There is something very elemental about making pottery from clay. Clay is earth and water, the kiln combines fire and air, the artist provides the spirit. The Moche, or Mochica culture were masters of clay. They flourished in present-day northern Peru between around 100 to 800 AD. The diversity and beauty of their ceramics is a sight to behold.
Fire
Welcome to the world(s) of Elementals
It seems like Paracelsus, the influential Swiss-German alchemist, was onto something. He was the first to use the term ‘elemental’ to describe mythological beings associated with the elements of earth, water, air and fire. His works were written in the 16th century, around 500 years ago. As you read on, and as shown by the Google images of ‘Elementals’, the idea has caught on!
The elements at your fingertips
I will never see my hands and fingers in the same light again. Many cultures and religions consider that everything in the universe, including humans, are made up of the elements of fire, air, earth, water and (often) space/ether/spirit. Even so, I had not made the connection between the elements and our fingers, and in particular with mudras – those elegant and powerful gestures commonly associated with Buddhism, Yoga (e.g. Raja and Hatha) and Indian dance and drama.
Musical elements
One of the most magical pieces of elemental music I have heard is the air escaping from Arctic glacial ice as it was melted by the sun. Very subtle, calming, beautiful and quite a surprise. Who would have thought of musical ice? I hadn’t until I experienced it directly.
Jung, Psychology and Alchemy
The subject of alchemy has popped up in several different guises in my blog posts (for example, see ‘Alchemy is in the air’ and ‘Solving the mystery of the six pointed star’). You could say that alchemy and the intuitive elements are closely intertwined.
Oxfam and the elements – serendipity in action?
I just LOVE serendipity, coincidence, being in the right place at the right time, synchronicity – whatever you like to call it. It happens to me quite a lot, particularly in relation to the intuitive elements. Today was no exception.
In my research on the elements I’ve mentioned that I like to scan the shelves of shops that sell second hand books. It can be surprising what you discover and where it leads you. For example, this is where I found the book that featured in the post ‘What is Air?’
The gem that I found today was called ‘Ox-tales Water’, published in 2009. It is one of four-original collections of short stories by ‘remarkable writers’ that Oxfam has created based on the four elements: water, fire, earth and air.
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.
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.
Fire up Water down 