THE FIVE ELEMENTS, PART III

WATER

For many indigenous people, water was the element that, when mixed with fire, produced the necessary changes that promoted the emergence of life.  The fire that was earth was cooled and became solid and this then allowed it to support life.  Moreover, water provided the element for new life and for life to be sustained.  Humans are the children of water.  Water, in effect, can lay claim to anything that is alive.  Water purifies and sustains.  In many mythological stories, water is ‘the water of life.’  For us humans, water cools the enflamed psyche.

On the wheel of life, water is located north — opposite of fire.  Its color is blue.  Water seeks to cleanse, to heal and to reconcile.  Water brings balance to fire — it helps ‘water down’ the powerful passions that are fire-fed and fire-sustained.  Water can dampen the dangerous effects of fire and it is needed to restore life to the wasteland that out-of-control fire creates.  To seek water is to seek to reconcile and balance that which is constantly in danger of being thrown out of balance; for us, that which is caught in the fiery loop of speed and consumption.

Water encourages us to slow down, to dive into the deep currents of our life and culture — to become awake and aware of all that fiery-speed keeps in a blur; water helps us achieve a balance between focus and panoramic.

The water-person moves slowly, demonstrates deep understanding and seeks to help make things work for the greater good.  The water-person perceives the world as ‘possibility’ and ‘potential.’  The water-person images health for community, for individuals and for relationships; love and harmony are highly valued.  Water supports grief — the grief that arises from recognizing loss and failure and wounds inflicted.  The tears we shed because of our grief are meant to help us heal and are also meant to help us ‘wash away the impurities’ that are a natural part of being imperfect beings.  Tears are also one tap root of reconciliation; a reconciliation with self as well as a reconciliation with the other(s).

When persons and cultures are out of balance and unreconciled, waters easily become polluted.  Pollution is NOT a sign of progress; it is a sign of crisis and a sign that healing and reconciliation are needed.  Clean water becomes more and more scarce (you might recall gentle reader that uncontrolled fire leads to scarcity).  Simply stated, fire does not like water!

A water culture values balance (seeks to keep all in balance) — ‘harmony’ is a good watch-word for a water culture.  Water cultures are ‘slow’ cultures and are moved by the deep currents, not the waves.  On the other hand, people and cultures who have too much water and little fire have no passion for life and have little ambition.  They do not care if anything ever gets accomplished and easily become annoyed if rushed.  Fire needs water and water needs fire.  Neither is healthy without the other.  In harmony, they support the third element, the Earth.