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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.
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. 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.
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 lifegiving polarity, and in
the negative aspect the destructive polarity.
In addition to that let me say that the mentioned elements are not
to 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.
6. The Light ~
Light is established on the principle of fire. Light without fire is
unconceivable and for this particular reason it is an aspect of the
fire. Each fiery element can be converted into light and the other
way around.
Therefore light involves all the specific qualities such as shining,
penetrating, and expanding. The opposite of light is darkness, which
has come out of the principle of water. Darkness has the contrasting
specific qualities of the light. Without darkness, light would not
only remain quite unrecognizable, but without darkness there would
never be any light at all. Evidently light and darkness must have
been produced by the mutual play of two elements, consequently those
of fire and water. Light in its outcome therefore has the positive
quality whereas darkness has the negative one. This interplay
evidently is working in all regions.
7. Akasa or the Ethereal Principle ~
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.
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.
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. 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.
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 lifegiving polarity, and in
the negative aspect the destructive polarity.
In addition to that let me say that the mentioned elements are not
to 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.
6. The Light ~
Light is established on the principle of fire. Light without fire is
unconceivable and for this particular reason it is an aspect of the
fire. Each fiery element can be converted into light and the other
way around.
Therefore light involves all the specific qualities such as shining,
penetrating, and expanding. The opposite of light is darkness, which
has come out of the principle of water. Darkness has the contrasting
specific qualities of the light. Without darkness, light would not
only remain quite unrecognizable, but without darkness there would
never be any light at all. Evidently light and darkness must have
been produced by the mutual play of two elements, consequently those
of fire and water. Light in its outcome therefore has the positive
quality whereas darkness has the negative one. This interplay
evidently is working in all regions.
7. Akasa or the Ethereal Principle ~
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.
