THE WATER ELEMENT

The Water Element is linked to winter, the time of maximum Yin.

"Under heaven nothing is more soft and yielding than Water.

Yet for attacking the solid and strong, nothing is better;

It has no equal.

The weak can overcome the strong;

The supple can overcome the stiff.

Under heaven everyone knows this,

Yet no one puts it into practice.

Therefore the sage says:

He who takes upon himself the humiliation of the people

is fit to rule them.

He who takes upon himself the country’s disasters deserves to be king of the universe.

The truth often sounds paradoxical."

( Tao Te Ching 1972)

The type of character that springs to mind when I think about a Water Element is one of the guys in the old classic movie, Easy Rider. A rebel, the type of person that does not want to stay in one place for too long and is always looking to move on. Someone who does not conform and stands out from the crowd.

If you can call it a gift then it would be that a Water Element is a Free Spirit, any obstacle that confronts them is easily worked around and no container would be able to hold them for too long. These are all characteristics of Water, a stream that works its way around obstacles and boulders in its way, and also Water cannot be contained for long before it finds some way to escape.

In fact the persona of a Water Element sounds like a very cool and attractive one to have, a bit of a James Dean figure, a person that is elusive and hard to pin down, who is perhaps on a different wavelength to the majority of people.

"Water itself is naturally elusive and resists definition. It can hold any shape, and yet cannot itself be grasped and held once and for all. It appears to have boundaries, and yet will find a passage around any dam or obstruction wherever it can "

(Worsley,J.R. p 6.1)

The emotion associated with the Water Element is that of Fear or Lack of Fear. This emotion can be traced back many years to when farmers would have built up their stores of grain and crops to last over the barren Winter months. There was the Fear that if this was not done then there would be no food left come the spring. This Fear is still evident today in Water Elements who, during the winter are very conscious to conserve things and are frightened of the consequences of not doing this. The farmer would be very careful to make sure that he conserves as much Water as he possibly can in order that there would be enough supply for the dry season that would follow. This was probably more relevant many years ago when it was more a matter of life or death, but never the less these feelings still apply today in our modern society.

During the lecture on the Water Element we were all asked to look at Fear and to recollect a time during our lives when we experienced true Fear. There were some very interesting examples from being chased by a dog to falling down a mountain.

My own recollection also involves Water. I was Scuba diving off of the West Coast of Scotland on an old world war two ship wreck called the James Egan Lane. We were about three miles out to sea. I was diving with a buddy as we always do and we had had a very pleasant dive to about 30 meters. When we came up to the surface I witnessed real fear for probably the first time. The recovery boat which was due to pick us up was nowhere in sight and we were left bobbing up and down in the sea with no hope of swimming back to land. The boat did turn up eventually after about 10 minutes but those few minutes were probably the longest I had ever spent!!

Another experience of diving that I feel is relevant to the Water Element is a far more pleasurable one. There is a type of dive called a drift dive where you let the current of the sea or an estuary takes you with it on its natural course. I have done this type of dive in an estuary in Scotland where you submerge to the bottom of the River and lie flat and let your body be taken along with the current. If you hold your arms out in front of you and use your hands as aerofoils you can actually steer over boulders and obstructions in the Water. It is as if you have become one with the Water itself, a truly amazing feeling and it would be easy to forget that you are diving and that you do eventually need to come back to the surface.

From both of these examples we can see many aspects of the Water Element from the

Extreme fear through to the pleasure of being at one with the Element in its own flow.

"I AM WATER "

"I am moving, fluid – still and stagnant taking up any form: changing effortlessly from the tiny vaporised particle to the most grand glacier moving gracefully as a ballerina and powerfully as a sumo wrestler following a law unto myself, respecting no political borders adapting to Water pipes and sewers alike, unattached throwing back the image of the moon from brackish marshes carrying the lotus flower in the muddy Balinese temple lake

Suffocating all life in my sucking swamps in the Everglades breeding flies in a stinking puddle in the African village"

(Christa – Maria Herrmann p139-140)

The colour that we associate with the Water Element is Blue, which seems obvious but there are in fact many colours for Water. Colours range from the crystal clear to the stagnant brown of a pond or canal. During our class time on the Water Element we went for a walk to observe different aspects of Water. We saw how the colour of Water could vary even in the same stretch of river - an example was the weir where there were different shades of greens and browns in the Water. We also observed the relentless persistence of Water to get to where it wants, it will find its way around any obstacle, along with these observations we noted the different odours arose from the Water. The odour for Water is Putrid and this was evident near the treatment works where we could smell the chemical in the river. I have included some of the photographs that I took on our walk which I think show many different views of the Water Element.

The sound that is linked to the Water Element is that of groaning. This is very evident when you are taking a walk along the beach, the sea has that relentless groaning sound, one minute quiet and then a groan as the wave reaches a peak and breaks – a similar sound to a train.

The taste associated with Water is Salty, and of course you can taste this on your tongue very easily when you are near to the sea. The sea can be very persistent; it will keep on wearing away at the cliffs over a length of time gradually chipping away at the coastline. This is a feature that you can see in a person with a Water Element who is balanced, they will be persistent in what they do and not give up.

"A balanced Water person is persistent. He/She does not easily give up ideals or plans, but work slowly and steadily at an obstacle wearing away the resistance – very different from say a Wood person who also will not give up, yet in a driven way with the need to reach their aim"

(Christa – Maria Herrmann p 146)

In writing this essay it has become very evident to me that this Element has a deeper significance to than other things that we have discussed. It has been very revealing to sit here and contemplate an Element that has so many things that link it to my own interests and characteristics- up until this point I have always thought of myself as a Fire CF but I really do believe that there is a predominance of Water in me. I think this is evident in the way that I have managed to talk about things that have meant a lot to me and perhaps I have waffled a bit but somehow it all feels relevant to what I have to say.

THE METAL ELEMENT

The Metal Element is linked to Autumn, the time of rising Yin. Metal is about connection, inspirational quality, and purity. Discuss the various gifts, capacities, and challenges of this Element, and the ways in which it enhances our lives.

The Lung Official "receives" and the Large Intestine "lets go" these are part of the natural rhythmic process of life – discuss the functions and interrelationship of these two officials, and their importance to the body, mind, and spirit.

I always knew that this would be a difficult Element to write about I found the workshop quite hard going and not as interesting as the Water Element, I hope that doesn’t sound negative it is just that some things obviously click with some people a lot quicker than others. I am also very surprised at this as I would have thought that I would have had a lot in common with the Metal Element the Element is associated inspirational qualities which is something that I always consider myself to possess. The Metal Element is also linked to the Season of Autumn this would probably explain my feelings to this Element as I consider Autumn to be the time of winding down getting ready for the Winter to come getting together a storehouse ready to see you through the Winter. If you do not get the reserves together in Autumn then it will be a very difficult Winter to get through, it is also a time of reflection when one looks back and perhaps takes stock of things and issues that have happened in the past it can be a time when a person may put their thought onto paper or may paint and want to leave a more permanent record of their thoughts to perhaps pass on to their children and family. This can all sound a little bit somber but it is all not like that Autumn is also the time when nature has a last burst of colour and energy as the trees and plants give an exhibition of wonderful colours.

People who experience an imbalance in this Element will often suffer from symptoms such as diarrhoea or constipation these are signs that they are unable to let go and look forward they are always thinking of the past and perhaps what might have been, they need to let go of their fruit and let it drop to the ground, what they are doing is hanging on and this fruit is rotting and causing them an imbalance they are unable to move on.

" The Autumn is also a time where nature, one last time, comes out with a glorious show of colour. The beauty and luminosity of a Vermont (North Eastern USA) or Canadian Autumn; or the colour nuances of a Japanese mountain landscape in autumn, are beyond description. Similarly the inner riches of a person’s life might be summoned up at this stage in a display of talents never seen before, they may reveal insights and visions of great beauty."

Herrmann Christa – Maria (2000)p117

It is very true that this time of the year is a time of reflection I usually find myself looking back on what might have been and am very often disappointed that perhaps the year has not lived up to my expectations, this is not always surprising as I do tend to set goals that are sometimes unachievable, it is very hard not to dwell on the past but this is really wasted energy as what has gone is history and cannot be changed what we really need to do is look to the future and be positive in our attitudes, sometimes easier said than done.

Metal is attributed with the qualities of discernment and quality and also that of purity this can be likened to the rich minerals and ore that are found in metals these metals can then be processed to form precious metals such as gold and diamonds, a diamond is a perfect object which is flawless and pure something which is untouched and untainted by anything bad it is of great beauty and quality. These types of qualities in a person are something very special to have and will come across as a perfectionist or as someone who wants things done properly and in order they will be someone who is outspoken about their beliefs and has very high ethical and moral views.

" When minerals or ore is purified in intense heat, they give us the most precious substance, such as gold and diamonds, Yet often not only heat is needed for this process, but pressure, intense pressure that forces to contract. The humorous remark that a diamond is just a piece of coal is perfectly accurate. They are both the same mineral i.e. carbon, yet one has been under heat and pressure and contracted infinitely more than the other. Similarly air in our lungs changes under pressure; some oxygen is removed, the air we breathe out is condensed."

Hermann Christa – Maria (2000) p107

Air is also linked with the Element of Metal and obviously this is one of the greatest gifts that we can have as without air there would be nothing air is what gives us life and vitality and what feeds our lungs we must be continually looking for that clean fresh air the we require to develop and go forward, we do not want to become bogged down with impure and stale air which can be likened to the old memories and feelings from our past that may stop us moving forward.

As we have discussed a Metal Element is very pure and inspirational someone who is organized and very straightforward with no messing, a challenge to someone of this Element would be disorganization and irresponsibility they would find it very difficult to tolerate scruffiness and a not caring attitude, they like to see things positive and cut and dried and would not want to see a don’t care do it tomorrow type of attitude, I think you could sum it up by saying that you know where you stand with a Metal Element.

The Lung is of the greatest importance to us, it is the first sign of life when we are born and it is also the last sign when we pass away it takes the energy form the outside of the body to the inside, it takes what goodness it needs from the air it has inhaled and it then expels what it does not need when it exhales. The lung official then circulates this vital energy throughout the body mind and spirit it breathes fresh air and life into our whole being it also gets rid of the stale and tainted air that resides in us. However we do seem to take even the act of breathing not very seriously we have to eat breath and drink to survive and we find that we soon panic if we cannot find something to eat or drink, this is

Very strange as we can go for days without food and water yet we can only survive for a matter of minutes without air. Do we really take much notice of the air that we take into our lungs as a society we are always polluting what we take in we inhale cigarettes either by choice or secondarily by the environment that we put ourselves in we are forever breathing in pollution from cars and factories and yet we do not seem to think twice about the consequences however if we eat one to many cream cakes then it is as if the world has come to an end.

As mentioned in previous essays I Have done a lot of scuba diving in the past, and this is one sport that really highlights the importance of the lungs and the air that we breathe.

When we first enter the water at a fairly shallow depth we are breathing clean and pure compressed air this is not like the air around us but this is a pure untainted air not natural but also not infected with pollutants. Everything around you when you dive is wondrous it is a beautiful world of colours and plants and life that thoroughly enthralls you; it is very easy to get caught up in its splendor and forget that you are merely a visitor and not an inhabitant. However as time goes on and you stray a little deeper the air that you are breathing starts to become infected by gasses and is no longer pure this starts to affect how you are feeling and how your brain reacts to things, eventually if not checked and you return to your own world this stale air that you are taking in will eventually slow down your system and your body and you will die, what started out as a wondrous adventure can turn into a nightmare in a matter of minutes because the air the life force that is feeding you is no longer pure, it makes you think perhaps we should take a little more care about what we are taking into our lungs.

" As soon as he leaves the surface and descends, a diver is exposed to an increasing

partial pressure of nitrogen. At the same time the effects of nitrogen narcosis begin. At shallow depths the effects are mild, but as he descends the effects increase, altering his awareness of events and his own behavior. The danger in nitrogen narcosis lies mainly in the effect it has on the divers awareness. Like a drunk who refuses to believe he has had to much to drink, a diver with nitrogen narcosis may not accept that there is anything the matter with him."

British Sub Aqua Club Manual (1991) p100

The lung official is crucial to throwing away rubbish it expels the carbon dioxide that builds up in our bodies this pollutant is very harmful and deadly and is very important that it is removed from our systems.

The other official associated with the Metal Element is the Large Intestine this official along with the lungs are interrelated as one brings goodness and vitality into the body and the other expels the waste and bi – products from the body.

" The functions of the Officials of the Metal Element are in many ways the easiest to follow; they share a great many similarities with the physical functions of their equivalent organs in western physiology."

THE WOOD ELEMENT

The Fire Element

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