The Four Elements
How do I understand the elements in and around me?
A small group of us developed an interest in discovering more about the four elements of earth, fire, air, and water and so embarked upon a journey which led us back to 450 BC in Ancient Greece, where discoveries in philosophy, science, medicine, and astrology paved a way forward for future generations. We read together chapters from the book ‘Four Elements' by Margaret Gullan Whur. It became a fascinating source of knowledge for us, bringing a new-found appreciation and awareness of the four elements.
Am I elementally balanced? How does this relate to my habits and tendencies?
This idea of balance and wholeness echoes the teachings of G.I. Gurdjieff who stressed the importance of unity and oneness. He said that a study of the world and its cosmic laws can assist with a study of oneself and the laws within and vice versa:
“Everything in the universe is one, the difference is only of scale; in the infinitely small we shall find the same laws as in the infinitely great. As above, so below.”
What role do the elements play in how I experience my life?
“Your soul is oftentimes a battlefield, upon which your reason and your judgement wage war against your passion and your appetite.
Would that I could be the peacemaker in your soul that I might turn the discord and the rivalry of your elements into oneness and melody.
But how shall I, unless you yourselves be also the peacemakers, nay, the lovers of all your elements?”
Kahlil Gibran, ‘The Prophet’
“I realised that everything is interrelated, interconnected and undergoing a constant change. Also, the idea of scale came to life. How small we are compared to the manifestations of the elements around us: the earth element in the form of mountains, rocks, and deserts; water in the form of oceans, seas, rains; air in the form of winds bringing weather changes over large regions or storms; or fire in the form of lightening in the sky, molten lava in the volcanoes or forest fires.”
“On a personal level, I began to notice more the element of fire, as anger in me, as it flared up and consumed my energy quickly, leaving me feeling burnt out afterwards.”
‘This area of study brought things to light for us in terms of seeing how we are, what our traits are and what elements they relate to. We recognised that each of us resonated with different elements and that one or two elements were strongest in us, which can lead to an imbalance. It was an incredibly interesting study and also helped us look more keenly into our inner world.’
“The presence of the elements can be felt in our daily lives, for example we need fire to cook food, to give us light, to keep ourselves warm; water - to drink, wash, clean, keep plants alive; earth – giving us ground and a solid foundation to our houses, vessels to cook and store our food, and finally air, to dry our clothes and of course to breathe.”
“I understand more deeply that the four elements are all equally valuable and was struck by the truth that on their own, they can only be a quarter of the truth.”
“I have been fascinated to learn how civilisations have understood, valued and interacted with the four elements throughout history and how much they are a part of us and our world. I began to notice each element more in my surroundings – in nature and in myself and saw more clearly which elements are more dominant and which I feel are weaker in me.”
What role do the elements play in how I experience my life?
We became particularly interested in Jung’s understanding of the elements, which was inspired by many ancient cultures, from which he used their elemental principles in formulating his psychological types. He recognised that difficulties could arise from the lack of attunement to an element and a subsequent imbalance. This was recognised in ourselves and helped us to see our own elemental natures.