Alchemy, transformation, and the archetype of the four elements.

Hello all-

I have been working with the four elements (Earth, Water, Air, and Fire) - in the form of the elemental cycle or mandala - for a number of years now, and feel like the elements are completely archetypal in nature.  In particular I have used the elemental mandala as a tool for both self-transformation and as a way of penetrating the mysteries of the objective world - it seems to me that the elements provide a profound tool for the structuring of human consciousness, particularly around situations undergoing change, whether inner or outer.

My personal interest in this topic has led me to try and explore the elements and the potentials of the elemental cycle as the topic of my master's thesis in Consciousness Studies, which is almost completed.  As a part of this I have created a primer on the four elements and how they can practically be used as an objective tool for self-transformation and for help in structuring our consciousness around difficult or otherwise mysterious situations.  The primer has been placed at: http://www.spiritalchemy.com/ and is completely free.

As a part of my work I am also looking for people who wish to try out the elemental cycle for themselves and who can provide feeback on the process - this will help me understand how other people work with the cycle and what it does (or does not) do for them, all with the aim of refining and evolving how to present the elemental cycle as an effective transformative tool.  I see this as a collaborative aspect of the work, and one that is important for well-roundedness.

I'd love to converse about the archetypes of the elements here.  My basic feeling is that they are a way to get at the underlying qualities which make transformation occur.  I have made a tentative list of these qualities: http://www.spiritalchemy.com/p6-metaphors.html

What do you think?
-Seth Miller

Re: Alchemy, transformation, and the archetype of the four elemen

Howdy Seth!

Nice ta see ya here.  I read a wee bit into your ideas- and after i finish this brief message ill check em out a bit more.  with that in mind, here are some of my notes:

earth seems to correspond to the realm of axioms within logical statements (which is part of mind).  as such, it is unconcerned really with either duality or non-duality, just the statements.  water, on the other hand, relates those axioms amongst themselves.  Still, this is the realm of mind.  Water actually implies differentiation, as the movement of fact to fact implies that fact transforms.

air and fire are abstractions, almost platonisms, if not such.  they are cyclic.  air is the dualistic relations level.  fire is basically the transcendant function of air- the seeing of the air cycle from without and thus its resolution. 

in upanishads thinking, i would say that earth is three, air is two and fire is one.

that said, ive just talked of the whole from the earth level, so to speak.  reading further i see that each element is actually process-oriented.  (which i like.)

 from the physical qualities list, i can see how you came to this method of division.  how would you say that this alchemical way of thinking relates to other alchemical methods?  more specifically, what does this system offer that the other methods do not?

one thing that jumps out at me is this:  my perspective is rooted in the mythological and in the poetical.  speaking from both backgrounds it seems very much to me that one of the main problems that humans face is that they have created a mental division between themselves and nature as well as between themselves and themselves.  for instance, the serpent represented the worldly or material (earth) in many ancient mythologies.  some of these mythologies had a symbol of some flying creature carrying a serpent - or a combination of the two in the form of a dragon.  this symbol represented the connection of heaven and earth- or the connection between the worldy and the heavenly (fire).  also, these symbols acted as transcendant functions leading to a perspective of understanding that embraced not only the worldly and unworldy, but the dual and universal at the same time.  this is a very important concept that generally is missing from the modern conception of islam, christianity and judaism.

in the modern systems of thinking, (even in the dualist gnostic systems such as the cathars) there is such a thing as sin, good and evil.  the modern religions teaches that the worldly is evil and must be destroyed, leaving only the good.  this is the antithesis of alchemy, really.  the idea behind alchemy is tantric- the idea is that evil cannot be destroyed by attempting to head it off or reduce it- but that by connecting to it (embracing the worldy) we transcend the paradox that exists between duality sets and become something greater than either half.  this is really the same process that you elaborate on in your thesis- only under slightly different headings and titles.  really- the process is the same.  look within, identify, ask, connect, resolve, repeat.  which is not a critisism at all.

what im aiming at here- is the use of earth (as is quite common) as symbol for the beginning stuffs while at the same time using language that suggests that the movement from earth towards fire is the “desired” achievement.  if any such desired movement “upwards” exists, then it acts as a represive and dualistic force that maintains one, oddly enough, in the same but more subtle state.  which does not mean that the system outlined is bad, poor or needs correction, even.  it's merely the matter of a subtle and delicate wording that may lead to a subtle mind-set.

perhaps (and this is merely suggestion) one could leave the elements entirely as they are labeled (because that does make sense and whats more corresponds to other systems of thought.)  one might be able to convey the peculiar “holiness requiring no absolution” of earth by simply explaining that the whole process is explained through necessity in terms of duality (as all communication is), and that really and truly, the outline presented seeks to convey the process by which earth, water, air and fire are all mutually united to create a perspective that while composed of all four, transcends all four in being of them all.

just some thoughts, though.

i really enjoy seeing another mind at work in this arena.

have you ever looked into the idea of using story-telling or mythologies to open up psychological processes?  my favourite method of opening my own internal processes is to write poetry (which sure as heck aint always all that literary!)  poetry allows me to convey to myself all four processes you describe simultaneously.  take for instance, i utilize the worldy and factual to create relationships between symbols standing for perhaps themselves.  then a story ensues in which the platonic ideals behind them are charged and then united.  this surely aint the only way of getting at truths- but its one way of eating an apple, fer sure! 

for the smaller stuff, i think much in the same lines as the process you outlined.  mostly- i try to see whats going outside of me and inside of me both.  if i see something out that ive never seen before in- then i go searching inside of me for it.  and if i see a relation between stuffs on the inside- i go looking for it on the out.  also, i watch for my own blame (or others, really) to tell me when ive hit a charged duality.

i wonder how i could integrate your way of processesing information as you outline here and my way of associating the inner patterns and outer patterns that i perceive are so correlated.  maybe you have some ideas.

anywho, very nice reading and i send you the best thoughts, warmest thanks,
davie williams