In my exploration of the elements (earth, air, fire, water and ether/spirit) I keep an eye out for relevant books in second-hand shops. I’m particularly interested in how the elements have been portrayed over time, so finding a book titled ‘What is Air?’ first published in 1960 was a great discovery. And it only cost $1! A real bargain.
Fire and water: complementary and opposite
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.
Wisdom from the earth
“Many Aboriginal myths divide the land into different elements, each an Ancestral Spirit with its own history and personality.”
Anna Voigt and Nevill Drury (1997)
Harmony, everything belongs
Like Captain Planet and the App Tengami (check out the post ‘Planetary pop-ups‘), Rudolf Steiner and the Prince of Wales (Prince Charles) have more in common than many may appreciate. They were/are both interested in education, farming without chemicals, geometry, architecture, beauty, the interconnectedness of nature, spirituality, addressing the crises facing humanity and creating harmony. In this vein, both have books with Harmony in the title which are related to the elements fire, water, earth, air and aether/spirit.
Alchemy is in the air
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.
There’s an (elemental) App for that!
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.
Planetary pop-ups, contrasting cultures
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.
A passion for rivers
‘Fire up Water down’ is a blog about our relationship with the intuitive elements – fire, water, air, earth and spirit. My first post, titled ‘Women on Fire’, introduced the genesis of the blog and the element of fire. This, my second post (yay again), covers the water element in the blog title and introduces another woman, this time with a passion for rivers. For any males reading the blog, rest assured that it’s not only going to be about women and the elements, however fascinating that subject may be!
Women on Fire
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 