Elemental Zodiac & Healthy Living

by Anastacia Sampson

We all should realize and appreciate the four elements; namely Fire, Air, Earth and Water. Nature knows best and these four elements are needed. How we appreciate and actually incorporate the four elements into our lives is diverse, from feng shui to healing. Yet we often may only associate the elements with huge events or things that are linked with less practical application.

At times of natural disaster we may think nature has gone on a drunken rampage. Think of a tidal wave! Sometimes we need a great change to refresh things. Storms are usually followed by beautiful clear blue skies. We need a balance and after we have cried for rain and watched the flood waters rise we shriek and shrink in horror.

Then it may be the summers are too intense! Seasons go in cycles; cycles are the guardians of life. Within life we can recognize and apply the lessons of the four elements. In astrology the 12 zodiacal signs are grouped into the 4 elements. Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are fire signs. Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn are earth signs. Gemini, Libra and Aquarius are air signs. Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces are water signs.

There may be people you know, or even yourself, who exclaim that they are not much like their zodiacal sign. Well there are 7 major planets and 12 houses that form a birth chart. The exact angles and degrees of their placements at your time of birth do all have a say in why and how you may be. It is not just the Sun’s placement that counts. Horoscopes are generalizations. Let’s say that someone has 4 planets in Cancer, this person is likely to be maternal (even a male can be maternal). Surely you’ve met parents where you sense the woman wears the pants in that coupled relationship, or the father seems to have a softer response to his children. The father is the one to approach for a ‘cheering up feel good talk’ with a warm hug. Within any Western zodiacal wheel chart, including the birth chart, we tend to find more planets in some elements. The seven major planets are the Sun (actually a star), Moon (a satellite), Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.

The Sun is fiery and when we see it in Aries, Leo or Sagittarius we have a person who is likely to be physically active or to enjoy revving themselves in a favoured pursuit. Imagine an excessively quick-to-anger person; they always seem to be on the brink of a flare up. They are more than likely exhibiting a load of fiery Mars in a strong position. Mars is the God of war and these chaps need to cool down. They need to cool down! They should avoid alcohol (or restrict consumption) and eat cool watery foods such as sweet fruits. Their body temperature is likely to be higher and they may be more aggressive in warmer weather. Thank goodness there are other planets and signs that usually take the edge off and can balance out the temperament. There are times when we feel pressure and need to throw a tantrum! As long as no harm is done, express yourself, express your emotions. It is healthy to let off steam. Some do it through artistic creations, work, sport, drawing or whatever is personally favoured.

This is where astrology can assist; it helps assist you to find fulfillment, your natural talents. Exploit them, they are free and yours for the taking. Then as well, we have weaknesses and through astrology we can safe-guard against them. Seeing and recognizing a tendency to being over emotional (Pisces do not cry, is there not enough water on our planet – no wonder your sign is a fish) lets us be more understanding and not afraid of turning our emotional side into a positive aspect. How, you may ask? Well, think of entering a caring profession. No use entering the army or the butchery department. As stated we all can become angry and all get a bit upset and sad. The planets rotate along their own cycles and complete a 360 degree route along the zodiacal chart.

At certain times you may be more likely to snap at the slow service or feel depressed. It may be a time to have an annual chart (for the year to see what’s probable) and then be more aware of any weaknesses. If you go around banging your head and bruising your skull but are so involved in that, that you do not even notice it or the effects, the results can be unfulfilling. However if you know you have this tendency you can watch yourself and seek out why and in the end not give in to this weakness as much as you might have. Knowledge is power.

Knowing and understanding your beautiful self gives you a happiness to appreciate and fulfil what you want and need. You may need a caring motherly partner or perhaps watch out to avoid spicy foods due to a tendency to digestive upsets. Astrology involves the four elements. It is natural to have all four elements within everything and usual for one element to predominate. That is where we can harness that predominate element to exploit it and gain benefits, while not neglecting the other elements. If you are given a rainy season, build a water tank. Times of drought may seem foreign but here is a chance to thank your stars for water. Save and use the water you have wisely. Instead of grudgingly watch the rain in a glum ambience, accept it and use it for practical applications.

There are times when we should and can manipulate the elements consciously. How we do that may be as simple as interior design! Within the Chinese system of astrology, there are five elements; Fire, Air, Earth, Wood and Metal. Feng shui, that incorporates the application of these five elements, is a form of harmonious elemental living. By building a home with prominent triangular ceilings and positioning triangular shapes will harness the Fire element. The home will have the subtle effect of firing things up, so to speak. This is more acutely felt and transmitted by some, yet the effect is not the same on all of us. You may well have been in a room and felt strange, noticed a shift in temperature or atmosphere. The four elements are able to be harnessed in many ways! Invoking an element may produce subtle shifts but we can also utilize the elements in practical daily living.

A prime time to be aware of the elements is during the celebration of the seasons; Fire linked to summer, Earth to autumn, Water to winter and Air to spring. Spring is a period of lightness, we usually have a ‘spring to our step’ as we sense the spring season. Winter with water brings us in close recall of ‘runny’ noses! There is sluggishness in winter. Earth is dry and autumn is often a display of brown, yellow and orange hued dried leaves. While energizing summer fuels us with the radiance of solar energy; Fire is associated with the digestive process and enables us to be energized.

It is through food that we can feed into our bodies the practical, material application of the four elements. You may well know of the old age remedy of lemon and honey for the flu. At the time when one has the flu there is a rise in the fire element. Metabolic processes are quicker, an accelerated burning of calories occurs. One’s body is in a state of consumption and that is implying the immune system is literally engulfing viruses and toxins to cleanse and heal. This state of elemental imbalance is not pleasant to experience and often a suppressive remedy may be taken. Sometimes we need drugs but often we may well do to gently support the system by re-balancing with cooling foods.

Honey is sweet and may be linked to the planet Venus (this planet is also affiliated with pleasure and leisure). Mars (a fiery planet affiliated with action) has been usually stationed as the pole opposite of Venus (Male – Female). To counter the Fire element we bring in some honey and a cooling food, such as lemons. The use and value of the elements is ideal in the preparation of food.

Let us take a person who desires to lose weight, yet struggles. This person may also suffer from a stuffy nose and enjoy spicy foods. Usually weight loss requires Fire and Air based foods; do note that we can not survive on one food alone! Foods have various elements, but one element usually predominates and has subtle effects.

In this case the spicy foods are being eaten, yet the stuffy nose indicates that there is an excess of Fire that is further upsetting an imbalance in the Water element. Water is linked to the mucous membranes of the nasal passages. This person probably requires light airy foods that are also cooling! Think of a fire and then pouring water over which produces all the smoke; it blocks and suffocates the passage way. In this person, the nasal passage ways are blocked, so to speak, and the rule of reflex indicates the colon is prone to sluggishness. Peristalsis is the natural muscular contraction of the intestines that propels food along the digestive tract to be digested and excreted. We need foods, namely fibre to support peristalsis. There needs to be a brushing of the passageways along the digestive tract and clearing of the nasal tract. We need to clear the passage ways with air when there is smog from the mix of imbalance within water and fire.

Do try not dash for the fruit as fruit may not be the best initially! Fruit, brings in more sugar, which is linked to the Water element and will propel a sluggish state in this case. Rather use salads and whole cereals and grains (generally cereals are linked with the Earth element) with sprouted pulses (the lentils and beans often found in salads).

By having a birth chart drawn up, one may know the aspects of the planets and note where the imbalance of the elements will probably erupt at times of illness/disease.

It is imperative to not apply one rule all the time as times change. Believing Fire equals weight loss is not always applicable! Adjusting food preparation can have drastic effects. For efficacious foods in medicinal practice to treat ill health realize the implication of balance. In our quest for health we need to strive for balance. The four elements are not only to be appreciated at special events or celebrations. They are constantly shifting, which is ideal as life is linked with flowing energy.

Our elemental balance is boundless and transmits through all things. The 12 signs of the zodiac ruled by planets and assigned to one of the four elements just begin to reveal the nature of one’s vitality. The station of the other planets is highly pertinent in one’s unique state. The sky is the limit in our utilization of the elements to achieve what we may wilfully need, yet how we apply the elements is another story and individualized.