The Five Elements
The five Elements are fire, water, earth and air. Spirit is often added to acknowledge the spiritual component of them all. The elements are
used in ceremonies, rituals, meditation, zen practices and are sometimes identified differently but the basic meaning is the same.
When invoking the elements, they are often associated with the cardinal directions with Fire in the South, Water in the West, Earth in the North and Air in the East.
AIR
The Air element is associated with mental processes, creativeness, higher consciousness, wisdom,
our ideas about the Universe.
FIRE
The element of fire is associated with both physical and spiritual powers, energy and passion.
WATER
The element of water is associated with the subconscious mind, love, religion, intuition, and emotions. It is the primal substance of life and is symbolized by the womb and fertility.
EARTH
Earth is the element that is most stable and dependable. It represents abundance, prosperity, wisdom, and practical knowledge.
Earth sustains all life.
SPIRIT
Represents the mystical aspect of spiritual belief. It is the source of human love and compassion and perhaps is the most "elemental" element of all.
Aristotle defines the word element as "...the primary component immanent in a thing, and
indivisible, in kind, into kinds...He and other philosophers argued about what the
most essential or primary element was, whether fire, water, earth or air but I believe Parmenides
was most correct when he said, "Love first of all, the Gods she planned", and Hesiod when he
said:
First of all things was chaos made, and then
Broad-breasted earth...
And love, 'mid all the gods pre-eminent...
It makes sense that love (Spirit) is the primary element, without which, nothing
else can have meaning.
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