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Originally Posted by Quintessence
Reality is quintessential.
It's important to remember that the idea behind the Four Elements was to explain what the underlying substance (or substances) is/are behind all things in reality. Empedocles established that there are four roots that underly all of reality. This was later embraced by more influential Greek philosophers - most notably Aristotle - and became the canon of natural philosophy up until the advent of modern science. It was understood that nothing in this world is made up of just one element, but that all things in reality have all four of the Elements within them. The ratio of each could vary and was part of how the nature of a thing was determined. Humans in particular were understood to be balanced among the Four. When they were not, they were said to be mentally or physically ill.
In part because of this, I regard questions like "what Element are you?" to be more like a quaint child's game, no offense intended. I think we can validly ask "what Element do you like the most or do you feel resonates with you the most?" but the previous question is more dicey. If it is a valid question to ask, most people who go about determining their so-called Element don't do so from a position of strong knowledge about the Four. If you have a strong knowledge of the Four, you don't tend to ask the question. You either recognize it as a non-question or you already know what "your" Element is based on experience/knowledge.
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This! Well said Quintessence.
As for the OP: elements, in the Classical sense, were used to explain the substance of the Cosmos and were symbolic of qualities of objects and phenomenon. In astrology the four elements are used since it was developed under the auspices of Graeco-Roman astrologers, so it was natural to use a popular model of the constitution of the Cosmos in their culture.
Chinese philosophers had 5 elements, wood, fire, earth, metal and water.
And the Briton poet Taliesin spoke of nine elements:
"I was made from the ninefold elements -
From fruit trees,
From paradisiacal fruit,
From primroses and hill flowers
From the blossoms of trees and bushes,
From the roots of the earth was I made,
From the broom and the nettle,
From the water of the ninth wave.
Math enchanted me before I was made immortal,
Gwydion created me with his magic wand.
From Emrys and Euryon,
From Mabon and Modron,
From five fifties of magicians like Math was I made -
Made by the master in his highest ecstasy -
By the wisest druids was I made before the world began,
And I know the star-knowledge from the beginning of Time."
[Taliesin, Chief Bard of the Britons (circa 600 CE)
as found in the Cad Goddeu
and translated by Caitlin Matthews]
Elements are cultural phenomenon used to describe symbolic qualities. But they can still be useful for meditation, since our minds eat up symbolism like no one's business. Just don't mistake the finger pointing at the moon for the moon itself, so to speak.