The Practicals: The Element of Fire

After being picked up in the cyclone of the Air Elemental and before that, being welcomed into the womb of the Earth, I can't lie and say that the Elementals don't fascinate me.  I am fairly certain I am hooked on discovering their mysteries.  However, Earth and Air were easy.  The sheer nature of Fire is all consuming and, that being the case, what will it do to me?  The guys are less willing to search after fire, but I suspect that since we have begun this journey, nothing is going to stop it from coming to its conclusion.

So, in much the same way as before, I wait for the guys to be ready for this.  I have been spending my nights alone and in meditation, contemplating the spirits of the two elements.  Tonight I am in my back yard, fire in my fancy DIY fire bowl.  As I add more wood to the bowl, I'm waiting for something but I'm not sure what it is.

As I gaze into the fire, my vision blurs.  The flames meld together in a warm, red dance, contained only by the shadowed edge of the bowl.  I feel myself falling and suddenly I am on the inside of the bowl, the warm edge at my back.  Sitting atop the bundle of fresh wood is a dragon, but it is of the flames.  The dragon looks at me as its tongue snakes slowly out of its mouth.  In a lewd manner, it licks the unburned wood, spreading the flames.  "We consssume everything," it says in a hiss.  

I smile.  "You aren't consuming me," I reply.

The dragon makes a sizzling sound.  I'm pretty certain it is supposed to be a laugh.  "You are consssumed daily by ussss.  Your creativity.  Your convictsssion.  Your need to fuck." Its tongue again slithers out of its mouth in a lewd manner.  "We are the drive for all of your needssss."

I watch the tongue of this flaming dragon rake across the wood toward me.  I refuse to back away from it, knowing that my own refusal is what it needs.  The tongue of the fire-beast trails up my leg, across my belly and up to my chin.  So far, I haven't caught fire. The flame is warm, but not overly so.  It tickles my chin before the dragon pulls back with another sizzling sound.  "We devour your defiancccce.  You have much fire within you."

"I am here to learn your mysteries," I reply, doing my best not to get caught up in this Elemental's lewdness.

"Do you know the ssstory of the Jewisssh brotherssss who were not consssumed by flame?"

Hesitating, I have to think back to Sunday school lessons.  The dragon sizzles again, laughing at my lack of knowledge, just as it all comes back. "Yes!  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego!  They were saved from the flames by an angel!"

"No," the dragon replies.  "They knew one of the myssssteriessss of fire.  They knew how to feed the flamessss without being devoured by usssss.  You mussst temper your need with patienccccce.  You musssst temper your passssionssss with peaccccce.  You mussst know when to feed the flamessss and when to let them die.  That is the myssssstery of fire."

The dragon moves toward me, tongue, again, wagging lewdly.  It wraps its tail around my shoulders and pulls me close to its body.  Licking my cheek warmly it whispers, "Only one thing can quell your passssionsss now.  Finissssh what you ssstarted.  Give yourssssself the ssssatisssfaction of completion."

I shake myself and blink several times.  "Did that just happen?"  I ask myself aloud.  The dying fire sizzles and I swear that I near that dragon laughing.  I have now experienced the mystery of Fire.

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You know that saying about fire and getting burned and all that?  Well, it's true, if you don't respect and acknowledge fire's nature.  Fire, physically and spiritually is all consuming.  Spiritually speaking, that may not be a bad thing.  Much in the same way that a forest fire consumes all of the dead, dying, and decaying in the forest, it can sweep through ones life and do the same.  Also in the same way a forest fire consumes everything, it clears the way for new growth.  There are seeds out there that can only sprout after they have been consumed by the flames of a forest fire.  This is also true for the seeds in our lives.

As an element, fire is most commonly seated in the southern quarter of the circle.  It represents the height of summer, virility, passion, and growth.  However, fire also governs burnout.  When one is growing and changing, spiritually speaking, one wants to constantly grow, but steady growth is unattainable without rest.  Much like winter is the opposite of summer, one can not keep growing indefinitely without resting.

The Fire element is all about doing.  It is running, leaping, teaching and learning.  It is exploring and needing.  If there is an action for it, fire governs it.  It is the person in the prime of life.  Where Air represents springtime, Fire represents high summer. Fire is potential recognized.  Fire is potential that has dared to take a specific direction.  It is that bud on a tree that he chosen to become a leaf.

Have you ever journeyed to speak to the Fire Drakes?  Or maybe the People of the Flame?  Have you ever explored that fire low in your belly?  What about one that sits in the head?  We live in such a dynamic world, with electronics and play dates for the kids, that sometimes we forget to acknowledge that it is fire that keeps us going.  Does this sound like an imbalance?  Maybe.  What does an imbalance of fire look like?

Would apathy be a lack of fire?  Or maybe too much?  What about that person who approaches a subject with zeal?  Would you classify zealots as having too much fire?  What about that overly sexual person?  Is it just low self esteem, too much fire, or both?  Would a need for acceptance be associated with fire?  What about that control freak we all know (or maybe are)?

How does one fix an imbalance?  Well, for too much fire, I do my best to be creative.  If I can get the fire to burn brightly enough that it burns itself out, then I have accomplished something, at least for a time.  If I need more fire, I move and do something a little more dynamic than just sitting.  I cook spicy food.  I sing until I am hoarse.  Go out in nature and ground myself.

Fire can be a fun element to work with.  It can also be exhausting.  Kurt Cobain said, "It's better to burn out than to fade away."  But, is it?  How do you balance your fire?

Brightest blessings friends!!

The Practicals: The Element of Air

I’d been home alone for several days when one of the guys from the cave expedition called.  “Hey, we are heading out tomorrow to find the next elemental.  You in?”

“Of course,” I reply, not sure if I wanted to be in our not, but I was not going to miss a weird thing happening.

We started out before daylight and we drove.  We drove east and hurried the sun’s daily birth along at 70 miles per hour.  Then, the clouds came.  They were black and ominous, completely blacking out the horizon and the morning sun.

We turned down a dirt road and got out of the vehicle.  The clouds were thick and rolling, but didn’t seem to hold any water.  There was only wind.  Dust kicked up from the road.  Debris was dancing across the ground.  Our vehicle rocked gently.

Then, a funnel dipped toward us.

Before we could react, we were pulled off of our feet and into the air.  The being that met us looked so alien.  Its head and tail (it had no legs) swirled like the funnel and its arms, with its exaggerated hands and fingers, looked like lengths of twisted rope.

We all hung in mid-air, not really still, but not being violently thrown around, either.  “You have no fear.  Why?” It asked.

Its voice was like the whisper of butterfly wings.  It was there, but gentle.  We all looked at each other, confounded, until I spoke.  “We seek to know your mysteries.”

The being’s laugh was that gentle breeze that catches your hair and makes it tickle your face. “You can not hope to know all of my mysteries,” it replied, “however, since I have already introduced you to flight, I will also introduce you to whimsy.”

With that, we began tumbling within the whirlwind.  We went up.  We went down. We circled each other in an ecstatic dance none of us were in control of.  Only when we were all laughing hysterically with joy did the being put us down.

We landed on the grass of the ditch bank on our rumps.  Our sides hurt.  Our cheeks hurt.  We were all out of breath.  I was the first to look up.  The sky was no longer black.  There were no clouds.  That show, I think, was just for us.

Then, a brightly colored butterfly fluttered toward me and landed on my forehead. 

The Air element is, like the others, a mystery to know.  Air is something we know quite intimately, having to breathe it and all, but it is also something we can not see.  Air can skew our perception.  It can clear our vision.  It can build walls between us.  In much the same way the other elements have their constructive and destructive attributes, Air can help create or destroy.

Air represents thought and intellect, mirroring beautifully the physicality of thought as something real but intangible.  It coincides quite gracefully with that which is logical, intellectual, and devoid of emotion.  Yet, if we did not have the Air element, there would be no laughter, no breath, indeed, no life at all (as we know it!) 

When working with the element of Air, it is so important to remember that Air is not all work and no play.  The eastern element is a place of beginnings, so it also corresponds with childhood. 

Have you ever watched children play?  They play with abandon.  They don’t need a reason to laugh.  They don’t need a reason to love or to include anyone in their play time.  Children embody much of the good of the air element.  They think, but they don’t over think.

Over thinking is one of the destructive forces of the Air element.  It’s how we talk ourselves out of things.  It’s how we become convinced that a good idea really isn’t a good idea at all.  Over thinking anything is a sign of too much air.

If the Earth element represents the winter time, then the Air element represents spring.  Much like physical air, springtime is full of potential energy.  Not every bud on a tree becomes a leaf.  Not every bud on a tulip becomes a flower however these things do have that potential.  In much the same way, the sweet, warm breeze can become a tornado.

Have you ever spoken to the Tulip People?  What about any of the other spring flowers?  Have you spoken to the Robin?  Maybe the Earthworm?  All of these spirits can give you exceptional insight into spring as a beginning.  Remember, though, etiquette is different for them than it is with humans.

So, then, what happens when the Air element gets out of balance?  Well, too much air can lead to a lack of emotions.  We all know that one person who is like a Vulcan.  That’s a good example of too much air.  Something we don’t think about, though, is that too much air can also lead to not being too fun to be around.  Whimsy, like the flight of a hummingbird, is also governed by the air element.

What would a lack of air look like, then?  Maybe too much emotion?  Melodrama?  Excitement or depression?  Maybe a lack of air would look like one is being illogical and unreasonable.  We all know that person, too, that free spirit who simply floats along following the whims of the universe.

To balance Air, one must decide if there is an abundance or a lack of.  Some activities I like to do to balance out my own Air are coloring, drawing, playing games, walking, reading something light-hearted, and even being around children, such as at a park.  I also like to swing on a swing set or porch swing.  For me, activities that get me out of my own head are perfect.

Of course, if one doesn’t have enough Air, then activities like putting together a puzzle, reading something ‘heavy’ but interesting, like an instruction or reference booklet on a topic of interest are both good ways to step back into ones head or get ‘out of the clouds’.

With Imbolc coming soon and spring following soon thereafter, the perfect time to explore the air element is upon us!  If you have suggestions for Air activities, please, feel free to comment.  There can never be too many different ways to commune with the Elementals.

Brightest Blessings, Friends!

The Practicals: The Element of Earth

Since there are plenty of books out there with correspondences for each element, and other such ways to work with it, so I won't be doing any lists, but I will be talking about methods I use to work with the Elements, what I have found works and what I have found doesn't work.  This will be a place of discussion about these ideas and, even, why they do or do not work.

Once we get through the elements, if there are other aspects of the Craft that you want or need working information on, don't hesitate to ask.  If I don't know, I can find someone who does.
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And we walked for hours, finally arriving at the mouth of a cave.  Rivulets of sweat race down my brow from both exertion and fear.  The darkened maw beckons us into the unknown.  We arrive.  There is an electricity in the air, something prodding us all forward.  With a collective breath fortifying us, we face our fears of darkness and closed spaces; crossing the threshold. Into the womb of the Mother.  Into the place of our ancestors.  Someone flicks on their flashlight.  The cave gobbles up both the click of the on-switch and the feeble beam of light.  For a moment we stop, gazing at this cavern, its dimensions so massive our LED 's look like penlights in a closet.  Then, I notice the cold.  It seeping in nearly unnoticed, wrapping its heavy tendrils around my legs, waist, arms.  Its caress like a familiar lover, whispering in my ear, lulling me.  That is when we hear the voice beckoning us into the darkness.

Our lights drift toward the sound and we walk, as a group, closer.  It is like hearing the trees speak or the robin's song, the promise of spring.  We don't understand the words, but some part of us knows them.  After several steps, she appears at the edge of our light beams.  She is round and soft-looking, like the Willendorf statue and sits upon a throne of worn stalagmites.  We stand in shock, disbelieving what we are seeing.  "You come to this place seeking me and you are surprised to find me?"  Her eyes glitter with mirth.  "Come.  Sit.  Be.  I shall tell you a story."

The Earth element is a place of both beginnings and endings.  I decided to begin here for several reasons, but mostly because it is where we begin casting the circle within my tradition.  The Earth element is heavy, like the soil, the rocks, the trees.  It grounds us.  It takes from us that energy which we have too much of.  Have you ever been upset, angry, or exceptionally excited and felt the unexplainable need to work in the garden or walk among the trees?  That is the Earth element calling and offering comfort.

Earth is stable and rigid.  Unlike the, often, whimsical nature of air or the fluid nature of water, earth stands, much like the guardian, never choosing to move on its own.  What can earth teach us, if it is rigid and stable?  Earth teaches us about foundations, to begin with.  It teaches us that rigidity is needed in some instances.  It teaches us that, like the mountains, sometimes we simply need to be.  Have you ever spoken to the Stone People or the Tree People?  If you haven't, this would be a good place to begin.  I warn you, it is a very foreign encounter.  Their etiquette is different and their views are different, so be kind and humble and do not rush.

Being a dark place, settled in the North within the circle, Earth also teaches us that sometimes things must lay fallow and in the darkness for them to grow.  It reminds us that birth begins in the dark and death ends there.  Earth reminds us that as we go through the cycle of birth, life, and death within our lives, we must always come back to that place of rest.

Each turn of the Wheel of the Year brings us back to Samhain, translating to "summer's end."  Samhain marks the time when all crops should be out of the fields and in the store houses for winter.  Samhain is, elementally speaking, when the Wheel turns back to North and we stay there for a quarter of the year, until Imbolc, which turns us toward the Air element.

Despite all of the good the Earth Element does when it is in balance, we must also talk about the Earth Element becoming out of balance, because it can and does happen.  When we think of "bad" things with the literal Earth, our planet, what comes to mind?  Earthquakes?  Quicksand? Liquefaction?  Mudslides?  Erosion?

What would be the spiritual equivalent?  Maybe inflexibility or procrastination?  What about retreating or hibernating?  What about simply not thinking about how your actions will effect others? Could that be the spiritual equivalent of an earthquake or quicksand?

If those traits are too much Earth, what constitutes a lack of it?  Well, having too much of any of the other three elements.  Maybe a person is flighty and unreliable?  What if they are a control freak?  What about impracticality? Being emotional? Judgmental?  Quick to act?  What Earth qualities can balance those things?  Slowing down? Taking a moment to just be?  Putting ones self into another's shoes?

We all get too much of an element from time to time, so what can we do to balance that out?  Well, some things we can do to get us less grounded, especially if we feel as though we are sinking into the darkness are: go for a walk, draw, write, build something, or simply get moving!  These particular activities call upon the elements of Fire and Water to balance the heaviness of Earth.  Talking to a friend on the phone or having someone come over are other ways to correct an immediate Earth imbalance.  Find something whimsical to do, like draw on the sidewalk with chalk or find a reason to use glitter (there's ALWAYS something that can be glittered!!)  Even something as simple as redecorating your altar can become an exercise in balancing your elements.

If the problem is needing to be more grounded, then garden, walk barefoot on the grass, hug a tree, go to a park and take a blanket and just lay on it and read.  Just stepping outside and taking a few minutes to listen and watch the world around you can bring you back down and ground you.  Cooking is also a grounding activity for me.  Something else that I find relaxing and fun is to pretend to be a cat.  Have a nibble to eat (maybe treat yourself!) a sip of water, and find a soft, warm place to rest, preferably in a shaft of sunlight.  Then, just do that for 15 minutes without worrying about anything else.  Know that all is right with the world for that moment.

Finding ways to identify the Elements and identify with the Elements can be a fun activity.  Self examination through the Quarters is also a very good way to begin to Know Thyself.  What do you do to ground yourself?  How do you identify with the Earth Element?  How do you keep yourself in balance?  As always, I would love to hear your experience!

Brightest blessings, Friends!