The Elements in Our Inner Universe

The Cosmos is composed of matter and energy, in a degree of greater or lesser condensation. And it is the same matter that constitutes the universe that constitutes all of us human beings, since we are a microcosm. For this reason it is clearly explained that the four elements of creation are present in our inner universe. And there, they produce stillness or storms; violent winds or cool summer breezes, blazes or tranquillity, terrible earthquakes or serene stability. It all depends on the mastery we have of them. We can either be rulers or simple playthings of these elements.

“As above, so it is below, and as below, so it is above. By these things miracles are wrought from one thing as all things are from one.” Hermes Trismegistus; The Emerald Stone.

The four elements of nature in our lives

Have you ever had someone insult or say unfair words to you and your blood boiled to the point that it almost burned your mouth? Have you ever felt, in the face of any setback, misfortune or disappointment, as if you were drowning in deep sorrow, so much so that water leaked out of your eyes?

When having to get up very early in the morning, have you ever felt that you couldn’t control your body, as if it were a huge boulder that didn’t appear to cooperate with your intention to stand up?

How many times before an exam or test, has your mind not been agitated by the anticipation the questions and planning how you will answer? And how can someone who enthusiastically builds a house of cards see it collapse in an unexpected gust of wind? Wind raised by some unexpected opposition.

These are descriptions of everyday situations, so common, that they permeate our lives giving them so much drama. But it is not by coincidence that we connect them all with images that remind us of the four elements of nature. In fact, when it comes to the art of expressing man’s experience, of his own inner world, it is very common to turn to certain expressions and images which refer to the world of nature.

When someone gets extremely angry we say that they are exploding like a volcano, or that their face is like thunder. That people who do not talk about their problems or who avoid facing them are damming up their emotions. That a very passionate and seductive person is ‘hot’. That a confused person has a foggy mind. That a cruel and insensitive person has a heart of stone. This is because the use of metaphors and analogies of nature is based on archetypes of human experience in the physical world. And they shape our inner psychology or nature.

 

The balance of the elements in our inner universe

 The element fire gives a person that active, impetuous, vehement and enthusiastic characteristic that we commonly see in young people and in spirited people in general. When the fire is lit, it reminds us of the impulse or urge we feel when we want to start or create something.

The element air governs areas related to mental dynamics and thought: psychological associations, affirmation and negation, reasoning, drawing conclusions, making plans, projects, memories, fantasies, etc.

The water element governs areas of psychology associated with emotions and sexuality.

The earth element is most closely associated with the physical body, the five senses and the instincts. The elements are interdependent, and it is very interesting to discover in the field of practical psychology the effect of the balance or imbalance of one element on the others.

The sense of balance in our lives depends on the balance of the elements within us. If we apply a little logic and imagination, we can infer that a person without mastery over his own nature is bound to be a victim of circumstances, that is, of the events that life throws at him.

In other words, someone who is a slave to his inner elements would never be able to bring order and balance to the external elements. Therefore neither can he influence the exterior nature, much less dominate it. In conclusion, he would not be able to intentionally produce the magical phenomena in his internal nature, nor would he be able to produce them externally. In order to achieve this, it is essential to master and balance the elements within us.

The microcosm of man

Man is a complete universe, a microcosm, and within us are found all the mysteries of the universe. But in order to discover them, we need to organize and balance the elements within us. And furthermore, in this manner we can also exercise magic and make use of nature outside of us. Such an organization requires observation, study and comprehension of the natural phenomena of our microcosm. Gnostic wisdom provides the precise techniques to begin to penetrate all those mysteries.

   

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