QUOTE(percival @ Sep 16 2010, 10:32 AM)
I'm re reading a great book by richard smoley who is the former editor of gnosis magazine called inner Christianity.I just want to focus just one aspect of the book where he touches on the elements and their correspondence in the human organism.He equates the earth to the physical body,the psyche to water,the spirit to wind,and for some reason he leaves out fire but he then talks about a fourth tier as the kingdom of god,gnosis or divine consciousness which I'm taking that to equate with fire.These seem like very intuitive correspondences,as opposed to the many varying contrived compilations that so many occult teachers list.These various teachings rarely agree and their correspondences vary widely.His insight on the elements struck me very intuitively and immediately compared to these list people make up where it seems so contrived and only leads to confusion.one teacher says earth equates with this,fire with that, and another will have his list which differs completely with the first.The more i read the more is see some knowledge so obviously comes ordinary consciousness and other nuggets come from a higher level of consciousness.
I believe the subject is more complicated than a simple attribution to each. In eastern philosophy, there is the concept of yin and yang, wherein any two divisions can then be broken down again into relative yin and yang.
This applies to a four element system as well; in my paradigm I don't associate the mind, body, and spirit into their own elements per say, but each is a construct of all four elements. However, even if the body is earth, there is earth of earth, fire of earth, water of earth, and air of earth; and so for the others. Earth of earth can again be broken down into four parts, and so on in an alchemical fashion hypothetically in infinite degrees. The benefit to this is that as we explore the various elemental layers of our being, we can refine our understanding at each degree, and discover the elemental pivot points where, in the case of magic, we can then apply the correct pressure at the correct point to achieve a more specified effect.
I'm on an iPhone, so a more in depth discussion will have to wait on my end, but does this grant some clarity or create more confusion?
Peace