{"id":51,"date":"2008-10-01T00:04:43","date_gmt":"2008-10-01T00:04:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paganpages.org\/content\/?p=52"},"modified":"2008-09-28T02:20:29","modified_gmt":"2008-09-28T02:20:29","slug":"new-to-the-craft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2008\/10\/01\/new-to-the-craft\/","title":{"rendered":"New To The Craft"},"content":{"rendered":"

Earth-Air-Fire-Water <\/strong><\/p>\n

To some outside the Craft the idea of the four classical elements can seem quaint \u2013 an outdated theory constructed before the advent of modern science.\u00a0 We now have the periodic table to explain the \u201ctrue\u201d elements that compose matter, so what use are the concepts of the ancients?\u00a0 It can be easy to dismiss older beliefs and practices if one takes the point of view that we have since replaced them with newer and better discoveries.\u00a0 But that is awfully presumptuous as well.\u00a0 So let us take a closer look at what wisdom may lay behind the elements of earth, air, fire and water to explain why they form one of the basic cornerstones of Wiccan thought and practice today.<\/p>\n

In ancient Greece philosophers debated over what the things in the universe were composed of and if everything could be reduced to one essential element from which all else was constructed.\u00a0 Some thought that basic essence was fire, others water or air.\u00a0 What arose out of their debates eventually became the theory of the four classical elements, sometimes featuring a fifth as well (quintessence).\u00a0 All could be explained by seeing the world as composed of a mixture of these substances in various quantities.\u00a0 Without microscopes and our other modern technologies they obviously could not know much of what we have since learned about the composition of matter.\u00a0 Yet it was not the literal correctness of what they proposed that was important.\u00a0 Characterizing objects in the world as a combination of earth and water, or fire and air, was a description of the qualities of those objects.\u00a0 Therein lies the key to understanding the wisdom of these ideas, and why it would be foolish to throw out the baby with the bathwater by dismissing them.<\/p>\n

Earth to us represents solidity, stability and grounding, as well as things associated with our planet such as fertility, wealth, etc.\u00a0 It is our body or our physical being.\u00a0 Air symbolizes the intellect and the mind, or intangible thoughts that have are formless in the material world.\u00a0 It is also literally the air we breathe to live.\u00a0 Fire is change, transformation, passion, and our will or drive.\u00a0 Some also associate fire with the spirit.\u00a0 And finally, water is associated with those tidal aspects of our nature, such as our emotions and subconscious mind.\u00a0 The blood that flows through our veins is the most obvious instance of water within us.\u00a0 There is an infinite list of further associations for each element, and Wiccans make great use of these correspondences in their rituals and magical workings.\u00a0 One may ask, why?\u00a0 Understanding the elements as metaphor for the qualities of things is all well and good, but why the emphasis on them across so much of Wiccan practices?\u00a0 As someone who is still trying to learn my correspondences I can appreciate the desire to figure out why we put so much effort into learning these things.<\/p>\n

What I believe is that learning the elements teaches a very basic and very important concept: balance.\u00a0 We all strive to be in balance for our own peace of mind.\u00a0 Justice itself is represented by scales because it is balance in the world that brings us this peace and a sense that all is well.\u00a0 When we see the world as composed of elements what we are trying to say is that this is the framework through which we choose to see a particular area of our lives so that we can bring it into balance.\u00a0\u00a0 For instance, when I am not in balance with regards to taking care of myself I frame it in terms of the elements.\u00a0 To be healthy I need to eat properly and exercise (earth), continue to learn and expand my mind (air), socialize and maintain my relationships (water), and make time for my spiritual practice (fire).\u00a0 Those correspondences are my own, and the point is that any individual can create such a structure to put areas of their life into perspective and achieve the balance they need.\u00a0 When I neglect any of those areas I feel the repercussions, but when I remember to include each one I am more happy and whole.\u00a0 As a religion that takes its lessons from the natural world, Wicca recognizes that to emphasize the harmony of the elements teaches us how to live better lives more in tune with our natural functioning.\u00a0 We represent all on the altar without exclusion; and in so doing imprint upon ourselves the wisdom of equilibrium.<\/p>\n

Journal for the Month of September: <\/strong><\/p>\n

You know how when you first start learning a new subject you can get carried away and read all day and all night in your excitement trying to absorb as much as possible like a sponge?\u00a0 It\u2019s kind of like a new crush you can\u2019t stop obsessing over and you spend all of your spare time on it.\u00a0 Then after a while you are still studying all the time but it\u2019s a little more like work and you stop and say to yourself hey where\u2019d the fire go?<\/p>\n

Well, I kind of hit that wall this month.<\/p>\n

I had my first major gut-check where I had to honestly ask myself if I was still interested now that the honeymoon fever had worn off.\u00a0 The good news is for myself and for those reading this column, I am!\u00a0 Something can\u2019t feel \u201cnew\u201d forever I suppose, but now that I am past that I have a feeling that it\u2019s not a bad thing.\u00a0 Just as with a relationship it may not be fresh but that only expands the opportunities for making my explorations deeper and more meaningful.\u00a0 If finding one\u2019s spiritual path were easy and involved only flirtation with the externals it certainly would not be rewarding.\u00a0 So this month I can say I found my commitment to continue on, and in a way I\u2019m more excited than ever to see what the coming months will bring.\u00a0 I hope you will continue to follow this journey with me as well.\u00a0 Until next month, blessed be! )O(<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Earth-Air-Fire-Water To some outside the Craft the idea of the four classical elements can seem quaint \u2013 an outdated theory constructed before the advent of modern science.\u00a0 We now have the periodic table to explain the \u201ctrue\u201d elements that compose matter, so what use are the concepts of the ancients?\u00a0 It can be easy to dismiss older beliefs and practices if one takes the point of view that we have since replaced them with newer and better discoveries.\u00a0 But that is awfully presumptuous as well.\u00a0 So let us take a closer look at what wisdom may lay behind the elements of earth, air, fire and water to explain why they form one of the basic cornerstones of Wiccan thought and practice today. In ancient Greece philosophers debated over what the things in the universe were composed of and if everything could be reduced to one essential element from which all else was constructed.\u00a0 Some thought that basic essence was fire, others water or air.\u00a0 What arose out of their debates eventually became the theory of the four classical elements, sometimes featuring a fifth as well (quintessence).\u00a0 All could be explained by seeing the world as composed of a mixture of these substances in various quantities.\u00a0 Without microscopes and our other modern technologies they obviously could not know much of what we have since learned about the composition of matter.\u00a0 Yet it was not the literal correctness of what they proposed that was important.\u00a0 Characterizing objects in the world as a combination of earth and water, or fire and air, was a description of the qualities of those objects.\u00a0 Therein lies the key to understanding the wisdom of these ideas, and why it would be foolish to throw out the baby with the bathwater by dismissing them. Earth to us represents solidity, stability and grounding, as well as things associated with our planet such as fertility, wealth, etc.\u00a0 It is our body or our physical being.\u00a0 Air symbolizes the intellect and the mind, or intangible thoughts that have are formless in the material world.\u00a0 It is also literally the air we breathe to live.\u00a0 Fire is change, transformation, passion, and our will or drive.\u00a0 Some also associate fire with the spirit.\u00a0 And finally, water is associated with those tidal aspects of our nature, such as our emotions and subconscious mind.\u00a0 The blood that flows through our veins is the most obvious instance of water within us.\u00a0 There is an infinite list of further associations for each element, and Wiccans make great use of these correspondences in their rituals and magical workings.\u00a0 One may ask, why?\u00a0 Understanding the elements as metaphor for the qualities of things is all well and good, but why the emphasis on them across so much of Wiccan practices?\u00a0 As someone who is still trying to learn my correspondences I can appreciate the desire to figure out why we put so much effort into learning these things. What I believe is that learning the elements teaches a very basic and very important concept: balance.\u00a0 We all strive to be in balance for our own peace of mind.\u00a0 Justice itself is represented by scales because it is balance in the world that brings us this peace and a sense that all is well.\u00a0 When we see the world as composed of elements what we are trying to say is that this is the framework through which we choose to see a particular area of our lives so that we can bring it into balance.\u00a0\u00a0 For instance, when I am not in balance with regards to taking care of myself I frame it in terms of the elements.\u00a0 To be healthy I need to eat properly and exercise (earth), continue to learn and expand my mind (air), socialize and maintain my relationships (water), and make time for my spiritual practice (fire).\u00a0 Those correspondences are my own, and the point is that any individual can create such a structure to put areas of their life into perspective and achieve the balance they need.\u00a0 When I neglect any of those areas I feel the repercussions, but when I remember to include each one I am more happy and whole.\u00a0 As a religion that takes its lessons from the natural world, Wicca recognizes that to emphasize the harmony of the elements teaches us how to live better lives more in tune with our natural functioning.\u00a0 We represent all on the altar without exclusion; and in so doing imprint upon ourselves the wisdom of equilibrium. Journal for the Month of September: You know how when you first start learning a new subject you can get carried away and read all day and all night in your excitement trying to absorb as much as possible like a sponge?\u00a0 It\u2019s kind of like a new crush you can\u2019t stop obsessing over and you spend all of your spare time on it.\u00a0 Then after a while you are still studying all the time but it\u2019s a little more like work and you stop and say to yourself hey where\u2019d the fire go? Well, I kind of hit that wall this month. I had my first major gut-check where I had to honestly ask myself if I was still interested now that the honeymoon fever had worn off.\u00a0 The good news is for myself and for those reading this column, I am!\u00a0 Something can\u2019t feel \u201cnew\u201d forever I suppose, but now that I am past that I have a feeling that it\u2019s not a bad thing.\u00a0 Just as with a relationship it may not be fresh but that only expands the opportunities for making my explorations deeper and more meaningful.\u00a0 If finding one\u2019s spiritual path were easy and involved only flirtation with the externals it certainly would not be rewarding.\u00a0 So this month I can say I found my commitment to continue on, and in a way I\u2019m more excited than ever to see what the coming months will bring.\u00a0 I hope you will continue to follow this journey with me as well.\u00a0 Until next month, blessed be! )O(<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-51","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}