Elemental Magic
We’ve already talked about what astrology is/isn’t and why folks are embracing it with more curiosity than ever before (see my previous blog posts). Now I’d love to answer the question, where is the best place to start in developing a practice with astrology?
Hint—it’s not learning every detail in your birth chart. Well, not exactly.
The Elements are Alive
Maybe you’ve experienced the rabbit hole that happens from realizing how much astrology can tell you about yourself, and you deep dive into your Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, the houses, the aspects, etc. etc. etc. Then of course all the placements of all your loved ones! Very quickly, an earnest curiosity turns into insatiable seeking for more and more information, and suddenly, you realize you’re not breathing.
I believe the process of learning astrology needs embodiment. I recommend starting with a gentle understanding that astrology is inextricably linked to the world within us and around us. Astrology comes ALIVE through the elements—Water, Air, Earth, and Fire (in that order…I’ll get there).
Within astrology, the 4 elements can be seen within the Zodiac Signs. The 4 elements x the 3 modalities (Cardinal, Fixed, and Mutable) give us the 12 signs. When you look at your birth chart (the wheel, NOT the Costar table), you can see that you have all 12 signs within you. You have mountains and rivers and clouds and sparks throughout your entire being. Nature is a mirror. When you are connected to the elements, you are necessarily practicing astrology.
Yes, this seems like a dreamy and mystical idea, but biology tells us that we’re made up of the same hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon as the earth and even the stars. We are not separate.
With that understanding, you can approach astrology from an experiential lens. You can look at the element of your Moon and see that those energetic qualities are embedded in your emotional needs. You can reflect on your Mars and align your plan of action with the way that element moves.
For instance, in my birth chart, I have mostly water placements with bits of fire, earth, and air. I recently moved closer to the ocean where I can spend time with her every day. My Moon, Mercury, and Mars are finally satisfied on a deeper level, and I can lean into my other elements with more intention.
When we’re talking about the elements, we can literally connect to that element in nature, and we can also reflect on activities that align with those energies:
Yes, water is water, and it is also a cozy blanket, a heartfelt movie, an earnest prayer.
Yes, air is air, and it’s also a good book, a stimulating conversation, a big community event.
Yes, earth is earth, and it’s also making a hearty meal, cleaning and organizing, starting a new project.
Yes fire is fire, and it’s also dancing to your favorite song, playing a game, going on a fun trip.
Water is emotion. Air is intellect. Earth is physicality. Fire is spirit.
The Water signs are Cancer, Scorpio, & Pisces
The Air signs are Gemini, Libra, &. Aquarius
The Earth signs are Taurus, Virgo, & Capricorn
The Fire Signs are Aries, Leo, & Sagittarius
When you’re thinking about building a relationship with astrology, it’s important that you consider how embedded astrology is in your life through the actions you take every day.
If you enjoy a certain set of these activities the most, you probably have a planet or placement that’s at work. As you connect with the parts of your chart, you can imagine that you are connecting with those energies to move through your life. Put simply, astrology is just living life.
Elemental Order
The order of the elements matters. In the order of our Western Zodiac Cycle, we start with Fire because it has the strongest energetic push to initiate the Zodiac cycle. Then comes Earth, Air, and Water (namely, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer).
This is a very masculine approach, saving emotion for last. The more spiritual and feminine approach (and better order imo) is to start with emotion, saving fire as a final celebration.
Here’s an example (I heard this from Astrologer Debra Silverman a long time ago and it’s always stuck):
Think about a dinner party. What happens when you enter? Typically, you’re greeted with a warm hug and you’re offered a beverage, water energy. Then comes the conversation, air—you’re catching up, asking questions, discussing recent events. Next, the host sets out the food, plates, forks, napkins, all the materials needed to enjoy a delicious meal, earth. Then hopefully, there’s fire! It’s time to turn up the music for a dance moment or to play a lively game of charades. There’s laughter and fun, when everyone is feeling more relaxed and connected. If one of the elements was missing, it wouldn’t be complete.
Elemental Routines
Hopefully you’re starting to see how everything we do carries the essence of one of the elements. We’re already living our astrology. So what happens when we engage with the elements even more intentionally? We can create a rhythm in our lives that feels healthy, magical, and truly ALIVE.
Think about your daily routines.
Typically, people skip over water all together, jumping right to their phones and the onslaught of information (very air energy). When we don’t engage with water and our emotions intentionally first, we can experience a build up of anxiety and fear that can leave us feeling icky and drained. I recommend working with water first thing.
Even if you have a habit of looking at your phone first (guilty!), you can quickly reroute to something that feels more connective. In the morning, our spiritual centers are most open and connected to our deeper layers of consciousness. Make yourself some warm lemon water, sit in a quiet place, meditate, and write. Or go for a walk without stimulation, taking deep breaths and noticing how you feel. Then once your conscious brain picks up momentum, you can feel more calm and present.
While we’re at work, we’re typically engaging our minds and our bodies the most (air and earth respectively). But we can reclaim these elements for our own desires by learning about topics that interest us (air) and designing better systems for the world that we want to see (earth). Air and Earth are the left-brain elements that have the power to think, plan, and create change.
Finally, FIRE. It’s important to make sure that you’re having fun in your life! You have Fire energy somewhere in your chart and it’s essential that you find ways to engage that part —your heart and your Spirit. Dancing, sports, art, fashion, and travel all come to mind. Water and Fire are our right-brain elements that give life its creative and spiritual undercurrents. Begin and end your day with these elements to bring more flow into your life.
All of this being said, there are no rules for how it looks to work with the elements. Create rituals and routines that feel meaningful to you, keeping in mind that you have energetic support every step of the way.
Elemental Magic
Okay, the juiciest part! Yes, every single routine and ritual that you do carries an elemental quality. But we can harness the power of the elements even more intentionally through magical practice. I define magic as the process of channeling energy to create change and uplift intention.
A beautiful way to start your magical practice is to work with the Moon. Twice a month, we have astrological events called lunations—full moons and new moons. Lunations are powerful opportunities because each one falls in a certain sign (and therefore a certain element). We can intentionally harness the energy of the lunation to assist our personal intentions and spells.
For instance, if we were under a Full Moon in Aries (which occurs every Libra Season because these are opposite signs), it would be a good idea to work with the energy of FIRE. You could write your intentions on a piece of paper and safely burn it, visualizing the smoke lifting your intentions to the universe. Or if we were under a New Moon in Scorpio (which occurs every Scorpio Season, when the Sun and Moon are in the same place), you could work with the energy of WATER. Perhaps putting rose petals in a bath and saying your wishes aloud, or brewing a cup of tea and imagine stirring you intentions in.
The more you work with the energy of the elements, you will be drawn to rituals that feel most aligned to you. I recommend using The Moon app to have a moon calendar to reference and to see what sign the Moon is in from day to day.
Working with the Moon also provides you with a natural rhythm that feels gentle and regulating. Honoring cycles of energy is a way to signal to your subconscious that you are aligned with your own ebb and flow, that you are continually receiving and releasing.
You are Magic
Again, astrology is nature and life itself. There is no pressure to memorize your birth chart and constantly be aware of your transits. You can see astrology as a beautiful backdrop for your life that is constantly supporting you and also open to your conscious engagement.
Make sure to follow along with own musings & ritual ideas for each Full Moon, New Moon, and beyond—join me on Substack.
And if you want to really drop in to this magic, listen to my Guided Visualization for the Elements & Zodiac Signs. Get cozy and connect to your magic. Like the mountains and the seas, it’s always there.
xx Jaz