← Encyclopedia of Astrology · lesson 193/235
Fire
The signs
Fire is one of the four elements that sort the twelve signs into groups of three, called triplicities. The fire signs are Aries, Leo and Sagittarius, each a trine (120°) apart. Each fire sign has a different mode: Aries is cardinal, the spark that starts; Leo is fixed, the steady blaze; Sagittarius is mutable, the flame that leaps and spreads.
Temperament
In the old physics every element was a pairing of two qualities, and fire is hot and dry. Heat expands and stirs; dryness separates and defines. The temperament it was linked to is the choleric: quick, warm, decisive, easily roused and quickly over it. Lilly calls the fire signs hot, dry, choleric and assigns them to the east. Their traditional triplicity rulers are the Sun by day, Jupiter by night, with Saturn as participating ruler.
What fire inclines toward
Stephen Arroyo describes fire as energy that is radiant, self-expressive, and future-oriented. Its gifts are enthusiasm, courage, inspiration, creative vision and faith in oneself; it lives in what could be rather than what is, and acts first and reflects later. Fire people often experience life as a series of inspired actions and need freedom to express themselves.
A chart heavy in fire — several planets, the Sun or Moon, or the Ascendant in fire signs — may incline toward warmth, generosity and a natural ability to lead and to rally others, along with impatience, burnout and a certain insensitivity to slower or more cautious people. Arroyo notes that fire can become destructive when its energy has no creative outlet.
A chart lacking fire may incline toward lower vitality, difficulty getting started, a quiet lack of confidence, or relying on others for motivation. Arroyo observes that a missing element often draws compensation: someone short of fire may be drawn to excitement, risk or drama, or to fiery people. Consciously cultivated, the missing fire can become a hard-won courage and a creative spark that is valued all the more for being earned.
Fire with the other elements
Arroyo treats fire and air as the active, outgoing elements, and they tend to feed each other as air feeds a flame. Fire with earth may combine vision with practicality, or feel held back; fire with water may produce steam — passion and feeling at full intensity — or put each other out.
Patterns
A Grand Trine in fire, three planets each a trine apart in Aries, Leo and Sagittarius, is read as a fluent circuit of confidence and inspiration: a great deal of natural momentum that may need purpose and discipline to come to anything.
In the tarot
The Golden Dawn's correspondences, which most English-language decks follow.
Suit: Wands — Ace of Wands, the root of the element
Court cards: Page of Wands, Knight of Wands, Queen of Wands and King of Wands
Major Arcana of its signs: The Emperor (Aries), Strength (Leo), Temperance (Sagittarius)
Its elemental Major Arcana: Judgement