In-Depth Element Alignment Assessment: Earth

Personality Traits (Pros): It is difficult to find anyone more sensible, reliable, or utterly loyal than a person aligned with the earth element. People aligned with this element possess “down-to-earth” natures for a reason; they are practical, very goal-oriented, and can be trusted completely. Earth elements tend to do a job as correctly as possible, going the right way about things and double-checking their work usually, so as not to have to repeat it. They take life more slowly than most other elements and as a result may enjoy both the simple and the luxurious things in life. Earth elements, like water elements, are typically introverted (although extroverted earth elements do exist), and are often able to stand on their own without troubling anybody else. Unlike water, however, earth is an element of resiliency due to its many layers; it is not, therefore, perceived as the element of gentle healing or intellectual stimulus, but as one of protection and steadfast devotion. Due to their usual stand-alone tendencies, earth elements can be trusted possibly more than any of the other elements. If an earth element has given you their friendship, never fear that they will tell your secrets or otherwise betray you. It takes a serious wrong to offend an earth element, but should they be angered, earth elements are extremely thorough in cutting a person out of their life entirely. While practical, earth elements by no means are always uncreative. Most earth elements strive to combine fictional concepts with preexisting things of reality; they commonly make good editors of stories, or good commentators on other forms of artwork, because they can be trusted to view the piece seriously and to answer honestly. They are slow to make a decision and slow to change their minds, but earth elements often search for the truth behind things, ideas, people, and causes, and so while they may have a fondness for tradition, they do not get wrapped up in the biases or bad causes of the past. Earth elements are not often flashy or showy, although they can be if they should wish. Most earth elements prefer working behind the scenes to accomplish their goals than taking front and center. Earth elements are generally content to withstand many wrongs and injuries before finally taking aggression, but this does not mean they are slow to anger: more often than not, they actually remember every slight to occur, but choose to say nothing so that when the time comes that they no longer have patience, they can provide proof of the other person’s mistakes, and will react with a crushing finality.

Personality Traits (Cons): Earth elements are commonly misconceived by other people, even more so than water elements because they do not display a gentle or caring side to them as frequently as water elements do. Most people misunderstand those aligned with earth, calling them cold, blunt, unfeeling, uncaring, harsh, and other terms, but this is not the case. The introverted nature most earth elements possess combined with their tendency to remain quiet and appear unfazed in the face of turmoil simply means that most earth elements hide their pain, grief, and other emotions when around other people. Earth elements often suffer from moodiness and depression like the water elements, but fail to alert other people to their feelings by hiding them behind a façade. Because earth elements do not like to immediately change their thoughts or opinions, and because they often have a harder time talking about themselves than most other elements, they become extremely stubborn when confronted, and will often simply continue to try and hide their true emotions from others, even the people they love and trust most. Steady about their beliefs and opinions at their best, earth elements become truly hardheaded and irritable at their worst. They especially have problems with others telling them what to think or believe and will often redouble their efforts to remain the way they are if they feel another person is butting in. The way for earth elements to overcome these issues is for them to make the change themselves. Should an earth element go off on their own, try not to interfere, because this most likely means they are venting their feelings in private and attempting to come to their own conclusion, at their own pace. Earth elements must learn that displaying their emotions, thoughts, and fears is beneficial to their health in order to prevent their deep-seated fears and other negative emotions from cracking that stone-like outer shell they present to other people. They may also want to occasionally try splitting off from their usual traditions, and learn to lighten up and have a bit of spontaneous fun the way air elements, so detached from worldly issues and anxieties, do. Earth elements overall must learn themselves that it is okay to trust other people and that they don’t have to perform all their work alone or behind the scenes, but this concept cannot be forced upon them. Earth elements overall must be careful to separate their sense of realism from out-and-out pessimism, and must accept that they cannot always be right about everything.

Spiritual Inclinations: Earth elements greatly vary in their spiritual beliefs and practices. Most often, they stick with the religion or form of spirituality that they feel most comfortable with, be it what they grew up with in childhood or what they simply feel naturally drawn to. Earth elements, with their appreciation for tradition, occasionally are diligent practitioners of organized religion, although most simply feel a deep appreciation for nature and other enjoyable things in the world. Some earth elements may feel no spiritual calling whatsoever, and rely on their practicality and common sense in the world rather than any deities or forms of spiritual healing.

Political Life: Although earth elements prefer to work behind the scenes, they still remain skilled in the realm of politics. Earth elements are reliable in such a realm, generally, because they are hard to sway and truly stand for their beliefs; earth elements exist, however, whose beliefs are perhaps for the wrong cause, be it money or power. Either way, earth elements may subtly push their regimen behind the scenes and bring new issues into light while letting the flashier fire or air elements stand in as a political leader. This means that while earth elements don’t often receive the credit for their ideas, they also don’t have to take the fall for them either. Earth elements in general, however, have a very strong and dependable moral center, and prefer the political life of a judge if they must choose at all.

Common Jobs: Given their dependability and endurance, earth-aligned people are well-suited for jobs in which they provide either the foundation or stand alone with their thoughts and beliefs. They may work as attorneys, judges, writers, or critics. The more logical among them may prefer work as engineers or technicians. Given their strong beliefs, earth elements also tend to excel in fields of work involving protection, like the police force, or occasionally more subtle variations. Old folklore has it that earth elements’ strong alignment with animals and nature once helped them in the farming profession, too, but in today’s modern world, that claim is more difficult to verify.

Zodiac Alignment: Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn are the three Zodiac signs aligned with earth. People born under these signs may not display all the signs of the earth element right away, but often share certain traits in common, like displaying great maturity at a young age. Generally by their early adult years at the latest, these three signs will at least have fully grown into the earth element’s steadfastness, dependability, and strong sense of conviction. Keep in mind, of course, that personal elemental alignment may differ from one’s Zodiac sign.

Hogwarts Bonus: Surprisingly enough, the Hogwarts House best aligned with earth is (in my own opinion) Gryffindor. Members of Houses and their own personal elemental alignments may vary, of course, but typically Gryffindors are dependable, loyal, and occasionally infuriatingly stubborn, just like the earth element. While some Gryffindors are undeniably flashy and attention-grabbing, fame and glory is not the definitive factor of Gryffindor House. Gryffindor instead places the most value on bravery and chivalry, the two most important traditions of its house, and its members frequently possess a strong moral center and have such strong opinions that they take a long time to change their minds about anything.

The Other Elements: Air, Water, Fire