What Happens When You're Missing an Element
What to do when your elements are out of balance
The morning routine in my house used to go something like this: I went into my daughter's room where she laid comatose. I woke her up. I rambled into the kitchen to get a pot of coffee on and make her lunch. I went back into her room to wake her up for the second time. I went about my morning but still wouldn't hear any sounds coming from her room. I'd storm into her room and scream, "Wake up -- you're going to be late for school!" At last, she'd bolt upright.
My daughter is many things. She's smart, sassy, witty, kind, honest, and genuine. She's compassionate and playful. She's free-spirited. But if there's one thing she is not ... it's grounded. She had to rely on me to create structure in her environment and didn't seem to have any attachment to the physical trappings of our world. It all makes sense when you consider one important feature of her horoscope. When it comes to balancing her elements, she has no Earth in her natal chart. Are you missing an element -- maybe even Earth -- in your chart like she is?
Not a drop of Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn can be found in her birth chart, which means in her psyche there's a pivotal piece missing. She doesn't contain the characteristics of Earth. She is responsible -- I'll give her that much. But I only think it's because her Leo Sun resides in the 10th House of Status (a natural Earth house), improving her marked lack of Earth energy slightly. But she isn't exactly practical -- especially when it comes to the material world.
Opposites attract
Funny thing is, when you lack an element in your chart you will notice that you are DRAWN to people who have significant placements of that element in their chart. Why? Well if you don't have something in your own chart then you are out of balance -- even if you don't want to admit it. You will seek it from someone else to feel more evenly keeled. You may not crave it consciously (it's like a blind spot) but just like we all need the five food groups to achieve total physical wellness, we also need all four elements to experience psychological wellness.
Missing something?
Do you lack the Water element in your chart? Then you may not be as in touch with your ability to freely express your emotions and intuition. It's not that you lack empathy, psychic ability, or feelings ... it's just more uncomfortable for you to express because you'd rather focus on feeling through action (Fire), logic (Air), or practically expressing emotion (Earth). You invite Water people into your life to help you learn how to emote from a more graceful plane.
Do you lack Fire in your chart? Then perhaps you lack a certain amount of zest and require others to light a fire under your butt to get you going. You take action, but not as enthusiastically and courageously as if you had Fire. You invite Fire people into your life to help you learn how to take flight.
Do you lack Air in your chart? Well, that doesn't mean you're a dummy. Quite the contrary actually. You may think best on your feet (Fire), when you connect to your gut instincts (Water), or perhaps by finding a practical use for your intelligence (Earth). You invite air people into your life to help you learn how to work through your potential intellectual insecurity and to help you learn that none of us is a "know it all."
Constantly learning
If you lack an element in your birth chart then the truth is, there is an imbalance. This suggests a place in your life where you seek resolution and restoration. You need to learn about this element and how to work with it. You seek perspective. This journey may lead you to overcompensate when it comes to that element's potential in an effort to make up for its lack. Or, there may be a complete rejection of that element altogether in your own psyche. Neither approach is helpful. Remember, if you lack an element the healthiest way to integrate it is to learn from the people around you who contain that element.
