What are elements?

The four elements are the raw temperaments beneath the twelve signs, the underlying nature each sign runs on. They are the oldest way of sorting the zodiac. There are four of them, fire, earth, air, and water, and each is shared by three signs, a grouping called a triplicity. Fire signs are spirited and active, earth signs practical and grounded, air signs mental and social, and water signs feeling and intuitive. The three signs of an element sit evenly around the wheel, which gives them a natural sympathy, and planets in the same element connect easily through the flowing trine. The elements also fall into two charges. Fire and air are yang, active and outward, while earth and water are yin, receptive and inward. Reading the balance of elements tells a person a great deal. A strong element shows where they feel most at home, while a missing or weak one often points to a quality they need to build. Someone with no earth may struggle to stay grounded, and someone with little water may find feeling harder to reach.