excerpted from "Astrology: The Wyrrd Way" (unfinished manuscript)
~ Sandy Hughes, ©1997-2001


Deep within the "dance of the elements" lies the secret symphony of Life.
If we can allow the ebbs and flows to guide us through Life's natural rhythms, we
will find our lives to be truly harmonious adventures, rather than dissonant catastrophes.
You are invited to imagine with me for a moment, how it all came to Be. Let us drift back to
the Void, to the Nothing that is All, the All that is Nothing. Back before the beginnings of
Time, before the formations of Space, even before the Big Bang. As we resonate with the
essence of Nothingness, we gradually become aware of a quieter birth. Out of the Silence
is emerging a subtle pulse, as if the Void itself possesses a Heart at its core - barely
perceptible at first, like the breath of a baby on your cheek, yet it is coming
from everywhere, and nowhere, and it is felt within, as much as without.
Waves of yin and yang, ebb and flow, in and out,
slowly, gently, breathing Life into Life.

As the opposite polarities begin their dance, they choose their costumes and prepare for
their debuts. Suddenly, out of nowhere, yang bursts forth as Fire, the Spirit of God,
seeking identity, vitality, Life itself. It manifests into Earth, yin, the substance of Gaia,
Mother Nature, to anchor the consciousness into form. Out of this union comes yang again,
this time as Air, communicating, learning, noting the relationships between all things.
Once more yin brings the balance, flowing in as Water, feeling the connections,
gathering together, coalescing.

Fire-Air = yang, Earth-Water = yin


Pain is inevitably a symptom of disharmony between the intention and the reality,
signaling an imbalance somewhere. Any one of the elements can be used
to balance any of the others, particularly those in opposite polarities.
Whenever we are frantic, hurried, careless, agitated, getting ahead of ourselves,
angry, breathless or overheated, our Fire is burning too hot. (This is often
when the "pot boils over" and things go very wrong) A dose of Earth will
settle us down, Water will cool us off, and Air will give us a breather.
Each element has its valued role to play. Wholeness
is impossible without all of the elements dancing.

Fire is the ignition point, initial impulse, innocence, spontaneity, rising to the occasion,
always at the centre of the Universe, God-consciousness. If out-of-balance, however,
the impulses become rash and sudden, ego-centered, lashing out at anything and
anyone who opposes or hinders its intentions. Fire seeks to know itself
(its "Self") through the thrill of the adrenaline rush, eternally challenging
Life to support it. Playful, innovative and naive, the childlike lust for life
lives within our fiery spirit, shown by our Sun, Mars and Jupiter, and
any planets in Aries, Leo or Sagittarius or the 1st, 5th or 9th houses.

Fire is candid, blunt and honest to a fault, so if we are denying any of our Inner Truth,
deceiving ourselves in any way, we are bound to attract a fiery friend or two into our lives
who will be more than happy to act it out for us. Essentially shameless, raw Fire will
boldly leap into the fray, no matter what the risk. Whenever we need a push, in
walks a Fire-sign. Theirs is the role of the Sacred Clown, reminding us all to
just "get it, and get ON with it," laughing all the way!

Every Fire sign in the zodiac is followed by an Earth sign, and for very good reason.
The element of Earth provides the parameters of Time and Space to the Life force of Fire.
Planet Earth was the destination when Spirit chose to become manifest. Our physical bodies
are the chosen vehicles for our individual Souls. Our earthly sojourns embody the experience
of integrating Light and Dark, not choosing one, or the other. The involution of Spirit
into Matter invokes the natural reaction of Matter's evolution back into Spirit.
This earth plane is "where the twain shall meet." We are living
in the cross-current, which is why balance is the key.

Fire sees Earth as heavy, dull, and slow, while Earth sees Fire as wild, wasteful
and dangerous. When out-of-balance, any element can be destructive. When gravity
is weighing us down, the levity of Fire is a welcome relief. Likewise, when our fiery
energy is flying around unleashed, we need boundaries, guidelines and discipline,
i.e. Earth; look for Saturn. We contain the flames of our campfires with dirt &
stones (Earth) in order to harness Fire's power and use it for heat, light
or cooking. Without any constraints, Fire will burn-up everything
in sight, and then die. Earth (a la Taurus, Venus & 2nd house)
provides our food and shelter for survival and sensual pleasures,
(via Virgo & 6th house) keeps our physical surroundings
in working order, and (by way of Capricorn & 10th house)
is responsible, organized and productive, teaching us
the value of ritual, patience and consequence.

In the natural way of yin and yang, Earth will sink and Fire will rise, as exemplified
in Hexagram 12 of the I Ching: "Stagnation." So, even with Fire (yang) and Earth (yin)
working side-by-side, there is no interaction, until the breeze of Air blows through.
As the flames of Fire are fanned, and Earth's many seedlings are spread far and wide,
communication has begun. Gemini, Libra and Aquarius folk are all messengers,
thinkers and coordinators. If they didn't connect-the-dots for the rest of us, we
would all be lost. Just like 3rd, 7th and 11th house placements, the Air signs
make contact, keep phone lists, share ideas, encourage cooperation,
play Cupid or social director, and are basically in the
business of information, education and alternatives.

Seeking to know the relationships between all things, Air floats in and out of any space
with ease. Mercury (Hermes) is Air's primary agent, as he inquires, investigates, observes,
and seems to be everywhere at once. Air does not claim preference to either "side," but
instead focuses on the bridge across the chasm. Literal "space" gives us room to breathe,
time to think and provides a window of objectivity unavailable through any other element.
Air can truly be the "pause that refreshes." The earthen vessel is of little value without
the hollow space in the centre. We can suffocate in our own self-indulgences, like the
spoiled "only child," if we don't leave any room in our lives for other people or
fresh ideas. Air reminds us to keep things in perspective, to open up and
listen, to be flexible and willing to try a different angle.

Detachment is Air's claim to fame, spending most of its time travelling the mental circuits,
translating the signals for the rest of us. Detachment, however, can quickly become callous,
aloof, and superficial. Falling victim to the hubris of "thinking we know better" is a
common trap for our intellectual Air waves. Each element is a part of the process, not the
final vehicle. Losing touch with our bodies, our purpose, or our "brothers and sisters" can be
a fatal mistake. We can become scattered, fickle, gossipy, phony, crass and even unreliable.
If we allow ourselves to slip this far, we are inviting a deluge of Water to engulf us. We are
likely to experience a "low blow" of some kind, in order to bring us back down-to-earth.

Water is the elixir of Life, as well as the universal solvent. It merges, softens, cleanses and heals. It unites us all through Soul. Gathering together, soothing, nurturing, supporting and loving unconditionally all merge into the psychic glue of the Water element. Cancer, Scorpio & Pisces are the home-turf of emotions, feelings and intuitions. Contrasts and comfort zones are immediately obvious to these sensitive, loving, artistic people, as they automatically notice what is "in common," and what makes us "family." Clan gatherings, photo albums, memorabilia, churches, company picnics, clubs, and even web-rings are all expressions of the watery needs in our psyches to belong somewhere. The Moon, Neptune and Pluto all call on
us to reflect, remember and empathize, to recognize kindred spirits in the eyes of strangers.

As the element of Soul, Water plays the last card. Our collective journey began with Spirit coming into physical form, its goal to realize Soul. Likewise, each mini-sojourn in our individual lives imitates the bursting forth of fiery impulse to "in-volve" itself in Life,
and concludes with the Soul's urge to "e-volve" back to Spirit. Spirit is the One, the
Source of the original intent to incarnate, so we each feel Fire as the urge of Self.
Soul, being the individual's speck of the One, is what unites us all in our common
goal of evolution, where we feel our deepest kinship, through profound humility.
If we continue to deny our vulnerabilities, emotions, fears and "funny feelings,"
we will remain strapped to the same old wheel, with the same old problems and
never understanding how we are continually recreating our own limitations.

The innate fluidity of Water is the perfect reminder that even the "endings"
ascribed to the Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio & Pisces) and houses
(4, 8, 12) are not finite, but always in motion. Shapeshifting us
right into the next reality, Life suddenly pushes us on, and we
emerge anew, sometimes still blinking our eyes, wondering
what happened. To "emote" means to move, in an
outward direction, or to stir up. Whenever we
"stir the pot," we inevitably bring new
things up to the surface (Fire). Thus, even if we
get swallowed up in our personal dilemmas, that very
same Water sign or house evolves into the newness of Fire,
and the cycle continues to replay in our lives through endless spirals
of time. Integrity is the integral component in the Dance of the Elements, as
it shares the same root meaning as integrate. The secret of soul is the integration
of all the elements, as we weave our ways through Life. The wholeness of Mother Nature
cannot allow righteousness and bigotry and separatism.
Love is inclusive, not exclusive.


~ We are All One ~