Quote:When we consider the microcosmic Tree, the physical body is in Malkuth; the etheric double is Yesod; the astromental body is Hod and Netzach; and the higher mind is Tiphareth. Whatever the higher mind can conceive can be readily brought through into manifestation in the subjective Malkuth.
[...]
The best magical weapon is the Magus himself, and all other contrivances are but a means to an end, the end being that exaltation and concentration of consciousness which makes a magus out of an ordinary man. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of the living God?” said a Great One. If we know how to use the symbolic furniture of this living temple, we have the keys to heaven in our hands.”
—Dion Fortune, The Mystical Qabalah

(06-12-2019, 09:47 AM)Nau7ik Wrote: So, let’s talk about the elements. What do you know about the four elements? I’ve by no means covered it all. Id like to get a deeper understanding of these principles.

(06-12-2019, 06:56 PM)flofrog Wrote: Yes, Salt, I was really interested when studying a bit Chinese medicine as, yes there was no air, but wood and metal.

(06-12-2019, 07:38 PM)IndigoGeminiWolf Wrote:

(06-12-2019, 06:56 PM)flofrog Wrote: Yes, Salt, I was really interested when studying a bit Chinese medicine as, yes there was no air, but wood and metal.

Yes, I was wondering where wood and metal fit in.

(06-19-2019, 10:37 AM)IndigoGeminiWolf Wrote: What element do radio waves and radiation fall under?

And when you use an electric stove to heat food, is that fire?

(06-20-2019, 11:19 AM)IndigoGeminiWolf Wrote: Can ether be detected?
Is that what astral bodies are made out of?

(06-28-2019, 06:06 AM)loostudent Wrote: Now let's look at some relations and correspondences.

The flow of life: it comes from water and goes to earth.

Water fuels earth. Air fuels fire.
Water balances fire. Air (sky) balances earth. (And vice versa.)

Water lifts up in air and falls down on ground. Movement up can be ascesis, effort, earnings. Movement down: blessing, grace, undeserved gift. The Heavenly Father "sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."

I'm not sure about male/female principle correspondence. Mabye fire - male and water - female.

(06-29-2019, 07:45 AM)zvonimir Wrote: http://www.themasonictrowel.com/ebooks/hermetic/Franz_Bardon_-_Initiation_Into_Hermetics.pdf

excerpt from the book.....

2. The Principle of Fire ~
As it has been said before, akasa or the etheric principle is the cause of the origin of the
elements. According to the oriental scriptures, the first element born from akasa is believed
to be Tejas, the principle of fire. This element as well as all the others manifest their
influence not only in our roughly material plane but also in everything created. The basic
qualities of the fiery principle are heat and expansion. In the beginning of all things created
therefore must have been fire and light, and in the Bible we read: “Fiat Lux” – There shall be
light. The origin of the light, of course, is to be sought in the fire. Each element and therefore
that of fire, too, has two polarities, i.e., the active and the passive one, which means positive
(+) and negative (-). Plus will always signify the constructive, the creative, the productive
sources whereas minus stands for all that is destructive or dissecting. There are always two
basic qualities, which must be clearly distinguished in each element. Religions have always
imputed the good to the active and the evil to the passive side. But fundamentally spoken,
there are no such things as good or bad; they are nothing but human conceptions. In the
Universe there is neither good nor evil, because everything has been created according to
immutable rules, wherein the Divine Principle is reflected and only by knowing these rules,
shall we be able to come near to the Divinity.

(07-03-2019, 06:44 PM)schubert Wrote: "Fire is the element of power. The people of the Fire Nation have desire and will and the energy and drive to achieve what they want. Earth is the element of substance. The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring. Air is the element of freedom. The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns and found peace and freedom ... Water is the element of change. The people of the Water Tribe are capable of adapting to many things. They have a deep sense of community and love that holds them together through anything."

an interesting excerpt from the the tv show avatar the last airbender.

Quote:When we say Ether, words like space or a vast openness comes to one's mind. Akash means having a cavity with freedom to move. The tanmatra of ether element  is Shabda (Sound).
Whenever there is compactness of molecules, we get a dull sound on tapping but when there is a cavity or hollow space, we get a resonant sound.
The qualities of ether element are clear, light, subtle, and immeasurable. Ether element is related with various actions like expansion, vibration, non-resistance. Sensory organ related to ether element is ear as it is hollow and transmits the sound waves.

Quote:Air is the great element that shows a sense of movement. Vayu or air initiates & directs motion or movement. Air element keeps the body in constant motion.
The tanmatra of Air element is Sparsha (Touch). The sensory organ related to Air element is skin. Skin is very sensitive for detecting any movement, change in pressure or vibration in subtle form. Any movement against skin can be easily registered.
Air element is mobile, dry, light, cold and subtle in nature. Its main action is to do any kind of movement.

Quote:The previous element, Air performs different movements; whenever there is movement, it produces friction and leads to formation of heat or fire. This element is also called as teja or agni. All various forms of transformation including digestion of food are carried out by fire element.  
The tanmatra of fire element is Rupa (Vision). Perception of light is carries out by this tanmatra. Fire element is hot, sharp, light, dry and subtle.  
Various functions carried out by this element are penetration, digestion of food, and transformation of thoughts, intelligence and perception of light.

Quote:The fourth element is water. It is also called as jala or Apa. Whenever we think of water qualities like liquidity or fluidity comes to our mind. Water shows important quality of binding - e.g. if we see dry soil, we cannot make a ball out of it.  But if we add water to the soil, then we can easily make mud balls. This binding nature helps in forming different structures in the body as it binds the 2 cells together. Hence this element is a constructive force.
The tanmatra of water element is rasa (taste). The sense of taste or the ability to taste depends on the liquidity that exists within in the mouth in the form of saliva. Dry mouth along with dry tongue is unable to give sense of taste. The water element exhibits qualities like cool, liquid, dull soft, and sliminess. Its main actions are cohesiveness and adhesiveness.

Quote:This is the last element. It is solid, dense, gross and very hard. It is related to all solid and hard structures that show shape - e.g. bones, muscles, teeth and nails. The Earth element is responsible for giving structure, shape and strength to the body.  

The tanmatra for Earth element is Gandha (Smell). The small particles of earth are scattered all over the palce gives us the sense of smell. The sensory organ related is nose. Nose is more hard compared to other sensory organs. Qualities of earth element are heavy, dull, dense hard and gross.  

(07-25-2019, 07:00 PM)Aion Wrote: Hum, there are lots of interesting thoughts in here. Definitely making a lot of headway with understanding the elements.

I am not going to add too much, but I would like to point out that in the Kabbalistic tradition if you are going based on the Sepher Yetzirah then the process of the creation of the elements starts with Spirit. From Spirit is formed the Air. From the Air was formed Water, and then from the Water was formed Fire.

This is probably opposite to a lot of people who usually associated Fire with being close to Spirit, but as the animating principle it actually makes sense to come last. That which invigorates and spurs to action all the 'designs' in the Mind of God.

Quote:1st. The spirit of the living Elohim, blessed and more than blessed be the living Elohim of ages. His Voice, His Spirit, and His Word are the Holy Spirit.

2nd. He produced air from the spirit and in the air He formed and established twenty-two sounds—the letters. Three of them were fundamental, or mothers; seven were double; and twelve were simple (single); but the spirit is the first one and above all.

3rd. Primordial water He extracted from the air. He formed therein twenty-two letters and established them out of mud and loam, making them like a border, putting them up like a wall, and surrounding them as with a rampart. He poured snow upon them and it became earth, as it reads: “He said to the snow be thou earth.” (Job. xxxvii. 6.)

4th. Fire (ether) He drew forth from the water. He engraved and established by it the Throne of Glory. He fashioned the Seraphim, the Ophanim, and the Holy Living Creatures, as His ministering angels; and with (of) these three he formed His habitation, as it reads: “Who made His Angels spirits, His ministers a flaming fire.” (Psalms civ. 4.)

[...]

These are the ten ineffable existences out of nothing: From the spirit of the Living God emanated air; from the air, water; from the water, fire (ether); from the fire, the height and the depth, the East and the West, the North and the South.

—The Sepher Yetzirah, the Book of Formation

(07-25-2019, 07:00 PM)Aion Wrote: Hum, there are lots of interesting thoughts in here. Definitely making a lot of headway with understanding the elements.

I am not going to add too much, but I would like to point out that in the Kabbalistic tradition if you are going based on the Sepher Yetzirah then the process of the creation of the elements starts with Spirit. From Spirit is formed the Air. From the Air was formed Water, and then from the Water was formed Fire.

This is probably opposite to a lot of people who usually associated Fire with being close to Spirit, but as the animating principle it actually makes sense to come last. That which invigorates and spurs to action all the 'designs' in the Mind of God.

Quote:30.5 Questioner: I would like to know how the mind/body/spirit complexes originate. How, going back as far as necessary, does the— Do they originate by spirit forming mind and mind forming body? Can you tell me this?

Ra: I am Ra. We ask you to consider that you are attempting to trace evolution. This evolution is as we have previously described, the consciousness being first, in first density, without movement, a random thing. Whether you may call this mind or body complex is a semantic problem. We call it mind/body complex recognizing always that in the simplest iota of this complex exists in its entirety the One Infinite Creator; this mind/body complex then in second density discovering the growing and turning towards the light, thus awakening what you may call the spirit complex, that which intensifies the upward spiraling towards the love and light of the Infinite Creator.

The addition of this spirit complex, though apparent rather than real, it having existed potentially from the beginning of space/time, perfects itself by graduation into third density. When the mind/body/spirit complex becomes aware of the possibility of service to self or other-self, then the mind/body/spirit complex is activated.

Quote:The third area is the spiritual complex which embodies the fields of force and consciousness which are the least distorted of your mind/body/spirit complex /... /

That is the work of wind and fire. The spiritual body energy field is a pathway, or channel. When body and mind are receptive and open, then the spirit can become a functioning shuttle or communicator from the entity’s individual energy of will upwards, and from the streamings of the creative fire and wind downwards. (6.1)

(07-30-2019, 06:21 AM)loostudent Wrote:

(07-25-2019, 07:00 PM)Aion Wrote: Hum, there are lots of interesting thoughts in here. Definitely making a lot of headway with understanding the elements.

I am not going to add too much, but I would like to point out that in the Kabbalistic tradition if you are going based on the Sepher Yetzirah then the process of the creation of the elements starts with Spirit. From Spirit is formed the Air. From the Air was formed Water, and then from the Water was formed Fire.

This is probably opposite to a lot of people who usually associated Fire with being close to Spirit, but as the animating principle it actually makes sense to come last. That which invigorates and spurs to action all the 'designs' in the Mind of God.

Words can get a little ambiguous. The first (creative) principle can also be a spark or sun (fire). The animating principle is traditionally associated with breathing (air). This is where the word spirit comes from. Spirit is from the beginning and most subtle but it can dwell and move in the four elements. So the spirit is first indeed but the awakening of spirit is last.

Quote:30.5 Questioner: I would like to know how the mind/body/spirit complexes originate. How, going back as far as necessary, does the— Do they originate by spirit forming mind and mind forming body? Can you tell me this?

Ra: I am Ra. We ask you to consider that you are attempting to trace evolution. This evolution is as we have previously described, the consciousness being first, in first density, without movement, a random thing. Whether you may call this mind or body complex is a semantic problem. We call it mind/body complex recognizing always that in the simplest iota of this complex exists in its entirety the One Infinite Creator; this mind/body complex then in second density discovering the growing and turning towards the light, thus awakening what you may call the spirit complex, that which intensifies the upward spiraling towards the love and light of the Infinite Creator.

The addition of this spirit complex, though apparent rather than real, it having existed potentially from the beginning of space/time, perfects itself by graduation into third density. When the mind/body/spirit complex becomes aware of the possibility of service to self or other-self, then the mind/body/spirit complex is activated.

Quote:The third area is the spiritual complex which embodies the fields of force and consciousness which are the least distorted of your mind/body/spirit complex /... /

That is the work of wind and fire. The spiritual body energy field is a pathway, or channel. When body and mind are receptive and open, then the spirit can become a functioning shuttle or communicator from the entity’s individual energy of will upwards, and from the streamings of the creative fire and wind downwards. (6.1)