Elements - what is it?

Everything that has been created, the macrocosm as well as the microcosm, consequently the big and the small world have been achieved by the effect of the elements. For this reason, right from the beginning of the initiation, I shall attend to these powers and underline their deep and manifold significance in particular. In the occult literature very little has been said about the powers of the elements up to now so that I made it my business to treat this field of knowledge still unknown and to lift the veil covering these rules. It is absolutely not very easy to enlighten the uninitiated so that they are not only fully informed about the existence and the activity of the elements, but will be able to work with these powers in the future practically.

The whole universe is similar to a clockwork with all its wheels in mesh and interdependent from each other. Even the idea of the Godhead as the highest comprehensible entity may be divided in aspects analogous to the elements. Details about it are found in the chapter concerning the God-idea.

In the oldest oriental scriptures, the elements are designated as tattwas. In our European literature, they are only considered on the ground of their good effects and in so far as we are warned against their unfavorable influence, which means that certain actions can be undertaken under the influence of the tattwas, or else must be omitted. The accuracy of this fact is not to be doubted, but all that has been published up to date points to a slight aspect of the effects of the elements only. How to find out about the effects of elements respecting the tattwas for any personal use, may be sufficiently learned from astrological books.

I am penetrating far deeper into the secret of the elements and therefore I have chosen a different key, which, although being analogous to the astrological key, has, as a matter of fact, nothing to do with it. The reader, to whom this key is completely unknown, shall be taught to use it in various ways. As for the single tasks, analogies and effects of the elements, I shall deal with tem by turns and in detail in the following chapters, which will not only unveil the theoretical part of it, but point directly to the practical use, because it is here that the greatest Arcanum is to be found.

In the oldest book of wisdom, the Tarot, something has already been written about this great mystery of the elements. The first card of this work represents the magician pointing to the knowledge and mastery of the elements. On this first card the symbols are: the sword as the fiery element, the rod as the element of the air, the goblet as that of the water and the coins as the element of the earth. This proves without any doubt that already in the mysteries of yore, the magician was destined for the first Tarot card, mastery of the elements having been chosen as the first act of initiation. In honor of this tradition I shall give my principal attention to the elements for, as you will see, the key to the elements is the panacea, with the help of which all the occurring problems may be solved.

According to the Indian succession of the tattwas, it runs as follows:

Akasa ~ principle of the ether
Tejas ~ principle of the fire
Waju ~ Principle of the air
Apas ~ principle of the water
Prithivi ~ principle of the earth

In accordance with the Indian doctrine, it has been said that the four somehow grosser tattwas have been descended from the fifth tattwa, the akasa principle. Consequently akasa is the cause ultimate and to be regarded as the fifth power, the so-called quintessence. In one of the following chapters, I shall inform the reader about this most subtle element akasa in detail. The specific qualities of each element, beginning with the highest planes right down to the grossly material level, will be mentioned in all the following chapters. By now the reader has surely realized that it is no easy task to analyze the great mystery of creation, and word it in such a way that everybody gets the chance of penetrating the topic to form a plastic picture of it all.

The analysis of the elements will also be discussed and the great practical value of them underlined, so that every scientist, whether he be a chemist, a physician, a magnetizer, an occultist, a magician, a mystic, a quabbalist or a yogi, etc., can derive his practical benefit from it. Should I succeed in teaching the reader so far that he is able to deal with the subject in the proper way and to find the practical key to the branch of knowledge most suitable for him, I will be glad to see that the purpose of my book has been fulfilled.

2. The Principle of Fire ~

As it has been said before, akasa or the etheric principle is the cause of the origin of the elements. According to the oriental scriptures, the first element born from akasa is believed to be Tejas, the principle of fire. This element as well as all the others manifest their influence not only in our roughly material plane but also in everything created. The basic qualities of the fiery principle are heat and expansion. In the beginning of all things created therefore must have been fire and light, and in the Bible we read: “Fiat Lux” – There shall be light. The origin of the light, of course, is to be sought in the fire. Each element and therefore that of fire, too, has two polarities, i.e., the active and the passive one, which means positive (+) and negative (-). Plus will always signify the constructive, the creative, the productive sources whereas minus stands for all that is destructive or dissecting. There are always two basic qualities, which must be clearly distinguished in each element. Religions have always imputed the good to the active and the evil to the passive side. But fundamentally spoken, there are no such things as good or bad; they are nothing but human conceptions. In the Universe there is neither good nor evil, because everything has been created according to immutable rules, wherein the Divine Principle is reflected and only by knowing these rules, shall we be able to come near to the Divinity.

As mentioned before, the fiery principle owns the expansion, which I shall call electrical fluid for the sake of better comprehension. This definition does not just point to the roughly material electricity in spite of its having a certain analogy to it. Every one will realize at once, of course, that the quality of expansion is identical with extension. This elementary principle of fire is latent and active in all things created, as a matter of fact, in the whole Universe beginning from the tiniest grain of sand to the most sublime substance visible or invisible.

3. The Principle of Water ~

In the previous chapter we have studied the origin and the qualities of the positive element of fire. In this chapter I am going to describe the opposite principle, the water. It is also derived from akasa, the etheric principle. But in comparison with fire, it has quite contrasting qualities. These basic qualities are coldness and shrinkage. The point in question are also two poles, the active one being constructive, life-giving, nourishing and protective, whereas the negative pole, similar to the one of fire, is destructive, dissecting, fermenting, and dividing. As this element owns the basic quality of shrinking and contraction, it has produced the magnetic fluid. Fire as well as water are operating in all regions. According to the rules of creation, the fiery principle would not be able to exist all by itself if it did not conceal inside as opposite pole the principle of water. These two elements, fire and water, are the basic elements with the help of which all has been created. In consequence of these facts, we have everywhere to reckon on two main elements. Moreover with the electrical and magnetical fluids which represent the contrasting polarities.

4. The Principle of Air ~

Another element derived from akasa is that of air. Initiated people do not regard this principle as a real element, but they will grant it the role of a mediator between the fiery and the watery principles, so that the principle of air will, in a certain way, establish the neutral equilibrium, acting as a medium between the active and the passive activities of water and of fire. Through the interaction of the active and passive elements of fire and water the whole created life has become motion.

In its mediatorship the principle of air has assumed the quality of warmth from the fire and that of humidity from the water. Without these two qualities any life would be inconceivable. These two qualities will also grant two polarities to the airy principle, which means in the positive outcome the life-giving polarity, and in the negative aspect the destructive polarity.

In addition to that let me say that the mentioned elements are not t be regarded as ordinary fire, water and air which would solely represent aspects of the grossly material plane but in this case universal qualities of all elements are concerned.

5. The Principle of Earth ~

It has been said of the principle of air that it does not represent an element proper and this affirmation goes for the principle of earth likewise. Now this means that out of the interaction of the three foresaid elements the earthy principle has been born as the last element which by its specific quality, the solidification involves all the three elements. It is this quality in particular which has given a concrete shape to the three aforesaid elements. But at the same time the action of the three elements has been limited with the result of space, measure, weight and time having been born. The reciprocal action of the three elements together with that of the earth, thus, has become tetrapolar so that the earthy principle may be labeled now as a 4-pole magnet. The fluid in the polarity of the earthy element is electromagnetic. All the life created can therefore be explained by the fact that all elements are active in the fourth, i.e., the earth element. Through realization in this element came out the Fiat, “It shall be”.

Details concerning the specific influences of the elements in the various spheres and kingdoms, such as the kingdoms of nature, of animals and of human beings will be found in the following chapters. The main point is that the reader gets a general impression about the workshop and the effect of the elemental principles in the entire Universe.

Several times while describing the elements I have said that they proceed from the ethereal principle. Accordingly, the ethereal principle is the ultimate, the supreme, the most powerful thing, something inconceivable, the ultimate cause of all things existing and created. To put it in a nutshell, it is the causal sphere. Therefore akasa is spaceless and timeless. It is the non-created, the incomprehensible, the indefinable. The various religions have given it the name of God. It is the fifth power, the original power. Everything has been created by it and is kept in balance by it. It is the origin and the purity of all thoughts and intentions, it is the causal world wherein the whole creation in subsisting on, beginning from the highest spheres down to the lowest ones. It is the quintessence of the alchemists; it is all in all.