The air element is perhaps the most elusive element of the zodiac. Air is everywhere, invisible, and yet completely necessary for life. We are so sensitive to air that we even feel a momentary change in the currents around us or the amount of oxygen in our body.
In astrology, air is the third element of creation, preceded by earth and fire. The air signs (Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius) are the thinkers of the zodiac. Their dominion is mental—the realm of ideas and concepts. For example, you may have heard the saying that a person “builds castles in the air” or “has his head in the clouds.” These statements are usually made as pejorative expressions, but for air signs they describe the essence of who they are. Air signs live in a world of both rational and intuitive thought. They are imaginative and dream, sometimes idealistically, of new and better ways to be, to think, and to communicate. Any self-care they do must reflect that disposition as well. Let’s take a look at the mythological importance of air and its counterparts, the basic characteristics of the three air signs, and what they all have in common when it comes to self-care.
In Greek mythology the legend of Icarus has a symbolic meaning with the air element. In this myth Icarus and his father, Daedalus, a talented Athenian craftsman responsible for building a labyrinth for King Minos to imprison the Minotaur, were themselves imprisoned in the labyrinth in Crete for crimes against the king. To escape the Minotaur, Daedalus fashioned wings of wax and feathers that he and his son could use to fly over the sea. Daedalus warned his son not to fly too near the sun as the heat would cause his wings to melt. But Icarus became enchanted by his freedom and flew too close to the sun. Soon, the wax melted and Icarus fell into the sea.
The lesson for the air signs in this myth is that going beyond sense and reason usually does not work out. In the case of Icarus, he followed his desire instead of his rational side, and ended up falling to his death. Ideas are wonderful—they are the foundation of many great creations. But for air signs, ideas are followed by the hard work of grounding them in physical reality. Self-care rituals that cater to both mind and heart are key for air signs, but balance and rationale are often paramount.
Air signs are known for their curiosity, pursuit of knowledge, and keen ability to communicate. They delight in conversation and feel most passionate when they are confronting a dilemma of the mind straight on. But their grand ideas sometimes make them unpredictable. Because of this, they must be challenged in all parts of their lives. Doing the same thing over and over will just leave them bored. This goes for self-care as well. They need variety and different options for wellness activities, or they may not participate at all. Air signs are buoyant, perceptive, and inventive. For example, Gemini is expressive and always ready to entertain. Libra is gentle and will listen to a friend’s troubles for hours. And Aquarius is ingenious, helping to solve problems with different approaches.
The astrological symbols (also called the zodiacal symbols) of the air signs also give you hints as to how air signs move through the world. Each symbol ties back to the analytical, curious nature associated with air signs:
Gemini is the Twins
Libra is the Scales
Aquarius is the Water Bearer
All these signs show intimate harmony with the cycles of the seasons and a personal connection with air. Gemini represents duality of the mind, and his symbol resembles the Roman numeral two. Libra brings balance with his scales of justice. And Aquarius represents positive movement and nourishment with waves of water or electricity. Each air sign’s personality and subsequent approaches to self-care tie back to the qualities of these symbols.
Each of the elements in astrology has a sign that corresponds to a different part of each season.
Fixed: Aquarius is a fixed air sign. He rules in winter. The fixed signs are definite, motivated by principles, and powerfully stubborn.
Mutable: Gemini is the first air sign and marks the end of spring and the beginning of summer. Gemini is called a mutable air sign because he ushers us from one season to the next. Mutable signs are changeable and flexible.
Cardinal: Libra, the second air sign, occurs in autumn; he is the cardinal air sign because the autumn equinox occurs around Libra’s time. The cardinal signs are leaders and action-oriented.
If you know your element and whether you are a cardinal, fixed, or mutable sign, you know a lot about yourself. This is invaluable for self-care and is reflected in the customized air sign self-care rituals found in Part 2.
When it comes to self-care, air signs must realize that they have a very sensitive nervous system. Not only do they react to changes in the weather and the “vibrations” around them in social situations, they also react to the power of words and ideas. Sometimes, they are not aware that their words can wound others, but they are always aware when someone says something hurtful to them. However, air signs are not a feeling sign, they are a thinking sign. They perceive that they are angry or hurt, but their feelings are expressed more in terms of the other person’s actions, so they’ll respond with “I thought that was rude,” or “how unkind and cruel.” Self-care must involve tapping into their emotions as well as the logic that precedes them.
Air signs are not oriented toward the physical. For instance, they know they have to eat and take care of their health, but the action comes second to thinking about it all. They can lose track of time and forget that they only had a croissant for breakfast! The first part of any self-care program for air signs is to understand the concept that self-care is a good thing to do for an easier and more productive life. Long-range thinking is an air sign specialty, so why not apply it to long-range self-care goals? This makes intuitive sense to air signs. In this way the most successful self-care activities should be interesting and involve an overall concept, such as “If I do this, I will learn some new ways of understanding myself and others,” or “This is a new therapy that promises to eliminate my posture problem. I will check it out.” Just doing something is not enough—air signs want to be sure of their reasons.
Repeating meaningless habits is a pitfall for air signs. If they get stuck in a rut, they’ll ditch their self-care and run off to a party instead. Air signs are creative, and the same effort they exert for a nice dinner, social outing, story, or song should also apply to self-care. On the flip side, any activity or program that is cumbersome won’t last long with air signs. If there is too much equipment to deal with or too much effort to get to that particular gym or hiking trail, the air sign just won’t do it.
Air signs have an aesthetic sense in all aspects of their lives, which is why any self-care activity has to be effective as well as pleasing to the eye. For example, a diet plan must be tasty and involve food that is beautifully displayed. Those two qualities please air signs and will motivate them. The plan also has to be simple to follow. No elaborate timetables, just clear directions.
So now that you know what air signs need to practice self-care, let’s look at each of the changeable characteristics of Gemini and how he can maintain his gifts.