Air

Opportunities
Balancing logic and empathy
Harnessing brilliant ideas
Goals
Streamlining thoughts for action
Embracing emotional attunement
 

Elements

The four elements of astrological tradition refer to the vital forces (or energies) that make up the entire creation that is commonly perceived by human beings. The four elements in a birth chart reveal the ability to participate in certain realms of being and to tune in to specific fields of life experience. These elements have nothing to do with the elements of chemistry and in fact transcend them completely.

The four elements—Fire, Earth, Air, and Water—each represent a basic kind of energy and consciousness that operates within everyone. Each person is consciously more attuned to some types of energy than others.

The element of any sign that is emphasized in a chart (by significant planetary placement in that sign) shows a specific type of consciousness and method of perception to which the individual is strongly attuned.

Air



Air is represented by the signs of Libra, Gemini and Aquarius. It is the element of information, and individuals with these placements are defined by their logical and lively minds. Whip-smart and socially adept, air signs traffic in ideas, from conception to communication. Thriving in the realm of abstraction, they approach life on a conceptual level, often preferring to think things through from a strictly theoretical perspective. This can yield genius insights — with their cool heads, air signs can make excellent inventors, philosophers, lawyers and scientists — and their intuition may strike like lightning in the form of eureka moments. At times, however, air signs may struggle to tap into their empathy, viewing people and emotions and pawns or puzzle pieces. Despite their dizzying intellects, they may come across as air-headed, absent-minded, or with their heads in the clouds. Frequently, they may even find themselves over-thinking situations, spiraling into anxiety or becoming mired in indecision. Fortunately, air signs are also social butterflies, and their gregarious natures help them to break free from their own consciousness to chat, gossip, bicker or hash out their big ideas with like-minded peers. These freedom-loving signs tend to cast a wide social net, enjoying the diversity of fresh input this brings them, though they won’t typically stay in one place for long — they can be flighty or ping-pong between extra- and introversion. Whether critiquing (Libra), deciding (Aquarius) or facilitating (Gemini) the next breakthrough idea, this brainy bunch is never dull.