 |
If you have any questions about
this article, please contact the author, Link:
AnthLink
Questions about this website,
contributing articles, or other concerns should be sent
to: Crescent
|
|
|
|
 erhaps
you feel the stable element of solidity and grounding. Or maybe
you see Earth as the third planet from the Sun. Or for you, is
Earth the rich brown soil in your own backyard?
Earth is all these
things and more. (One of the great things about "poly"
theism is the ability to look at many aspects of an idea.) We
often see Earth in vague macro terms, but we should not ignore
the simple parts of everyday Earth that we see and touch each
day. You may find that all these different sides of Earth - the
element, the planet and the everyday things around us - all fit
together like a beautiful mosaic.
Earth is a term we
use to describe one of four very basic forces in nature. We call
these basic forces "elements" since they are the building blocks
that make up just about everything around us. (Think about it
- you learned the basics in "Elementary
School.") While Earth is a very personal thing for
each of us, it is usually thought of as being very stable. Tangible.
Steady. Someone who might wish to maintain status quo or slow
down change in their life might think of the element of Earth.
Earth might also be used to strengthen something, making it solid
as a rock. Think of the three states of matter: solid, liquid
and gas. While watery liquids may slip through your fingers; airy
gas might float beyond reach, but something solid is easy to grasp.
Earth can be the malkuth of tangible actions, where the rubber
meets the road in deed not just words
or thought. For example, if you wanted to use the element
of Earth to build a museum, you might take physical, tangible
action - actually lay the brick - rather than merely signing a
petition or dreaming about a plan. See the difference? Fire sparks
the idea; air thinks about how to do it; water greases the wheels
- but Earth actually makes it take real form.
Elements are rarely
pure. For example, our own bodies are solid, but also mixed with
fluids, combined with both the breath and spark of life in order
to survive. We are a mix. What role does Earth play in your own
body? How is this like other parts of nature? Can understanding
your body teach you about other parts of life, like how the trees
grow together or how rivers flow?
Elements are not stand-alone
concepts; they combine and react with one another. In the early
1500s Agrippa wrote that elements can be transformed into one
another, like the way salt dissolves in water or a wooden log
burns away. Can we apply this principle to magically transform
our own situation? Are there obstacles in your own life you'd
like to dissolve? Are there problems you'd like to just burn away?
Is there something flowing past you so
quickly you wish you could freeze it still - just for
a moment? Perhaps elemental magic works no differently than the
things we see around us every day. See this transformation as
you strive to change a few extra pounds into a few extra push-ups.
Feel it as the warmth within your own heart melts away even the
coldest barriers between you and someone you love.
People react and combine
just like Earth, Air, Fire and Water. You may even find that we
pass through elemental phases as we grow up along life's path.
This may help you better understand why some people are blown
from place to place with the wind until they mature, become more
rooted and stable in their ways. Can you see the elements in your
everyday interactions with people? Can this help you understand
what makes people tick?
|
