THE ELEMENTS AS AN ARCHETYPE OF TRANSFORMATION: An Exploration of Earth, Water, Air, and Fire by Seth Miller March, 2008 Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Consciousness Studies in the Graduate School of Holistic Studies at John F. Kennedy University APPROVED: ______________________________________________________________ 04/05/08______ Student Signature Date ______________________________________________________________ ______________ Faculty Advisor Date ______________________________________________________________ ______________ Thesis Coordinator Date The Elements as Archetype of Transformation 2 Table of Contents Alchemically: Abstract ................................................................................................................ 3 Fire Chapter 1 – Introduction and Background to the Study ........................................... 5 Earth Chapter 2 – Method ............................................................................................. 12 Water Chapter 3 – Literature review ............................................................................... 17 Air Chapter 4 – The Theory of the Elements Fire Earth The Elements in Isolation ............................................................................... 35 Earth Earth ...................................................................................................... 36 Earth Water .................................................................................................... 40 Water Air ......................................................................................................... 46 Air Fire ........................................................................................................ 54 Fire The Elements in Relation ............................................................................... 63 Water Being‐in‐Earth ........................................................................................ 68 Earth Being‐in‐Water ....................................................................................... 69 Water Being‐in‐Air ............................................................................................ 72 Air Being‐in‐Fire ........................................................................................... 74 Fire The Elements in Polarity ................................................................................ 76 Air The Elements as Mandala .............................................................................. 80 Fire Using the Elemental Mandala in an Earthy Way ........................................ 86 Earth Using the Elemental Mandala in an Watery Way ...................................... 88 Water Using the Elemental Mandala in an Airy Way ........................................... 91 Air Using the Elemental Mandala in an Fiery Way ......................................... 93 Fire Chapter 5 – Applications of the Elemental Cycle Water Broad List of Applications .............................................................................. 95 Earth Discussion of Example Applications .............................................................. 111 Water Limitations and Boundaries ........................................................................ 136 Air Areas of Potential ....................................................................................... 138 Fire Chapter 6 – Into the World: Dialogue and the Elemental Cycle ............................. 145 Air Basic Theory of Elemental Dialogue ............................................................. 145 Earth Earth Communication: Informational ..................................................... 146 Earth Water Communication ‐ Discussion ........................................................ 149 Water Air Communication: Conversation .......................................................... 153 Air Fire Communication: Dialogue ............................................................... 156 Fire Experiences and Applications ...................................................................... 159 Water Responses to the Elemental Cycle ................................................................ 171 Air Practical Communication Through the Elements ........................................... 171 Fire Earth Characteristics and Techniques .................................................... 182 Earth Water Characteristics and Techniques .................................................. 183 Water Air Characteristics and Techniques ........................................................ 185 Air Fire Characteristics and Techniques ....................................................... 187 Fire Chapter 7 – Review and Summary Example: The Alchemy of the Image ................ 182 Fire Image and Fact – Earth ................................................................................ 189 Earth Image and Process – Water ......................................................................... 190 Water Image and Reversal – Air ............................................................................. 192 Air Image and Meaning – Fire ........................................................................... 195 Fire The Elemental Mandala ............................................................................... 197 Earth Chapter 8 – Understanding and Using the Elemental Cycle .................................. 204 Earth Appendix A: The Fifth Element ........................................................................... 222 → → → Appendix B: On Goethean Phenomenology ......................................................... 224 → REFERENCES: ................................................................................................... 238 First Third Fourth BIBLIOGRAPHY: .................................................................................................. 241 Second Round Round Round Round The Elements as Archetype of Transformation 3 Abstract F I propose that the alchemical cycle of the four elements Earth, Water, Air and Fire provides a useful and exact analogue for the processes of transformation of a wide variety of types, and as such can be considered an archetype. The elemental cycle is a potent symbol for a transformative, qualitative language (logos) which has the potential to guide human consciousness towards lawful, holistic engagement with essentially any phenomenon. When worked consistently, the elemental cycle leads us beyond ‘everyday’ modes of cognition to what could be called Imaginative, Inspirative, and Intuitive modes cognition. In these modes, thinking not longer takes place ‘about’ a phenomenon, but ‘with’, ‘through’, and ‘within’ phenomena. The elemental cycle provides a content, a method, and self‐ regulating feedback mechanisms for working with transformation, and can help engender a consciousness that can fruitfully dialogue with the interiority of the world by making it explicit. Its power lies in its ability to act as a template for the structuring of human consciousness; it is a tool which makes available a coherent, archetypal patterning which can help guide and transform a human consciousness in healthy and practical ways. This essay comprises a detailed study of the nature of the elements and the elemental cycle, through which it is hoped the reader may gain a solid enough foundation to work experimentally with the elemental cycle independently if desired. Therefore, the cycle is introduced via the phenomenology of the individual elements, which are then connected, compared, and brought together to form a complete picture of the cycle. The breadth of applicability of the cycle is then explored through a series of specific instances that also serve to illuminate the qualities of the cycle itself. A report on third‐party work with the elemental cycle provides complementary and contrasting experiences, while an in‐depth review and application of the cycle to the nature of images opens up the complexities and demonstrates the recursive, self‐generating quality of the cycle. Lastly, an introductory series of practical steps and The Elements as Archetype of Transformation 4 specific exercises, advice, and questions for each elemental stage is provided to help the reader use the cycle independently. The Elements as Archetype of Transformation 5 Chapter 1 – Introduction and Background to the Study E “It is by virtue of the constitution of the human soul that questions of knowledge arise when the outer world is perceived. In the soul’s own impulse to question lies the power to penetrate the perceived world in such a way that it, together with the soul’s activity, brings the reality of the perceived world to manifestation.” – Rudolf Steiner Situations or events which are undergoing some type of transformation1 are numberless – indeed, it appears that nothing manifest is exempt from transformation. The whole extent of the physical universe seems to be in continual flux at every scale, from the very largest scale to the smallest. But transformation is just as prevalent in the inner world, both from second to second as well as over a whole lifetime. The absence of truly static situations is a powerful indicator of the dynamism of the universe, but because this dynamism crosses all scales and boundaries, it begs the question: is there an underlying pattern to this transformation, or does transformation actually occur in a variety of ways which share no deeper similarity other