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This article examines the traditional astrological categories of elements and qualities, viewed in a context of northern versus southern orientation. Ian lives in Adelaide, South Australia. Future Trends Unfolding Themes American Catastrophe About Astrology Is Astrology Scientific? Astrology & Astronomy How Astrology works How to Read your Birthchart Astrological Signs The Elements The Houses The Planets and Aspects The Zodiac Astrology Home Astrology Orders Horoscopes Star Guide Relationships Relationship Analysis Soul Connection Health About Astrology Runes More Info About Us |
Elemental Qualities in Astrology 
This in-depth article, by leading astrologer Ian Thurnwald, outlines the traditional system of elemental qualities as it applies to the Astrological elements and to the triplicities of the signs and the seasons of the year. Ian also develops a new method based on Aristotle's conceptions of "being and becoming" to apply the seasonal qualities in a more meaningful way to Southern Hemisphere births. In the first place, I hope to show that this original means of classifying the signs helps us to gain more understanding of the basic nature of the signs of the Tropical zodiac. Secondly, we shall explore the obvious implication of this seasonally based system for people born in the southern hemisphere, namely, that with the reversal of the seasons in the
southern hemisphere the expression of the signs is altered somewhat. Finally, I'd like to demonstrate a practical use for this system, as a way to delineate basic temperament from natal charts.
For the Greeks there was no separation between nature and human experience. Like contemporary indigenous peoples, they saw humans and nature as part of the same continuum. As such, Greek theories of the natural world attempted to explain observable reality in terms of the behaviour of natural processes as modelled on human behaviour. Thus, the Greek "elements" of air, fire, earth and water, were
never thought of as the physical or chemical building blocks of matter, rather they were characterisations of modes of behaviour, activity, or process . |
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| AIR | WET | HOT |
| create bonds communal, creative flexible | expend energy, dynamic excitable, enthusiastic extroverted | |
| FIRE | HOT | DRY |
| expend energy, dynamic excitable, enthusiastic extroverted | break bonds singular, analytical tense | |
| EARTH | DRY | COLD |
| break bonds singular, analytical tense | conserve energy, static controlled, dispassionate introverted | |
| WATER | COLD | WET |
| conserve energy, static controlled, dispassionate introverted | create bonds communal, creative flexible |
As to the second point, using the elemental qualities in Astrology shows us that a crucial relationship is established between the elemental qualities of the seasons and the signs. Moreover, it is this that accounts for the differences in expression between signs of the same element. For example, the fire sign, Aries, is inherently hot and dry, but it falls in the hot and wet season of Spring, so Aries is hot and slightly wet. These distinctions can be more clearly seen in the table below:
In the table we can see, for example, that all the fire signs are by their very nature hot and dry. However, the addition of the elemental qualities of the seasons results in differences between the fire signs. Leo being the midsummer sign gets a double dose of hot and dry and is the pure fire sign, but Aries being a Spring sign is wetter (hot & dry, hot & wet), and Sagittarius being an Autumnal sign is colder (hot & dry, cold & dry). Obviously, this both explains and helps us to better understand the differences between signs of the same element. In the case of the fire triplicity, we see that: Aries is as active (hot) as Leo but it is more sociable (wet by season) than either Leo or Sagittarius; that Sagittarius is as discriminating (dry) as Leo but it is less assertive (cold by season) than either Aries or Leo, and; that Leo is the pure fire sign—it puts a lot of energy (hot) into establishing its own distinctiveness (dry).
Tropical Astrology in the Southern Hemisphere?
In the Southern Hemisphere (hereafter SH) the seasonal cycle is reversed. If the elemental qualities of the seasons are crucial in determining the distinctions between the signs of the zodiac, as seems to be the case, then the way people in the SH go about expressing the energy of the signs will be different.
Of course, if we hold that Astrological symbolism is universal, despite its origins in the temperate climes of the Northern Hemisphere (hereafter NH), then this point is irrelevant. But if we hold that Astrology is just as much about place as it is about time, that our experiential relationship to place is important, then this is an idea worthy of serious consideration.
Now, it is important to notice that the basic nature of the signs remains the same (i.e., an Aries is still an Aries), but the seasonal difference means that the mix of elemental qualities does change. Theoretically, this will bring about a change in the way a SH sign goes about expressing itself, even though the intrinsic nature of the sign has not changed.
Before outlining the probable difference in expression of each SH sign, it is worth highlighting the main points of difference between the elemental mix of NH and SH signs.
First, many of the signs merely swap their mode of expression with another sign of the same triplicity. We see this below in relation to the signs: Aries and Sagittarius, Gemini and Libra, Virgo and Capricorn, and Cancer and Pisces.
Second, the three pure signs in the NH, Leo, Gemini, and Pisces, become mixed signs in the SH. Meanwhile, the three mixed signs in the NH, Taurus, Cancer, Libra, become pure signs in the SH. Thus, the SH loses the pure fire sign in Leo, but gains a pure earth sign in Taurus.
Third, the SH signs that differ markedly from their NH namesakes are, as one would expect, those that fall in the middle of their respective seasons, namely, Leo, Taurus, Scorpio and Aquarius.
Air Signs:
- Gemini is the pure air sign in the north (hot & wet, hot & wet), but in the south it becomes a mixed sign having all the qualities (hot & wet, cold & dry). A southern Gemini then, is less energetic and has all four qualities to express. This Gemini tries to be all things to all people.
- Libra in the south is the pure air type, the ultimate air sign; an enthusiastic type that likes to move about and socialise. This Libra is the "life of the party".
- Aquarius in the north is basically wet (hot & wet, cold & wet), however in the south it much warmer and drier (hot & wet, hot & dry). A southern Aquarius then, is very energetic and is more of an "ideas person" than a "team player".
Fire Signs:
- Leo is the pure fire sign in the north (hot & dry, hot & dry), but in the south it becomes a mixed sign having all the qualities (hot & dry, cold & wet). A southern Leo then, has all four qualities to express but with less energy to do so. This is a more relaxed and genuinely gregarious Leo.
- Sagittarius in the north is basically dry (hot & dry, cold & dry), however in the south it is much hotter and wetter (hot & dry, hot & wet). A southern Sagittarius then, is a very energetic sign and is more sociable than its northern namesake.
- Aries in the north is basically hot and wet (hot & dry, hot & wet), however in the south it is colder and much drier (hot & dry, cold & dry). A southern Aries then, is less energetic and more dogmatic than its northern namesake.
Earth Signs:
- Taurus in the north is a mixed sign, warmer and wetter than one would expect of an earth sign (cold & dry, hot & wet). But in the south Taurus becomes pure earth (cold & dry, cold & dry). A southern Taurus then, is quite staid, materialistic and insular.
- Virgo in the north is basically dry (cold & dry, hot & dry), however in the south it is much colder and wetter (cold & dry, cold & wet). A southern Virgo then, is less energetic, less critical and more sociable than its northern namesake.
- Capricorn in the north is basically cold and wet (cold & dry, cold & wet), however in the south it is warmer and much drier (cold & dry, hot & dry). A southern Capricorn then, is more active, more realistic and less sociable than its northern namesake.
Water Signs:
- Pisces is the pure water sign in the north (cold & wet, cold & wet), but in the south it becomes a mixed sign having all the qualities (cold & wet, hot & dry). A southern Pisces then, has all four qualities to express but has a little more energy to do so.
- Cancer in the south is the pure water type, the ultimate water sign; low energy, flexible, communal.
- Scorpio in the north is basically cold (cold & wet, cold & dry), however in the south it is as warmer and much wetter (cold & wet, hot & wet). A southern Scorpio then, is slightly more active, less analytical, and more sociable than its northern namesake.
Elemental Qualities and Temperament
Since the elemental qualities apply to the signs we can also say that they apply to the planets placed in the signs of the horoscope. A practical application of this system, then, is that we can list the sign placements of the planets in a natal chart and tally up the elemental qualities of the planets by sign, as well as by season, to see what overall characterisation better fits the person.
By way of an example, let's look at President George W. Bush's planets in terms of the elemental qualities:
| Planetary Qualities in President George W. Bush | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Planet | Sign | Elemental Quality by Sign | Elemental Quality by Season: North or South |
 |
Cancer | cold & wet | hot & dry |
 |
Libra | hot & wet | cold & dry |
 |
Leo | hot & dry | hot & dry |
 |
Leo | hot & dry | hot & dry |
 |
Virgo | cold & dry | hot & dry |
 |
Libra | hot & wet | cold & dry |
 |
Cancer | cold & wet | hot & dry |
| MC |
Aries | hot & dry | hot & wet |
| ASC |
Leo | hot & dry | hot & dry |
 |
Scorpio | cold & wet | cold & dry |
| RESULT | hot & wet or hot & dry | hot & dry | |
In terms of the elemental qualities of the signs, the President's temperament is an even balance between sanguine (hot & wet) and choleric (hot & dry). However, when the elemental qualities of the seasons are taken into consideration Bush is most definitely choleric—a fiery type, a high energy person who acts to express his own power and will in the world.
In support of the sanguine characterisation, it could be said that 'dubbya' has a certain way with words! He also seems to get along very well with the Russian President, Mr Putin (a Libran). On the choleric side, however, Bush keeps fit by 'pumping iron' (very choleric), and his leadership style is that of the company director—he relies on advisers to understand and analyse issues, then makes his decision on the basis of their findings—not a particularly sanguine approach.
