Libra, Aquarius, and Gemini Are the Air Elements

Feather floating in sky
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Air is the element of the mind, and airy types know that everything begins with an idea. Libra, Aquarius, and Gemini are the "idea people," those who breeze in and offer a fresh perspective on the situation at hand. As observers, they're often seeing from a loftier position and are able to offer clarity that others don't have.

Some are spacy if there's a lot of air sign planets and not a lot of earth for grounding. But when there's a lack of air, it can hard to see things objectively. It's important to understand if there is too much air or too little air in a birth chart. 

There are four elements in astrology. And there are four triplicities in astrology, which is a grouping based on the elements. The other triplicities are water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces), fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius), and earth signs (Capricorn, Taurus, and Virgo).

The Air Signs 

The signs of the zodiac are grouped by elements in their triplicity, but they are also grouped by something known as their quality. Another name for quality is attitude.

  • Libra is wild and relentless about justice and has an equally passionate need for beauty. 
  • Aquarius has one ear attuned to the outer limits and is a visionary and loner. 
  • Gemini is light and changeable and a witty observer of life's spectacle.

For the air signs, Libra is cardinal, the leader; Aquarius is fixed, able to doggedly follow one train of thought; and Gemini is mutable and as mercurial as the planet that rules it.

What relates to air, you might ask? The direction of east; birds and their feathers; the sky, clouds, and wind; the weather, especially gusty storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, and cyclones (over water); the swords in tarot; books; flowers; wind chimes; kites; mountain peaks; and sails.  

Social Curiosity

The air signs are social creatures, because their currency is ideas, and they'll find more stimulation when out mingling. Some are drawn to words and become professional communicators, while others—especially Aquarius—have a more conceptual way of thinking.

Air signs are masters at navigating through the collective waters and therefore are astute commentators of the cultural trends, attitudes, and the consciousness of the times.

When air is out of balance, you can encounter a talking head, someone cut off from his or her own physical self. Air signs are more vulnerable to the excesses of our mind-body split and could benefit from yoga and other somatic practices.

In relationships, the distance of air to their emotions can be refreshing. They're great conversationalists because they're the keepers of so much knowledge, gossip, trivia, and strange factoids. Talking with an inspired air sign can be like skipping through a kind of virtual reality full of detail, specificity, and local color.

Big Mind

Those with planets in air signs use their minds to make sense of their lives. With air, there's more space between the life lived and the observing mind. This can lead air signs to appear detached, aloof, remote, or cool. Sometimes they'll try to talk their way through feelings or analyze a situation instead of encountering its full emotional weight.

The gift of air is flexibility and their ability to experience life through many prisms. They're often excellent communicators, storytellers, interpreters, and journalists. They link people together socially and often have a curiosity that keeps them out and about.

Love Compatibility 

Air and earth (Capricorn, Taurus, and Virgo): It can be a relief for a weighted-down earth person to be lifted up by an air's ideas and freethinking. An air may offer a different spin on how to prioritize things, which can be liberating for a duty-bound earth. An earth helps a remote air discover the mind-body connection. Earths can also advise airs so that some of their dreams can be made real.

Air and fire (Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius): This is a dynamic combo, with an air being able to inspire a fire through thought. Airs help fires take a more logical path toward success, some direction for their leaps of faith. A fire gives an air a sense of mission or purpose and shines a light of focus through a jumble of collected data, thoughts, and information.

Air and water (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces): These two benefit from each other by bringing balance to feeling and thought. Waters show airs a path to feelings and can help them grow toward being more nurturing and emotionally expressive. A water helps an air make the heart connection. An air lifts a water out of the murky swamp into the realm of thought. Like talk-therapy, airs encourage waters to find distance and to become intellectually curious about their experiences.

Air and air (Libra, Aquarius, and Gemini): Here is a meeting of the minds, and when balanced by other elements, it can mean a lifetime of shared interests. The way of connecting is through the exchange of ideas. The deeper emotional truth of the situation at hand can be discussed coolly. This bond thrives when there is also emotional authenticity, action, and physical touch.