Air – of all the elements, it is the most free and open. It constitutes so much of the space we live in, allowing us to breathe and expand our lungs, as well as inviting us to open our souls to what life has to offer.

These characteristics translate over to the star signs to which air is attached; Gemini, Libra and Aquarius – exhibiting traits such as intelligence, smart thinking and abstract reasoning.

As well as that, Air signs love deep analysis and probing, making them the ideal group of people to solve dilemmas for example.

In part, this is due to the rarefied air that surrounds those belonging to the Air element. That said, two of these signs often find themselves in opposition to the sun – Libra, taking it to fall, and Aquarius, taking it to detriment.

Look a little deeper however, and it all starts to make sense. The Sun requires order and control, all of its celestial bodies orbiting its far-reaching kingdom, like clockwork.

Air on the other hand needs to be free and open, and to exist in a vast playground that stretches from the very ground on which you sit, all the way to outer reaches of the delicate layer that covers our Earth.

Air also rules over a number of Houses, the first of which is the Third Astrological House – communication, one’s immediate environment, thinking patterns, and details stored in the lower mind.

Next is the Seventh Astrological House, which encompasses one-to-one relationships, more specifically the permanence of those relationships. Lastly, we have the Eleventh Astrological House, which is the House of Community, primarily dealing with groups and friends.

Often overlooked because of its invisibility, and considered less relevant, Air is the element that connects all other elements, and can be found in all of them too. The start of life impossible without Fire? How about there being no Fire without Air?

The changing nature of the Air signs

Given the Astrological Houses that Air rules over, communication is a highly common trait inherent in all Air signs. They want to spread their word. Combined with their smart thinking and curious nature, these individuals rarely spew out nonsense. Their perception of the world is an interesting one because of this.

Air exists as a very delicate balance, combining the exact levels of oxygen with other gases that allows life to flourish – finding the perfect solution using all that is available. This tells us more about Air characters – they see all sides, the good and the bad, and are able to formulate the optimal approach to a situation. Balance is key for Air signs.

Stepping away from the intricacies of these individuals, Air signs often find difficulties in slotting into the regularity of their environment, regardless of where it is.

The order and static nature of a room, or the countryside, clash with the free flowing and expansive minds of those heavily influenced by Air.

On many occasions, their primary purpose in life is to be free of the burdens that come with trying to please others, so that they can pursue their brightest and most liberating ideas.

That's not to say that Air signs are a constant positive energy – they can just as easily provide a fresh breeze on a summer’s day as can a biting wind in the middle of winter…it just depends on when you catch them. As already mentioned, their balance is key – upset that equilibrium and you have lost all connection with them.

No matter, Air signs are also some of the most humane, being able to step into another’s shoes so to speak, better than other elements.

Exhibiting characteristics such as objectivity, co-operation and fairness, they really do want to make the world a better place through a somewhat refreshing sense of idealism, and their accomplishments often reflect this.

There does exist an ironic juxtaposition within Air signs – they exhibit very little emotion or sensitivity despite being the most social of all the elements. How is this possible? To put it simply, Air can appreciate and digest anyone or any group’s thoughts – even if it is in direct opposition to their own beliefs.

Aiding this is how detached and cerebral they are compared to the other elements, allowing them to think logically and gain a broader understanding of various ideas.

When you think about it, Air covers everything – so by its very nature it has a wide scope which translates to the way Air signs think. This detachment is key to their objectivity and fairness, using these characteristics for the benefit of the many.

The direct influence of the Air element

Air is key to human survival and we breathe it everyday – without the presence of Air, we would all cease to exist. It typifies idealistic exchanges, transformation, freshness and liberation from norm.

Air is right at home in the vast mental field, in a place where thoughts and things are one and the same, allowing those heavily influenced by this element to create the very reality of their own lives, by simply willing them into existence.

They can concentrate on ideas that do not exist in the material world better than other elements, so that they have better chances to bring them to reality.

As a masculine element, it governs the magic of the four winds, passing through all things, living or not. It moves and fills all, any gaps and any silences. It is also the manifestation of sound – Air is the very fabric through which sound travels, and without it sound would not exist.

The strong mental capabilities of the Air element lends itself well to the traits already mentioned – intellectuality, idealism, inspiration, exchanges of knowledge, and wishful thinking. The process of conjuring up an idea, visualising it, and having the freedom for it to flourish and become reality is vital in magic.

Air brings those who are heavily influenced by it an emotional detachment, and thus an ability to make good decisions. When Air is moving, it keeps your curiosity alive and yourself in a perpetual state of learning.

The other side of the coin

Air is invisible – full stop. It cannot be contained or enclosed, and it is hugely changeable. Air can be a soothing summer breeze, or it can be a chilly howling wind. No matter the form, there is a sense of detachment and an ability to cover extensive ground.

Perhaps the biggest challenge for any individual that finds themselves heavily influenced by Air, is to find grounding and to understand the importance of their physical body.

There is a natural tendency to remain in higher spheres, where the shackles of reality bear less relevance – everything seems possible. With this in mind, it isn’t easy to find ways of implementing their ideas, intelligence and knowledge, and put them into practice.

The single most important thing for Air signs to do so that they can succeed in putting their farfetched ideas into reality, is to stop talking and start doing. Taking physical actions is hugely important to Air signs, as it helps them to remain grounded.

Air signs require a stringent daily routine to keep the importance of their physical body in check. Missing a meal for example, during an exciting day, will leave a hole in their stomach, affecting any rational plan they had in their mind, more than they could imagine. This, more than anything, should give you an idea of the importance of fulfilling an Air sign’s physical needs.

When these individuals fail to remain grounded, mental instability may surface, where you will see the eccentric side of an Air sign. Placing too higher emphasis on intellect and the mind will leave an Air sign in a very difficult situation, and in that case, living in the physical world becomes problematic.

This can lead Air signs to feel lost. They’ll feel an inability to concentrate on making their free flowing ideas into reality. Busy and unfocused minds lead to insomnia and erratic breathing – they can no longer organise their thoughts, too much static and not enough space…and an inability to breathe.

How the three Air signs use its influence

Air affects its respective signs in broadly similar ways, though these do vary in their own unique ways. Here, we’ll explore the individuality of each Air sign.

Gemini uses their Air influence to instantly notice and communicate about everything in their immediate environment. Gemini is also a mutable air, which manifests itself as changing of the mind.

Of course this versatility of the sign can come across as scattered too, but there’s no other sign more willing to try everything and nothing at the same time, more than a Gemini.

This changeability sometimes comes across as fickleness too, but they’re also wonderfully curious, and our communications specialists.

Anything that involves talking, writing, gesturing or working hand-to-eye is a perfect job for our Gemini’s. They’re also experts at duality too, with two distinct sides to their personality.

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Libra uses the Air as a vehicle to promote social harmony. This becomes more evident when you consider Libra as a set of scales – and where their sense of balance comes from.

A Librans primary job is to restore balance, create harmony and co-operate – giving and taking in equal measure.

To anyone else this wouldn’t be an easy job, but Librans are more than capable, using their charm, social skills and ability to extract these very qualities out of others too.

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Aquarius uses the Air to connect all people and concepts. They’re constantly able to buck the trends, and rebel against the status quo.

They love to create their own rules, and deliberately break tradition, putting personal freedom above all else.

This is because they love change – the more sudden, the better! Of course, others often perceive this as erratic or unstable.

That said, Aquarius is a fixed Air sign – committing whole-heartedly to a cause or idea. They require those similar to them to be around them in order to recharge, and are far better at friendships than they are at love.

Choose the element you want to discover next: Air gets heated by Fire, can produce steam with Water and generates dust when combined with Earth.

How to balance Air in one’s life

It is vitally important to find a place with clean air and breathe deeply in order to connect with the power of Air.

When trying to remain grounded, in order to avoid the aforementioned prerequisite of successful idealism, try to satisfy your physical needs when they occur, for instance, ensure you don’t skip any meals. Taking time to enjoy a meal is something the modern society has long lost.

You may find that cutting off from sources of technology and the constant stream of information in your life, can offer new perspectives, or at least, a well-deserved break. On the same note, try to avoid fearmongering, stop your mind from bringing up anxiety inducing thoughts.

You can enhance the Air qualities in your life by spending more time outdoors, taking on gardening or activities like bird watching. Make use of the wind’s power for sports like sailing or kitesurfing.

Although this may seem obvious, keep your windows open and freshen up your living space frequently. Use aromatic candles on special occasions but don’t abuse them, or else they may take over your senses. Also, choose the height of the mountains to the depth of the sea.