The Four Elements
Indigenous people knew the importance of and lifted up the four elements: water, air, fire and earth. (The Chinese named a fifth element-wood.) In my readings and travels to Celtic lands and the American Southwest, I brought that awareness back and have incorporated into my daily practices here in the Finger Lakes of NY where I walk the woods, enjoy the lake, the sunsets and the clean fresh air. During this spring and summer of staycation, I have found solace in being with and enjoying the elements even more. I have also been listening to their wisdom and learning to co-create with them.
That latter notion of co-creating with the elements might be unfamiliar or sound too woo-woo for some of you. I get that. For a long while, I found those ideas foreign to me. But the other day I was talking to a friend who was trying to decide whether a wonderful old tree in her backyard needed to come down. I found myself saying to her “Ask the tree.”. And she did. Next time we spoke, she thanked me and said she had come to a decision that felt right after sitting with the tree.
Our western culture and religion changed our early relationship to Nature and her elements. Somehow, we picked up the notion that the Earth was made for us; we sought dominion over Nature as our “God-given” right and responsibility. What hubris! What folly! And in these days of global warming and pandemic, we are being shown how destructive these beliefs and subsequent actions have become.
The Celts saw Nature and God as One and saw themselves as One with Nature. The elements brought both calm and storm. Neither was taken for granted, both calm and storm were part of life. Both the inner and outer world were also One. The elements brought messages through the calm and the storm. The individual and community embraced these messages and learned from their experiences. There is such wisdom in such a perspective on life.
No one captures the Celtic spirit better than John O’Donahue. His beautiful book The Four Elements: Reflections on Nature does not disappoint. He expresses the sensibility of embracing the elements better than I can ever do. I refer you to his works to explore further and for the pure beauty of his words.
The original Celtic trinity of Earth, Sky and Water have within them all of the four elements. The Celts found magic in 3s and grounding in 4s. Notice Celtic art: much of it is based on knots; triskeles or spirals which are interwoven variations on 3s and 4s.
I invite you to take a few minutes to experience these relationships to your own inner being has to the elements:
Open the door, walk outside, be with these elements.
Perhaps sing the chant: The Earth, the air, the fire, the water.
In whatever way you wish, find a moment to be with the profoundly simple experience of awareness of the elements of our being and what they bring to us.