I'd be interesting in hearing about how people work with the elements, practically speaking. Am I correct in thinking that pagans typically work with 5 elements, ie earth, wind, fire, water and spirit?
In a Buddhist context I would usually work with 6 elements, ie earth, wind, fire, water, space and consciousness.
It depends on the Pagan. Personally, I work with the 4 classic elements--earth, air, fire, and water, but in a modern context. I've thought about expanded versions of the elements...but I like the simplicity. It is, after all, a symbolic division and not a literal one.
I don't consider spirit (and I consider spirit and consciousness to be equivalent if not the same) to be an element, but rather what happens when you have all 4 of them together, in equilibrium. IMO, fire=energy, earth=solid, air=gas (and also absence of gas, ie a vacuum/void--including space), water=liquid. There are of course, some odd hybrids--mercury is a liquid metal, making it both earth and water (not that I work with mercury, because I prefer to live a long and prosperous life), the process of respiration (cellular respiration) is a function of both air and fire while the other kind (breathing) is a function of air and water (blood), etc. Life forms are a balance of these things in terms of form and function.
If you think about fire (ignis) as energy, including the ignis vitae (the numinous "energy" that causes us to be biologically alive and gives us the process of having consciouness) then organization of the elements from a Druidic perspective makes the most sense (this view comes from revival Druidry, but has been adopted and/or modified by a number of modern druid groups and is based in a logical cosmology of what we know of PIE culture and the Celts):
My perspective of the elements is as a 3+1 that otherwise follows the above. In a practical sense, that means the element I work with most strongly is probably fire--it is after all, energy, and the catalyst for change, though not always literally, with actual fire. In a literal sense, the element I work with most often is water--I live by the sea, I meditate at the beach, I do spells and rituals with the tides, etc.Druid Revival lore contains a system of its own, a set of three elements that first appears in Iolo Morganwg's writings. Whether it's an invention of Iolo's or a surviving scrap of some older teaching is anyone's guess, but the three elements have been part of Druid Revival teaching ever since his time. Their names are nwyfre, gwyar, and calas.
Nwyfre (pronounced "NOOiv-ruh") is an old Welsh term meaning "sky" or "heaven." As an element, nwyfre is the source of life and consciousness, and modern Druids often refer to it simply as the life force. Its image in nature is blue sky.
Gwyar (pronounced "GOO-yar") literally means "blood" in old Welsh, but its more general meaning is "flow" or "fluidity." As an element, gwyar is the source of change, motion, growth, and decay. Its image in nature is running water.
Calas (pronounced "CAH-lass") comes from the same root as caled, Welsh for "hard," and means "solidity." As an element, calas is the source of form, differentiation, manifestation, and stability. Its image in nature is stone.
(sauce)
“You have never answered but you did not need to. If I stand at the ocean I can hear you with your thousand voices. Sometimes you shout, hilarious laughter that taunts all questions. Other nights you are silent as death, a mirror in which the stars show themselves. Then I think you want to tell me something, but you never do. Of course I know I have written letters to no-one. But what if I find a trident tomorrow?" ~~Letters to Poseidon, Cees Nooteboom
“We still carry this primal relationship to the Earth within our consciousness, even if we have long forgotten it. It is a primal recognition of the wonder, beauty, and divine nature of the Earth. It is a felt reverence for all that exists. Once we bring this foundational quality into our consciousness, we will be able to respond to our present man-made crisis from a place of balance, in which our actions will be grounded in an attitude of respect for all of life. This is the nature of real sustainability.”
~~Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee
"We are the offspring of history, and must establish our own paths in this most diverse and interesting of conceivable universes--one indifferent to our suffering, and therefore offering us maximal freedom to thrive, or to fail, in our own chosen way."
~~Stephen Jay Gould, Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History
"Humans are not rational creatures. Now, logic and rationality are very helpful tools, but there’s also a place for embracing our subjectivity and thinking symbolically. Sometimes what our so-called higher thinking can’t or won’t see, our older, more primitive intuition will." John Beckett
Pagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
When you say "work with," what do you mean?Originally Posted by Porpoise
I use the standard four elements as a sort of mental model, but I'm not sure if that qualifies as 'work with."
Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.
I tend to stick with the four basic of Earth, Air, Fire and Water but place spirit at the center as a balance of all four. Where I possibly differ is I place them direction wise based upon my local and geography not how you would typically find them in a Med Basin configuration. So being on the east coast I have water to the east, earth to the west, air to the north and fire to the south. Where early Greek / Egyptian from my understanding was Earth was to the east, water to the west, air to the north and fire to the south.
Like thalassa in the literal sense I align and work with water the most. It's my birth sign, my ruling planet, the place I go to for solace and could say it was my life since I served for 23 years in the Navy.
I'm Only Responsible For What I Say Not For What Or How You Understand!
Thanks, that's interesting. As an alternative to the traditional four elements I've also worked with the 3 states of matter ( solid, liquid and gas ) which sounds somewhat analogous to the Druid triad you mentioned. Consciousness is an interesting one, I think there are pros and cons to viewing it as an element.
I also live near the sea and spend quite a bit of time looking at waves, in between keeping an eye out for seals and porpoises and suchlike. I find being by the sea is a very good place to experience and reflect on the elements, the continual interplay and movement.
Could you say a little about spells and rituals with the tides, that sounds intriguing.
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Could you elaborate on what you mean by placing the elements?
Basically in the older magical systems the elements were aligned to physical directions or points of the world. Consider Air was placed in the North and equated to the Northern Wind for instance. Fire was placed to the south which also equated to the hot and dry conditions of Africa and the heat and humidity. Earth was to the east and sort of equated to the vast expanses of land going from Modern Turkey all the way to India if not further. Water was to the west probably due to the great expanse of water which lay to the west.
Then in the magical systems you could add in that the elements where also equated to planetary bodies, metals as well as creature equations. Like fire was the fire salamander, Water was Ondines and the planet Neptune to name a few.
I'm Only Responsible For What I Say Not For What Or How You Understand!
Season Wind / direction element Spring East Air Summer South Fire Fall West Water Winter North Earth None/All Up/Out Spirit
I found this from from Isidore of Seville in "Libre de Responsione mundi (Augsberg, 1472) In my research many years ago. The table (list) includes humour (emotional), body fluid, and location (body organ) associated with each element/season. Although it seems to be alchemy related it also fits with many traditions of Paganism. I do understand the location specific modifications of the attachment to the prime directions. This fits in my location. In my area cold winds typically come from the east and warm winds from the west but that changes with the season. If I logically place Water and Fire in their logical place then East is reconciled to Air and North to Earth.
I usually think in terms of the five elements that you described. However, the most powerful spell I ever did involved feng shui elements I was using to decorate my home at the time. Those involved earth,water,air,wood,and metal. Metal is literally metal, but also applies to all electronics and shiny reflective surfaces, such as high gloss white paint.I would include plastics in this category. Very modern decor usually has a metallic quality. I have come to interpret it personally as technology. As in human will using natural elements to create something new. To me it is very powerful.
How do people here understand the spirit element?
Out of curiosity, what kind of element work did you do as a Buddhist? (I dabbled in some Bön elemental practices for a while...)
I'd say the spirit element is equal to consciousness in Buddhism but it also has some transcendental and/or life-giving and -sustaining qualities in it. But this also depends a lot on the Pagan.
baah.
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