Water is an element you may naturally associate with Japan. The very long coast-line (Japan has over over 6,000 islands), the Shinto rituals associated with purification with water, and the damaging effects of tsunamis come to mind.
The planting of rice was not on my list until my current travels in Japan in May 2014. Water is everywhere as the fields are prepared for the next rice crop.
Late spring in Hokkaido
Playground of the gods
Nature awakens
Earth expels steam
Snow melt brings living water
Hibernation broken
Cherry blossoms dance in the wind
Leaves unfurl
In transition, the earth changes her cloak
Intuitively elemental
What would you say if asked “what does ‘the fifth element’ bring to mind”? For many in the west, quintessence would be the answer. Or alternatively the 1997 movie “The Fifth Element”. This story is set in the twenty-third century, when the universe is (still) threatened by evil. The only hope for mankind is the Fifth Element, who comes to Earth every five thousand years to protect the humans with four stones of the four elements: fire, water, earth and air.
This striking image of fire and water by Martin Hill comes from his exhibition ‘Watershed‘, held at Mossgreen Galleries in Melbourne in April 2014. Fire and water are often paired as elements. Described as both complementary and opposite, they sit well with the concept of duality that underpins many philosophies.
As the Autumn equinox approaches in the southern hemisphere, and the leaves are dancing in the wind, I have come across many references to alchemy in my travels. Alchemy, a power or process of transmutation, is most commonly associated with transforming base metals into noble metals (gold and silver), creating the Philosopher’s Stone and developing an elixir of life.
If you have you ever wondered how many Apps make reference to the elements then you’ve come to the right place! It is a question I’ve asked myself in my quest to discover how the elements are portrayed in popular culture. Here is where I’ve got to so far with the answer.
What does the 1992 book on Captain Planet and the Planeteers and the atmospheric adventure App Tengami have in common? More than you might expect at first glance. Both include references to the intuitive elements of fire, water, air, earth and spirit, with differing degrees of subtlety. Both use pop-ups as a means of engaging their audience, even though they were created over 20 years apart using very different technologies. And both of them were drawn to my attention by people who knew of my interest in our relationship with the elements. This journey of discovery, and making connections with people through it, is one of the pleasures of exploring these themes.
For my first post (yay!), some insights into the genesis of ‘Fire up Water down’ and the title ‘Women on Fire’. You guessed it. Being a woman with a long-term interest in the ecology of fire has something to do with it. As does my fascination with Indigenous belief systems including Shinto. That’s a story to be told in other posts, so stay tuned.
Fire up Water down 