The Meaning of Fire in Astrology

Assertive, dynamic, energetic and punchy, fire dominant people get things done with speed, confidence, and passion. There are three fire signs in the zodiac system — Aries, ruled by passionate Mars, Leo, ruled by the Sun, Earth’s mesmerizing life giver, and Sagittarius, ruled by jovial Jupiter.

Like the air signs, the gender of the fire signs is masculine. If fire is dominant in your birth chart, you’re passionate, enthusiastic, self-assured, and energetic. These people have a can-do attitude; nothing seems to be a stretch for them. If they really want to do something, they’ll confidently pursue that thing until it is done —unless they get bored half way through (Aries, I’m looking at you!).

What is the Element of Fire?

Fire is the giver of life. The Sun, which is essentially a giant fireball, bestowed our fine planet with life. And once man discovered fire, he could warm himself, and he could cook his food. This glorious element initiates, changes, and creates new things. It’s determined, passionate, intense, energetic, and action-oriented. It thrives on the new, and on adventures and challenges.

Positive Traits Associated with Fire

As I mentioned earlier, fire makes things happen. It starts things, and it pushes those things forward until they’re complete. Here are the vibrant and eager optimists of the zodiac, keen to bring their many ideas and concepts to fruition as speedily as humanly possible. And they have the unbridled confidence and courage necessary in order to do so.

For them to feel secure and content in life, they need to be completely independent. They really dislike relying on others, or being beholden to them. So, they set out early on in life to make their own way, and build something that’s all their own, such as a career, business, family or all three and more.

They make warm, enthusiastic and passionate lovers, and they’re often exceedingly tactile. Arien lovers are particularly energetic, spontaneous, and bubbly. Leonine lovers is especially big-hearted and sweet-natured. Sagittarius lovers tends to be exceedingly charismatic and magnetic. All three signs are chatty, optimistic, engaging, and vibrant.

The fire signs are some of the bravest and most courageous Souls in the zodiac system. While others may recoil in horror at the sheer thought of starting a new business, traveling to a far away land, or studying a brand new subject later in life, these people grab such opportunities with both hands. 

And if the opportunities don’t present themselves, they go out and create them. They make whatever they want to happen, happen with their unwavering determination and unbeatable spirit. They’re completely unafraid to try new things to spice their lives up and keep them engaged and thriving.

These people have a creative idea a minute. Some of their numerous ideas may be a bit idealistic or even far out, but others will be doable. They love to create things and see how successful their creations can become — whether that’s impressing their friends and relatives with their watercolour paintings or publishing their intriguing stories.

Negative Traits Associated with Fire

Impulsiveness is by far the most common not-so-pleasant trait among the fire signs. I don’t know how many birth chart readings I have done for fire types who confess that they are impulsive. As a Leo, whose chart is fire and air dominant, I can relate to this, and I’ve struggled with it for a long time. No matter how hard I try, I just seem to be programmed to be impulsive, even though, now and again, I can take a ridiculously long time to make a decision (owing the the influence of air).

Part of the reason why fire is so impulsive, and even reckless on occasion, is because of the impatience and restlessness associated with it. Like the people who have a lot of air in their chart, they need be be doing things all the time. They need the mental, as well as the physical stimulation. They can’t stand to sit around for long periods of time. Inevitably, if they have to, they’ll become agitated. 

It can also be tricky for them to remain focused on one thing for long periods of time with the possible exception of Leo. Leo is a fixed sign and therefore, possesses significantly more ‘sticking power’. Aries, on the other hand, is known for being easily distracted and moving onto new things once it loses interest. Sometimes, ideas and concepts seem more interesting to Aries than the actual realisation of them. However, if they’re truly emotionally invested in something, come hell or high water, they’ll see it through to completion. The Sagittarian heart is motivated and captivated by doing the right thing, learning something new, or just having fun — perhaps on an overseas adventure. 

Another thing that fire can be critiqued for is its bluntness. Being somewhat direct can be very helpful because straight-forwardness saves time and people know where they stand. But being too direct can come off as rude and inconsiderate. At times, thanks to their energetic spirit that just wants to push forward and achieve and thrive, they can unintentionally run roughshod over others and not think twice about it. 

It should be no surprise at all that fire, being literally hot, is hot tempered. While most people, no matter what their astrological profile is like, can control their temper, fire types can struggle to do so. The one saving grace is that very fiery types often cool down as quickly as they spice up. They also want to forget about whatever bothered them earlier, and swiftly move onwards and upwards. 

What Fire Types Admire

They admire individuals who are successful in their own right, for example, those who run successful businesses, and those who were unafraid to try new things and venture into new territories.

Colors for Fire Types

The fire signs tend to gravitate towards very rich colours which reflect their vivacious and passionate inner worlds. Both Aries and Leo enjoy all shades of red, orange, and yellow as well as deep, rich colours such as mustard, burgundy, and aubergine. Sagittarius gravitates towards deep dark blues and purples. They’re especially fond of teal. 

Plants and Herbs for Fire Types

Being so busy and energetic, they don’t have too much time to dedicate to the care of high maintenance plants. They need plants which take a long time to finally perish! Finding out how to take care of them, and then remembering to water them on time might just be a bit too much for them. 

Spider plants and snake plants are a good fit but they may also be a bit too plain for some. Sun-loving plants such as gloriously tall, colourful, and dramatic sunflowers as well as pretty, flowering succulents appeal to them, even if they require a bit more care. The herbs they’re drawn to and may use most often have some kind of punch to them such as peppery basil, spicy chilli, warming ginger, and intense garlic and cilantro.

What Do Fire Types Like Doing?

The fire signs like getting things done, learning new things (so they can do more things), and having plenty of fun while they at it. Outdoor adventures fill their hearts with joy, as does travel and sporting activities — preferably intense outdoor ones. Being so active, they appreciate engaging with others who are equally as enthusiastic about life.  

Fire Sign Aries

Aries is ruled by planet Mars, which is the planet of action, drive, intensity, conquests, war, and carnal desire. This sign has much in common with energetic and intense Scorpio as they both have Mars as a ruling planet (Scorpio is also ruled by planet Pluto). It’s probably the most energetic sign in the zodiac system and one of the most driven. Virtually everything is viewed by Ariens as competition, and they must ensure they always win first place. After all, they come first in the zodiac, so why shouldn’t they come first in whatever else they turn their hand to?

The quality of Aries is cardinal. It’s represented by the ram —the astrological glyph depicts ram horns (♈). The first house is associated with Aries. Being the first house, it is, just like, Aries, concerned with the Self. It’s also known as the Ascendant, but more commonly referred to as the Rising sign, and it’s one of the most important parts of the birth chart because it governs the way we view and understand ourselves, as well as the world around us. It also indicates how others perceive us, especially strangers and acquaintances.

Aries is quick, direct, resilient, straight-forward. This sign knows what it wants and it goes after it with gusto. It’s also kind, compassionate, passionate, loving, self-expressive, and tactile. Like the other two fire signs, it can be a bit overwhelming and overbearing with its intensely passionate nature, however, there are a lot of people who admire its strong emotional nature and obvious lust for life. Ariens can, however, become easily bored and distracted much like children. So, they might be inclined to avoid finishing the things they start if they get bored along the way. They’re also pretty hot blooded and can be a bit explosive from time to time, although, luckily, they cool off very, very quickly. 

Fire Sign Leo

Leo is ruled by the Sun, the pieces de résistance of our wonderful solar system. And many Leos often do think of themselves as such! Their ruling planet is, after all, the giver of life! Animals and humans wouldn’t stand a chance on this planet, and perhaps any other planet in the solar system, without it. It provides light, warmth, beauty, and it nurtures life. 

Leos love fiercely and are extremely protective of those closest to them. They are very warm-hearted, big-hearted, generous, and supportive. Even strangers can benefit from their warmth and care if the Leo intuitively senses that they’re on the raw end of a deal and in need of some support. This sign is surprisingly sensitive. They tend to be sweet towards others and if they feel their warmth has been rejected, that causes them to feel very wounded and embarrassed.  

On the downside, they can be dramatic, brash, and think too much of themselves. Their pride can also be easily hurt and they can become very defensive in heated situations. They can also see others as less important than them.

The quality of Leo is fixed and its archetype is the lion. The glyph resembles the lion’s tale (♌). It’s the fifth sign of the zodiac and the fifth house of creativity and children is associated with it. The fifth is one of the most playful, creative, and romantic houses.

Fire Sign Sagittarius

Sagittarius is infectiously positive, upbeat, and enthusiastic. At times, it seems as if they have enough energy and enthusiasm to fill a stadium. They’re buoyant, boisterous, and they love to fool around, have fun whenever they can, and go on all sorts of adventures. 

However, they aren’t all fun and games. These people study incredibly hard. Like Gemini, the opposite sign, they’re extremely curious about the world around them. They want to learn as much about it as possible. There seems to be an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. If they pick one particular subject to study, which may of them do, they will want to know it inside and out, better than anyone else. 

Of course, Sagittarius isn’t just bouncy and curious. While some people view their die-hard optimism as admirable and inspiring, others might see it as fatalistic. Indeed, even when the ship is going down, so to speak, they may refuse to acknowledge the loss. They often still bank on things turning around, as if by magic. There’s an element of carelessness about the way they deal with things, and important information can be overlooked.

Restless and impulsive, they are always looking for the next adrenaline hit. They tire of their present circumstances quickly, and often need new adventures, people, and surroundings to keep them mentally stimulated and feeling alive. To some people, they could appear as fickle if they consistently miss their appointments. It may also annoy other when their plans fall through because they didn’t pay enough attention to the details.

This sign is associated with the 9th house of higher learning and spirituality. Sagittarius is depicted by a centaur; a mythical creature that is half man, half horse holding a bow and arrow. The glyph for this sign is the centaur’s arrow ♐. It’s a mutable sign, meaning that it can be pretty flexible in its outlook on life.