Getting Elemental
“Air moves us, fire transforms us, water shapes us, earth heals us. And the balance of the wheel goes round and round. And the balance of the wheel goes round.”
We all seek support outside of ourselves in many and varied forms. I’ve never met a human who hasn’t needed a break from their own internal monologue at least for a time. We are pattern seeking creatures, and in the end to solve this puzzle of life we simply need more information than can be found in the endless recesses and meanderings of our own minds. We need others - other beings, other minds, other perspectives, other connections. This sometimes takes the form of talking it out with friends, family members, or other trusted counselors. Sometimes we turn to the writers and artists and creators who have been commenting on the human condition since its beginnings, hoping to see ourselves and our dilemmas reflected on the screen, in the canvas, or on the page. Still other times we seek guidance through prayer and meditation. In this way we can find those connections that are quieter, hidden deeper within, that wait for our still moments to make themselves known. These live in our breath, our brains, our blood, and our bodies, and tie us to everything in the cosmos.
The ancient Greeks (circa 450BC) believed the world and everything in it were comprised of the four elements of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth, (and later Aristotle added a fifth element - Aether). This belief became the foundation for Greek science and philosophy for over two thousand years.
Humans have long tried to understand how we are all connected in our purpose here, and the meaning of this life. It’s not surprising the Greeks sought to explain our connection to this existence in terms of the four elements: Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. Air is in our breath, our voices, our stories, our songs. Fire is the fury and focus of our will. Water is the ebb and flow of our emotions, our intuition and deep knowing. Earth is our sensual, animal body, needing the fruit of this Earth to sustain us, to move, to touch, to satisfy and honor the physicality of our existence. Though our scientific understanding of the building blocks of life has evolved past that of the ancient Greeks, our need for connection and to see ourselves as part of a greater whole is still much the same. Communing with or meditating on the elements reminds us that we are both a compilation of many smaller parts, and that we ourselves are a component of the greater community of inhabitants of this planet we call Earth, in this Solar System, in this Milky Way, in this Virgo Supercluster, in this universe. It brings us perspective.
Air: As long as we are breathing, we are alive. What is breathing, is living. Take a breath. Let your distractions float away on your exhalation. Take another breath. Let go of expectation. Take another breath. You are going to be ok no matter what happens. Breathe in again. You are enough. Feel your self-doubt releasing with the gentle pressure of your deflating lungs. Take a breath into inspiration and imagination. Feel yourself becoming lighter with each exhale. Take another breath into discernment and discretion. Let go any feelings of uncertainty. Continue breathing until clarity arrives like a trusted friend.
Fire: We are creatures of fire. The blue fire of our consciousness burns us into being along a network of fine filaments known as the nervous system. These impulses are our choices, our actions. We create shortcuts to more efficiently access frequent thoughts and ideas. An idea can blaze into reality, or calm into the glowing embers of memory. Is there a thought or idea lingering in your mind? Imagine it in your mind’s eye as a flame. Pay attention to what thoughts make it grow and what thoughts smother it. Practice the thoughts that bring your desired result. That which we will, we become.
Water: Water supports us. Water comprises over 60% of the adult human body. Our waters hearken to the moon just as the tides rise and fall at her whim. We were born of water, and water was our first home. Water has memory. It is our generational knowledge. We remember one another - having been so close we could not determine where we each began and ended. When you need to be held, put yourself in water. Dip your feet in the ocean. Float in a lake. Swim in a river. Have a bath. Dive into a pool. Take a hot tub. Get yourself into water and let her hold you - let yourself be cared for by someone who really knows you. Cry to her. Scream to her if you must. Tell her all your worries and ask her what she knows.
Earth: Our ancestors have lived here always, DNA handed down generation to generation. Our animal bodies were built cell by cell in our mothers’ wombs, fed on the nourishment of this living Earth, with fingers and toes that wiggle, and arms and legs that stretch and strive. We are the latest culmination of thousands of years of earthly existence. We are tied to this place and its rhythms. We need sustenance, rest, touch, and movement. We need to satisfy our carnal cravings. How does your animal body need to move? Or maybe it needs a healthy snack? Or a nap? Spend some time sitting with your body, asking what it needs, and giving in to your desires. Once your body is satisfied, your mind will have an easier time thinking through your situation.
The elements are always with us. They are allies that live within us and also in all things. They connect us to ourselves, each other, and to the world. Whenever we need clarity, focus, support, or strength, the elements are there for us to summon from within and all around us to come to our aid.
Blessed be.
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