Purchase a ring-bound or spiral bound notebook to serve as a journal. Divide the notebook into four sections. Label them AIR, FIRE, WATER and EARTH. These are the four magical essences. In each of the four sections write a list of positive traits and negative traits that you associate with either air, fire, water and earth. Such as:
AIR:
Positive: intellectual, awareness, imagination, illumination, verbal skills, poetic
speech, hard working, joy, kindness, optimism.
Negative: frivolity, indecision, flitting, air-head, self-presumption,
boasting (alot of hot air), distraction, ability to be blown away with the wind.
FIRE:
Positive: power,passion, action, life, energy, enthusiasm, creativity, courage, daring
Negative: combustion, volatile nature, vindictiveness, jealousy, hatred, anger,
irrationality, hyperactivity, burn-out.
WATER:
Positive: love, emotion, comfort, cleansing tears of joy as well as sadness,
tranquility, tenderness, compassion.
Negative: moodiness, melancholy, depression, wish-washy nature, being swept away by
a flood storm of grief.
EARTH:
Positive: strength, solidity, patience, fortitude, thoroughness, endurance,
stability.
Negative: stagnation, laziness, stuck in the mud attitude, irregularity, dullness.
There is a fifth essence, or fifth element known as the quintessence, which is "spirit." The quintessence binds the other four essences together. It is through the quintessence that we can achieve balance.
Meditiate on this information on the four essences or elements as a spiritual exercise. Record whatever insights you gain into your book. Some Wiccans take the time to meditate individually on air, fire, water, and earth. Other Wiccans meditate on all of them together in order to perceive the balance between them.
Eventually you may want ot summarize and transfer some of your insights into your BOS.
Use chants, pathworking, etc to study the four magical essences within and without. We are part of the planet manifest and the planet is part of us.
For example, a chant (author unknonw) which could be used is:
Air I am,Record whatever impressions down about positive or negative traits associated with each essence. Do you observe any imbalances which you spy within youself?
Fire I am,
Water, Earth,
and Spirit I am.
An example of an imbalance would be: Do you find yourself too caught in making plans rather than actually doing things you plan? If yes, you may have too much focus on the negative aspects of air, and need to change that with postive earth or fire.
December 2006. August 2007