By Denise on 03/30/2018, 77740 views
Water is one of the essential elements for survival – life would not exist without it. Only Earth and Water can come together and forge a living soul. Spiritual regeneration cannot happen without the overwhelming greatness of Water.
Associated with the signs Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces, Water is an element of big feelings and imagination. They are submerged in their surroundings, and often sense hidden emotional realities.
It is the element of constant movement, but slow and steady movement, swirling inside each one of us. Perhaps the most enigmatic of elements, it is one of conception and death, holding the secrets of our soul – both its beginning and its end.
We literally deal with matters of life and death with water, and that of our genetic inheritance and our ancestors. In a quirky twist of fate, Water is also the element of emotions. We have to understand that our emotions have already been lived out by someone that has come before in our family tree, that have then been passed on maternally from generation to generation.
Water also rules the Fourth, Eighth and Twelfth Astrological Houses. The Fourth House covers the home and everything associated with it. This includes land, family and personal foundations.
The Eighth Astrological House rules items and possessions owned in a relationship. Often these things are seen as negatives, and it’s easy to see why – it governs death, your partner’s money and possessions, bankruptcy, losses and personal sacrifices. Delve deeper however, and this House is actually about transformation and healing, both of which cannot happen without some kind of loss or hardship first.
Lastly, the Twelfth House is perhaps the most widely misunderstood of all, as it rules the subconscious. This refers to subconscious memory, escapism and spiritual realization.
The soothing influence
The beauty of Water is that it is a near endless pool of possibility. Without the presence and guidance of Fire however, it is almost impossible for Water to find direction. Fire presents Water signs with passion and purpose, from which it can flex its creative talents.
Alone, Water simply carries us from shore to shore. Even if the journey is dreamy and mystical, it can lead to endless circles without ever finding a way out.
If you ever needed proof of the energy contained within this element, tasting pure spring water, or simply running your hand through a moving stream allows you to feel its soothing, cool, flowing influence. This is partly down to the presence of Air within the Water too. This energy exists inside all of us – given that most of the human body is comprised of Water.
Those heavily influenced by this element help with more metaphysically orientated goals including compassion, a sense of community, healing capacities and psychic development.
Water supports us when we swim, it quenches our thirst when we drink it, it nourishes the Earth and all that live on its surface when the rain falls. In an astrological context, Water has unlimited emotional depth, and is entirely self-contained. It won’t lose a battle with other elements when provoked, instead opting to guard itself from external influences.
Characteristics of water as astrological element
Water signs are particularly receptive to waves of emotion. This gives them a unique sensitivity in relationships, knowing what to say at the right times, and knowing when to maintain distance.
At their best, they can bring together groups of people and are the force behind collective healing, but at their worst they can be psychic vultures, and can manipulate those emotions, draining the life force from those closest to them.
They are attuned to the many different shades of meaning in a relationship, picking up and absorbing signals from others. That said, Water signs do have to work harder than most to maintain their own personal boundaries.
Water signs often make the best artists – they love to translate their understanding and perception of the world into an art form, striving for aesthetic beauty.
However, just as stagnant water accomplishes very little, Water signs are definitely not at their best when inactive. Instead, they would rather be helping others, exhibiting enchanting, considerate and even romantic qualities.
Given the connections with the subconscious, Water can be used as an object of scrying, or for the purpose of meditation. It is important in rituals of friendship, marriage, happiness, fertility and healing. These individuals often assess a situation by analysing its undercurrents.
These qualities may come across as shyness at times, but Water signs are the warmest of souls when you gain their trust. This doesn’t come easily, as they are by nature very self-protective due to their emotional sensitivity. For these people, moving a relationship or situation forward is an impossibility unless they are sure of their emotional grounding. This is a process that other elements may find completely alien.
These heightened feelings that Water signs experience can lead them to choose artistic activities. They find solace from their own personal dramas when they’re able to express themselves freely to a universal audience.
This often manifests itself as writing, musical production or acting, leading them to help others make sense of the human experience. Whether they are aware of it or not though, this happens in everyday life – Water signs bring emotional meaning to even the most mundane of things, such are their heightened levels of perception.
Water itself is formless – it takes on the shape of the surroundings in which it sits. This explains why those influenced by this element are shaped by their relationships to others.
They also need to spend time alone so that they can remember which are their boundaries. This also lets situations that have been stirred up by life to settle back down again. There is a very delicate balance for Water signs – they need other people, but they also need the calming influence of solitude too.
As people who are more intuitive and sensitive compared to the other elements, they also feel more intensely than others too. They are caring and nurturing, feeling deeply just like a river. This forms the basis of their very mindset – how things feel is what matters most to these individuals. As a result of this, they base their actions on sense and intuition, rather than reason or logic.
Their perceptive talents also give them great compassion and understanding. They can take the feelings of others, process them and formulate a plan to move forwards that is accessible for all.
If there was a criticism of Water elements, it could be said that they are too emotional. They often endure a lot of suffering before coming to the realisation that over-obsessing over one’s emotional state is futile.
That said, this does make them perfect counsellors, therapists and advisors, as they can help those with deep underlying emotional problems better than anyone else.
Their purpose is to show the world that feelings are our greatest quality, and to love truly and unconditionally, for the feeling of love is endless.
Water is the element of the greatest possibilities, but they have to take the time to learn about their own emotional natures.
How water affects its respective signs
All Water signs exhibit qualities of emotional depth, however each of the respective signs interprets this in different ways.
Summer is the first season of Water, where the sign Cancer resides. It begins with the Summer Solstice – the peak of the Earth’s exposure to the Sun before it begins to fall away.
Cancer uses the element of water to pursue emotional security, nurturing and protecting those that it feels most connected to.
Water signs are highly emotional beings and feel things deeply. They can be calm like the stillest of oceans or crash down with the violent force of a torrential downpour, the emotions are plentiful either way!
Autumnal winds blow through October and November, when leaves are lost and start to decompose, returning to the Earth, paving the way for new life to flourish. Scorpio resides here and uses the energy of Water for emotional power.
They can be relentless and obsessive in the pursuit of intensity and crises. As this is a fixed Water energy, Scorpios feel things deeper than their other Water brethren.
Water gives Scorpios uncanny levels of perception, bordering on psychic abilities. These insights however do get clouded by the intensity of their emotions and their highly vivid imaginations
Following this is the end of the astrological year where Pisces resides. This is the platform from which Aries will be reborn. Nature begins to restore life from the cold harshness of the Winter that has preceded it.
With this in mind, Pisces uses Water to heal those that have suffered, bonding itself emotionally to whatever is exposed.
They exhibit compassion but do have a tendency to lose touch with reality, especially when they let their hearts rule over decisions.
When things go wrong …
An imbalance of Water in a birth chart has detrimental effects on one’s emotions, particularly how often they get overwhelmed.
An overabundance of Water means feelings lead the decision-making processes, and an inability to see things objectively. That said, this can work in favour of those with imaginative gifts who are usually empathic.
Those with many Water sign planets shut down and become unable to process the harsh culture of our present time, becoming desensitised to it.
Becoming lost in this dreamy world where feelings and emotions rule can lead to an introverted, broody nature. Water signs are susceptible to mood swings anyway, and at worst become self-indulgent and controlling as they become a prisoner of their own fantasy world. It is this side of their character that allows them to see things more clearly than others however.
Water signs have to be careful though, as they can drown in another person’s emotional abyss. Think about how water behaves – it takes on the shape of its surrounding environment, and this is the case for the other elements.
Choose the element you want to discover next: When water is mixed with Fire, it becomes steam, when mixed with Earth it creates mud, and when mixed with Air it sources rain.
How to balance Water in one’s life
Water fulfils so many purposes – it purifies, cleanses, baptises and blesses. We feel its burst of emotion when we cry, experiencing an incredible release when the Water trickles down our cheeks.
This is one of the most powerful ways one can experience the energy of Water – when the full depths of the heart let go of our inner emotions. Tears are an incredibly powerful conveyor of spiritual intention.
Opening up to the element of Water means embracing and honouring all your emotions, stepping out of the blandness of stagnation and lethargy.
You can discover your own pathway to this emotional freedom by placing an aquarium in your daily living space and by spending more time in the bathroom, taking time to soak. Think about bringing other small water features in your home or garden, like a waterfall or a well. You can also include more water in your diet by eating juicy fruits like watermelons, tomatoes or cucumbers.