My beliefs are tentative. I must push the envelope when it comes to incoming “truths” and apply them only to my personal experience for confirmation. In true North-Node-3rd-house-Aries fashion, this often befuddles the heck out of me, but I see that as a good habit, and certainly never boring! 

In the attempt to not overly identify with any aspect life presents me, one area I find consistently available—and always refer to in times of doubt—is my inner landscape. There I find the five elements waiting to guide me back to a daily internal balance. Because daily, I slip away from the balance, sometimes far, sometimes subtly so, but slip I do.

For me, meditation on the elements is like taking an inner shower; I clean my body as I rest in my connection to earth, water, fire, air, and space.

This is the first in a series of articles on the elements, their features, and their relation to our subjective behavior. Today I address the earth element, as it applies to my life, loosely based on my astrological chart. For simplicity, I’ll stick to major influences in the chart and leave other energies to hum around, for now.

MY EARTH-SIGN PLANETS

Uranus, Pluto, and Jupiter in earthy Virgo offer me the opportunity for a supercharged earth element—that’s if I can access the energy and ground it properly. For those readers new to Greek myth, let’s have a quick lowdown on links to those three planets in myth, and the following astrological effects:

Uranus: Cross Che Guevara with an electric eel, and you get the first hint of what Uranus could represent in action. It can be a productive or counterproductive force, which depends on its location and condition in the astrological chart. Wherever Uranus activates its energy, though, you’ll find the potential for wide-ranging changes, affecting mind, body, and soul for personal evolution.

Pluto: Renovation is Pluto’s main theme, without much care to what the architect or the homeowner thinks of the proposed changes. It’s not lightning-fast Uranus, but possibly far more thorough because of it. You go away for a vacation, and you come back to your house demolished and workers signaling you to come help rebuild the foundation. No questions, no answers, just do it. This energy has the potential to transform your life if you let it. Resistance is futile 😉

Jupiter: In a word: amplification. Jupiter gets you the backstage passes to the Black Keys, has you dancing until morning and taking care of business throughout the day. Luck, education, huzzah! Jupiter is an all-around generous influence to whatever it touches. Take care, though, depending on the placement in and transits to the astrological chart, it’s an energy that could lead to excess.

 WATER TEMPERS EARTH/FIRE

As destiny would have it, my earth-sign planets have heavy fire attached to them by aspect. This   means I experience an uncomfortably dry earth. I refer to the Dzogchen teachings, where I find several features describing my lack of earth: dissatisfied, restless, and ever searching…

It is more than difficult to ground myself, though the potential for doing so is clear. So, what do I do? I encourage my water-sign planets in activities to irrigate the earth and subdue the fire. Granted, this creates some steam at first (it feels awkward yet fitting, for a time), but I trust in this balancing technique enough to let it play out.

I choose to exercise my Neptune and Chiron trine in water signs Scorpio (11th house) and Pisces (3rd house) by writing a novel about a marine biologist healing from trauma, with great detail focused on oceanic surrealism supporting the courage to transcend belief. Additionally, I employ my Moon (ruling water-sign Cancer in my 8th house Leo) to connect to spirits on shamanic journeys.

Swimming, drinking extra water, and meditating on my connection to water round out the activities to temper my fiery earth. These exercises are my medicine.

After taking (practicing) medicine for many years, I see a difference. Some days I need to pay less attention to earth, some days ask for my complete attention; all days it is my privilege to inhabit the discipline. The natural elements are on my side.

How do you experience your natural elements?