Compassion, Emotion, Imagination, and Intuition
Water is one of four elements represented in the signs of the zodiac, the other three are Fire, Earth, and Air. All four elements are present in every chart with some charts having a balance (equal distribution of the elements) while others show an emphasis or lack of one or more of them. The elements are each of equal importance and indicative of the relationship between people and life on our planet, and their fundamental principles reveal something of the inherent qualities in each zodiac sign which translates into how the individual approaches life.
Compassion
Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces can each be described as compassionate, nurturing and protective. There is an inherent need for them to feel safe and secure, so they tend to have a private side allowing them to protect their sense of vulnerability. The nature of Water enables them to feel the nuances and undercurrents of situations and their immediate environment, reflecting intuitive qualities.
The Water signs are characterized by a flow of energy concerned with emotion, feeling and sensitivity. This is a receptive energy indicating the negative polarity of these signs indicating a tendency towards self-reflection and a more inward focus. The sign of Cancer tends to approach life cautiously and while they are caring and nurturing their focus tends to be close to home, most often concerning family matters and relationships.
Scorpio on the other hand moves more easily in the world, enabled by their natural tendency to keep their true feelings deep within and keeping others at a distance.
Pisces is the most sensitive and intuitive of the signs and their compassion for everyone is a result of a deep empathic quality and, absorbing the energies present in their immediate environment, they tend to feel everything and often to the extreme.
Emotion
As with the other elements, there is a progression of traits across the spectrum of the signs, and in Water this relates to the relative focus of emotion and feeling. Cancer as an inwardly and singularly focused sign, while Scorpio is focused on the relationship between self and others making it more socially connected, and Pisces reflects a concern and compassion for the masses. The progression of focus for each of these signs, therefore, graduates from the personal (Cancer), to the social (Scorpio), to the collective (Pisces).
Energy Expression
The ‘quadruplicity’ (or mode) to which each of the Water signs belong causes them to express differently, despite the inherent similarities in their general nature. Cancer is a cardinal sign and its beginning marks the Summer Solstice, or the start of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere. So, its energy is associated with initiating action which may seem counter-intuitive since their approach to life is cautious and protectionistic. However, their cardinal energy is directed towards matters associated with home, family, care, nurturing and nourishment, which also includes self-nurturing.
Scorpio, on the other hand, represents the fixed mode and this sign is known for its hidden depths specifically in relationship to feelings, emotions, ideas and resources. The energy of this sign is concerned with keeping what is theirs and maintaining a degree of control in any given situation. They strive to protect themselves at all costs.
The mutable sign of Pisces is governed by the proverbial ‘go with the flow’ approach to life with a very fluid energy that is infused with compassion, understanding, intuition and imagination. It might be said that everything flows through Pisces (the sign of synthesis), which can be both illuminating and confusing, often at the same time.
Water Expressed in Personality
An individual with an abundance or balance of Water in their chart can often be identified by a caring, compassionate, creative and intuitive nature. People with Sun, Moon or Ascendant in Water signs, or with an emphasis of Water in their chart, will tend to strongly exhibit those qualities. For example, Princess Diana had Sun in Cancer and her demeanor, particularly in her early years, was indicative of a shyness that sought safety and security of home and family. Numerous stories about her care and nurturing as a mother were often accompanied by now famous photographs of her with her children. Her care and nurturing eventually extended beyond the personal realm, though other factors in her chart speak more specifically to this.
Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, has Sun in Scorpio and Ascendant in Cancer. Gates’ success along with his accumulated personal wealth and resources are manifestations of the Scorpio Sun, and his philanthropic endeavors are suggested by his Cancer Ascendant. Reportedly, he tends to have few indulgences and, other than active care and concern for his family, employees and causes, he has taken steps to protect what he has achieved. Both examples reflect the element of Water though each has manifested quite differently.
Too Much or Too Little Water
An over-abundance or lack of an element can have an adverse affect on one’s general approach to life and the situations they encounter. Too much Water can show up as highly emotional and a feeling quality that tends towards the extreme, whereas a lack of Water might result in an inability to understand or express feelings and emotions.
An illustration of this polarity (over-abundance versus lack) appears in the 1992 movie ‘A League of Their Own’, where an emotional baseball player, Kit (Lori Petty) is being yelled at by the manager (Tom Hanks). Unable to understand her feelings and tears, Hanks delivers a now famous line “There’s no crying in baseball”.
A real-life example of a chart with an over-abundance of water is the late Kurt Cobain, lead singer for the band Nirvana. His chart shows eight planets in water signs, four of which are in Pisces (including the Sun), suggesting the strong feeling and emotional nature of this creative individual who, without question, would have experienced constant energetic undercurrents resulting in feelings of confusion and overwhelm. One can speculate on the challenges this presented for him, particularly amplified by an emphasis on mutability, and it is worth analysing this very interesting chart if one is so inclined.
Combining Elements
In combination with other elements the expression of ‘watery qualities’ is modified in some way. For example, Water with Fire can be highly creative with a tendency towards the emotional, while Water with Air is indicative of an understanding of people and a premise that ‘relationship is everything’. Water with Earth can be very caring and nurturing with concerns about security and the material world.
Other factors in the chart influence these traits, either by tempering or fueling them, affecting the manner and degree of the element’s expression within an individual’s life. I invite you to review the balance or imbalance of Water in your own chart and consider how the quality of this element has manifested for you. It might also be helpful to contemplate the ‘watery characteristics’ in people you know and think about how you relate to the manifestation of those traits.
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