Fire-Fire Combinations (See nos. 1, 5, 9, 49, 53, 57, 97, 101, 105)
Fire is the most primary of elements – hot, volatile, creative, dramatic. The double-fire type is intensely passionate and lives from a very self-centred perspective. That is, he approaches life according to his keenly-felt beliefs and visions of what could be and what is truth for him. The double-fire type may be so in tune with his inner reality that he becomes insensitive to others. Frequently his relationships suffer from his lack of awareness that others might not have such a strong sense of destiny. Whatever his interests might be, this individual throws himself into life with enormous enthusiasm, often bumping into and scattering others in the process.
When Aneurin Bevan described Winston Churchill – a double-Fire type (Sun Sagittarius, Moon Leo) – he summed up the problems of the pure-Fire combination:
The seven league boot tempo of his imagination hastens him on to the sunny uplands of the future, but he is apt to forget that the slow steps of humanity must travel every inch of the weary road that leads there.
There is about the double-fire type all that one associates with the imagery of fire – it burns, it roars, and it waits for nothing. This type can be brash, arrogant and impatient, but also inspiring and childlike with an immense capacity for enjoying life and persuading others to believe in themselves and to ‘have a go’. This type will often sense the hidden opportunity in a situation, and his belief that anything is possible is the magic ingredient behind his natural leadership qualities. Never mind the fact that he needs plenty of lackeys to make it all happen in the concrete world, he has the vision – the rest is incidental!
Shadow
Because of his very enthusiastic flight towards glory, the strongly fire type may paradoxically develop a compensating pessimism when he comes down to earth. Indeed, coming down to earth is generally what he tries to avoid, for the mundane necessities of life seem like obstacles thwarting the pursuit of important things. Churchill’s oppressive periods of what he called ‘black dog’ and Mark Twain’s, (Sagittarius – Aries) bouts of dark depression are classic examples of what can happen when there is a loss of meaning for the fiery individual. This type’s tendency to rebel angrily against the confines of the mortal condition, such as seeing to the needs of the body and the bank account, will severely restrict his potency. He needs to develop patience, moderation, practical skills, sensitivity to others, and respect for the simple, inarticulate material world.
Relationships
The pure-Fire type may gravitate towards other Fire types, but this can be too much of an exhausting good thing. The airy individual is intellectually provocative and challenging for the double-fire type, and together they can make a very creative team. A relationship with the watery individual can be quite exciting and romantic but also volatile and unstable. The most compelling relationships tend to be with the Earth type, people who are comfortable and adept at dealing with the everyday world – making breakfast, mowing the lawn, getting the tax returns in on time. There is a strong mutual fascination between these two types which can help to build a strong relationship although inevitably there will be some difficulties in understanding each other’s basic values.
Male v. Female
Men in Western society are undoubtedly more inclined to feel at home with the strongly extrovert qualities that Fire normally bestows. Whilst ‘spirit’ and energy are admired in women, there is no question that the Western woman who overtly uses her Fire energies is likely to be rather disparagingly labelled as ‘pushy, forceful, quick-tempered and bossy’. This is slowly changing, however. The double-Fire woman is not inclined to care too much about what others think, and is very able to stand up for herself in a man’s world.
Earth – Earth Combinations (See nos. 14, 18, 22, 62, 66, 70, 110, 114, 118)
The double-Earth type is down-to-earth and matter-of-fact. His pragmatic philsophy and concern for material well-being was expressed well by Karl Marx, a double Taurus, in his famous dictum:
from each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs.
This type is usually well grounded in economic and physical reality. He is very much in tune with his senses and instincts through which he feels connected to, and in control of, his world. There is often an innate understanding of the natural, organic processes of growth which gives this individual persistence, patience and self-discipline in the pursuit of his goals. Stable, realistic, practical, dependable and down-to-earth, this individual is the ‘pillar of society’ type on whom others rely for sound judgments and solid, traditional wisdom.
Usually very much at home in their bodies and appreciative of sensual pleasures, the earthy individual knows that the body and all the material realm sustain us and supply us with evidence that we do indeed exist – and that we have a creative existence, too. This type readily learns how to manipulate the material world to his own delight and advantage, and usually with the awareness that the Earth and the laws of nature deserve respect. However, an overly earthy consciousness eventually becomes sceptical and fearful of what may lie beyond the physical realm. He risks losing his vision and sense of meaning through over-concern with concrete facts and trusting only what he can touch, taste, see, hear and, most of all, measure.
Shadow
The double-Earth type’s deepest, darkest fear is chaos and the loss of control. The unconventional and deviant are seen as threatening, or even evil. The intangible, unseen realm of spiritual meaning and purpose tends to elude him or only peeps into his life via the classic superstition and the odd psychic apparition. A strongly traditional and too-rigid adherence to concrete reality can create an increasingly hollow treadmill and enslavement to the physical – which the earthy type with dread has to admit only ends in death. What then?
The double-Earth type often needs to develop his imagination, his trust in new possibilities, and to accept that his need for spiritual sustenance need not threaten his physical security and his need to be in control, as far as possible, of his life and circumstances. To entertain the idea that there may be a realm in which quantitative measurement does not apply – the realm of meaning and spiritual purpose – can only release him from the risk of stagnant imprisonment in the fleshly cage.
Relationships
The double-Earth person is one of the best marriage partners of all, for he is an able provider and a loyal, dependable mate. He may gravitate towards other earthy types with whom he will share many values and feel secure and validated. But he is likely to have a more tantalizing attraction to the fiery type whose enigmatic and unpredictable ways stimulate and challenge.
The airy individual and the double-Earth person make a compatible pairing due to their mutual impersonal, practical, logical approach to problem-solving. The watery individual finds the double-Earth person a perfect container for his emotions, and these two can build a cosy nest and a strong, binding attachment that wears well.
Male v. Female
The qualities of the practical double-Earth type fit comfortably with both male and female in Western society. Both will have a strong sense of duty and commitment, and in the case of the female, a strong inclination to serve human needs.
Double-Earth women are enormously capable, able to sustain demanding long-term professional projects as well as order and well-being. They