![]() ![]() The classical elements of earth, air, fire, and water or some similar equivalent were part of many ancient cultures including those of Ancient Greece, Persia, Babylonia, Tibet, and China. The first part of the seven-element framework is the four classical elements. (As a reminder, since I became Grand Archdruid of AODA, I’m dedicating one post a month to AODA-specific practices!) Understanding the Elements as a System of Representation and as Symbols This post is really the precursor to next week’s post when I show how this kind of framework can be used to create any number of rituals and practices, including land healing and blessing. Thus, in this post, I’ll explain the historical roots of this framework and some of its features. The seven elements include three aspects of spirit: spirit above, spirit below, and spirit within, as well as earth, air, fire, and water. ![]() Once you have an understanding of a system of representation like the seven elements, you can work with it in any myriad of ways to develop your own unique practices, adapt it to your local ecosystem, and so forth. As an elemental framework, it works with a classification of energies present on the land to provide a framework for raising and drawing energy in particular ways, for rituals and more. The seven-element system is a highly adaptable and non-dogmatic framework that you can use for a variety of purposes, whether or not you belong to AODA. Other systems may recognize different kinds of energies and map them (such as the Jewish Kabbalah or Yggdrasil, the world tree, in Norse tradition, In AODA, our primary framework is a seven-element framework. Other systems may have songs, stories, and dances to help explain the world. Deities often have domains and represent certain aspects of reality (e.g the Horned God Cernunnos of Celtic Mythology can represent fertility, abundance, the land itself, and so forth). These frameworks vary widely based on the spiritual tradition: some use a complex system of deities to map concepts to reality. Perhaps the first thing to think about in any system of spiritual or magical practice is the way in which a practice offers a framework to understand reality. The AODA’s Sphere of Protection in a Tree demonstrates the seven-element framework ![]()
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