The four elements—earth, water, fire, and air. The elements aren’t something that most of us think about in our modern lives. So, it’s surprising to realize that most ancient people took it for granted that these elements served as the building blocks of all of life! Philosophies, Religions, and Sciences hailing from every corner of the globe talked about the four elements (and sometimes a fifth) – from Greece to India, Africa to Japan, China to Europe. The elements are not only physical substances, but also energies that we experience and embody.
THE WATER ELEMENT
Water is the lifeblood of the Earth, flowing through her rivers and streams, resting still in the deepest ocean ridge and frozen clear at the highest mountain peak. Water is the most prevalent element on the Earth, covering 71% of Earth’s surface. Water also makes up 55% of the human body. It quenches our thirst, cleanses our bodies, and ferries us to adventure.
Water energy is deeply associated with our emotions, intuition, and the subconscious mind. Its tides ebb and flow with the moon, reflecting the ebb and flow of our inner world, guiding us through life’s cycles of transformation.
Let's explore the significance of the water element within us, its expression throughout the wheel of the year, the opportunity it offers us for evolution, and how we can honor this powerful element in our lives.
THE DEEPER WATER WITHIN
Water represents the emotional and intuitive aspects of our being. It is fluid, receptive, and ever-changing, mirroring the nature of feelings that can rise, fall, and shift without warning. In contrast to the solid stability of earth, the fiery drive of fire, and the intellectual movement of air, water offers a depth that connects us to the unseen world within. It embodies our capacity to feel, to sense, to empathize, and to dream.
Just as water can nourish, soothe, and cleanse, it can also drown, overwhelm, or erode. The quality of our emotional life depends on how we manage this element within us. Are we in tune with our feelings, allowing them to flow freely, or do we bottle them up until they burst forth like a tidal wave? The water element asks us to cultivate emotional intelligence and flow with life’s currents rather than resist them.
THE ELEMENTS OF THE ZODIAC
Each of the 12 Zodiac signs has an associated element. Four elements with 3 signs in each.
The element of the season shapes the energy of the season. And each season offers us the opportunity to work with that element’s energy – instead of working against it - to move forward on our personal paths.
You may experience or embody these elements more intensely if you have a lot of one particular element in your birth chart. But ultimately, each of us contains the whole zodiac within us, and each of us experiences the energy of each element as we move through these seasons each year.
OUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD WATER SIGNS
Cancer: The Flowing Waters of Summer (June 21 – July 22)
Cancer, the cardinal water sign, initiates the fresh flow of summer's emotional warmth.
Ruled by the Moon, it is associated with the nurturing waters of home, family, and memory. Cancer's water is like a summer river, flowing steadily, attuned to all it encounters. It invites us to be nourished while encouraging us to feel the full spectrum of emotions.
During Cancer season, the energy encourages us to tend to our emotional needs and cultivate self-care practices that nourish us. This season invites us to allow our emotions to flow freely, to nurture ourselves and others, and to create spaces where feelings can be expressed and healed.
Scorpio: The Churning Waters of Autumn (October 23 – November 21)
Scorpio, a fixed water sign, embodies the turbulent waters of late autumn.
Ruled by Mars and Pluto, its waters run deep and dark, like a churning ocean that brings up debris from the depths. This is the time when we confront the shadow side of ourselves—our fears, our desires, and the secrets we keep buried beneath the surface.
The energy of Scorpio season invites us to let go of what no longer serves us, just as the trees release their leaves. It’s a time for emotional release and transformation, shedding the layers that keep us stagnant. As we dive into the waters of Scorpio, we encounter a colder, more challenging experience, where emotional truths are uncovered and processed. It can be intense, but ultimately, this season offers the potential for profound healing and – if we’re lucky – maybe even rebirth.
Pisces: The Still Waters of Winter (February 19 – March 20)
Pisces, the mutable water sign, completes the cycle with the ice-cold clarity of winter's end.
Ruled by Jupiter and Neptune, Pisces’ waters are still and expansive, merging the individual with the collective unconscious. This is the water of dreams and spiritual connection, where boundaries dissolve, and we experience a sense of oneness with all that is.
Pisces season marks a time of reflection and spiritual renewal. The waters are clear but cold, inviting us to contemplate the deeper mysteries of existence and the cycles of life. It is a time when our emotions may be more ethereal or nebulous, and we may find ourselves more sensitive to the energies around us. Here, we are called to let go and flow with life, trusting that we will be carried towards the next cycle of growth as we bring the astrological year to a close.
EVOLVING THROUGH THE WATER CYCLE
Throughout the year, our experience of the water element evolves as we pass through Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. Each season presents a unique opportunity to deepen our emotional awareness, heal past wounds, and align with the natural cycles of transformation.
Beginning in Cancer Season, we are invited to feel – with deep sensitivity – all the highs and lows of the fullness of the human experience. Not only our own emotional experience, but also the experiences of those that surround us. Cancer Season offers us the archetype of the Mother, who senses all around her and offers nurturing and protection.
Moving into Scorpio Season, we are invited to use our sensitivity to discern information about the world around us. What are we drawn to? What are we repelled by? What are these feelings communicating to us? Scorpio Season offers us the archetype of the Medium, who transmutes their sensitivity into knowing.
Closing the Cycle in Pisces, we are invited to express our intuitive knowing for the benefit of the world. Our knowings evolve into larger concepts and truths. Pisces season offers us the archetype of the Mystic, the freshly melted snowpack from the peaks of enlightenment trickling down the mountain to nourish the village.
And then, just as we complete the cycle, we step into a new year on the spiral of life, where we have the opportunity to evolve all over again!
WORKING WITH THE WATER ELEMENT
So, what are some practical ways that we can work with the water element on our life path? Here are some ways to honor the water element throughout the year:
Mark the Moons: Honor the new and full moons, especially those that occur during Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces seasons. The moon is the ruler of our emotions and intuition. The new moon is a powerful time to practice that self-care that our sensitive selves need, and to set intentions for the coming cycle. The full moon is a beautiful time to gather with others, to celebrate our manifestations, and to release what has come to fullness in us.
Water Your Self-Care: Incorporate water into your self-care. Especially during Cancer Season when you may feel like a crab without its shell. Take baths with Epsom salts and essential oils. Meditate on the banks of the river or the shore of the lake, focusing on the movements of the water. Write a beautiful word on your water glass and drink with the intention of nourishing yourself. Simply take a warm shower and enjoy the feel of the water on your skin. Experience the water element’s natural essence to cleanse, sooth, nourish, and refresh.
Release in a Water Ritual: Especially during Scorpio season. When the trees are dropping their leaves, you can easily join the flow! Look around for a small natural object like a leaf or twig that your intuition is drawn to. Hold it in your hands while you reflect on what you would like to release. Transfer the energy into that object and then release the object into the river or the lake.
Big Girls Do Cry: There’s a reason why we cry when we are upset. Crying triggers our bodies to release oxytocin and endogenous opioids, relieving pain, calming us, and bonding us to those who are supporting us. Also, when you look at tears under a microscope, you discover that the crystalline structure of our tears is different based on what emotion we are feeling when we are crying. So, quite literally, the waters of our emotions overflow when we cry, and that release calms the waters within.
Work Your Dreams: Water is the element of the subconscious, intuition, and emotions –- three major players of the dream world. The dark, introspective winter of Pisces season is an especially ripe time for dream work and exploring the subconscious. Keep a dream journal, explore dream symbols, or practice lucid dreaming to move through emotional challenges.
Thank the Water: Above all, don’t forget gratitude for the element of water. We can’t live without it! Offer the water your gratitude. Offer it a song. Offer flowers, herbs, crystals, or small biodegradable items in gratitude to a body of water near you.
The water element is here to support us. As you tune into the cycles of water, you might find that you are actually tuning into the cycles of your inner self. Allow the water to help you go with the flow, find that forward current, attune and adapt to your environment, and experience the rich tapestry of your emotional life. Embrace the ever-changing nature of water, and let it guide you through your own spiritual and emotional evolution.
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