The Mystic Foundation: Elements of Balance, by Christopher Penczak
(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)
We live in a time with both a great blessing, and a great curse. Our great blessing is that never before have we lived in an age where so much spiritual information is available. We have all the religions of the world accessible to us. Even before such revolutionary changes occurred with the Internet, our local libraries and bookstores had a wealth of information on every topic, tradition, philosophy and ritual. In an afternoon you could learn about the Greek myths and mystery schools, Tibetan prayer wheels, Native American sweat lodges, and the Kabbalah. You could learn about meditation, mantra, candle magick, and astrology. Though some obscure teaching still remain hidden, for the most part you have access to the wisdom of the world.
Yet not everything is a great blessing. We also live in the time of a great curse. Our great curse is that never before have we lived in an age where so much spiritual information is available. Yes, you read it right. Our great blessing is simultaneously our great curse. We have so much to choose from, not only can be it be daunting to find material but also difficult to apply. With so much available, we run the risk of becoming fast food consumers rather than connoisseurs. As we pick and choose, we often leave behind key teachings because they were not obvious to us. The path of the modern mystic is not easy, for we have to be educated on everything, and then synthesize our paradigms.
One of the most powerful teachings for me has been the comparison of cultures and understanding what is similar across many different traditions. The strange terminology used by each culture can sometimes blind us to seeing that at the heart of the teaching, they are speaking on the same topic, but simply using different words.
A fundamental teaching to many eastern and western traditions is the concept of the elements. The elements are five fundamental forces to both the universe and the human experience. They are described as archetypal energies, or qualities, but they are given a vivid image through the use of natural phenomenon. These symbols from nature help us understand the qualities of the elements better, but should not be mistaken for the elemental energies themselves. In the west we use the terms earth, water, air, fire, and spirit. In the east, particularly traditional Chinese medicine, the terms earth, water, metal, fire, and wood are used.
The earth element is not literally stones and soil, but the quality of stones and soil help us to understand the earth element. It is the quality of solidness, of rigidity and the physical, tangible world. The quality of water, fluid, clear, reflective, needing containment or boundaries described the energy of elemental water. While earth deals with our physical body, water is our emotions. Fire is intangible, it cannot be held, but simply perceived as heat and light. Our own intangible energy, our will, drive and passion is described as fire. Fire is often equated with the soul, our own individual spark of light. The quality of our mind, our intellect and memory is described as air or metal, depending on the system. The western mysteries bridge the two systems, as the mind is described as air element, but its tool is the metal blade, sharp and keen, as a mind should be. All of the elements are symbolized by tools, and these tools are also found in the tarot suits of swords, wands, cups, and pentacles, for air, fire, water, and earth. The fifth element, also known as akasha or ether, is the hardest to describe. It is the force from which all four elements rise and return to. Western mysteries simply call it spirit, but in China, wood, the living growing cellular life of the plant world, is its symbol. In the tarot, the twenty two cards of the major arcana, representing major spiritual experiences, are the cards of spirit.
Here is an exercise to help you work with the five elements and find balance in your life. It’s a variation and modern adaptation of a ritual known as a Medicine Wheel or Medicine Shield and shares many parallels with other rituals honoring the four directions.
Start by finding a quiet place to do a meditation. Start by lighting a single candle, of if you desire, five candles, one for each element. The colors of the candles for each element in western magick are traditionally red for fire, yellow for air, blue for water, green or black for earth, and white for spirit. While some of the colors don’t always make sense, like yellow for air instead of sky blue, these associations are based on spiritual philosophies. In color therapy, yellow is the most mentally stimulating color, so it is associated with the mental element, leaving blue for water. If you have the space, you can put the candles around you, with green/black before you in the north, yellow to your right in the east, red behind you in the south, and blue to your left in the West. Spirit can be in the center of the ring just between you and the north candle.
Get into a comfortable position sitting in a chair or cross legged on the floor with a cushion. Ideally you should be facing north, but if you are unsure of the directions in your space, we will assume that before you is your own personal spiritual “north” regardless of the compass. Breathe deeply. Count back from twelve to one, feeling yourself slip into a deeper state of relaxation as you count.
Bring your attention before you and think of the element of earth. Think about your body. Think about your health. Think about your finances. Think about your home. These are all the areas influenced by the earth element. Ask the earth element to take form before you. Using your imagination, how do you see your earth element? You might have a vision of a spirit, an animal or angel, or an image of your own earthy self. Communicate with this earthy spirit, through words, pictures, intuition and feeling. Does this element have a message or instruction for you? How can you be in better balance with the earth element? When done, thank it.
Bring your attention to the right and think of the element of air. Think about your mind. Think about the way you communicate. Think about your memories, your intellect and your education. These are all areas influenced by the air element. Ask the air element to take form before you. Using your imagination, how do you see your air element? Again, you might have a vision of a spirit, an animal or angel, or an image of your own airy self. Communicate with this air spirit and seek its wisdom. When done, thank it.
Bring your attention behind you and think of the element of fire. Think about your passion. Think about your desires. Think about your will, your creativity and inspiration. These are all areas influenced by the fire element. Ask the fire element to take form before you. How do you see your fire element? Communicate with this fire spirit and seek its wisdom. When done, thank it.
Bring your attention to the left and think of the element of water. Think about your emotions. Think about your relationships. Think about your family, your friends and lovers. These are all areas influenced by the water element. Ask the water element to take form before you. How do you see your water element? Communicate with this water spirit and seek its wisdom. When done, thank it.
Bring your attention to the center and think of the element of spirit. Think about your spirituality. Think about your beliefs. Think about your religion. Think about your purpose in life. Think about your relationship with the divine. These are all areas influenced by the element of spirit. Ask spirit to take form before you. How do you see your spirit element? Communicate with it and seek its wisdom. When done, thank it.
Feel the presence of all five spirits around you. As a team, ask them what you can do together to find more balance and harmony. When done, thank and release each, starting with spirit and moving to water, fire, air, and earth. Count up from twelve to one and bring your awareness back to the world. Snuff out all the candles and take a few moment to write down any messages you received.
Having a healthy relationship with all five of these powers gives you a strong foundation for deeper mystical experiences, and a lens through which to understand teaching from across the world.
It may be a cliché to compare spirituality to a garden, but there really is no better analogy because our lives come into blossom and grow lush when we cultivate spirit. With springtime unfolding, this is the perfect time to pay attention to our spirituality, and a good way to do this is through ritual.
Author Elizabeth Fisher noted that "to be in ritual is to be in the river of life."1 Ritual is separate from everyday life, and yet it nourishes every facet of life. It allows us to pause and step out of our everyday existence. When we do this, we move beyond the familiar into mystery, where we can seek answers to age-old questions about life. We are continually drawn by mystery because we are seekers. We want to find who we are, what we are, and where we belong. There is a deep part of us that needs to search for answers, that needs to find connection with something greater than what is presented to us in daily life.
Through ritual we seek connection with the Divine as well as connection with inner self. Eckhart Tolle noted that when we reach a certain state of being, it is "a state of connectedness with something immeasurable" that is "essentially you and yet is much greater than you. It is finding your true nature beyond name and form."2
All too often the inner self cannot be heard because of all the noise with which we surround ourselves, as well as the chatter of our minds. Tolle said that "this incessant mental noise prevents you from finding that realm of inner stillness that is inseparable from being."3 Although ritual can be noisy at times, it is sounds such as chanting, singing, and drumming that gives us focus. As we maintain focus, we move deeper into self and find our connection with divinity.
This is why ritual is never a passive event. We engage our intention and energy in an exploration of sacred relationship with self and the Divine which enables us to find that state of connectedness. Once found, we can begin to balance our inner and outer worlds. We begin to bring true self into daily life as well as find something sacred in each day. We start to live with intent. This is when life begins to blossom and we find our purpose.
Through ritual we are able to create the physical and mental space we need to define and follow our inner path to the outer world where we eventually see that many of the trappings of modern life are meaningless. I don't believe that we were put on this earth to worry about what is happening on Wall Street or next door at the proverbial Jones household. Dr. Wayne Dyer said that "connecting to intention means listening to your heart and conducting yourself based on what your inner voice tells you is your purpose here."4
When we develop a rich inner path, we can live in wonder and appreciation of each day. The sacred and the secular parts of our lives become intertwined. John O'Donohue noted that "each day is a secret story woven around the radiant heart of wonder."5 To feel deep within our souls the beauty of a sunset or a seagull winging low over the water, to feel the pull of the moon and the sway of the tides is to find our place in the greater cosmos. Through ritual we are able to slow down and reflect on the things that are important on a soul level.
In ritual we create a time and place that is sacred and safe. Because we move into different levels of self that we may not frequent on a regular basis, we may encounter deep-seated emotions. These can be expressed in ways that are not scary or overwhelming. In group ritual others are present to provide comfort and support. Whether or not deep emotions are expressed, ritual serves to strengthen community. When we open ourselves for ritual, we open our hearts for sharing.
In addition, as we stand in the circle of community we connect with the spiral of past and future. We engage in traditions that reach back to our ancestors and we add nuances that may stretch forward for the many generations who follow. We find purpose in holding our strands in the web of life that connects us to every one and every thing.
Entering into ritual awakens us to what is eternal within ourselves as well as the world around us. We find that the wheel of the year does more than mark cyclic occasions; it brings our souls into the rhythms of the natural world. In this cyclical process we find the presence of the Divine in nature and as part of our true nature, which leads us back into self and the inner path we tread. We affirm what we believe and confirm who we are and weave a rich tapestry with strands that connect our inner and outer worlds.
If we set our intent, the energy that we build in ritual remains with us as we move from sacred back to secular. When we return to the multi-tasking, rush-rush world we can keep that spark of divinity kindled in our hearts and carry on with our everyday endeavors with a mindfulness that brings fulfillment.
However, in order for ritual to have such a profound effect it must hold meaning. It is vital to develop a personal understanding of the purpose of each ritual. Yes, Imbolg/Candlemas celebrates the growing light and Ostara, renewal and growth; but what does that mean on a personal level? Figuring this out for ourselves is an essential ingredient that we intertwine with the tradition behind each ritual which allows us to integrate it with our inner path. Without this level of individual engagement, ritual is mere performance. It may be fun, but so is going to the movies. Ritual requires personal perspective and depth.
If we want to find a true connection with self, community and the Divine, we must invest time and effort to dig deep. It doesn't automatically happen just because we go through the motions. Preparation for ritual needs to include self-exploration and intent. We must prepare the inner garden of our souls if we want it to blossom and come to fruition.
May this season of renewal that is ready to burst forth help you cultivate the garden of your soul.
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1Elizabeth Fisher, Rise Up and Call Her Name, p. 9.
2Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now, 10.
3Ibid, 12.
4Dr. Wayne Dyer, The Power of Intention, 86.
5John O'Donohue, Eternal Echoes, 77.
Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2006. All rights reserved.