Post by Thegnostic on Mar 29, 2005 18:10:22 GMT
All,
There has been quite a lot of discussion around the elements so lets have a deeper look.
One of the early objects of initiation, therefore, is to learn how to control the elements of life. The traditional expression is that one must learn to control "the Elements and the Elementals". The Elements we know as Earth, Water, Air and Fire, and the Elementals are the "nature spirits" or "genii", or "fairies" connected with those Elements; they represent particular part-aspects of the human soul. In the Western world, they are the Gnomes of the element Earth, the Nymphs or Undines of the element Water, the Sylphs of the element Air, and the Salamanders of the element Fire. The names are known from the fairy-tales of our childhood, many of which reveal psychological hints of great significance. In modern Analytical Psychology, the four elements are revived as Perception, Feeling, Thinking and Intuition, or as Intuition, Emotion, Reason and Action-terms which we have met in our study of the Zodiac. The traditional colours of the four Elements are "woven" into the veil of the Temple; they are "White Linen" from the flax of the earth, "Purple" of the sea (from the Tyrian purple obtained from a species of shell-fish), "Blue" of the air (assimilated to the air when dark, or the "blue vault of heaven"), and Scarlet of fire. There is important symbolism in the colours of the robes of the Candidate and the Principals in our Chapter ceremonies. We have seen that the sign of Leo and the sun is the crown of the East and this is the sign of Fire. Just as the Lion is called the king of beasts, so can the sign of Leo be considered as the royal sign, the sign of the royal line of Judah and the crown of our Order. The purple of water is the appropriate colour of the emotional plane, of the astral which is free from the bonds of the earth and can reflect the future as well as the past; which can provide the gift of tongues as well as the gift of prophecy. The element Air is associated with the mind and the mental plane; it is the function of the priesthood to guide the mind toward the higher planes, and it is appropriate that the colour of Craft Masonry should be blue for it also seeks to guide the mind to the study of the hidden mysteries of nature and science. Traditionally, the element Fire was ascribed to the evangelist St. Mark, the interpreter of Peter, the element Air (and the Eagle) to St. John -the mystic, the element Water to St. Matthew-the tax gatherer who apportions the "wages" in accordance with the astral records, and the element Earth to St. Luke-the physician who is called upon to hea l the wounds of our earthly existence.
In considering the symbolism of the four Elements, it is important to remember that they should be co-related in accordance with two traditional systems. In the circular Zodiac, as in medieval alchemy the four Elements were considered as pairs of opposites, i.e. Fire was opposed to Water, since the latter quenches fire, and Air was opposed to Earth since the former was light and tended to rise whereas the latter was heavy and tended to fall. In this way, the two interlaced triangles (the seal of Solomon) referred to the opposites of Fire and Water; that pointing upwards represented Fire and the masculine forces of nature, while that pointing downwards represented Water and the feminine forces of nature. The union of the two, in perfect balance, was a symbol of the mystical marriage, and the seventh point often placed at the centre of the interlaced triangles had the same symbolism as the child of that marriage, the bud of the lotus, or of " Tom Thumb "-the power of the seventh Chakra, the development of super-consciousness, the attainment of Samhadi, the attainment of the golden crown. The triangle of Fire represented spiritual aspiration ascending, like fire, ever upwards, while the triangle of Water represented spiritual grace descending like the gentle dew from heaven upon the place beneath-upon the faithful and the obedient of the human race. The triangle of Fire symbolises Justice, raised upward like the sword held in the right hand (the male side) of the traditional figure of "Justice", and the triangle of Water symbolises Mercy, like the dew descending from heaven, represented by the balance held in the left hand (the female side) of "Justice". The feminine aspect of the balance is further emphasised by the fact that it is fitted with two scale pans, two being the first female number.
So, my thoughts its over to you.
Gnostic
Only the journey is written - Not the destination
There has been quite a lot of discussion around the elements so lets have a deeper look.
One of the early objects of initiation, therefore, is to learn how to control the elements of life. The traditional expression is that one must learn to control "the Elements and the Elementals". The Elements we know as Earth, Water, Air and Fire, and the Elementals are the "nature spirits" or "genii", or "fairies" connected with those Elements; they represent particular part-aspects of the human soul. In the Western world, they are the Gnomes of the element Earth, the Nymphs or Undines of the element Water, the Sylphs of the element Air, and the Salamanders of the element Fire. The names are known from the fairy-tales of our childhood, many of which reveal psychological hints of great significance. In modern Analytical Psychology, the four elements are revived as Perception, Feeling, Thinking and Intuition, or as Intuition, Emotion, Reason and Action-terms which we have met in our study of the Zodiac. The traditional colours of the four Elements are "woven" into the veil of the Temple; they are "White Linen" from the flax of the earth, "Purple" of the sea (from the Tyrian purple obtained from a species of shell-fish), "Blue" of the air (assimilated to the air when dark, or the "blue vault of heaven"), and Scarlet of fire. There is important symbolism in the colours of the robes of the Candidate and the Principals in our Chapter ceremonies. We have seen that the sign of Leo and the sun is the crown of the East and this is the sign of Fire. Just as the Lion is called the king of beasts, so can the sign of Leo be considered as the royal sign, the sign of the royal line of Judah and the crown of our Order. The purple of water is the appropriate colour of the emotional plane, of the astral which is free from the bonds of the earth and can reflect the future as well as the past; which can provide the gift of tongues as well as the gift of prophecy. The element Air is associated with the mind and the mental plane; it is the function of the priesthood to guide the mind toward the higher planes, and it is appropriate that the colour of Craft Masonry should be blue for it also seeks to guide the mind to the study of the hidden mysteries of nature and science. Traditionally, the element Fire was ascribed to the evangelist St. Mark, the interpreter of Peter, the element Air (and the Eagle) to St. John -the mystic, the element Water to St. Matthew-the tax gatherer who apportions the "wages" in accordance with the astral records, and the element Earth to St. Luke-the physician who is called upon to hea l the wounds of our earthly existence.
In considering the symbolism of the four Elements, it is important to remember that they should be co-related in accordance with two traditional systems. In the circular Zodiac, as in medieval alchemy the four Elements were considered as pairs of opposites, i.e. Fire was opposed to Water, since the latter quenches fire, and Air was opposed to Earth since the former was light and tended to rise whereas the latter was heavy and tended to fall. In this way, the two interlaced triangles (the seal of Solomon) referred to the opposites of Fire and Water; that pointing upwards represented Fire and the masculine forces of nature, while that pointing downwards represented Water and the feminine forces of nature. The union of the two, in perfect balance, was a symbol of the mystical marriage, and the seventh point often placed at the centre of the interlaced triangles had the same symbolism as the child of that marriage, the bud of the lotus, or of " Tom Thumb "-the power of the seventh Chakra, the development of super-consciousness, the attainment of Samhadi, the attainment of the golden crown. The triangle of Fire represented spiritual aspiration ascending, like fire, ever upwards, while the triangle of Water represented spiritual grace descending like the gentle dew from heaven upon the place beneath-upon the faithful and the obedient of the human race. The triangle of Fire symbolises Justice, raised upward like the sword held in the right hand (the male side) of the traditional figure of "Justice", and the triangle of Water symbolises Mercy, like the dew descending from heaven, represented by the balance held in the left hand (the female side) of "Justice". The feminine aspect of the balance is further emphasised by the fact that it is fitted with two scale pans, two being the first female number.
So, my thoughts its over to you.
Gnostic
Only the journey is written - Not the destination