At this point earth is thinking that fire is a loony, and the fire sign is thinking that earth is a narrow-minded bore.  Reality v vision.  What can a poor boy do? 

Earth signs may be wonderful builders, providers, homemakers, conscientious servants of the needs of those they love.  Their really big sin is never lack of care and effort.  It is their lack of vision, which often stifles those who are close and crush their own as well as other's nascent creativity through over-insistence on the practical. 


EARTH PARENT TO FIRE CHILD (who is learning how to paint/play piano/study philosophy/master the architecture of smoke-rings)  Why are you wasting your time on that rubbish?  You should be out learning how to make money. 

We know well enough what this attitude has done to younger generations.  You might say that the earth-sign viewpoint - understandable enough in an earth sign - became the common collective standard in our society for a time, after the horrors of two world wars and severe economic depression.  We have by now two entire generations of dropouts and runaways who have rebelled violently against these excessively earthy values forced upon them by well-meaning parents who have lived through the economic and political nightmares and insecurity of this century and have forgotten that the future always contains new possibilities.  Earthy people value only what they know and what they perceive through their senses, and they miss a lot that way.  Who would like to spend his last shilling or hyacinths for the soul when a good bowl of soup will do as well? 

The trouble is that earth will spend a lifetime providing others with the things he believes they want because he wants them himself.  And when that fiery partner shows a predilection for hyacinths, it is like a slap in the face.  The problem here is the same for us all:  recognizing that different people see different realities and need different things. 

Now let's talk a bit more about the earth signs in relationships.  It should be pretty obvious by now that if an earthy person is reasonably satisfied sexually, and has a situation which gratifies his need for material stability, he will generally remain solid, loyal and immovable (or at least mostly) in relationships which would drive the other elements, particularly fire, wild.  As earth gets increasingly secure, fire gets increasingly imprisoned.  And although earth's sensuality will often lead him into extraneous affairs which are pleasurable in the same way as a really fine meal, he will rarely do anything to threaten the structure of a long-standing relationship or marriage if it satisfies his need for security and social acceptability.  Ah yes, we didn't mention social acceptability.  It is terribly important to earth, because society is a place where one can seek safety.  Pillar of the community, and all that.  Society is an earth-sign creation.  It protects and sustains.  It upholds tradition and offers laws by which life and behaviour may be systematized.  Earth people love all that stuff.  Fire hates it.  Fire is fiercely individualistic and will generally feel he is outside, beyond, or ill-fitted with society.  Too conservative, traditional and safe.  Ugh.  There you have another typical problem. 

EARTH:  Darling, how could you behave like that in front of my friends?  You shocked them.  I won't be able to face them again. 
FIRE:  But all I did was talk about my belief that there are really flying saucers. 
EARTH:  But that stuff is nonsense, everybody knows it's marsh gas or the lights from Japanese squid boats.  You made me feel ridiculous.
FIRE:  You're so damned afraid of what everybody thinks.  I have a right to express my own opinion.
EARTH:  No, you don't.  Not when it upsets people like that.