Purity of the Elements and the Wonderful Messy Cauldron of Life and Magic

[Karrma]

I am mostly self taught in tarot and on spirituality and meditation, calling in protections. I have a different interpretation on the Purity of the Elements in Tarot and other systems that divide up our earth into pure parts and the reality of the world.  I am hoping to find out if there are any experts using podcasts or books describing this, as well as each persons experience in using the element for healing or magic or setting intentions.  I also am writing this as I recently have come across the thought that the season of Imbolc, season of spring is air and only air, and they cannot fathom how this time can also be fire. I am hoping to get some thoughts on when it is good to have the tradition and when it is good to have flexibility (my most troublesome archetype card is the Hierophant as I always question them). When is it good to keep the elements pure and when is it ok not to. To me it is similar to science separating out all the little parts so each part adds up less than the whole.  

 

The element of Air is separating out the gaseous elements from other elements, then as we cannot see the air call it thought and pick a symbol for that as a bird or swords or feather. What a difference thinking about Air makes whether it is a feather or a sword.  But the air needs water as clouds and rain for life. But air only helps make life if it is mixed in the water or in the soil, and the nitrogen.  The separation of thought from heart makes prudence unlikely, as prudence is a mixture of thought and heart and earth and fire, when to act and when not to act.  

 

The element of Water is the liquid elements, then as life came from them and our blood is water, and our heart is what moves the water, suddenly the water is our emotions, feeling.  But feelings alone without some thought to see if those feelings are true for right now, or a trigger to the past, need to have the thought or mind or air to guide.  So many times now we are running only on triggers and unthoughtful feelings, without stopping to breathe and open our eyes and mind.

 

The most difficult element for me is earth, especially as I see the plants and soil as being the cauldron, a mixture of the earth as support and minerals, the air in the soil and surrounding the leaves, and the water in the soil and as its sap running up to the stalk and into the leaves, and the fire of the life and death mix of bacteria and fungi and rotten plants and animals.  So personally I have to add the cauldron to my work with the tarot and with my meditations.  

 

Fire is my favorite element, it is potential and change and clearing out and life and death.  But it is the most mysterious.  

 

But I can only really work in the cauldron.  Separating the elements into pure elements makes things pretty (and I don't like pretty) clean (which has its downsides) and easier to put things into compartments for learning the bits and pieces.  My personal magic seems to be the cauldron. 

 

What practices use the elements separately as air, fire, water and earth for seasons?  How do you mix the other elements into each season?  How do you put the whole back together again?

Spoiler

 

 

 

[Misterei]

I'm not sure I understand your question ... but I'll give it a go.

 

I associate Spring with Pentacles/Coins and earth in Tarot. For me Air is Swords and Winter. This is somewhat arbitrary according to my personal inclinations and somewhat informed by Vedic Astrology and Hermeticism.

 

In reality? In nature?

There is no pure element in nature. Wind blows depending on heat and thermals (fire). A forest fire travels with the wind (air). A hurricane is a combination of wind and water. A camp fire is safe b/c it's surrounded by rocks and earth. Crops need earth and water to grow. In reality all phenomena arise from a mixture of elements. The human body is 96% water, but it also runs on electrical impulses of the nerves (fire) and needs to breathe air. It turns to earth when it dies.

 

Anyhow, maybe this wasn't your question ... but certainly some food for thought.