Air – Air Combinations (See nos. 27, 31, 35, 75, 79, 83, 123, 127, 131)
Intelligent, gracious ladies and thoughtful gentlemen, double-Air types are the most reasonable, civilized, clear-headed of combinations. They are probably the most cultured and elegant as well, never at a loss for a word or comment, always ready for discussion and reasoned argument and debate. Being told this will not go to their head for they are not normally prone to self-importance – that would be far too illogical for their poised and intelligent approach to life.
The double-Air type assumes independence as his birthright. To be able to move and connect with ideas and people is the stuff of life for him. Witty, cerebral, urbane and polite, the double-Air type is a natural communicator and thinker who prefers to soar in the ideal realm where he can build social, political or philosophical schemes that help improve humankind’s lot.
A thinker par excellence, the double-Air type finds security in taking the broad intelligent viewpoint, in stepping back in order to see the patterns and principles at work in the whirlwind of life’s activities. He is an observer and theorizer of life, and his faith in the power of ideas is well exhibited by the British economist John Maynard Keynes (Sun Gemini, Moon Gemini) who said:
The ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood. Indeed, the world is ruled by little else.
This detached, observant mode is useful but it often earns this type the accusation of being cold and unfeeling. Although others may experience double Air in this way, the strongly airy individual insists, often at considerable length, that he is only doing what comes naturally – questioning, examining and remaining open, fair-minded, friendly and harmonious, and above all communicating with whoever will listen and discuss.
Shadow
The double-Air type labours under the illusion that there is such a thing as complete objectivity and perfect impartiality. He is utterly honourable and, alas, childlike, in his attempt to understand, analyse and name everything. Childlike in that his feeling for life, because it is such a conundrum to him, tends to remain immature, undeveloped and very often unconscious. The whole range of human feelings – hurt, angry, jealous, dependent, fearful, in love, hateful – tends to be avoided, repressed or played down with great agility. The only possible exception is cheerfulness, which Air is particularly good at.
The rejection of the feeling dimension makes this type curiously sensitive and vulnerable to the waywardness of human behaviour. The strongly airy individual can therefore be a real challenge in a relationship. It is not easy being the only one admitting to all those unpleasant and uncontrollable feelings whilst your airy mate looks on with a cool, nonchalant and maddeningly debonair gaze. The double-airy individual weaves clever arguments so you have to be subtle and careful when you try to bring his feelings to his attention.
Relationships
The double-Air person is an adventurer and a traveller, if not geographically then intellectually in some way. He will usually meet a wide variety of people throughout his life and be attracted to adventuresome souls. Communication is paramount for this type, and he needs mental rapport and mutual respect in a relationship for it to be satisfying and long-lasting.
Air is compatible with Earth and they make a good team, for they both approach life logically and practically. Fire and Air stimulate each other in the realm of ideas and possibilities, but this relationship could lack stability and burn itself out. Air is fascinated by the watery individual whose predominant feeling mode will help the airy person to get in touch with his mysterious emotions and to develop his imagination. Airy thinking and watery feeling are opposites, and yet because of that very fact they are intensely drawn to one another.
Male v. Female
Traditionally we expect to see the objective, witty, thinking characteristics of the double-Air type in men whose intellects make them leaders of thought and action. Women of this type are just as independent, inquisitive and extroverted, and rebel when others try to peg them into more traditional female roles. Adaptability, ingenuity and handling people with cunning insight and skill are double-Air virtues, and the female of this type can employ these qualities in both the home and the marketplace. Both sexes are often drawn towards learning and communication, as well as professional activities that allow for maximum freedom of movement and travel.
Water-Water Combinations (See nos. 40, 44, 48, 88, 92, 96, 136, 140, 144)
Water is the element of feelings and imagination, and the English language is full of Water imagery which is descriptive of this type. The strongly Water type is able to get into the mainstream and go with the flow. They drink in life’s experiences, and nothing washes over them. They can gush with feelings, quickly go misty with emotions and dissolve into tears. Sentimental and nostalgic about the past, this type can wax lyrical about his longings for times gone by, as does the Anglo-Irish dramatist Oliver Goldsmith (Sun Scorpio, Moon Cancer):
I love everything old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wine.
This type can also at times be a wet blanket, especially to more boisterous Fire types and restless Air types. In politics their compassionate natures incline them to be the caring and compassionate ‘wets’, rather than the airy ‘dries’ with their doctrinal purity. Heartier types may consider Water individuals to be ‘drips’ and ‘still wet behind the ears’. But ‘still waters run deep’, and the feeling strengths of the double-Water type give the capacity to empathize with others and to show caring concern for everyone in need.
This individual also has a rich imagination and often the ability to ‘get inside the skin’ of another; hence the poetic, artistic and theatrical talents often come easily. A confusion of personal boundaries is, however, an occupational hazard of the strongly watery type. They can be so sensitive that they become psychic sponges, picking up moods and emotional undercurrents in the environment, and unable to differentiate their own feelings and needs from those of others.
This type wants emotional security and emotional food, and because the two do not always come together in equal doses, they easily get hurt. If wounded he can withdraw into an icy silence, but once his feelings are recognized and addressed, his heart quickly melts and thaws out and he is soon back in the flow of things.
Shadow
Swimming in the seas of subjectivity does not make it easy for double-Water types to engage in clearly reasoned arguments and objective judgements. They know how they personally feel about people or situations, and that is their reality – rather than a collection of objective facts which lead indubitably to a logical conclusion. Hence the strongly watery individual tends to remain irrational when he thinks he is being rational. This type needs to learn how to think things through with more detachment. Yes, he may have had a bad experience with a Malaysian taxi driver, but does that really make all the Malaysian race bad?
The double-Water type is also prone to cling in relationships, because they provide the arena for the emotional exchange, containment and security that is so vital for this individual’s wellbeing. This type often needs to learn that letting go just a little, and allowing loved ones more room for manoeuvre, usually strengthens rather than jeopardizes a relationship.