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
the elements
Praktri, an integrated vision from India
Prakrti is a concept I was blissfully unaware of until beginning my exploration of the elements. Praktri has been translated from Sanskrit as ‘nature’ or ‘matter’. I have also seen it referred to as the source of material existence and the primal motive force. It is an important concept that I am pleased to have discovered. To my delight it came into my life through a five-volume work titled ‘Praktri: The Integral Vision’.
Quintessence: a multifaceted element
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.
What is Air? You may be surprised!
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.
Fire up Water down 