EARTH-BASED SPIRITUALITY - THE ELEMENTS
I am never alone wherever I am. The air itself supplies me with a century of love. When I breathe in, I am breathing in the laughter, tears, victories, passions, thoughts, memories, existence, joys, moments, and the hues of the sunlight on many tones of skin; I am breathing in the same air that was exhaled by many before me. The air that bore them life. And so how can I ever say that I am alone? -Brooke
We are connected to everything. We are made of the same elements as that which we find in nature, the animal kingdom, the stars and the cosmos… everything is interconnected. Understanding our interconnectedness allows us to work in unison with the everything around us; we are in flow with the divine Earth and her cyclical nature and in turn we embody our own divinity.
As women, we enhance the power of manifestation by understanding our unique soul blueprint and learning how to use our elemental balance to our advantage. Our birth chart identifies our souls’ energetic blueprint as lessons to learn along the way in this life, not to define us. Although every woman has her unique combination of the four elements - Air, Fire, Water, and Earth - we must learn to work with all of them, to harness their unique gifts and enhance our lives with their magick.
The elements outlined here are the four classical elements and although I speak about them separately, they are each interconnected as we are, influencing each other and working symbiotically with one another.
Earth is one of the four classical elements in ancient Greek philosophy and science. Earth is where we get to rebalance ourselves and our psyche; it is the element that gifts us the solid foundations to grow from. All created things draw their strength from the Earth. It is nourished by the stars and gives nourishment to all living things. Earth is a feminine aspect; view Earth as the mother, the giver of life to all living things.
Fire is the lightest thing in existence. The energy and the spirit are earthly manifestations of fire. In ancient times fire was seen as a goddess, and in many holy places fires were tended to and never allowed to go out as they symbolised the fire on earth. Fire in the form of sunlight feeds everything on Earth - the energy of the sun allows things to grow, to recharge. Fire is a masculine aspect. It is symbolic of our internal life for energy, it is the shakti, spark of creativity and action - it moves things forward, destroys. Fire is my preferred element to work with in ceremony. It is the energy of alchemy and transformation - the spark that initiates, the kundalini rising.
Air is the element most needed by fire. This is why you need open spaces, the wind, and to fly. Because you have fire in you. This is why you look into the sky, why you make wishes, why you tread lightly. You, too, are the air, because inside you there is fire. Why do you think we breathe? Because we are kindling our fires
— C. JoyBell C.⠀⠀
The element of air is everywhere, it surrounds us but cannot be touched or held - it is simply felt and we recognize its presence on the way it affects the things it touches. Air is associated with the thoughts, with the mind, with inspiration - it is the breath of life, the essence that sustains all things. The air is a masculine aspect, associated with communication, imagination, with knowledge and understanding. We hear the whispers in the winds and within gather the wisdom that supports us.
The element of Water is heavy and flowing; it circulates and like the other elements it correlates to an array of spirits and each deity or goddess expressing the different states we know water to be: rivers, streams, lakes, static pools, waterfalls… Without water we can not exist, it is a feminine aspect, the element of emotion and the unconscious, as opposed to the conscious intellectualism of air. Water is the element that brings things together - it reminds us that we are whole, forever flowing. It cleanses our mind, body, and spirit.
We are made of the same matter as earth and we are interconnected with all of existence and when we recognise this we begin to live in balance with the cycles of nature. Taking only what we need from nature to live a happy, healthy, symbiotic life. The force of nature has no direction; it is a vibration of force that surrounds everything; it only has direction when we use our will to focus it towards something, our intention whilst doing no harm.
When we take the time to develop our personal vibration and cultivate the elements’ powers and gifts, always feel that whatever you’re doing is the most beautiful thing, the most elegant and graceful dance, because you are dancing with your soul and the Universe.
B x