Elemental Dignities Part I
Use of Elemental Dignities plays an important role in the method of judgement in this spread, so a little background may be helpful.
John Opsopaus writes,
"If we want to understand the Elements as spiritual entities, we must go deeper than metaphors based on material substances; we must grasp their essences. This was first accomplished by Aristotle in the century following Empedocles, who based his analysis on the four Powers (Dunameis) or Qualities, which were probably first enumerated by Empedocles. This double pair of opponent Powers, Warm versus Cool and Dry versus Moist, are the key to a deeper understanding of the Elements. Like the Elements, they must be understood as spiritual forces rather than material qualities (warm, cold, dry, moist)."
The names of the classical elements, Fire, Air, Water, Earth are not
literally describing actual fire, air, water. earth, but certain metaphysical qualities, which from the time of the ancient Greeks have described
specific tendencies in the way energies operate in the cosmos, and how these energies manifest in the mundane world. When these tendencies are clearly grasped, one truly becomes like Neo in the film
The Matrix, and can clearly see how reality is operating on a very deep level.
John Opsopaus’ essay,
The Ancient Greek Esoteric Doctrine of the Elements is an excellent introduction to the four elements.
http://www.cs.utk.edu/~mclennan/BA/AGEDE/index.html
Understand the elements, not as nouns, but as ADJECTIVES or ADVERBS. The absolute best way to start understanding the elements is by looking at the traditional attributes of
reaction time and
duration.
Elemental Fire has a fast reaction time, and long duration.
Elemental Air has a fast reaction time, and short duration.
Elemental Water has a slow reaction time, and a short duration.
Elemental Earth has a slow reaction time, and a long duration.
As every action that could possibly occur is subject to a measure of time to assert itself, and to a measure of time in its continuation, all phenomenon is subject to theses four characteristic or combinations there of.
In Elemental Fire, the fast reaction time is manifested as impulsiveness, decisiveness, quickness to anger, and mental quickness at grasping ideas. The long duration manifests as vindictiveness, ability to see those quick decision through, a sense of pride and honor, and a need to control.
In Elemental Air, the fast reaction time is manifested also as impulsiveness, quickness at grasping ideas, enthusiasm and wit. The short duration means that air becomes bored easily, and is fickle and restless.
In Elemental Water, the slow reaction time manifests as calmness, frugality, and indecisiveness. The short duration makes water lazy, timid, hesitant and unambitious.
In Elemental Earth, the slow reaction time manifests as cautiousness, indecision, irresolution and being withdrawn. The long duration makes earth introspective, deep, penetrating, unforgiving, with a tendency to dwell in the past.
Nursed for 2500 years by some of the worlds greatest thinkers, the simple elegant brilliance of the elemental system starts on the metaphysical level, explaining how the energies behind everything operate; expanding, contracting, separating, uniting. It builds outward, taking in every possible phenomenon in creation.
If you understand how the energies of each element can operate on all the possible levels, in every possible manifestation, and in every possible situation, and
if you can, through the law of correspondences, correctly relate these energies to the cards, then correctly
interpret them, you have a symbolic system that is both all encompassing, and amazingly precise.
More to come...