How the Elements Show Up in Business.
The four elements of nature – Fire, Earth, Air and Water – were first introduced around 450 BC and are used consistently in many cultures across the world to this day. They also play a very important role in reading an astrological birth chart and interpreting planetary placements or transits. Each zodiac sign is attributed to an element as follows:
Fire: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Earth: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Air: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Water: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
When we begin looking at the birth chart for a business (or a person), one of the very first places we can look to for insights is the elements. Each chart is unique and will have a different number of planets in each of the four elements. By determining the dominant element for a chart, we can begin to formulate some general ideas about how the business functions, it’s overarching tendencies and where it may be lacking in certain qualities.
If you do not have a birth chart for your business, you can head over to Astro-charts.com and create one for free. Read my blog post here for details on how to determine the birth data for your business and important considerations when calculating the chart.
Once you have a birth chart for your business, take a look at the planetary placements and see if you can find a concentration of planets or placements in one or more signs with the same element. If you created a free chart through Astro-charts.com, you can actually scroll down to “Special Features” and it will tell you which element is dominant in your chart without you having to count up the placements in each sign.
Some charts may have an equal number of placements in more than one element. That is just fine! Personal planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus & Mars) and the Ascendant tend to hold more weight so if one element is comprised mostly of personal planets you can use that as the dominant element. Or you can simply choose to use two elements. Go with your gut!
Interpreting Dominant Elements
Once you know your business’s dominant element, you can begin to formulate ideas about how your business functions and shows up in the world. The dominant element will illuminate some of the most obvious personality traits and general tendencies in life. It likely will not come as a surprise and others will easily be able to see most of these traits. Simply knowing the dominant element of your business and some of the key traits of that element will help inform your branding, communication and marketing decisions so that your business can show up authentically and so that you don’t feel like you have to be something you’re not.
Fire Element
Some keywords for the Fire element are: Passion, Action, Inspiration, Competition, Heat, and Instincts. Fire is associated with the colors Red, Orange, Yellow, Blue and White.
The element of Fire unites the three signs of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius with creativity, inspiration and an energetic approach to life. Fire is passion. Fire is instinct. Fire is spontaneous. While all fire is volatile by nature, there are different types of fire we can draw inspiration and insights from. Think of the differences between a bonfire, a cozy fireplace, a blazing wildfire, or an innocent birthday candle. Thinking of all of the different ways fire can show up (and there are many) can help us to visualize the archetypes and qualities of the element.
A business with dominant Fire energy is likely to take action quickly, be wildly creative and even restless. The Fire business may also be competitive, enjoying being the first do so something and will likely value innovation and unique ideas or ways of doing things. The business with dominant Fire element may also come off as assertive, impulsive, or over-the-top in some cases.
Earth Element
Keywords for the Earth element are: Sensual, Practical, Steadfast, Grounded, Stubborn, and Sturdy. The colors associated with the Earth element are: Brown, Green, Black, Tan and Maroon.
The element of Earth brings groundedness, practicality, slowness and sensuality. The zodiac signs associated with Earth are Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn. The Earth element relates to the physical world, material objects, our five senses and our resources. Earth is slow moving. It takes it’s time to make sure it does things correctly and completely. It savors in the sensuality of the world and it generally does not take risks without first evaluating all possible outcomes.
A business with dominant Earth energy is dependable, practical and often-times long-lasting with the ability to endure multiple setbacks or frustrations while keeping its focus on the end goal. The Earth business has a deep strength that it can pull from and is often unmovable in its ideals and approach. A business with dominant Earth element also likely works with the five senses, physical materials or some other form of earthly enjoyment such as food, music, art or physical connection with others.
Air Element
The keywords for the Air element are: Ideas, Individuality, Relationships, Communication, Movement and Balance. Air is associated with the colors Yellow, Light Blue, White, Pink, and Light Purple.
The element of air is intellectual, unique, and has a deep need for sharing, communicating and relating with others. The zodiac signs associated with Air are Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. Air is constantly moving, changing, seeking, and gathering. Ideas and information are central drivers for the Air element to be able to connect and create balance with others.
The business with dominant Air element is likely always searching for information, connection, freedom or some combination of all three. The air business likely works with themes of communication, interpersonal relationships, distribution of information or empowering and uniting others. Relationships are foundational for this element and can often be quite numerous. Air seeks to create balance in the world and does so by forming bonds with other people to be able to exchange ideas and information in a more harmonious way. Air is also light, formless and completely free from rules or obligations. In this way, the Air business may be unconventional in its approach and likely values freedom and empowerment over conformity.
Water Element
Keywords for the Water element are: Deep, Nurturing, Intuitive, Sensitive, Mysterious, and Fluid. The colors associated with Water are Blue, Black, Purple, Grey and White.
The element of water is fluid, deep, sensitive and intuitive. The zodiac signs associated with Water are Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. Water is the most deeply feeling of all of the elements. It can be placid on the surface, but underneath run strong currents that if disturbed can bubble up to the surface and create a typhoon. Water is transformative, in more ways than one. It can be warm and inviting, or cold and hard. It can be soft and pleasant, or fast and furious.
A business with dominant Water element can be very nurturing and intuitive or it can also be deep and mysterious. Sometimes the Water businesses are the most difficult to understand because they are the least “traditional” in a business sense. The Water business can be transformative, working with people in an intuitive, spiritual or healing process. These businesses can also be great detectives, unearthing hidden secrets and mysteries of life. Regardless of how it manifests on the surface, Water truly feels the intricacies of the universe and the people in it on a deeper level than any of the other elements and uses that sensitivity to make sense of and relate to the world around it.
Missing Elements
One other key piece to look at in your business chart is whether or not there are any “missing elements”. Some charts will have planets distributed fairly evenly throughout the chart. Some charts will have a high concentration of planets in one sign or element. Take a look at your chart and see if there are any elements with little or no planets in them.
In the case of a chart having few or no planets in one or more elements, we might consider this a “missing element”. This is significant because oftentimes when there is a high concentration of energy in one element, the chart-holder (in this case your business) seeks to balance that energy by connecting with people, places, or things that bring in parts of the missing element. For example, a business with dominant Fire element and an absent Earth element will be spontaneous, impulsive and quick-moving, but may often seek connections with people or situations that are more practical, down-to-earth or thoughtful in their approach. This can initially feel frustrating to the Fire business who wants to go, go, go, but is actually beneficial for finding balance not only in day-to-day tasks, but also long-term. This can be an important aspect to recognize and understand, especially in business, as it can illuminate the reason for challenges or frustrating situations that keep showing up and provide an access point to begin to work through them.
Elements in Branding and Marketing
Now that you have an understanding of how the elements show up in your business, you can begin to work with some of those traits in your marketing and branding. The most obvious place to start is your logo and color scheme as well as your physical location or digital presence. Think about the qualities of your business’s dominant element and see how that might show up in your branding and physical or digital location. Does it align with what you’ve already got going on? Does it completely clash? There’s no need to totally re-vamp your branding just based on the dominant element, but maybe it can help inform some subtle changes or shifts in the way your business shows up in the world.
The next piece to look at when incorporating your business’s dominant element is your marketing strategy. Many times, especially for small businesses, we feel like we have to do things a certain way or that we have to do all the things in order to be successful. Tapping into the unique qualities of your business’s chart, like what we’ve done here with the elements, will help to alleviate some of those feelings of having to do it all or not being good enough at something. Think about the qualities of your business’s dominant element and begin to brainstorm marketing strategies that align with it. By showing up authentically in our marketing strategies, we not only begin to connect with the right people and customers, but we also begin to find more ease and flow with it instead of pushing through something that feels awkward or forced.
A Comprehensive Look at Your Business Chart
Now that you’ve taken a look at the elements, you may be curious to dig deeper into your business’s chart and learn about the planetary placements, houses and zodiac signs that contribute to your business’s unique personality. The wealth of information you can glean from a birth chart is truly endless and extremely important when it comes to running your business from an authentical and sustainable place.
I am passionate about helping small business owners deeply understand and transform their business, which is why I have created a variety of reports and packages so that you can find what works best for you. Take a look at the options for business astrology and branding and marketing services below or reach out for a custom request!
Related Posts:
