Four Elements


The four elements of western culture are: EARTH, AIR, FIRE, and WATER. These four elements were believed to be essential to life.

Taoism has five elements, each one superior to the next in turn: wood, earth, water, fire, and metal. Metal conquers wood, wood conquers earth, et cetera.

Tables provided from DeVries, 162:

element temperament mystic character Shakespeare Blake Yeats general
air blood, red dreamer, lover of freedom, profound thought shame and fear logical thought liberty and movement
fire gall, yellow emotional, irresistable, mercurial, unpredictable desire blindness soul desire and love
water water, white compassionate, healer, kindly understanding tears of love doubt, jealousy blood and sex, passion softness and repose
earth gall, black lover of babies, possessive dual substance of the flesh melancholy instinct riches

 

element myth Hebrew animal later animal season windrose form
air giant eagle, rainbow monkey eagle spring South erect ellipse
fire salamander man, angel, meteor lion salamander summer, early fall East triangle, pyramid
water mermaid fish, dragon, pearl lamb swam, dolphin winter West circle, sphere
earth dwarf, gnome bull, lion, ruby pig lion, elephant late fall North cube, square

 

 



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