Lughnasadh 1999 Newsletter Paganism 101 - The Elements

Our Paganism 101 column is going to now move from the general issues of finding a teacher, finding out about your local area, and considering manners in relation to the Earth, to more specific topics. I hope that as we work through some of these beginning concepts we can grow and learn together. I welcome your feedback, from novice to expert, young to old. I can only share my perspective, and hope that you will discover your own connections to the topics we explore, and then you examine this perspective until you find your own.

I have put together a loose outline of the topics we will cover over some not inconsiderable amount of time. I propose to list the topics for the next while here, and if you would like to contribute something please send it in - I’d love to be able to share many points of view with our beginning students. This column is also going to function as the Country Study Group that we proposed last year. So become involved, and please send in any questions or experiences you would like to share.

This column is going to start investigating the elements over the next few editions. We will spend two seasons on the elements, the first as a general introduction with time to get to know the elements, and then a season reflecting on this. The next topics to be covered will then be: moon phases, sun phases, tides, the history of Paganism (including the modern viewpoint of the Wiccan tradition - if you want to avoid this - send in the history of your tradition!!). We will then look at the various traditions and practices that exist. The program of investigating concepts will cover at least thirty topics, and span quite some time. If there are any concepts you particularly want covered, let me know.

When first starting out along a Pagan path, we are always eager to learn everything, now! And fair enough too, because Paganism is a path that excites and inspires us. However, there are times when we need to slow down, or stop altogether and spend some time with one particular concept, or group of concepts. There is a need to develop a close relationship with the Earth in most Pagan paths. After all, we wouldn’t marry someone unless we knew them pretty well! The same goes for building up a relationship with the Earth - it does not happen over night. In developing this we also build up a relationship with the Earth’s constituent parts, these parts can be broken into five elements in some Pagan traditions. These elements are represented and symbolised in different ways, again depending on the tradition. The application of the elements is the focus of our next column. For now, we need to meet and introduce ourselves to each element, and to place it somewhere in a general Pagan context. We will start our exploration by looking at each individual element (alone - not with it’s correspondences), and then bring them together as a whole.

Firstly, what are the four physical elements? They are: Earth, Air, Fire and Water. There is also the fifth element called Spirit (though there are other names for this). Where do we find these? Let’s start by examining the physical sides of the elements. To do this it is best to move outside. Here we meet the first element - look down - you’re standing on it! Even if you are standing on concrete, a balcony, pavers or a wharf, underneath all of that is the Earth. The Earth is the basis of that we stand on. Without it we are nothing. At the same time you are breathing in element number two that we will meet - that of Air. We are surrounded by it. Even underwater we rely on a thankful of air, which without, we can’t survive. There third element we will meet is Water. It’s not so immediate, but stop and look up - are there clouds in the sky? Look to the east - the Pacific Ocean is there (or look to the west, north or south - we are surrounded by Water!). The fourth element to meet is that of Fire. Deep down, underneath the Earth’s crust is fire - the primordial fire that shapes and runs through the Earth. We can also look to the West of Australia, to the desert and to the fires that sweep through our bush land to find this element. Do you smoke or burn candles? You are experiencing the element of Fire every time you light up!

You have now found the four basic elements that most traditions work with. You now need to spend time with each one, getting to know it, finding out about it, learning from it. I suggest to do this, you grab a sheet of paper and write down some preliminary thoughts about each element. For example, start with the element of the Earth, and write down everything that pops into your head about the Earth. Look at it, feel it, smell it, listen to it, use all of your senses to fully explore each element. As you explore the elements, what are they saying to you. Write down any thoughts, intuitive knowledge, ideas, concepts or questions you have for or about each element. Spend some time mediating in the area of the element (obviously with Fire, you need to be a bit away from it, whereas a swim is a great way to meet the element of Water). Sit in the element, and connect with it.

When you have done this, it is time to ‘internalise’ the element. That is, you are going to try and incorporate a part of that element into yourself. By this I don’t mean eat the dirt!, but bring a quality of each element within yourself. By doing this you will always carry an aspect of the elements within yourself at all times. You can draw on it’s strength if you need to. By internalising the elements, you are bringing them together in one location, unifying them. There are various ways of internalising each element. You will need to find your own way of doing it. Some suggestions include:

• Drawing or painting each element
• Sculpting the elements
• Meditating for extended periods on each element
• Sleeping with pictures, symbols, etc. under your pillow to inspire dreams about the elements
• Carrying a small symbol in a bag or cloth around your neck, or in your bag to connect with each element.

As you can see, there are many ways, and if you find the way that works for you, then you will ‘own’ the element, as you have made your own relationship with it. Spending time with the elements is not something that you do at the start of your journey, but it is a relationship that you maintain throughout the whole of your existence. The skills you learn now, are the ones you will build on as you advance further along your Pagan path. Each tradition has it’s own correspondences, meanings, associations etc that fit with each element, and we will take a look at some of these next season.

Homework
This column is going to try and get you thinking for your self. Research each topic further - go to the library, search the net, talk to others, write, dream or meditate - and the answers will be revealed to your questions. So the question to think about this season (as well as meeting and internalising the elements) is: What about the fifth element? Where might we locate this? How would you develop a relationship with it? Write and share your thoughts.

Homework - Part Two
Start having a think about where you would place the elements on he compass. Ie. Where would you place the element of Earth? Would it be placed in the North, South, East or West Quarter? Laren has produced an elemental direction chart below for you to use.