We often speak about the system of 4 elements but there were really 5 elements in their model. They thought that the stars were made up of the fifth element of “spirit”.
Water, Fire, Earth, Air and Spirit. Or in symbols 🜄, 🜂, 🜃. 🜁 and ◯. If you start to think of the elements as the stuff that moves in those direction, it’s neat. Air and Fire both move up and that’s why they point up. Earth and water go down that’s why they point down. Spirit doesn’t go up or down but goes in circles.
As long as you think about the elements in those terms it makes sense to also stick with the astrology where the stars move in circles because that’s just the direction in which the spirit stuff moves.
This system makes it harder to just change something about your astronomical beliefs without also changing something about your view of the elements.
We often speak about the system of 4 elements but there were really 5 elements in their model. They thought that the stars were made up of the fifth element of “spirit”.
Water, Fire, Earth, Air and Spirit. Or in symbols 🜄, 🜂, 🜃. 🜁 and ◯. If you start to think of the elements as the stuff that moves in those direction, it’s neat. Air and Fire both move up and that’s why they point up. Earth and water go down that’s why they point down. Spirit doesn’t go up or down but goes in circles.
As long as you think about the elements in those terms it makes sense to also stick with the astrology where the stars move in circles because that’s just the direction in which the spirit stuff moves.
This system makes it harder to just change something about your astronomical beliefs without also changing something about your view of the elements.