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April 14 through April 20, 2025

The Sun will spend its last week in Aries, spurring our creative juices and energizing our every move. With a Scorpio Moon overhead on Monday and Tuesday, we'll be intent on getting major projects completed and clearing a path for the future. The energy lightens up on Tuesday and Wednesday as a midweek Sagittarius Moon turns our attention to having more fun and going with the flow, expanding our adaptability and flexibility when changes to our plans crop up. The remainder of the week will be our most productive, as the Moon travels through Capricorn and sets a grounding and practical tone to our movements. The highlight of the week will be the Sun's entry into Taurus on Saturday, heralding a four-week period of taking our dreams into reality, revising our financial and health levels, and reminding us to embrace the important relationships in our lives.

Are You the Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, or Metal Element? Introducing the Personality Test You Didn’t Know You Needed, by Tisha Morris

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

Personality tests are a multi-million-dollar industry with a continued growth rate of 10% to 15% annually. According to the Harvard Business Review, it's common for employers to require workers to take personality assessments to identify who to hire and how they can best collaborate and work as a team member. In the post-pandemic era, personality tests are likely to only increase as more workers move to remote working. In such work environments, a personality test may be the best indicator of one's personality and work style.

The Myers-Briggs test developed in the 1960s has continued to be the most popular personality assessment test in the workplace and for interpersonal use. Now, we have a multitude of personality systems with which to define ourselves, such as astrology, human design, and the enneagram. However, the Five Elements based in ancient Taoism is arguably the earliest of all personality indicators.

The Five Elements were first introduced in the ancient text, known as the I Ching, or Book of Changes, as the foundational building blocks of everything that exists. They were not originally viewed in terms of the individual until thousands of years later when Chinese Medicine applied the Five Elements for purposes of medical diagnoses. Chinese Medicine used the Five Elements to determine an imbalance in the organ systems, which we now know as Acupuncture.

It was after Chinese Medicine migrated to the West when the Five Elements were also used as a system for individual personality types. While there is no exact marker for when this evolution took place, it most likely occurred as a result of the depth psychology movement spearheaded by psychoanalyst Carl Jung. In fact, Carl Jung looked to the I Ching as a guide for the archetypes that became a significant part of his work.

Considering that the field of psychology was developed only 150 years ago and only became mainstream approximately fifty years ago, we've had a relatively short amount of time in our evolution to consider who we are, what we want, and what makes us happy. Until then, the individual ego that gives rise to one's personality was not examined to the extent it is today.

Perhaps our fascination with ourselves can be attributed to having more options than ever in choosing what career or relationship is best for us, particularly for women who were historically exempt from such choices. It's now rare to commit to one career or one person and stick with it for the rest of our life. The pursuit of what will make us happy is not as easy as it seems and takes self-inquiry to help find what will bring us satisfaction.

You may be wondering what makes The Five Elements different from the other personality systems. The Five Elements consist of Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal, which exist as the cycle of birth, growth, death, and rebirth in nature. According to Taoist philosophy, everything on the planet consists of the Five Elements, including us humans. It's the one system that doesn't separate us with all living or non-living beings. We are all a microcosm of the Universe, a mini-Universe, so to speak, and thus all connected. And yet we all have our unique concentration of the Five Elements.

At our base, we all share these core energies. Our individuality is expressed with each one of us having a slightly different concentration of each element. In other words, we all have the same recipe, just a different amount of each ingredient. For example, some people have more yang energy, meaning they embody more Wood or Fire elements, while others are naturally more yin and thus embody more Metal or Water elements. This individual makeup of energy will play a role in one's physical characteristics, energy level, and even personality traits. Some people may have a high concentration in one element, while someone else may be more evenly balanced among all five elements.

Not only do we each have our own Five Elements constitution that makes us unique, but your profile may change as you go through different phases and experiences in your life. Knowing that we fit into a category can be comforting, but it can also be limiting to the full breadth of who we are and who we can become. Instead of stuffing yourself in a box, you can truly be all categories by what you put your attention on. Thus, the Five Elements allows expansion of ourselves.

By reading the following elemental descriptions, you'll probably glean some insight as to which elements you are stronger and weaker in. Usually, there are one or two elements that feel natural to us and at least one element that feels foreign or challenging. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses can be an invaluable tool in understanding yourself in work and relationships. While the full characteristics of the elements are beyond the scope of this article, the following descriptions provide a quick look at each element as personality types.

Water Element: The Water Element is the Philosopher. They are quiet and typically introverted, and yet so unassuming. They hold a quiet strength. They may seem fragile at times, but they are anything but weak. They are deeply creative, contemplative, and introspective. They will most likely be the ones to figure out the key to world peace or an invention that saves climate change. It will be up to the other elements however to implement it.

Wood Element: The Wood Element is the Pioneer. They are the leaders, inventors, seekers, and visionaries. They will take the lead in groups and take action steps to create movement in projects. They can easily vacillate between being introverted and extroverted depending on what a situation calls for. For example, they can work solo on creating a new business or work well with groups. Wood elements keep things in forward motion and their challenge is to know when to contract their energy or take a step back.

Fire Element: The Fire Element is the Manifestor. They are high energy and generally extroverted. They are often the life of the party and enjoy life. Like a flame, they create the highest expression of energy in the form of enthusiasm and passion. Fire elements provide the fuel in projects in order that they manifest in its highest and truest form. While the idea may have been born with the Water element, and the Wood element provided forward motion, it is the Fire element that brings something to full culmination.

Earth Element: The Earth Element is the Stabilizer. They are the grounding force that keeps the status quo maintained so that change doesn't happen too quickly. The Earth element is the container or stage on which we all get to play. They are highly supportive people that bring harmony to groups and help maintain the peace. Think of the Earth element as the parent that keeps harmony among the children when bickering ensues. They go out of their way to not ruffle feathers. Worry is their default emotion, especially when something seems out of their control that could lead to possible change.

Metal Element: The Metal Element is the Organizer. They are natural organizers and keep things in check and on schedule. They make great accountants, engineers, scientists, editors, architects, personal assistants, and professional organizers. They are guaranteed to be detail-oriented, focused, and precise in anything they do. They tend to cut to the chase in conversation without the need for embellishments. They also love an orderly environment with even their storage items labeled appropriately.

For a deeper dive into identifying your primary element and your missing element, you can take the Five Elements Quiz in the book, Missing Element, Hidden Strength. Once you determine your missing element, you can learn how to integrate it into your everyday life, along with all Five Elements. You'll likely find that your missing element is what has kept you from starting projects, finishing tasks, or even sticking with relationships. Once you identify it, embrace it, and embody your missing element, it will soon become your hidden strength to unlocking your full creative potential.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2022. All rights reserved.

My dad's spirit touches me at night all the time. He passed away last year. I was just wondering if I can talk to him when he does this or not. If I can, how do I go about that? Thank you!

Rick

Astrea:

I know you are making your father feel welcome if you're able to feel his spirit touch you, you but there are other things you can do that may be more effective. It takes quite a lot of energy for our loved ones to come through to us in the manner you describe.

Is it possible for you to wear his watch or another piece of metal jewelry to bed at night? This might create a tangible connection through which his spirit could connect with you.

In addition to touching you at night, I think your father is trying to talk to you in your dreams, which is much easier for spirits. Of course, controlling our own dream experiences is difficult.

Dreams are the easiest place for most of us to communicate with spirits. Many people find if they write down what they want to speak to their departed loved ones about before they go to sleep, that person will come into their dreams and initiate that conversation.

Keeping a notebook is very handy because you can write out your questions beforehand and then later record the answers you receive. This won't happen every time you want it to, but it WILL happen every time your dad is able to visit you.

You may have to repeat the questions in your notebook two or three times before things really gel, and you may have long conversations that don't address the questions you want to ask, but you WILL be communicating with him.

We have an electric clock that Daddy sets forward a few minutes every now and then. This activity usually follows a very vivid dream I've had of him. Pay attention to the electrical items in your room and see if your father is leaving any evidence that he has been there.

I find that small acts of charity can bring our loved ones closer to us and make it easier for them to communicate. These don't have to be grand or expensive gestures. You might give a blanket to a homeless shelter or take a friend who is financially challenged to get a few groceries. Every time I complete small, selfless acts, I feel Daddy close to me. In many religious faiths, an act of charity made in the name of a departed loved one is said to bring their spirits closer to God and closer to us as well.

Remember that you are doing these things because YOU miss HIM. He is worried that you're not getting on with your life or he wouldn't be around so often. I think it's wonderful your dad can come to you as he does, but you should try to work toward letting him go.

*****

Susyn:

Though we may not be able to tell if our messages are being received, our loved ones can always hear us, so communicating with your dad can be as simple as talking to him out loud, especially when you sense his spirit around you.

We tend to doubt what we are experiencing because weíve been influenced by society to discount anything of a supernatural nature, and to focus on the so-called facts. This may be one reason you feel you need a special ritual or way of speaking to your dad to be sure he can hear you.

Though you don't have to limit your conversations with him to night hours, it would appear this is the time when it's easiest for him to visit you. He seems to be better able to get your attention without the distractions of everyday life.

You may want to start with a guided meditation and a few rituals to help you get used to the idea of communicating with your father. This is especially helpful if there are certain subjects you want to discuss with him or questions you want to ask. If you perform these practices before bedtime, you may find that your encounters with your father become more frequent and more powerful.

Begin by gathering together a picture of your dad or a few of his belongings. Light a white candle and focus on the flame of the candle while meditating on your father. Think about what you would like to tell or ask him.

For a more concise, effective approach, write him a letter. Putting your thoughts and feelings down on paper will allow more to rise into your consciousness. This is also an ideal time to ask him for a definite sign that he is okay and is indeed visiting you during the night.

Once the letter is complete, light it with the flame of the candle and then burn it, sending the message into the ethers where it will be delivered to him.

If you practice these rituals for a few nights in a row, you should begin to feel more comfortable talking with him. These practices can center us and expand our awareness, thus making it easier to sense and interact with our loved ones who dwell on the other side. As this communication grows stronger, you'll begin to trust more in the experiences you have with him.

If you still feel any doubt that he can hear you, you may want to visit a psychic medium who can act as a go-between by processing specific messages back and forth between you and your father. In this way, you can also affirm that he is well and get more advice on how to best communicate with him.

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.