The 4 Elements

Ancient civilizations believed in the four elements in the creation of life. even some belief systems and religions still hold the ideal. Although we have ‘evolved’ and discovered a lot over the years, the idea is still as real now as it was back then. The Chinese use a fifth element of metal, and I am sure there are other religions or civilizations that have other such differences.

However, for me personally there are another fifth that I see with the traditional four. The introduction of light and dark: Some will say that dark is merely the absence of light, which is true to some respect. However, I use them more as a metaphor for other ideals, but then again, the four elements are the same.

Instead of confusing you I will show what I mean and the way I view it:

Fire—The passion that drives us, emotions such as love, hate and happiness. To a point the heat and warmth for other things and people. To a, point your heart.

Earth—Gives you the strength to stand and carry on, the stubbornness to keep going and to push past your limit. In part the body.

Air—‘The breath of life’, what we need to live and breath. But also, the thing to help us keep going ‘the wind beneath our wings.’ Our lungs.

Water—The life blood, quite literally blood. However, it is also in part the idea that we can always find a way round or threw if we keep at it. Our blood as I said.

Light—The good acts or good thoughts within us all, hope of a better future or better acts, the bravery to do what must be done. I think this is instinct, I believe that humans for the most part are good and only learn evil as we grow and observe.

Dark—The evil potential, the fear we all have, the dark thoughts that lie within us all. our demon. The thought, what we have the potential to do.

The four normal elements are what create life or a soul, the introduction of the last two introduce a thought. The full being, arguably animals and plants do not have the last two I believe in. They are instinctual, not evil. They act as their nature directs and not as thought asks. Humans however act both by instincts and by thought. They can choose to act within the ‘guidelines’ of their bodies and minds or chose to do something else, to be more or less than they are.

I do, however, believe that evil doesn’t always mean you are evil, sinful, or bad. I think that sometimes an evil act can be used for good, and that sometimes a good act can be used for evil. Part of this a point of view of how you see the world. And part of it is the human condition, or so I think. An example of this, lying is a bad act, we are taught from an early age that lying is wrong. However, if you tell a lie that can give someone a confidence boost and there in give them the drive to better themselves then surly the act of lie would be inherently good. On the same side, telling the truth might bring someone down, make them feel worthless or feel that they are no good.

In the end m personal beliefs are my own and make sense to me, if you understand them then maybe you have a similar ideal. A belief system is personal to each individual, you may follow a religion but the way you follow it and what you believe is up to you. In a day and age where religion is a spark of problems, we all need to stop and think about it. we are all human and all believe different things, why fight over it. I am Pagan or consider myself as such, but I have had those of other faiths such as Christianity look at what I think and say that there is a similar ideal to what they have. That even if we pray or look to different gods, we still hold each other with the same respect.