Temperamental Ponderings

The more I think about astrology, read what astrologers and others have to say about it, the more I feel the urge to stand back, throw away the magnifying glass, and instead take a kind of x-ray view of it all, to study its bones. From that perspective one key factor emerges first, very clearly: the elements, and next the qualities and polarities - bones - building blocks of astrology.

It's good to purge the mind of detail, once in a while, and gaze on an outline sketch, which can, when well-drawn, sometimes tell as much as a finely detailed portrait.

Earth, Water, Fire, Air.
Cardinal, Mutable, Fixed.
Positive, Negative.

Those are the bones of astrology. It's best to keep in mind what these factors can draw for us, when their proportional emphasis, and accepted keywords, are considered for any exact date, time and location. It will be a description of the prevailing astrological atmosphere of that exact time. What will emerge will primarily be the chart of the birth of a moment in time. Astrologers, and astrology fans, believe that a human - and perhaps other creatures born in that exact moment - carry within their DNA, their molecules, a replication of the elements and qualities of that moment's atmosphere.

It was the Greek philosopher-mathematician Empedocles (c. 450 BCE) who first established the system of the four primary elements, fire, air, water and earth. Drawing on the work of his predecessors, his proposal was based very simply and rationally on observation of the qualities of the physical world, which fell into two pairs of opposites: wet and dry, hot and cold. Fire was considered to result from the combination of dry and hot, air was created from the hot and wet, water from the cold and wet, and earth from the cold and dry. Each of the four elements was also associated with one of the four seasons.
MORE AT astro.com HERE

From natal proportions of the astrological elements and rest of the nine factors listed above, in a person's birth chart, it'd be possible to produce an outline sketch of its owner's temperament, based on selections of keywords devised over many decades. I was about to type, just now, "sketch of of its owner's personality" when I remembered reading something to the effect that personality and temperament are not the same thing. The sketch would be, as well as a description of the prevailing astrological atmosphere, an outline of how that atmosphere could broadly manifest in human temperament.

In an excellent article by Dorian Gieseler Greenbaum:
The Well-Tempered Astrologer - Using an Ancient System in Modern Astrology, the author explains:

Temperament is often confused with "personality” or “character.” How are these three different? First of all, temperament is innate whereas both character and personality can have external components. Personality, in fact, combines both internal and external factors,and some dictionaries define it as “behavior as a whole.” But the term “personality” (which didn’t even come into use until the end of the 19th century) uses the Latin word persona, which means “mask” — as in the masks worn by characters in a play — and thus implies the outward expression of a person. “Character” comes from the Greek word charaktēr, a stamp, something used to make an impression on wax or metal; today we take “character” to mean both the features that distinguish one form from another and a person’s moral nature. In modern connotation, character can be both internal and external, but the Greek definition implies something imposed from without (parental or societal) rather than from within.

Temperament, by contrast, falls on the “nature” rather than the “nurture” side of the spectrum. We are born with our temperaments, as any mother of more than one child can tell you. We may have overlays to our temperaments at various times in our lives,but temperament is our default position, what we naturally fall back on when faced with new situations. What you’re born with is what you keep.

That whole article is a "must read" !
There are also some excerpts from a book by the same author, (Temperament - Astrology's Forgotten Key) at Skyscript website.


Our four astrological elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water do link to the ancient theory of the four humors/humours or temperaments (sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and phlegmatic) central to the articles mentioned above. The humours, and ways they were thought to manifest in human temperament, were used as an aid to medical diagnoses and treatment of ailments, long ago.

From Greek Medicine.net

Agents of Metabolism
The Four Humors are the metabolic agents of the Four Elements in the human body. The right balance and purity of them is essential to maintaining health. The Four Humors and the elements they serve are as follows:
Blood - AIR; Phlegm - WATER; Yellow Bile - FIRE; Black Bile - EARTH
All four of these humors, or vital fluids, are present in the bloodstream in varying quantities:
Blood, or the Sanguine humor, is the red, hemoglobin-rich portion.
Phlegm, or the Phlegmatic humor, is present as the clear plasma portion.
Yellow Bile, or the Choleric humor, is present as a slight residue or bilirubin, imparting a slight yellowish tint.
Black Bile, or the Melancholic humor, is present as a brownish grey sediment with platelets and clotting factors.

The Psychological Effects of the Humors
The Four Humors are not just gross, physical substances. They also pervade the whole organism as subtle vapors, even affecting the mind, thoughts, and emotions. And so, the Four Humors also have psychological effects, making them capable of affecting both body and mind:

Blood promotes a feeling of joy, mirth, optimism, enthusiasm, affection and well-being. (Sanguine/Air)
Phlegm induces passivity, lethargy, subjectivity, devotion, emotionalism, sensitivity and sentimentality. (Phlegmatic/Water)
Yellow Bile provokes, excites and emboldens the passions. Being inflammatory, irritating and caustic, it provokes anger, irritability, boldness, ambition, envy, jealousy and courage.(Choleric/Fire)
Black Bile makes one pensive, melancholy and withdrawn. It encourages prudence, caution, realism, pragmatism and pessimism. (Melancholic/Earth)

The Four Humors tend to have negative effects on the mind and emotions only when they're excessive or aggravated. Otherwise, they can also strengthen positive aspects of character.

 Hat-tip HERE

So, when we apply keywords attributed to the 4 astrological elements, the related humour is represented too. What we come up with, as an outline sketch, using natal chart and astrological elements, is the prevailing astrological atmosphere with related innate temperament of a human subject. Innate temperament will not necessarily be exactly the same as the subject's personality, nor their character.






A couple more layers of shading for our outline sketch should be added: astrological qualities (Cardinal/Fixed/Mutable) and polarities (positive/negative), allocated thus:


(Thanks to Kepler College website for this helpful diagram.)

The following images are from a book of mine: Astrology, written and compiled by Louis MacNeice. The sketches are interesting, but I wouldn't bet on their close relationship to reality!

I can't get my own head around the last diagram. There's no additional information in the book, so maybe Mr MacNeice couldn't get his head around it either. Why does each sign have three (or 2) colours? One colour obviously relates to the humour connected to that sign, the other one or two must relate to the signs' traditional ruler(s)...there's this at Skyscript

and this from HERE

Ah well, at this point things have become a tad murky - maybe I've delved too deeply, or not deeply enough - I'm now stumbling around among those building blocks of astrology!

A bit of garbled elemental guff.....

I don't feel like delving into detailed astrology with regard to lost Malaysian airlines MH370. Other, more experienced, heads are onto it anyway, and my heart wouldn't be in it, not at the depth needed to reach any kind of sane conclusion.

Something loosely astrological keeps nagging at the back of my mind though. Every astrological element is involved in this current mystery.

Air, obviously - the plane flew through it. Water - the plane flew over it and might possibly have crashed into it. Fire - some experienced pilots have put forward the considered opinion that an electrical fire in the front instrument panel or below it might have been the beginnings of an ensuing tragedy. Earth - the plane, if not in the sea has to be somewhere on or in the earth, intact, hidden for whatever purpose, or destroyed in a crash.

I've occasionally pondered which of the astrological elements is the strongest (as in "rock-paper-scissors"). This will not help with the current mystery, but just for the hell of it.... Air feeds fire, fire dies without air. Fire can be extinguished by water and indeed by earth if enough of it is thrown onto a fire. So though fire is dramatic, strong and destructive it isn't the strongest of the elements. Air can affect earth : tornado, dust devils etc. but it re-arranges rather than destroys; what it destroys are constructions not earth itself. Air and water mix somewhat uncomfortably, neither needs the other to persist. Earth can and does exist under the oceans, water can and does exist in clouds in the air. Nothing destroys earth or water entirely. Air, as we know it, could be subject to change, which is its weakness, I guess.

Earth and water reign supreme then? Did I need to know this? Not really. Never mind.

Back to where is MH370?

Lurking at World's End

Disclaimer: This post was not prompted by the situation in Syria, but by a movie we saw on HBO some days ago.

If there were certain knowledge of an imminent date and time when the world would end - not just our world, THE world - how would we spend the short time, one or two weeks, still remaining to us?

In Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, a 2012 film written and directed by Lorene Scafaria, that question arose. The movie had been shown on HBO several times recently, we purposely avoided it. I prefer dystopian dramas, husband prefers straight sci-fi, this film seemed to promise no sci-fi and even more doomy doom than the worst dystopian flick available, with a promised sprinkle of.....comedy (?). Well, we would either laugh or cry I guess!

I accidentally allowed this movie to start while searching the schedule for something else. I was drawn in. We ended up watching it. Much to my surprise I enjoyed it, in a perverse kind of way, several songs featured in the soundtrack helped....among others songs from: Walker Brothers, Beach Boys, The Hollies.

There wasn't a whole lot of comedy, a few titter-worthy one-liners, and the odd try for a touch of satire. Ms Scafaria depicted a range of reactions to the terrible news that a huge (70-mile-wide) asteroid was about to collide with Earth, all attempts to deflect or destroy it had failed. The exact time of impact was known and there was absolutely no room for doubt on this.

How would any of us react to such news? In the film, along the way, we encounter a mix of characters' reactions, some predictable, some not.

Displaying a form of denial, the urge to just carry on as usual - a cleaning lady and a police officer on highway patrol fell into this category.

Attempting one long orgy, for example at a bar/restaurant called Friendsy's where it was drinks, drugs and sex-a go-go.

Joining a riot gang to rape, pillage, burn - remembering to get it in the right order (?)

Attempting survival - in special shelter with lots of food, water, and weaponry ("the new world will need leaders!")

Seeking before-the-end baptism on a beach: joining a growing line of those wanting to be "saved".

Looting for luxuries - that one's always on the cards!

Hiring a hitman to do the job before time - it'd save waiting for the inevitable - the waiting is always the worst.

Going out on the road to find lost loves or absent family.

What would any of us do? Would our astrology, perhaps, direct our reaction? Let's surmise. Earth-prominent people might choose to go the denial route, carry on as usual in spite of everything. Water-led groups would go for emotional endings - seeking loved ones, beautiful landscapes, as much peace as possible. Fire-led groups might include the two opposites : survivalists and rioters - but the need to "do something" would be strong. Air-prominent people, hmm, I don't know; they'd probably over-think things, maybe join the survivalist types, or using what logic (and money) they had left , hire a hitman (why wait?)

What would I do? I think I'd try to carry on as usual. I do have more Fire than Earth, but neither riots nor survival appeals in those particular circumstances. Must be my Earth Grand Trine leading the way.

At the end of the late Roger Ebert's review of the film (linked at the top of the post) he added an insightful thought - his last sentence: "Isn't the dilemma of the plot the essential dilemma of life?"

Astrology ? Elemental My Dear Watson!

A recent article at Huffington Post written by Sara Calabro: Are You a Fire Type begins like this:

Summer is officially upon us. You may be noticing yourself having more energy, feeling more social, or experiencing all-around better moods. This is normal for this time of year, when, from an acupuncture perspective, the yang -- extroverted, lively, enthusiastic, active -- aspects of a person are at their peak.

In acupuncture theory, humans are viewed as microcosms of the natural world that surrounds them. Weather and climate, particularly during the transition from one season to another, factor significantly into diagnoses and treatment plans. Each season is linked with a natural element, organ and emotion.

The element, organ and emotion of summer are, respectively, Fire, heart and joy. So, how does this influence the way we feel in summertime?

Do You Like to Play With Fire?

How we feel during summer is largely determined by our constitutional expression of the Fire element.

That theory, if considering the astrological element of Fire, doesn't work for me though. I have more personal (as against generational) planets in Fire signs (3) than in the other elements (Air 1) (Earth 1) Water (2).... I do not enjoy hot summer weather. Perhaps a Fire sign rising could be the key to what Ms Calabro suggests? My natal rising sign is Cancer, re-located to my current home it's Aquarius - Water and Air - no Fire involved. Or perhaps the elemental Fire of which she writes is something different from astrological Fire.

Astrological elements are astrology's building blocks. A re-run of an archived post from 2008 on this very topic coming up:........................

Building blocks of astrology, the elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air; and the modes or qualities: Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable, were bequeathed to Western astrology by the Greeks via their illustrious philosophers. The elements equate to what modern physics has identified as the four states of matter - building blocks of the Universe: solid, liquid, gas and plasma.
(Illustration, above, from The Particle Adventure)

Modern-day wits have other ideas, tongue-in-cheek. Author Terry Pratchett has a character in one of his books stipulating that the universe depends for its operation on the balance of four forces which can be identified as "charm, persuasion, uncertainty and bloody-mindedness.” While comedian Dave Barry has it on good authority that "the four building blocks of the universe are fire, water, gravel and vinyl."

Jokes aside, without a basic understanding of how the elements relate to each other, it'd be impossible to "get" astrology. The four elements, each modified by one of the three modes/qualities are at the the root of all interpretations.

The circle we use to depict the sky in astrology is split into 12 equal segments, each allocated to an element, modified by a mode (eg. Aries = Cardinal Fire, Taurus = Fixed Earth...) It's possible, with an understanding of each element and mode, to produce a basic interpretation of a chart using only these concepts, ignoring labels placed on signs by ancient astrologers.

The elements and modes progress around the zodiac circle, alternating in regular succession, forming wave-like patterns. If spread out in line the patterns looks like this ~ please excuse the awful diagram! F=Fire. E=Earth. W=Water. A=Air.....C=Cardinal. Fx=Fixed. M=Mutable. Wave above line =Elements. Wave below = Modes. To avoid more confusion I've ignored a third quality - Polarity (positive/negative or masculine/feminine), which would form another wave, alternating between signs, starting at Positive = Aries.



Why? Did those Greeks, long ago, grasp, intuit, or have access to some lost knowledge which led to this particular way of laying out the zodiac? More questions than answers - as usual!

The elements and modes are factors amid a plethora of astrological principles and methods, which remain completely reliable and consistent. They never let you down. As I see it, something somehow connected to these will, one day, explain (partially) why astrology works.

In The Night Sky by Richard Grossinger, I found a paragraph which may or may not have any relevance in this context, it caught my eye as I searched for information.

In 1869, the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev discovered that the chemical properties of the elements (My note: this refers to the non-astrological elements)are periodic functions of their atomic weights, i.e. of the number of protons in their nuclei. When he arranged the then-known elements in a series, he found that there were familial resemblances among elements at regular numerical intervals. For instance, carbon, silicon and tin lie in a series for which the member between silicon and tin was then apparently missing. This was later found to be germanium. Fluourine, chlorine, bromine and iodine constitute another family. Then there's a group of lithium, sodium and potassium; another of nitrogen phosphorus, arsenic and antimony; and so on. Nature contains a hidden periodic function which is basic to form and order in the world. (My note: There are "families" in astrological elements too, at regular numerical intervals - the Fire family Aries, Leo, Sagittarius, the Air family Gemini, Libra, Aquarius etc.) All the other elements are based on the simplest one, hydrogen with its single proton, which is also - we were to find out - the fuel of the stars.

Mendeleev's periodic table, and the reality that lay behind it gave a new basis for understanding the history and evolution of matter. Mathematical relationships determined the seemingly limitless display of forms in nature, from plants and animals to stars and galaxies. It was hauntingly Pythagorean, as Heisenberg would remind us.

The echo of astrological elements and modes and the way they were arranged by ancient astrologers is discernible. They had no knowledge of periodic tables and suchlike, as far as we know.

I have confidence that astrology is more than mere superstition. It's something rooted in the very nature of the universe. Oh - it's rough and ready, imperfect and encumbered with a plethora of unnecessary accessories, but beneath it all there is a gem. I can't say it better than the wonderful Carl Sagan said it..."Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."

Perceptions of Higher Consciousness - Looking Through Astrology's Viewfinder

It could well be due to a "feet-on-the-ground" Earthy Grand Trine in my natal chart, but concepts such as transcendence, spirituality and higher consciousness bug me more than a little. An article at Common Dreams the other day "No, Higher Consciousness Won’t Save Us", by Norman Solomon caught my eye, but an ever growing stream of comments by some erudite guys and gals proved to be even more interesting than the article itself.



It wasn't too surprising to see two clear camps emerging. The "feet-on-the-ground" types to whom I related most easily, and those who support the idea that higher consciousness (and there were differences in perception of its definition) could be a component in what might "save us", politically and/or physically.

In current debates the meaning of words, often a matter of individual perception, can cause huge frustration and misunderstanding. "Socialism" and "socialist", for instance. Higher consciousness is an expression similarly open to a variety of definitions or perceptions, meaning different things to different people. While no perception of it is quite as bad a misunderstanding as arises in relation to "socialism" in the USA, the differences can still cause problems, as was apparent in the thread of comments to which I've referred.

Many who study astrology have aspirations towards what they see as higher consciousness. Articles relating to the end of the Mayan long-count calendar, in 2012, often refer to the likelihood of "a change in consciousness" supposedly due to happen around that time. One hopes it'll be an upward change rather than a downward one! People who lean towards eastern versions of religion and astrology almost always aim to "raise their consciousness" as part of the discipline.

Higher consciousness can simply mean being more aware of what is going on around you, putting less focus on self and more on the common good. That's my simple definition which, come to think of it, might be better expressed as "wider consciousness". Other definitions of higher consciousness can begin to sound uncomfortably elitist. As one commenter at the article mentiond in the first paragraph described it: an attitude that "my consciousness is higher than your consciousness" - this can happen when the expression isn't clearly defined by those using it.

To be perfectly honest I have no wish to send my mind elsewhere, higher or lower. There are more than enough problems to solve in the here and now plane of existence. Aiming for a more esoteric plane described in eastern philosophy might be satisfying on a personal level, but what exactly does it do for the world at large?

There's no getting away from the fact that there'll always be differences of opinion, perception, and consequently of desire, on this subject. None is more correct than others. There is space and a place for all.

With astrology in mind, I'd like to relate differences in perception of what "higher consciousness" means to each individual to the elements: Earth, Water, Air, Fire in their natal chart. Those of us "regulated" (I use the term very loosely) by Water are, I suspect, the ones most likely to seek the eastern type of higher consciousness; those whose understanding is led by Earth perceive it more as I have described it for myself, in a previous paragraph. Air and Fire people could swing either way, but on the whole Air is more likely to be interested in the eastern version than the generally "get-it-done" Fire mentality.

Zodiac signs showing elements: red=Fire, pale blue=Air; dark blue-Water; brown=Earth.



Calculating one's likely "regulator" isn't easy. It's not just a question of natal Sun in a sign whose ruler is Earth, Air or whatever, or any other commonly accepted labelling tool. Even counting the number of planets in each element doesn't necessarily come up with the right answer, because position of the angles, and aspects to and from each, could well make a significant difference.

Astro.com has a section under the Extended Chart Selection called "Pullen Astrolog" where, after inputting your birth data you can go to the section called "Simple chart delineation", scroll through lots of information about your natal chart and eventually come to some statistics where the value of the 4 elements, painstakingly calculated, is expressed as a percentage. Even this doesn't give the expected result for me. According to this my highest percentage is Water, then Fire; Earth is 3rd, Air 4th. Alternatively then, depending on one's natal chart, the relevant relationship in this question of perception of "higher consciousness" may be more specifically connected to where/how Mercury (planet of understanding) is placed. In my case it's in Earthy Capricorn and at a strong position near the descendant angle, hooked into a Grand Trine in Earth. That'll have to be my excuse....er ...I mean my story, if my consciousness, though attempting to be wide, remains stubbornly dragging its heels in the dust of Mother Earth.

Elemental Chit-Chat

The astrological elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water will feature in a movie due for release next Friday : "Angels & Demons", an adaptation of another of Dan (Da Vinci Code) Brown's novels. It's not often that anything even loosely related to astrology gets a mention in movies. That is strange. People don't have to "believe" in astrology for it to be part of a plotline. Presumably people don't believe in vampires, zombies, talking mammoths and penguins, etc. etc. but they still feature in movies.


From Wikipedia - on "Angels & Demons":

"The Path leads Langdon to four major locations in Rome (Vatican City is within the city of Rome), each associated with what the Illuminati believed to be the four primordial elements of all things in existence: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Upon arriving at each location, Langdon finds one of the Preferiti murdered in a fashion appropriate to the location's respective element".

Perhaps the reason astrology gets ignored is that authors and screen writers don't understand it sufficiently to write about it in an entertaining way.

We're looking forward to seeing "Angels & Demons", but wondering whether our local cinema will carry the movie in its schedule. The Powers That Be in this town (the churches) don't like demons. Our local High School sports teams are called "The..... Demons" and TPTB have been trying to get that name changed for years! Dear me!! If we have to travel to a nearby city to see the movie - so be it.



Speaking of astrological elements, Earth, Air and Fire (could be said to be Earth, Wind and Fire, but that name's already taken) will feature in American Idol's semi-final on Tuesday evening - Danny Gokey (Earth - Taurus Sun); Adam Lambert (Air - Aquarius Sun) and Kris Allen (Fire - Sagittarius Sun). Even if American Idol isn't normally your thing, Tuesday's show should be worth an hour's viewing. The three finalists are all very, very good, in very different ways - as are their astro-elements. It's "All the Young Dudes" (David Bowie) who've struggled through to the semi-final. Allison Iraheta was voted out this week, a great pity, in my opinion.

All the young dudes
Carry the news
Boogaloo dudes
Carry the news.

Thinking more on the three guys' Sun elements - is one stronger than another? Air can't destroy Earth, and Fire feeds on Air, but Air can sometimes blow out Fire. Earth can't destroy Air, but it can smother Fire. Following that logic(?) the final should come down to Adam and Danny (Air and Earth)- one from a theatrical background, the other a church music director. They kind of represent two sides of America.

Wednesday's "Why?" ~ Elements and Stuff

The building blocks of astrology: the elements - Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and the modes or qualities: Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable, were bequeathed to Western astrology by the Greeks via their illustrious philosophers. The elements, by the way, equate to what modern physics has identified as the four states of matter - building blocks of the Universe: solid, liquid, gas and plasma.

Less serious modern-day wits have other ideas. Author Terry Pratchett has a character in one of his books stipulating that the universe depends for its operation on the balance of four forces which can be identified as "charm, persuasion, uncertainty and bloody-mindedness.” While comedian Dave Barry has it on good authority that "the four building blocks of the universe are fire, water, gravel and vinyl."

Jokes aside, without a basic understanding of how the elements relate to each other, it'd be impossible to "get" astrology. The four elements, each modified by one of the three modes/qualities are the the root of all interpretations.

The circle we use to depict the sky in astrology is split into 12 equal segments, each allocated to an element, modified by a mode (eg. Aries = Cardinal Fire, Taurus = Fixed Earth...) It's possible, with an understanding of each element and mode, to produce a basic interpretation of a chart using only these concepts, ignoring labels placed on signs by ancient astrologers.

The elements and modes progress around the zodiac circle, alternating in regular succession, forming wave-like patterns. If spread out in line the patterns looks like this ~ please excuse the awful diagram! F=Fire. E=Earth. W=Water. A=Air.....C=Cardinal. Fx=Fixed. M=Mutable. Wave above line =Elements. Wave below = Modes. To avoid more confusion I've ignored a third quality - Polarity (positive/negative or masculine/feminine), which would form another wave, alternating between signs, starting at Positive = Aries.



Why? Did those Greeks, long ago, grasp, intuit, or have access to some lost knowledge which led to this particular way of laying out the zodiac? More questions than answers - as usual!

The elements and modes are factors amid a plethora of astrological principles and methods, which remain completely reliable and consistent. They never let you down. As I see it, something somehow connected to these will, one day, explain (partially) why astrology works.

From a book "The Night Sky" by Richard Grossinger, I found a paragraph which may or may not have any relevance in this context, but it caught my eye as I searched for information.

In 1869, the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev discovered that the chemical properties of the elements (My note: this refers to the non-astrological elements)are periodic functions of their atomic weights, i.e. of the number of protons in their nuclei. When he arranged the then-known elements in a series, he found that there were familial resemblances among elements at regular numerical intervals. For instance, carbon, silicon and tin lie in a series for which the member between silicon and tin was then apparently missing. This was later found to be germanium. Fluourine, chlorine, bromine and iodine constitute another family. Then there's a group of lithium, sodium and potassium; another of nitrogen phosphorus, arsenic and antimony; and so on. Nature contains a hidden periodic function which is basic to form and order in the world. (My note: There are "families" in astrological elements too, at regular numerical intervals - the Fire family Aries, Leo, Sagittarius, the Air family Gemini, Libra, Aquarius etc.) All the other elements are based on the simplest one, hydrogen with its single proton, which is also - we were to find out - the fuel of the stars.

Mendeleev's periodic table, and the reality that lay behind it gave a new basis for understanding the history and evolution of matter. Mathematical relationships determined the seemingly limitless display of forms in nature, from plants and animals to stars and galaxies. It was hauntingly Pythagorean, as Heisenberg would remind us.

I'm not at all sure where that took me! I'm attracted by the echo of astrological elements and modes and the way they were arranged by ancient astrologers, who had no knowledge of periodic tables and suchlike - as far as we know. One place it did take me is to a confidence that astrology is more than mere superstition. It's something rooted in the very nature of the universe. It's rough and ready, imperfect and encumbered with a range of unnecessary accessories, but beneath it all there is a gem. I can't say it better than the wonderful Carl Sagan said it..."Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."

Energy of the Elements

At a gas station recently we saw this oversized load, stationary, its driver visiting the convenience store. The Husband, ever watchful for a photo opportunity, leapt out of the car, camera in hand for a shot. The truck driver emerged before photography was completed, and asked, "Know what that is?"





"A sewer pipe?"

"An oil pipe?"

"No".

It was part of a wind turbine - a section of the upright "stem", bigger than I'd have expected.

My mind wandered off, pondering energy and the astrological elements: Earth, Air, Water and Fire. All offer opportunities for man to extract energy. The Earth gave us oil and coal - overused through long centuries, to its eventual detriment. Fire gives us heat energy, thermal dynamics, and solar energy, increasingly being harnessed using solar panels.

Water and Air offer some relatively new opportunities to harness their energy on a big scale, both will probably move more to the fore in coming decades. Wind turbines are already showing up, even in supposedly backward Oklahoma. A regiment of these elegant structures can be seen topping a ridge beyond the Wichita Mountains. Water offers hydro-electric power, of which man has already made good use for several decades, and a newly tapped source from the ocean - wave energy.


It's interesting that Neptune and Uranus, outer planets which could be said to rule Water and Air respectively are currently lying in each other's domain or sign of rulership - Uranus in Pisces, Neptune in Aquarius. Their planetary energies combine and gather strength - perhaps heralding an incoming prominence of the energy derived from their elements.

These two artworks illustrate energy from Water and Air rather nicely:

Water: by English Golden Age illustrator Walter Crane



Air: by Russian-born surrealist painter Vladimir Kush