EARTH (CLASSICAL ELEMENT)

'''Earth''', home and origin of humanity, has often been worshipped in its own right with its own unique spiritual tradition.

Contents

Greek and Roman Tradition

Indian Tradition

Chinese Tradition

In Modern Magic

Ceremonial Magic

Wicca

Astrological Personalities

Other Traditions

See also

Notes

External links

Greek and Roman Tradition

''Earth'' is one of the four classical elements in ancient Greek philosophy and science. It was commonly associated with qualities of practicality, restraint and materialism. It was also associated with the physical, sensual aspects of life.
''Earth'' was one of many ''archai'' proposed by the Pre-socratics, most of whom tried to reduce all things to a single substance. However, Empedocles of Acragas (c. 495-c. 435 BCE) selected four ''archai'' for his four roots: air, fire, water, and ''earth''. Empedocles’ roots became the four classical elements of Greek philosophy. Plato (427-347 BCE) took over the four elements of Empedocles. In the ''Timaeus'', his major cosmological dialogue, the Platonic solid associated with ''earth'' is the cube which is formed from six triangular sides. This places ''earth'' between fire (four triangular sides) and air (eight triangular sides). A highly un-spherical solid, these clumsy little cubes cause dirt to crumble and break when picked up, in stark difference to the smooth flow of water or air.^[1]
Plato’s student Aristotle (384-322 BCE) developed a different explanation for the elements based on pairs of qualities. The four elements were arranged concentrically around the center of the universe to form the sublunary sphere. According to Aristotle, ''earth'' is both cold and dry, and occupies a place between water and fire among the elemental spheres.^[2]
In Classical Greek and Roman myth, various goddesses represented the ''earth'', crops and fertility, including Ceres, Demeter, and Persephone or Proserpina.
In ancient ancient Greek medicine, each of the four humours became associated with an element. Black bile was the humor identified with ''earth'', since both were cold and dry. Other things associated with ''earth'' and black bile in ancient and medieval medicine included the season of fall, since it increased the qualities of cold and aridity; the melancholic temperament (of a person dominated by the black bile humour); the feminine; and the southern point of the compass.

In alchemy, the chemical element of salt was associated with ''earth'' and its alchemical symbol was a downward-pointing triangle, bisected by a horizontal line.

Indian Tradition

'Prithvi' (Sanskrit: '', also '') is the Hindu ''earth'' and mother goddess. According to one such tradition, she is the personification of the Earth itself; according to another, its actual mother, being ''Prithvi Tattwa'', the essence of the element ''earth''.
As ''Prithvi Mata'', or "Mother Earth," she contrasts with ''Dyaus Pita'', "father sky." In the Rigveda, ''earth'' and sky are frequently addressed as a duality, often indicated by the idea of two complementary "half-shells."

Chinese Tradition

''Earth'' is one of the five elements of the Chinese tradition. It is associated with the planet Saturn and the color yellow, and lies at the center of the compass in the Chinese cosmos. It is believed to govern the spleen and stomach. It is associated with the qualities of patience, thoughtfulness, hard work and stability. Other attributes of the ''earth'' element include ambition, stubbornness, responsibility and long-term planning. In pathology, the ''earth'' can represent selfishness and self-centeredness. The element plays an important role in Chinese Astrology.

In Modern Magic

Ceremonial Magic

''Earth'' and the other Greek classical elements were incorporated into the Golden Dawn system despite being considered obsolete by modern science. Zelator (1=10) is the elemental grade attributed to earth; this grade is also attributed to the Qabalistic sphere Malkuth.^[3] The elemental weapon of earth is the Pantacle.^[4] Each of the elements has several associated spiritual beings. The archangel of ''earth'' is Auriel, the angel is Phorlakh, the ruler is Kerub, the king is Ghob, and the earth elementals (following Paracelsus) are called gnomess.^[5] Earth is considered to be passive; it is represented by the symbol for Taurus, and it is referred to the lower left point of the pentagram in the Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram.^[6] Many of these associations have since spread throughout the occult community.

Wicca

In Wicca, ''earth'' is associated with the North (or East in some variations), Winter, and the color yellow (or green in some variations) on the physical plane. It is sometimes represented by its Hindu tattva (a yellow square), or by a downward pointing triangle with a horizontal line through it, and may be symbolized by the following: percussion instruments, animal fur, coins, a pentacle, milk, a heartbeat, jewelry, bones, or a staff. ''Earth'' represents strength, abundance, stability and femininity. In rituals, ''earth'' is represented by burying objects in the ground, herbalism, and carving images out of wood or stone.
The manifestations of the ''earth'' element are found in plants, trees, mountains, forests, caves and gardens. The stag, boar, bull, sow, bear and snake are also thought to personify the element, as are all burrowing animals, such as the mole or rabbit. The astral creatures of ''earth,'' known as elementals, are the Satyr/Faun, Gnome/Goblin, and Sylvestre/Dryad. ''Earth’s'' place on the pentagram is the lower left point.

Astrological Personalities

People born under the astrological signs of Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn are thought to have dominant ''earth'' personalities.
''Earth'' personalities tend to be calm, practical, pragmatic, responsible and cautious; however, they can also be stubborn, intolerable and inflexible.
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Other Traditions

In East Asia, metal is sometimes seen as the equivalent of ''earth'' and is represented by the White Tiger (Chinese constellation), known as 白虎 (''Bái Hǔ'') in Chinese, ''Byakko'' in Japanese and ''Baekho'' (백호, Hanja:白虎) in Korean. ''Earth'' is represented in the Aztec religion by a house; to the Hindus, a lotus; to the Scythians, a plough; to the Greeks, a wheel; and in Christian iconography, by a bull.

See also

★ Earth

★ Mother goddess

★ Mother Nature

★ Gaia (mythology)

Notes

1. Plato, ''Timaeus'', chap. 22-23; Gregory Vlastos, ''Plato’s Universe'', pp. 66-82.
2. G. E. R. Lloyd, ''Aristotle'', chapters 7-8.
3. Israel Regardie, ''The Golden Dawn'', pp. 154-65.
4. Regardie, ''Golden Dawn'', p.322; Kraig, ''Modern Magick'', pp. 149-53.
5. Regardie, ''Golden Dawn'', p. 80.
6. Regardie, ''Golden Dawn'', pp. 280-286; Kraig, ''Modern Magick'', pp. 206-209.

External links

★ Different versions of the classical elements

★ Overview the 5 elements