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Elemental Kingdom and The Five Elements
This article has come about following my previous article The Law of Precipitation which focused on the seven Elohim creating the earth and solar system. By learning that the Elohim had evolved through the Elemental Kingdom led me to finding out more about this kingdom.
It also ignited childhood memories when at a young age a neighbour of Irish descent often mentioned ‘The Little People’ in conversations with my mother. I would have loved to know more but I doubt if my mother was really interested in this topic. I now understand from research that many people in Ireland, particularly those whose religion is Catholic believe in those Little People who are often referred to as fairies.
For an understanding of the Elemental Kingdom we have to go back to the basic facts of creation. The Divine Plan was for the human kingdom, the angelic kingdom and the elemental kingdom to be of service to each other and evolve. This was the perfect state described in the Bible as the Garden of Eden. All was beautiful and harmonious with all needs being met. However, humans eventually forgot their spiritual connection and they began misusing the four elements fire, air, water and earth which led to what has been termed in the Bible as the Fall of Man. Up until this point elementals were friendly and helpful reacting to humans’ positive, loving thoughts. However, this changed and elementals simply reacted in the ways humans treated them.
There is no escape from the law of karma and humans’ negative karma resulted in humans receiving what they deserved. Thoughts and actions are energy and will return to us in this lifetime or in a future incarnation. Thus as humans polluted the elements negative karma was returned and the elementals, having provided everything humans required, no longer provided assistance.
What The Elemental Kingdom includes:
(a) Elohim
(b) Devas
(c) Elementals also called Nature Spirits
(d) The Planetary Watcher
(e) The Silent Watcher
(f) Director of Elemental Life
(g) The Elementals
The Elohim are the builders of form and they evolve through the elemental kingdom. The Devas oversee the nature spirits and the Silent Watcher is the keeper of the original plan to ensure it is adhered to. Directors of the elemental life govern the elementals. Oromasis rules fire, Neptune rules water, Aries rules air and Virgo rules earth. Before considering the elementals further it is worth understanding our elemental body.
Body Elemental
We each have a Body Elemental given to us prior to our first incarnation and it remains with us through each incarnation until ascension. It is involved in the creation of our physical body and is responsible for involuntary functions such as breathing and assists in maintaining the health of all our 4 lower bodies, ie etheric, physical, emotional and mental bodies and does its best to repair damage.
The body elemental takes on our thoughts and feelings and these manifest in our physical body. For example if I say ‘I am sick’ or ‘I am healthy’ these conditions manifest in our physical body. The elemental body obeys negative and positive thoughts so we have to master our thoughts and feelings to ensure our body elemental works for our wellbeing.
The Elementals
The elementals function on the astral and mental planes. They are centres of energy with no particular form or shape. Their description depends on the person seeing them and it is generally only those with clairvoyance ability who report seeing them. It is the viewer’s thoughts that have an impact on the description given.
What is important is the impact the elementals have on all aspects of our life. William Judge in his theosophical writings likens them to the nerves in our body ‘as they are so vital to our existence.’
The elementals serve through the four elements fire air water and earth. The fire elementals are called salamanders, the air elementals are called sylphs, the water elementals are called undines and the earth elementals are called gnomes. Elementals are found in or around their element. It is important to understand the elements as they exist within all life including our body. They are the building blocks of all life. Our body is 72% water, 12% earth, 6% air, 4% fire and the rest is space sometimes called ether. The space refers to parts of our body such sinus cavities and space in lungs which fill with air
The Elements
The four elements are interrelated and interconnected and were recognised by the ancient Greeks to explain the world around us. In present times philosophy explains that every living thing is made up of a combination of the four elements.
We will examine each element individually to understand their function and how much we rely on them.
WATER
We can survive only three days without water. It cleanses, purifies, is necessary for cooking and we depend on it to grow crops for our food supply. However, water can cause damage and flooding can result in loss of lives.
Humans have failed to treat water with respect and polluted rivers and waterways with rubbish and toxic waste.
EARTH
Earth is associated with grounding, safety and security. We can only go thirty days without food. The earth is necessary for farming and it also provides beauty spots for our enjoyment and upliftment. Earth can also cause devastation due to landslides and earthquakes. Instead of polluting the earth humans need to be grateful for what the earth provides for our health and wellbeing.
AIR
Air gives us the breath of life and we can only live three minutes without it. Air is essential for all forms of life. It relates to the mind and emotions. We require air for everyday activities and it assists us in talking and exercising. It cleanses, purifies and revitalizes us. Its power assists in propelling ships but strong winds can be harmful causing damage and even loss of lives. Humans have polluted the air with toxins contributing to life threatening respiratory illnesses.
FIRE
Fire relates to action and power. It gives us heat and light, purifies, dissolves impurities and destroys rubbish. It is also used for cremation which is preferable to burials as it makes the tasks of the earth elementals easier as they have to break everything down. Fire can be devastating causing serious damage and loss of life. Humans have misused fire through the use of bombs and firearms.
The Elements Within Us
As already mentioned the four elements are within all life including our bodies. Very briefly, water relates to our emotions and is associated with fluidity. Air relates to intellect, movement and expansion. Earth relates to being grounded and stability. Fire relates to life and energy.
A word of caution is needed. There are 4 air signs, 4 earth signs, 4 water signs and 4 fire signs and most people are aware of their birth sign/zodiac sign and look to horoscopes in daily newspapers and magazines for guidance. This is very general and will certainly not provide spiritual guidance. Esoteric/ Spiritual Astrology is quite different and will provide spiritual guidance for our life path. It can indicate why we have incarnated and what karma needs to be balanced. If we wish to have an indication as to our soul purpose then this approach can be enlightening.
The Fifth Element
Most people are aware of the four elements but few take time to consider that there is a fifth element called spirit. It is widely accepted that there is a fifth element although few accept it as spirit. Those who believe we are spiritual beings understand that it is the spirit element that gives life to all creation. The belief in a fifth element was first mentioned by Plato and his student Aristotle (384-320bce). They both believed in a fifth element and called it aether. Aether is Latin and the English translation is ether.
Aristotle believed this element was of divine substance and was crucial to our understanding of the universe. He believed the five elements were interrelated.
The fifth element has been given various names including space, ether and quintessence. Quintessence comes from two Latin words ‘essentia’ meaning ‘being’ and ‘quintus’ meaning ‘fifth’.
There is much confusion regarding the name of the fifth element. Some believe space and ether are synonyms and others believe ether fills all space. The root of the word ether comes from Latin meaning upper pure bright air and 19th century physicists called it the fifth element which fills the universe. Space is the essence of emptiness and ether is what fills this space. Space is also within our bodies such as in the lungs and sinus cavities.
In Theosophy spirit and matter are inseparable and complementary aspects of an omnipresent reality and all existence is part of one life which is visible and invisible. In the Mahatma Letters ascended Master Kuthumi, who is often referred to as KH stated there is only one element which is the basis of all and fills all space and is space itself. It is pure spirit essence.
For the remainder of this article we will consider spirit as the fifth element as it is the spiritual realm that is the source of all life and is within the other four elements. It is pure consciousness and our connection to the Divine which leads us to the understanding that all life is One. It is the source of guidance, wisdom and intuition allowing us to cope with all situations and experiences. As we take our attention to our higher self we can bring our four lower bodies into harmony by letting go of the ego and trusting that the spiritual power within us is the source of love, harmony and peace. Remember all answers are within us. We just have to take time to connect with our higher self through prayer, meditation and journal keeping which are the means to understanding our true self which guides us to making the necessary changes to evolve spiritually. We have several articles on keeping a journal on our website.
The Theosophy World Resource Center reminds us that there is an element in all human beings that is derived from a Divine Principle or Being. The article does not name this as the 5th element but explains all life is derived from the Universal Spirit. Many refer to this as God which makes things simple but we need to understand God is the Universal Consciousness and not an individualised person.
When we acknowledge spirit is the universal life force energy animating the other elements and giving us life we can tap into this omnipresent energy for guidance and inspiration to deal with whatever life presents to us. When we accept there is only One Life we can take a spiritual approach to difficulties as we no longer see ourselves and others as separate entities but as one unified life. We also understand that if we harm others we are harming ourselves. We also need to remember that the law of karma will return to us what we give out.
Spirit is omnipresent and is therefore within each of the other four elements. Earth is considered the least spiritual, water is more spiritual, this is followed by air and the most spiritual is fire. We will consider the spiritual aspects of each of the four elements and their relationships to the seven major chakras to which they are connected. The chakras are major energy centres located from the base of the spine to the top of the head. We will begin with the earth element as we live on the earth we live and it is the foundation of our spiritual growth.
The Earth Element
The earth element concerns groundedness, growth, stability and safety. Keep in mind all elements are within us and it is by building a strong connection with the earth that we have a firm foundation on which to master the other four elements and manifest our desires. Examples of the earth element within us are bones, teeth and nails. We will never attain a higher state of consciousness without a strong foundation. As we take steps to create a healthy body by means of a healthy diet, adequate sleep and exercise we have the key to mastering the other elements.
It is helpful to have a basic understanding of the chakras which need to be in balance as they are linked to the elements. The chakras are energy centres and there are seven major chakras located along the spine from the base of the spine to the top of the head. The earth element is connected to the root chakra which is located at the base of the spine and is associated with the colour red and meditating on chakra colours can be helpful. This chakra is concerned with survival and physical needs and when balanced we feel grounded and secure. When unbalanced we can experience stress and relate health issues.
Exercise is beneficial for physical and mental health. Yoga, walking and similar activities are recommended. Gardening assists us in feeling grounded which is essential. Sowing seeds and watching them grow and develop into healthy plants is an uplifting activity. We can then thank the earth for all that it produces for our health and wellbeing.
The Water Element
The water element is associated with emotions and creativity. It purifies and transforms and is so essential for our health. Most people do not drink enough water and this can lead to problems with the urinary and reproductive systems in the body. Many consider water to be sacred and bathing in the River Ganges is said to bring healing. Water is also used in sacred ceremonies such as baptisms.
Water is associated with emotions and if our emotions are not balanced our health is adversely affected. Water needs to flow and we can learn how water deals with obstacles. Water will find a new path and continue its journey. This teaches us to seek guidance from our higher self in meditation when faced with difficulties and thus being open to finding a new path and opportunities for ourselves. Sometimes we have to let go and move on as we develop spiritually. Letting go of stress and fear can bring new opportunities allowing us to move forward positively thus avoiding stress and related health problems.
The water element is linked with the sacral chakra located about three finger widths below the navel. It is associated with the colour orange. If this chakra is blocked emotions of fear and anger can hold us back. Meditation and visualizing the colour orange, and practising yoga are helpful in balancing this chakra thus benefitting the water element. As we bring our emotions into balance we have the confidence to seek new ways and opportunities.
The Air Element
It is associated with inspiration, intuition, clarity and purification. It is the source of prana the life force energy and connects us to the higher realms. It is considered the omnipresence of spirit and gives life to all forms of life and not just to humans.
As we walk outdoors we feel invigorated and can let go of what no longer serves us. By letting go of worries and concerns we experience peace and contentment. Just as the trees sway gently in the breeze, we can relax, find healing and the resilience to be in control of our lives.
The air lends itself to creativity enabling us to find a new pathway and direction in life. Sitting with our back against a tree and meditating can assist us in understanding we have incarnated with a specific purpose to assist our spiritual evolution. When outdoors in fresh air, deep breathing exercises can assist in taking our consciousness to a higher level.
The air element is linked with the heart chakra which is green and associated with love and compassion. Imbalance in this chakra can manifest as physical and emotional problems such as relationship issues and circulatory problems. When the chakra is in balance we feel connected to others and all life being open to giving and receiving love. We also learn to love ourselves and understand loving our self is not selfishness but a positive quality. We need to find peace within and value ourselves.
Balancing the air element is achieved by being grateful for everything and understanding there is a reason for everything. As we take a spiritual approach to dealing with difficulties we find answers are always within.
When we learn to go within for guidance letting go of fears and resentment and give unconditional love to all then the air element will be balanced and open us up to the understanding that we can achieve our full potential.
The Fire Element
The Fire Element is the most spiritual of the four elements and relates to passion, vitality, warmth and comfort. It is linked with divine presence, purification and transformation. Although fire can be destructive the positive aspect is that it burns impurities which hold us back making space for opportunities that serve our spiritual evolution.
Fire is a sacred element in spiritual traditions as it is our inner fire that gives us the energy and passion to develop spiritually. It is viewed as a means of connection to the higher realms and to the divine. In Hinduism fire is associated with the god Agni, the god of fire. In Islam the Qu’ran mentions the importance of fire and in Judaism fire is a symbol of God’s presence. One such example is the burning bush which Moses witnessed when God spoke to him in the desert.
Candles are often burned in churches and in homes to create a peaceful atmosphere which assists concentration on the Divine. Within a sacred space attention is taken away from other activities and worries and there is an opportunity to receive guidance and intuition through meditation as the focus is on the soul which desires to assist our spiritual progress. We have all incarnated to find our soul purpose and evolve spiritually.
Fire gives life to the other elements so it is vital that we balance this element to bring the other elements and all parts of our being into harmony. We experience this element when we spend time outdoors in the sunshine and also when we enjoy the comfort and heat of a fire on a cold winter’s evening.
The fire element is linked to the solar plexus chakra which is located between the navel and the sternum. This chakra represents strength, passion and enthusiasm. This is our inner source of power and transformation when it is balanced. The colour of this chakra is yellow so meditating on this colour can be helpful. If this chakra is not balanced we can lack confidence and energy to pursue our desires. When balanced we have that inner fire and willpower to succeed and reach our full potential.
Burning candles and meditating assist our progress. Showing unconditional love and mercy to all and looking for ways to be of service assists our spiritual development. Release anger and resentment, let go of weaknesses and work on strengths. Consider how you can follow a path that will enrich the lives of others. As we balance this element there is a positive impact on the other elements.
Sacred Flames
Sacred flames deserve a special mention. Collins Dictionary describes a sacred flame as ‘something that is sacred, is believed to be holy and to have a special connection with God.’
There are many different flames and we will consider a few of them as they are so important for understanding their transformative power and our spiritual connection to the Divine. Each flame is a concentration of energy charged with a specific energy or aspect of the Divine for a specific purpose by a Higher Being and each has its own colour.
The Seven Rays
Please refer once again to our article entitled ‘The Law of Precipitation’ which describes the rays in detail. The Seven Elohim when creating our earth and solar system each brought forth one of the seven rays. Each ray is an aspect or quality of God. We each belong to one of the rays but we each have to master the energy of all seven to ascend spiritually. These rays are the flames that gave life to all creation.
The Flames of The Elohim
Each Elohim has placed a flame on our forehead and these are the colours of the 7 Rays. These flames allow us to invoke the assistance of the Elohim who are always willing to assist us and guide us.
The Three Fold Flame
We each have a Three Fold Flame placed in our heart at birth and withdrawn at death. This flame consists of 3 plumes of blue, yellow and pink representing Rays 1, 2 and 3 which are the power, wisdom and love of God. This is our eternal connection to God.
The Violet Fire
This flame is sent to us from Archangel Zadkiel and brings purification, transformation and healing. It can be used for forgiveness, to transmute negative energy and to heal relationships. The flame can be sent to others in need. In 1998 it merged with Silver Ray of Grace and Harmony and the Silver Violet Flame brought increased power. However, for some reason unknown to me it is still referred to as the Violet Fire. When invoking this flame recite the following decree three times. ‘I AM a being of violet fire I AM the purity God desires.’
The Spirit Element
The Spirit Element gives life to the other four elements and to all that exists. It is our eternal connection to the Divine. We have incarnated to evolve back to unity with the Divine and by meditation we can receive guidance to assist us taking a spiritual approach to dealing with difficulties presented to us.
The Spirit element is linked to the throat, third eye and crown chakras. The throat chakra is located near the base of the throat and is blue. It is associated with creativity, self expression and the confidence to speak out truth. If unbalanced, it can lead to suppressed emotions, being withdrawn and introverted.
The third eye chakra is located in the centre of the forehead between the eyebrows and is indigo. It is associated with wisdom, clear thinking and spiritual awakening. If unbalanced it can lead to stress, lack of concentration and anxiety.
The crown chakra is located at the top of the skull and is violet. It is our source of spirituality, enlightenment and inner peace and can indicate our life purpose. If blocked we can experience frustration and emotional imbalance. It is our source of connection to the Divine but it is essential that we take steps to ensure all our bodies and minds are in balance.
Animism
It is interesting to note that advanced, industrialized societies have lagged behind primitive cultures in accepting that there is more to our being than a material body. The understanding that there is a fifth element dates back to ancient times. The word animism comes from the Latin word anima meaning soul or breath and is considered by many to be the world’s oldest religion. It was practised by ancient cultures such as the Paleolithic Age, sometimes called the Old Stone Age. The dates are very much debated but some believed it began about two and a half million years ago.
It is practised today by many indigenous cultures such as in Alaska and parts of Africa. These cultures believe that spiritual essence is in all life and that includes not just humans but includes rocks, plants, animals and even weather conditions.
The Yupik people in Alaska believe everything has a living spirit and that all elements must be considered together as they are all interrelated.
Conclusion
We are so dependent on the 5 elements and to progress spiritually we must never forget the elemental kingdom. It is our love and gratitude to the elementals that enables them to give the elements the purity required for our wellbeing and our spiritual evolution. Most people do not understand how dependent we are on the elementals. Keep in mind that they give back to us what we give out so it is essential that we respect them and show our appreciation. So often material gain is paramount with no thought as to how other forms of life are affected. All forms of life are interconnected and interrelated so it is only when humans accept this that positive change can occur.
We also have to keep in mind that we are spiritual beings and spirit is the source of all life including the four elements. By connecting to the spirit within us we understand it is the source of intuition and wisdom and is the unity of all life. It is the place where we acknowledge the Source/God within us and receive guidance and power to deal with all situations that we encounter. It allows us to bring our four lower bodies into harmony, letting go of the ego and trusting that spiritual power within us which is the source of all love and harmony. Meditation, prayer and journal keeping are the means to understanding our true self and guide us in making the necessary changes to evolve spiritually. It is by extending unconditional love to all life that we acknowledge the unity of all life which is essential for our spiritual progress.
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