Course Index
Shamanism Index
Elements

Elements:
Air, Fire, Water and Earth

When I was a young child in school studying the periodic table of elements, the teacher called the ancient people dumb because they thought there were only four elements. I remember very clearly how that didn't sit well with me. 

They understood each element as a quality. Earth has the quality of solidity. Water the quality of flow and moistness. Air the quality of lightness and drying. Fire the quality of heating and transforming. How they interact is so revealing and fascinating. Earth without water is dry and barren. Add some water and it becomes alive and fertile. Fire from the sun can destroy our valuable herbs. Add the cooling moistening rain and the land is lush and abundant. Put fire and air together and we have droughts and forest fires.

Use this process of thinking to watch the daily changes in the weather and note how your body and mind respond to those changes. How do you feel on an exceptionally hot day? How about a very wet day? What about a windy day? 

AIR

Do This! 

Exercise 47 • Exploring the Element Air 

Go to where there is a great expanse of air and possibly wind. Find a comfortable safe spot to do the exercise. Spend time exploring the air. Look at the air and the surrounding environment. Let the air touch you. Go inside and meditate on the spirit of the air. Listen to the sounds around you. Allow the spirit of the air to penetrate you. Feel it's spirit. Let it move your body. What images does it evoke? What thoughts? If it was a being what would it be? Become that being for a few minutes and experience what it means to embody the spirit of air. When ready please answer the following questions.

• What do you imagine it looks like?
  
  
• What kind of sound do you associate with it?
  
  
• What feeling or body sensation does it evoke?

• How would you imagine it moving? You might want to try moving like it.
  
  
• How would it manifest in your personal relationships?
  
  
• What kind of work would fit this element?
  
  
• How do you imagine the energy of this element in your community?
  
  
• How would this element manifest in the spirit?
  
  
• Are you attracted or repulsed by this element?
  
  
• Do you feel you need more or less of this element in your life?
  
  
• Record your experiences of air:

FIRE 

Exercise 48 • Exploring the Element Fire

Go to where you can build a fire or be exposed to the sun. Find a comfortable safe spot to do the exercise. Spend time exploring the fire. Look at the fire and the surrounding environment. Gently feel the fire with your skin. Go inside and meditate on the spirit of the fire. Listen to the sound of the fire. Allow the spirit of the fire to penetrate you. Feel it's spirit. Let it move your body. What images does it evoke? What thoughts? If it was a being what would it be? Become that being for a few minutes and experience what it means to embody the spirit of fire. When ready please answer the following questions.

• What do you imagine it looks like?
  
  
• What kind of sound do you associate with it?
  
  
• What feeling or body sensation does it evoke?
  
  
• How would you imagine it moving? You might want to try moving like it.
  
  
• How would it manifest in your personal relationships?
  
  
• What kind of work would fit this element?
  
  
• How do you imagine the energy of this element in your community?
  
  
• How would this element manifest in the spirit?
  
  
• Are you attracted or repulsed by this element?
  
  
• Do you feel you need more or less of this element in your life?
  
  
• Record your experiences of fire:

Water

Exercise 49 • Exploring the Element Water 

Go to a body of water near your home, a river, lake or ocean. Find a comfortable safe spot to do the exercise. Spend time exploring the water. Look at the water and the surrounding environment. Touch the water. Go inside and meditate on the spirit of the water. Listen to the sounds around you. Allow the spirit of the water to penetrate you. Feel it's spirit. Let it move your body. What images does it evoke? What thoughts? If it was a being what would it be? Become that being for a few minutes and experience what it means to embody the spirit of water. When ready please answer the following questions.

• What do you imagine it looks like?
  
  
• What kind of sound do you associate with it?
  
  
• What feeling or body sensation does it evoke?
  
  
• How would you imagine it moving? You might want to try moving like it.
  
  
• How would it manifest in your personal relationships?
  
  
• What kind of work would fit this element?
  
  
• How do you imagine the energy of this element in your community?
  
  
• How would this element manifest in the spirit?
  
  
• Are you attracted or repulsed by this element?
  
  
• Do you feel you need more or less of this element in your life?
  
  
• Record your experiences of water:

EARTH

Exercise 50a • Exploring the Element Earth 

Go to where you can lay on the ground. Find a comfortable safe spot to do this exercise. Spend time exploring the earth. Look at the earth and the surrounding environment. Touch the earth and smell it. Go inside and meditate on the spirit of the earth. Listen to the sounds around you. Allow the spirit of the earth to penetrate you. Feel it's spirit. Let it move your body. What images does it evoke? What thoughts? If it was a being what would it be? Become that being for a few minutes and experience what it means to embody the spirit of earth. When ready please answer the following questions.

• What do you imagine it looks like?
  
  
• What kind of sound do you associate with it?
  
  
• What feeling or body sensation does it evoke?
  
  
• How would you imagine it moving? You might want to try moving like it.
  
  
• How would it manifest in your personal relationships?
  
  
• What kind of work would fit this element?
  
  
• How do you imagine the energy of this element in your community?
  
  
• How would this element manifest in the spirit?
  
  
• Are you attracted or repulsed by this element?
  
  
• Do you feel you need more or less of this element in your life?
  
  
• Record your experiences of earth:

SPACE

Exercise 50b • Exploring the Element Space 

Go to where you can look out into space. Find a comfortable safe spot to do this exercise. Spend time exploring space. Look at space and the surrounding environment. Go inside and meditate on the spirit of the space. Listen to the sounds around you. Allow the spirit of space to penetrate you. Feel it's spirit. Let it move your body. What images does it evoke? What thoughts? If it was a being what would it be? Become that being for a few minutes and experience what it means to embody the spirit of space. When ready please answer the following questions.

• What do you imagine it looks like?
  
  
• What kind of sound do you associate with it?
  
  
• What feeling or body sensation does it evoke?
  
  
• How would you imagine it moving? You might want to try moving like it.
  
  
• How would it manifest in your personal relationships?
  
  
• What kind of work would fit this element?
  
  
• How do you imagine the energy of this element in your community?
  
  
• How would this element manifest in the spirit?
  
  
• Are you attracted or repulsed by this element?
  
  
• Do you feel you need more or less of this element in your life?
  
  
• Record your experiences of space: