The Astrology of Pixar's ELEMENTAL
Fire and air.
Earth and water.
We know that certain elements go well together.
What we don’t often talk about is the pairs that seem a little mismatched.
Like can a fire sign “make it work” with an earth sign?
Or can a water sign find harmony with another water sign?
In PIXAR’s latest animated feature, ELEMENTAL, this age old question finally gets an answer.
This story begins with a girl named Ember, a fire being. Ember, as you can imagine, is a hot head! Quite literally in the film, Ember struggles to keep her cool. She frequently explodes in interactions with difficult customers, while working at her Dad’s popular store, The Fireplace. Her Dad encourages her to work on these outbursts, promising to one day give Ember his shop when she’s “ready.”
Time passes and Ember is seen becoming more confident in her cool-keeping(or kol-keeping). Then, on the day of The Fireplace’s Red Dot Sale, Ember’s father finally lets her run the shop alllllll by herself! Sure, it’s a busy day, but she seems to have wisened up as of late, and her father gives her this golden opportunity to prove her worthiness. When Ember gets overwhelmed by the multitude of difficult client interactions, she runs to the boiler room to let out some steam. You see how meta this film is? Upon exploding, Ember BURSTS open the water main, and the basement gets flooded! Thinking on her feet, Ember seals up the hole in the main, but not before a figure appears in the water. A guy named Wade.
Revealed to be a city inspector, Wade cites the shop for the faulty plumbing. Ember, now more upset, admits how awful of a situation this is, since her father built this place all by himself. “Without permits?” Wade asks. Crying a pool of tears, Wade tells Ember that all of these violations will surely get The Fireplace shut down. “It’s all just so sad.” Wade sobs. He then slides through an open window. Hoping to stop him, Ember chases the slippery Wade all the way to City Hall.
Ember eventually catches up to Wade, but not before he turns in the citations.
Now, feeling as though her hope is lost, Ember breaks down on the City Hall steps.
Wade finally listens to Ember, showing a strong amount of empathy and some regret for doing his “duty.”
In an effort to make things right, Wade introduces Ember to his boss, Gale Cumulus.
Gale is an air being. Get it?
Gale makes a deal with them. If they can find and repair the source of the leak that Wade was investigating-before he got carried into the flooded basement- then Gale will forgive the violations.
So fire and water now have to work together. Something considered unlikely, if not impossible, before. These elements don’t usually mix.
This mission does bring Ember and Wade closer together.
They start to see into each other’s worlds.
At one point, Ember recalls to Wade an important memory from her childhood.
In it, her and her father visit Garden Central Station.
Ember had been dying to get a glimpse of the rare Vivisteria Flower. A flower that could grow and survive in any elemental condition. Meaning, fire could not harm it.
When Ember and her father reach the entrance to the station, however, a security guard denies them access.
While this memory happened when she was little, this prejudice is still somewhat commonplace in modern times. Fire is often shunned from establishments and certainly not allowed to inhabit crowded areas. No one wants to be “burned.”
Touched by this tragic memory, Wade creates a way for Ember to see the flower of her dreams.
This act of love wins Ember over and as they say “the rest is history.”
Well, there’s still a family business to save, maybe an entire town, too! But fire and water seem to be more compatible than we thought.
ELEMENTAL takes chemistry to a whole new meta level, while articulating very real cultural and class divides along the way.
In the case of love, ELEMENTAL affirms that there’s always more than meets the eye.
I’m sure you’ve heard this by now, but you are more than just your sun sign.
In relationship astrology, we go far beyond the central component of individuation(or the sun).
To start, compatibility can be found in one’s Venus placement. Whatever element it’s in communicates the nature of the person that you naturally attract. So you may be a fire sign, but with a water Venus, this PIXAR story could highlight a lot of parallels you’ve experienced in your own dating life.
Also, your moon sign is VERY important when considering how you align emotionally.
Is it comfortable being around each other?
Does our time together feel nourishing?
Could I live with this person?
For example, if your partner’s sign is your moon sign, you may find immediate ease and flow together. It may be a challenge to NOT be in sync with one another!
And we haven’t even mentioned the couple’s chart!
Some astrologers use synastry, an overlapping of the two charts. Finding this chart to be a bit hard on the eyes, I opt instead for the composite chart method. A tool that finds the midpoint(or middle point) of each person’s natal placements, a composite chart highlights where you two “meet” and what signs are formed when you come together.
A Leo rising, for instance, produces the fun couple archetype. Combative at times, but very affectionate and physically HOT for each other!
A Capricorn Moon produces a couple that is built for long term success. A pair that feels comfortable in a serious, legalized union.
A sun in the 7th house is an outwardly beautiful relationship, one that feels very purposeful and alive.
A strong Pluto placement could be a harbinger of divorce, or financial losses. Yikes!
In relationship astrology, every chart component matters. As always, though, some are given greater emphasis.
As signs go, no other knows compatibility quite like Libra.
This time around, it’s even stronger.
With October 14th’s Solar Eclipse, we are ushering in a new love cycle.
Got the hots for anybody?
If love isn’t something you’re trying to call in, then let’s get a better idea of what you can expect…
How you determine this is by noting the planets/bodies being aspected.
When looking at your chart, locate 21 degrees Libra(the point of this eclipse). Is there anything in that area?
Then, you want to see if you have anything at or near 21 degrees somewhere else.
The tighter the aspect, the stronger the relationship.
Oppositions(180 degree angles) usually yield the most balanced partnerships. These are people that really complete you in fulfilling ways.
Trines(120’) can be fun, albeit competitive. They may not have the endurance to last, but usually awaken something very worthwhile.
Sextiles(60’) are the type of partnerships where you will have A LOT to talk about. These are fast-paced and meant to propel you forward with new found information. They show up as friends or even siblings.
Squares(90’), while difficult at first, can yield committed, yet somewhat compromising relationships. Like someone you may not be overly romantic with, but still has worthwhile things to offer. A house. A family.
Note what aspects are most common for you natally.
If you have a lot of conjunctions, like me, you could find relationships that hold a lot of interest and passion…at first. Ones that tend to burn up just as quickly as they started. As I get older, I’m still learning how to manage or find the right balance with people.
Like getting to the heart of the matter, relationship astrology can unlock a greater understanding of how love blooms in your life.
For those ready to manifest a partner, try this intuitive exercise…
STEP 1: Start by clearing away what you don’t love looking at. That pile of dirty clothes. Drab curtains. Spiderwebs.
Stuff that distracts from the overall beauty of your space.
“Why is cleaning the home so important?” you ask.
Well, the home is a place for receiving.
Think about it.
You don’t receive much when you’re at work, right? When’s the last time someone gave you praise? a bonus? a “thank you?”
Work(and our daytime) is primarily spent giving. Usually services for others. It’s where most of our actions occur.
But at home, the roles reverse.
At home, we get food cooked for us. We have mail brought to our door. We receive kisses from our partner, or our dog, after a hard day. At night, we even receive dreams!
Think about it this way…we don’t receive compliments when we show up looking the same every day? Right?
However, when our energy shifts, people tend to take notice.
So, this is one reason why it’s sooooo important to clean and de-clutter.
Shifting the energy of your space shifts your energy too.
STEP 2: After you’ve done some clearing, the NEXT thing to do is to tap into the energy of your home. This is where feng shui can come in real handy.
Ask yourself “How do I feel when I’m at home?”
Are you often restless? Stressed?
Do you like spending time in your home?
Does it feel unsafe?
Now you know how you feel. Now ask,
“Would another person want to be here?”
Is it comfortable?
Relaxing?
Would they want to stay for long?
The answers you arrive at indicates how well you could receive a partner. If you’re ready. For the home is your emotional body. And a new person added to it will definitely add more emotions! So it’s important to note how much you can hold.
“So how can I make my space more attractive?”
This doesn’t mean you need to go broke, but I bet there’s already one or two things you’ve been resisting doing. Things that are probably easier than you think.
PRO TIP: If you’re having a hard time not noticing it, another person will probably see it too!
STEP 3: Start using your home time more intentionally.
What would you do at home if you were already romantically involved?
Would you cook more?
Would you sleep less?
Would you wear sexy undergarments around the house?
Would you prefer a certain side of the bed?
An easy way to amplify your manifestation is to program a crystal. Write your intention on a piece of paper and wrap it around the crystal, or put it underneath. Place the crystal somewhere your partner would spend time in.
Other easy steps would be to…
Open the blinds more.
Spend some time walking around your neighborhood. Greeting your neighbors.
Plant flowers.
All things that will attract more energy to you.
And Voilà! You’ve taken intentional steps that will not only manifest a partner, but will also make your space a lot more enjoyable! Check and check!
BONUS PRACTICE:
Picture what this new person looks like!
Focus on a certain feature. Maybe it’s a thick head of hair? Pretty hands?
Don’t be afraid to get specific!
Details are the windows into a future manifestation.
Until we meet again.
Tyler.