Fire Sign with Cardinal Quality, Aries individuals project themselves upon the world through firsthand experiences. Self-expression is paramount to the pioneering Aries and those ruled by this Sign like to see how far they can go in exploring, discovering and experimenting with the world around them. The Fire Element of Aries provides such individuals with supreme faith in themselves coupled with a fierce sense of courage. The Cardinal Quality adds restlessness and change for the sake of change. These natives are assertive daredevils possessed with a knack for getting to know the right people. In short, they are always first and known to be just about as subtle as a sledgehammer. The Fire-influenced Cardinal Quality Aries is the literal "battering ram" of the Zodiac. Nonetheless, these natives do possess abundant patience for detail and methodical procedures. They are the Zodiac's "Jack of all trades" by virtue of their enthusiasm in the realm of trying something new.
