All Air types (people with a strong Gemini, Libra or Aquarius influence in their chart) have some things in common. They tend to live in their heads and they love abstract thoughts. They prefer a beautiful theory to a hard reality and they are interested in communication, sharing ideas and networking. But there are some interesting differences that show up when Air is strong in the chart of a woman as opposed to that of a man.
There’s a marked tendency for Air-type males to be strongly intellectual (leaning toward math and science) and to not develop their social skills, while Air-type females tend to be strongly social and not as math-and-science-oriented as their male equivalents. Why should this be? Are men and women really so different physically that the same astrological influences should bear out different results in the bodies of two different natives? Why do Air-type men grow up to be techies and scientists, while Air-type women grow up to be social mavens? Why do Air-type women sometimes talk so much and say so little, while Air-type men can be logical to the point of being cold, critical and boring?
It’s not because of biology—it’s that nasty little virus sexism at work again. Just when we thought we were living in modern times and had evolved into a post-feminist utopia, how uncomfortable to discover that we’re actually still promulgating sexist ideas and limiting our children.
Even today, it’s still ok for men to be smart in ways it’s not ok for women to be.
Boys get rewarded for smarts, while girls get rewarded for social skills. While both boys and girls are encouraged academically in their younger years, the further the education goes, the less women are encouraged to pursue their studies, especially when it comes to the hard sciences. This is much, much less true for younger generations, but older generations have a longer view of how far women have come and how far there still is to go. A potential employer still looks at a woman and thinks, “she’s going to take off and have a family at some point; she’s a flight risk for my company.”
Conversely, women still get taught social skills in a way that men are not. While mothers explain to daughters the intricacies of social interaction, sons get tossed out into the world to fend for themselves socially, with nothing but their conscience to guide them, and no actual savvy. This leaves males clueless in many social situations, feeling that women are running circles around them and that every social interaction has layers of meaning that are mysterious and inscrutable. The result is that an Airy man, who has lots to say, can talk endlessly about his ideas and have no idea that he’s lost his audience.
I’ve done a lot of readings for Air-type women and believe me—they know how smart they really are and they know that all the gossiping, chattering and superficial bantering is survival behavior and they are tired of not being taken seriously as an intellectual force. And readings I’ve done for Air-type men have clued me in that, while they easily identify with their intelligence, that intense focus on the life of the mind can result in a boorish cluelessness that is very off-putting to exactly the people they’d most like to impress.
If you are one of these Airy folks, you might want to ask yourself if you’re living the full potential of your Air nature. It’s your God-given right to be both intellectual and social, but because of lingering gender roles you may have to fight for that right. For both genders, the key to Air lies in good questions. Ask intelligent questions as if you really want to know. Be curious—both about people and ideas. In conversation draw people out. The wonder and curiosity we all had when we were small is the heart of Air intellectual and social skills. Learn to ask good questions and you’re set. If you have an Airy person in your life, encourage them to develop both sets of Air skills. If you have an Air-type child, it’s your duty to counteract these social trends and make sure your boy learns to communicate warmly with others and your girl takes her smarts seriously.
Thank goodness these things are changing, and rapidly. Today it’s more common to see a proud “geek girl” who worries more about her grades or her research than her hairstyle or the latest gossip. And it’s more common to meet a boy who is socially adept without seeming too much of a “sensitive New Age guy.” Perhaps a balance will be struck at last.
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