Throughout history, humanity has been aware of the four primary elements: earth, fire, air, and water. These elements represent aspects of life, but they also possess unique characteristics.
When it comes to zodiac signs and astrology, each sign aligns with just one of these elements. We can therefore consider each person to be represented by one of these elements as well. We’re going to focus on the water signs.
We’ll consider which horoscopes contain this element, the qualities they hold, the personality they reflect, and how the water element can influence fire, earth, and air.
The Three Water Signs
Each of the 12 zodiac signs is divided evenly among the four elements, meaning that each element is associated with three zodiac signs. When it comes to the water signs, we have:
Pisces.
Scorpio.
and Cancer.
Water (as well as the color blue in a more general sense) is often associated with emotions. The sea can be calm and peaceful, but it can create waves that crash against rocks with incredible force. Storms can make boats rock dangerously from side to side, only to return to tranquility at a moment’s notice.
Those who are associated with water are naturally in tune with emotions, both their own and those belonging to others. They are often described as ‘sensitive creatures’, as they have high levels of empathy and can be both positively and negatively affected by the energies around them.
It can be difficult for them to understand the nature of personal boundaries, and they will often cross social lines purely out of a desire to help and understand a person.
Those belonging to the water group can seem a little shy at first, in fact, they are often described as cold, but this is purely a defense mechanism to reduce their exposure to negative vibes and energies.
They also possess incredible imagination, but their social battery is often depleted quickly. As such they require time alone in order to recharge. It’s during this isolation that they often come up with creative solutions to problems or explore artistic pursuits.
We’ll look at how each zodiac sign is influenced slightly differently by the water element, but first, we’ll consider how it interacts with air, fire, and earth.
Water and Air
Being in touch with emotions can have its disadvantages. The water element can cloud the mind, making it impossible to think over the sound and sensation of overwhelming positive or negative energy.
Sometimes it’s difficult to see through the storm clearly, which is why the air element can offer a much-needed sense of mental clarity. Air, which is often associated with the mind and technical thinking, allows water elements to move away from the emotional deluge. They can help water signs convert feelings and sensations into words.
Similarly, the water element can help those of the air element to connect with their emotions on a deeper level. It allows them to take a step back from the analytical and practical processes of the mind, and instead look inward to the heart and soul.
Water and Fire
When we imagine water and fire combining, we often think that this would be a disastrous combination as water would extinguish the flames of the fire element.
But under the right circumstances, fire and water combine to create steam, a powerful force that lifts itself up into the air. The fire element brings a sense of confidence, determination, and action to the often-hesitant water signs.
The excitement of taking a leap of faith and the thrill of seizing an opportunity free from emotions, such as anxiety and fear, allows the water signs to find a whole new aspect of life to explore.
On the other side, the emotional intricacies of the water element can allow the flames to calm and relax. Not quite putting them out, but also stopping them from burning themselves and others.
This deeper sense of compassion can allow the fire signs to gain a better understanding of empathy, leading to actions being considered prior to be taken.
Water and Earth
Water signs can be beacons of negative emotional spirals. Anxieties can lead to fear, and fear can lead to panic. From there, it’s easy to lose control and begin acting irrationally.
When the water and earth elements combine in a functional manner, they can bring a sense of comfort to one another. The earth element allows the water signs to find a way to ground their emotions.
When negativity begins to spiral, or when positivity leads to unrealistic expectations, the earth signs can bring a sense of clarity to a situation.
Water allows the earth signs to explore their own emotions in a freer sense. It allows them to simply feel and experience instead of being grounded in what’s considered “normal” or appropriate.
When someone belonging to an earth sign gets into a rut, the water element can be just what they need to wash away negativity in favor of a clean start.
The Three Qualities of the Water Element
We already discussed that there are three zodiac signs associated with the water element: Cancer, Pisces, and Scorpio. However, within any element, there are three separate qualities, with one being applied to each of the signs.
1. The Quality of Cancer
Of the three signs of water, Cancer is considered the cardinal sign. A cardinal sign marks the beginning of something new and leads the way for the other two element qualities (fixed and mutable).
Those belonging to cancer will allow their feelings and emotions to guide them. They feel a strong connection to their heart’s desire, but they can also become tangled in their own selfish wants, as well as the negative emotions of others.
However, of the three water signs, Cancer is the least likely to be held back from pursuit by fear or anxiety.
2. The Quality of Scorpio
Scorpio is considered the fixed sign, which is the quality associated with the expansion of a central idea or concept. As the fixed water sign, Scorpio finds deeper meaning in all things through the exploration of imagination.
It is in this space that the inner workings of the spirit can guide them to new understandings.
3. The Quality of Pisces
Finally, we have the mutable sign, Pisces. The mutable signs are often considered an intermediary stage of life’s various cycles. They mark the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one.
A prime example of this would be the changing of the seasons. Pisces is arguably the most flexible of the three water signs, readily adjusting based on the emotions of others.