Elements explained - entry to the elemental magic

As this lesson is connected to both - elemental and planetary magic, we will focus on both of them. I will hold the lessons on the system - element - planet 1- planet 2 - another element. Why? Because I want you all to have full knowledge of specific elements and the energies which are like it. We can connect one element to over one planet, and don't make one boring few hours lessons, I separated it. There will be two parts to every lesson. The first one is talking about the correspondences and the element/planet and the second one will be connected to actual working with the energy of the element/planet itself. We will also connect it to invoke different spirits. Everyone has one specific element which is dominant. Here we will work with elements, but also how to achieve balance and ground yourself after doing it. Remember that if you never worked with one specific element, you should take it easy (especially with fire), take a few breathing's and don't go at full speed. You need time to adjust to the energy to don't hurt yourself. Elements  I suppose the easiest way to explain them will be this definition:  These are the simplest energies creating the substances.  There are plenty of the elements themselves which are surrounding us and affecting us. The most basic ones are connected to our body, and that's why they hold most of the importance. Greece & Persia  Empedocles proposed the 4 most basic elements: air, earth, water, and fire.  He also proposed the idea that matter could ultimately be composed of all four elements in different combinations of one another.  And that's one of the most important views for us because he not only named the elements but also could understand that we don't exist without all of them. This gives us the option to work with all of them even if we have one dominant because all of them create the human body at once. Aristotle added one more thing into it - he actually believes that once the 4 elements are combined, it brings out the existence of the 5th element which is aether. He also added 4 qualities. Fire is both hot and dry.  Air is both hot and wet (for air is like vapor).  Water is both cold and wet.  Earth is both cold and dry.  All 4 of them are corruptible and earthly (existing on the physical plane) but aether isn't. It's a perfectly uncorrupted element, from which the heavenly bodies were created. The Persians believed that all the basic 4 elements are sacred and necessary for the survival of all living beings. Sumeria  Here we have little information, but we have a description of the 4 Gods in Enuma Elish - related to the sea, earth, sky, and wind. There are no other resources to say if they believed in elements or which ones were sacred for them (except probably asking their gods) India  Vedas mentions 5 elements the same as Greece. They also connected them with senses :  Earth: hearing, touch, seeing, taste, and smell.  Water: hearing, touch, seeing, taste  Fire: feeling, hearing, seeing  Air: hearing and feeling  Akasha - the 5th element can be only heard. Buddism  In early Buddhism, the four elements are a basis for understanding suffering and for liberating oneself from suffering. The earliest Buddhist texts explain that the four primary material elements are the sensory qualities solidity, fluidity, temperature, and mobility; their characterization as earth, water, fire, and air, respectively, is declared an abstraction — instead of concentrating on the fact of material existence, one observes how a physical thing is sensed, felt, perceived Chinese  This one is the first which differs pretty much from the previous ones.  Fire, Earth, Metal (literally gold), Water, and Wood, which were understood as different types of energy in a state of constant interaction and flux with one another, rather than the Western notion of different kinds of material. Historians of science have noted a fundamental difference between Greek element theories and Chinese matter theories.  The elements for them are changing and moving, transforming, and transmuting more than being one type of substance. In Chinese philosophy, the universe consists of heaven and earth. The five major planets are associated with and even named after the elements: Jupiter 木星 is Wood (木), Mars 火星 is Fire (火), Saturn 土星 is Earth (土), Venus 金星 is Metal (金), and Mercury 水星 is Water (水). Also, the Moon represents Yin (陰), and the Sun 太陽 represents Yang (陽). Yin, Yang, and the five elements are associated with themes in the I Ching, the oldest of Chinese classical texts, which describe an ancient system of cosmology and philosophy. There are also different circles of how one element transforms into another one  Generating Wood feeds fire;  Fire creates earth (ash);  Earth bears metal;  Metal collects water;  Water nourishes Wood.  Overcoming Wood parts earth;  The earth absorbs water;  Water quenches fire;  Fire melts metal;  Metal chops wood. I suppose this gives you not only a bit of an idea about the elements but also an idea of how to actually use them...and in our lessons, we will use all of them. We will use the elements and properties depending on the needs - the elemental and planetary class information will be used also in the energy working-class and spells rituals class. We might need it for healing or self-working class too. It's one reason we are talking about properties and correspondences. But now we will do a short meditation with one element of your choice.  Choose one for yourself. Doesn't matter what it is. Lie on your back and close your eyes. When you are comfortable, slowly inhale… and exhale, and allow yourself to relax. Slowly inhale, as deeply and comfortably as you can… and exhale, releasing all the tension in your body. Continue to breathe slowly and deeply. With every breath you take, you become more relaxed. Breathe slowly… breathe deeply. As you continue to breathe, become aware of your body. As you inhale, become aware of the muscles in your face and neck, and as you exhale, feel all the tension in your head slip away.  Breathing even more slowly, become aware of your shoulders. As you exhale, allow all feeling in your arms to disappear. As you inhale deeply, feel your chest slowly rise, and as you exhale, allow all sensation from your breast upward to completely vanish. Inhale slowly, and as you exhale, feel the last remaining feeling in your hands and arms slip away. With every breath, you become more and more relaxed. As you breathe, become aware of your stomach and back, and as you exhale, feel all tension leave you. Every muscle fiber loosens with each slow, deep breath. Now, become aware of your pelvis and hips. Inhale deeply, and as you exhale, all feeling melts away. As you inhale, become aware of your thighs, and as you exhale, let go of all physical sensations. Breathe deeply and become aware of your knees and your calves. Exhale and let all feelings leave you. You are now more relaxed than ever.  Now, become aware of your ankles and your feet. As you inhale, feel the last remnants of physical sensation, and as you exhale, allow them to slip away. You are now free of your physical body… allow yourself to slowly fall backward and inward into your own mind. Slowly, your mind drifts deeper into itself… until all imagery and thought drift away… and you reach the black void of infinite possibility. Finally, you come to a place of quiet and calm. Nothingness surrounds you. Here, you alone have the power to create. Now focus on the voice and see a symbol appearing in front of you. Once you will touch it you will be transported into the sever temple, where you can connect yourself with your element. Once you see the temple, you focus on the bright light in the middle of it. Walk over it and cleanse yourself in this bright light. After doing so, sit on the part of the temple where you see other members.  Once you come there and notice that you are the last person in the circle. Now..focus on one of the elements you want to work with today. Try to feel its energy moving inside or your body..in your blood, in your veins, in your all body. Once you will feel it, push it into your hand's chakras. Try to make a little ball of this Energy in front of yourself.  After you feel you cannot contain it anymore..push energy inside of your body again. Take your time with this exercise... Now I will let you do it for few minutes and then we will slowly get back to the physical realms. Now, once you finish and consume your energy, focus on yourself  On every single energy in your body. Try to see them and raise them to the same amount. Take your time with it. Once you will be done, walk around the white light again and slowly go into the flashing symbol on the entrance. Once you will walk over it, you will be back into your own body. Now sit for a moment and focus on your energy. How do you feel? Did you have any problems during the Meditation? Homework from this lesson: try to do this sort of exercise every day, every time with another energy. How does it feel to you?

*I based myself on my own knowledge here and a little on Wikipedia*

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