Fire and Earth - finding a balance

This thread is for people to share their experiences of trying to balance the inherently opposite elements of fire and earth. Regardless of whether we have one or both of these elements emphasised in our chart, we all have to make this balance in some way.

Earth symbolises the sensation function, which we use to experience the physical, tangible world through the five senses. Earth adapts to life by perceiving the nature and function of each object, and using this information to organise the material world. Sensuality, responsibility, efficiency and pragmatism are the gifts of earth, but if taken to an extreme the earth element can give rise to a circumscribed life which lack any sense of meaning and deeper purpose.

Fire symbolises the intuitive function, which is orientated towards implications and possibilities rather than manifest reality. Fire adapts to life by perceiving the creative potentials inherent in a situation, and pursuing those potentials with a sense of optimism and adventure. Imagination, faith, courage and a sense of a meaningful destiny are the gifts of fire. But in an extreme form the intuitive function gives rise to recklessness, gullibility, impatience and an expectation that others will attend to practicalities.

Fire + Earth = Volcanoes!

I found that people with a lot of Fire + Earth in their charts can be a bit like that, explosive like a volcano, simmering under the surface for a long time and then.. wham! comes the great explosion!

Yes more substance in these elements somehow than the other two elements. Some people call this combination the steamroller - initiative and enthusiasm plus practical know-how and self-discipline.

I'll come back to the thread tomorrow and write about the conflict I experience between these elements (Venus in Capricorn trine and mutual reception Saturn in Taurus, with Mars and Jupiter in Sagittarius). And hopefully others will share their experiences of conflict and reconciliation between these elements, too...

Bina said:

Fire + Earth = Volcanoes!

I found that people with a lot of Fire + Earth in their charts can be a bit like that, explosive like a volcano, simmering under the surface for a long time and then.. wham! comes the great explosion!

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Absolutely. I'm usually very placid and calm and it can be years between temper tantrums for me, but when they happen, take cover! I think in a way a volcanic temper can be more destructive than the personality who has frequent shows of anger, gets it over with and moves on. I can't do that. My rage builds slowly, reaches a peak where I'm no longer in control, and lasts for a long time, before leaving me physically and emotionally ill. That is why I rarely ever let anyone see me in a rage.

Earth and Fire can work - at it's best it can be molded and shaped, like a clay pot baked in a kiln. Something useful can come out of Earth and Fire together, but on the not so good side, Earth can put Fire out and both lose power.

I have only my mars in an earth sign: heavy on the water element, and lacking air: I think this contributes to making me less sociable as I have gotten older...but still comfortable with myself. i do get inspired a lot thanks to Venus and Pluto in Leo [fire].
I say that the earth energy can suffocate and diminish inspiration: too much fire, though, can lead to 'scorching the earth' making us sometimes impractical and less impressed with the material world.

vlsmercury7 said:

Absolutely. I'm usually very placid and calm and it can be years between temper tantrums for me, but when they happen, take cover! I think in a way a volcanic temper can be more destructive than the personality who has frequent shows of anger, gets it over with and moves on. I can't do that. My rage builds slowly, reaches a peak where I'm no longer in control, and lasts for a long time, before leaving me physically and emotionally ill. That is why I rarely ever let anyone see me in a rage.

Earth and Fire can work - at it's best it can be molded and shaped, like a clay pot baked in a kiln. Something useful can come out of Earth and Fire together, but on the not so good side, Earth can put Fire out and both lose power.

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I've had some kind of a block with coming back to this thread. Air and water are somehow much easier for me to talk about. I definitely have fire as a more favoured way of adapting to life. Its easier for me to just list some examples of how my 'inferior' earth function manifests:

I find it very difficult to do a food shop that will cover even the next 24 hours. My brain goes to mush in the Supermarket.

When I go away somewhere I can't start packing until the day I go - often less than half an hour before I'm due to catch a train (the station is a few minutes walk from where I live). I just can't be bothered until I have to. I'd only end up having to check I'd got everything just before I left the house anyway.

I'm rubbish at keeping my bicycle properly serviced.

This year is first year I've tried to grow any food other than beansprouts and tomatoes. I had loads of resistance to planting some seeds and then felt quite anxious somehow when I was doing it. But I have some carrots, cauliflowers and onions growing now and hopefully I'll get more ambitious each year!

I have no pension lined up whatsoever, apart from the basic state pension. It makes sense to me why many people do it, but its a complete anathema to me. I've never been able to save money and have always been in debt in one way or another.

It took me until I was nearly 30 to knuckle down and get a 'proper job' and I've never gotten on the property ladder.


But life isn't letting me get away with avoiding the earth element. My main income comes from home maintenance and decorating, etc. so I have to work with my hands on the physical world. I have to be self-employed, though. I have to draw the line somewhere! I get to choose my own hours and which work I take on. Unfortunately preparation for work is similar to preparation for going away, and this generates stress at times.

I'm quite impulsive in various ways - like not wanting to be bothered to get changed into old clothes if I'm going to do something messy, or spending money before I have it, or taking time off work when money is tight. But I am getting better at this.

I forgot to post my chart!

I'm laughing, because I do the same, when you said about not changing clothes for a messy job!
So Iv'e got to respond to this interesting thread, youv'e drawn me in Miquar!

I have the Asc,moon,merc and saturn in earth signs, and sun and venus in fire
Also jup opp saturn which I think adds to confusion.

I would say I am very impatient and when I get inspired I have to initiate there and then. I'm mellowing slightly with age. SLIGHTLY!
I love to make things like birdboxes and hedgehog house etc and love my garden, my FIRE isn't so keen though on maintaining it sometimes, but I do like being around nature, smelling the seasonal air and scents and watching nature busy being busy. As a kid I could, well still can watch insects, birds etc, for hours.
Have you ever watched the 'wolf spider do his mating dance'?

Earth, as I see her, shes in the present, not the future like Fire, she is 'you have to pay the bills, wash up, get to that dentist appointment, that reminds me, MAKE that Dentist appointment!
That spider has to do his mating dance even if his mate kills him! He has to make more baby spiders for generations to come.
Earth is sensuous, she likes to be held and feel safe, she likes to be fed good wholesome food and drink a good ale, feel the grass beneath her feet. Its not all boring chores!

My Fire likes to create, have ideas and my Earth responds by putting those ideas into practice, they dont always turn out good and my fiery temper does get the better of me, (but I dont sulk and I like to clear the air, and if I have made a real booby, although pride a little scortched, I do admit when I am wrong, I do.....HONEST!)
For me its because I want to do a good job, the best I can do, and thats not always good from the creative side of things, and in this case my Earth can stifle my original Fiery enthusiasm for a project, I can get bogged down. I give up
But if its a good idea, I go back to it.

Emotionally I swing from 'I could do that, and that and that', to 'I dont think I'm good enough to do that, that or that'.
When youre that high up, the fall is gonna hurt, but Fire always picks itself up, eventually.
I only have one air and its not in a personal planet, Uranus!
I need more perspective, a lot of the time, but I am learning, hopefully!

I also have a very dry sense of humour, thankyou Cappy and I can laugh at myself, I love those comedians that have a nack of seeing the funny in the Quirks of life, the things we all do, but like to think that we dont.
I also have a good memory thanks to my mercury in Cap, much to the annoyance to my partner!! LOL

This has given me an idea for a thread

Inspired again!

I absolutely LOVE your post I cee! I can relate.

I have Asc and Venus in Earth signs and Sun, Moon, Merc, Jup, Nep and Chiron in Fire signs.

I get impatient with myself, not really with other people, as I believe we all learn at different paces.

I get inspired by something and can be very creative when I put my mind to it, which comes from the Fire influences and I feel the Earth signs keep me going with an idea, and I tend to finish what I start. I don't think it's just about the Earth signs in my chart, though. I have 3 planets in Fixed signs, so I have the determination to keep going.

Having my Ascendant in Virgo and Venus in Taurus means I have always felt a deep connection with the planet and with Nature, and I love being outdoors near lots of trees and grass. There's nothing I enjoy more than digging about in a garden, pulling weeds out and planting flowers. My problem is that I don't have a garden, and it's a 'some day' thing that I plan to grow my own vegetables. Without a garden, I still connect with Earth in other ways - baking things, walking along the beach, going for long walks over the hills near my home, that sort of thing. I collect crystals and gemstones, which is another manifestation of Earth.

The Fire side of me is usually kept under control, but deep down, there's a little child inside who wants to go out and play, and if I don't occasionally let my hair down and have fun, I can get really cranky! For an Aries, I'm actually a little bit moody at times and rather changeable.

I have a couple of planets in Air signs, plus my Midheaven, but I would have liked more. That said, my husband has a lot of Air in his chart, so that balances my deficit of Air. He lacks Earth, so I balance his chart. It's Water that I mostly lack, with only 2 planets in Water signs plus my Descendant. Strangely enough, I have a strong affinity with Water. I live near the sea and cannot imagine living away from it, and I have to be in contact with Water a lot, even it is doing the washing up after dinner. I love being in water, and would swim all day if I could.

Thankyou VisMercury7,
I like to cook too, and generally my partner does the washing-up!!
I have mars,jup and Nep in water, but not good at swimming and nearly drowned three times when young
I respect the water.
Rather fly over it and observe from a distance.LOL

vlsmercury7 said:

The Fire side of me is usually kept under control, but deep down, there's a little child inside who wants to go out and play, and if I don't occasionally let my hair down and have fun, I can get really cranky! For an Aries, I'm actually a little bit moody at times and rather changeable.

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The above quote stood out to me, as I have the same issue. I have an Aries Moon in the 8th, and if not as far as oppressed, it's certainly controlled. I've noticed I start getting cranky when I don't allow myself much fun time, and I can be rather moody some days. Most days though, it seems to be a battle of will vs security for me. My Moon squares my Capricorn Sun in the 4th; and it's quite a wide (but allowable) orb, but definitely explains a lot about my life.

I've been wanting to post to this thread since it was started, but I'm not really sure what I can offer. I have a preponderance of fire and earth, particularly in cardinal signs, and I can be quite the trailblazer when I'm inspired or interested in what I'm doing; and it's worth noting that I do have to be interested to really put an effort forward. I'll do what's necessary regardless of interest, but interest to me does hold significant influence on me. I wouldn't say I'm changeable though; I'm open-minded and eclectic with my thinking, but everything I take in is used to apply toward furthering my primary interests. It all connects, in other words.

I still haven't learned to balance these two elements very well, but that could be due mainly to the luminaries squaring each other and the difficulty I have with turning it into a more flowing interaction. I can be very creative when I let myself be, but seem to default to being highly logical and pragmatic. I'm primarily interested in theoretical ideas though, and need a great deal of freedom to really shine in my activities. I've read fire tends to lack self-control and is impulsive, but I've never had this issue. If anything, I'd say I have too much self-control most of the time to allow myself spontaneity and risk-taking. I'm more of a slow and steady climber, I don't like to rush anything, and take my sweet time when able. I'm patient, very tenacious and persevering too, all of which seems to be earth complementing my fire. And speaking of time, I'm usually very preoccupied with time management. I greatly value my time, and it pains me to waste it.

Mentally, I'm very sharp and perceptive with picking up on subtleties well before others. I attribute this to fire, but also the feeling nature of water, since thoughts and feelings seem so closely bound for most people. With Aries ruling my 8th house Moon, perhaps this makes more sense for my instance in particular, considering Mars is placed in Scorpio in the 3rd house in my chart?

I cee said:

Emotionally I swing from 'I could do that, and that and that', to 'I dont think I'm good enough to do that, that or that'.
When youre that high up, the fall is gonna hurt, but Fire always picks itself up, eventually.

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I feel the same. I have 5 planets in earth,3 in fire. but when it comes to the ' personal planets' I have 3 in fire and 3 in earth

It's good to know someone feels the same

Virgo Sun + Aries Moon, connected through a biquintile -- which maybe, might make it easier to balance the two energies. Or not.

Virgo Sun has its hands full grappling with a lot of impulsive, emotional fire and water energies. The Sun actually doesn't feel very 'active' to me. It seems to be more of a manager than a doer. Unfortunately it often fails to keep the reins on a bunch of unruly planets and aspects. Kind of like trying to walk my two big dogs, who aren't as well trained as they should be, so they sometimes walk me. (I'm going to blame Cancer husband for that. Ha!)

Sun's job, I believe, is to figure out what in life is useful and what isn't, what's important/not, what's necessary/not. Imagination is strong, but it doesn't usually translate well into the reality of my life.

I am really good at making suggestions and even inspiring (or goading) others, but terrible at follow-through, despite Virgo Sun and Scorpio rising. So I think that must be a fire or air thing, or it's just me discarding what isn't truly necessary. I mean, why sweat the details if somebody else can do it. HATE details, feels like picking at a sweater full of lint.... so the calendar is one of my best friends, reminding me what I have to do. (Husband fills in some of those details, too, thank goodness.)

I do need to know where I stand in any given situation, and usually feel pretty well grounded despite being sometimes flaky and impulsive. Like to cook, but rarely use a recipe; he washes up. Garden when I have time and inclination. Cleaning the house is just a burdensome chore. I skim rather than read, never recall the plot or main points afterwards. Husband does most of the grocery shopping. My office looks like a hurricane blew through it, with astrology papers and various 'projects' all over... projects that never seem to get quite finished. This is a Virgo? It must surely be all that other stuff in my chart! Downright embarrassing.

I have a Virgo friend whose house is so untidy that he never invites people round - or at least he feels that its untidy enough to warrant this. His bedroom was so cluttered with mess that he just left it all and moved into a different room in his house! But how his Virgo comes through is that he often talks about how untidy his house is, or how tidy someone else's is. Also, he is very quick to help people.He has Moon in Cancer and some fire, too. He doesn't know his birth time though.

Maybe projecting the Pisces on his sun axis?
I know a lot of sun pisces who are very cookbook virgo, ha ha
Example!
Brother inlaw Pisces had a night of passion with er.. Policewoman and he was disgusted at her for leaving towels on floor and on the loo and using his toothbrush!
There was something else but too rude to put here, but oh soo virgo eeck!!!
....but it made him feel dirty
What a virgo word, no offense to virgos

Yes, I'd love to know whether he's Pisces rising or a strong Neptune, or if its some kind of Virgo Pisces axis thing.