Hermetic Elemental Principles

None of the following is necessarily true. Though it may well be useful. At least for me.

Welcome to day three of my efforts to build a blog publishing routine. One day at a time I am working towards being able to write and publish prolifically on occult related topics. So far so good.

Today I am contemplating the planes of being as found in “The Occult Philosophy Workbook” (OPW), by John Michael Greer, and the Elementals as found in Franz Bardon's, “Initiation into Hermetics” (IIH). Since I have only meditated my way through the first four principles I will limit myself accordingly.

First the planes from OPW. The first four starting from the “bottom” and going up.

• Physical The Physical plane is the world as we experience it through our physical bodies.
• Etheric The Etheric plane is where the life force flows.
• Astral The Astral is where we experience such things as our dreams, thoughts, feelings, and desires.
• Mental The Mental plane is where the patterns of meaning are found for the things we find on the Astral plane. Well that and more.

Good enough for now. On to the Elementals in IIH. The Akasha or Ether is the cause of existence of the Elementals. Limited again to the first four I have contemplated.

• The Fire Principle The expansive, hot principle.
• The Water Principle The contraction, cold principle.
• The Air Principle Air is the mediator of the Principles, Fire and Water. Air is warm, from Fire, and moist, from water.
• The Earth Principle The Earth principle comes into being solidifying Fire, Water, and Air.

Fire and Water form a polarity with each other. They each also contain a polarity of the other. The polarities are positive and negative, active and destructive. Both principles are together the foundation of all creation.

Reminder, I am very new to some of these concepts. Also, I am contemplating two different systems for structuring reality. What you are reading is very experimental. I am working out potential meanings and dubious relationships of my own inspiration, many of which are likely to change over time.

How am I mapping these systems on to each other?

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  Air
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  Mental
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  Water
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  Astral
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  Earth
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  Physical
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  Fire
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  Oops!
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Yeah, I ran into a snag pretty quickly. One might thing Fire would map onto the etheric plane nicely. But as I considered the terms I think the two systems are using the word etheric in somewhat different ways. Life force versus the “All that is All” don't really map at least not comprehensively.

I think this might be why some occult systems lump the life force in with the physical plane. Then everything can flow out of the Etheric Principle without confusing using the same label, etheric, for two different concepts.

Let's see, we have Fire, the expansive Principle, and Water the contracting, principle. Air is giving meaning to their polarity. Earth is the solidifying of the four principles.

You should know, all along the tarot is in the background informing some of my pondering. Which led me to consider how these ideas might map to the numbers and suits tarot cards. Fire could be One. Water would be Two? Air might be Three, meaning arising from the polarity of Fire and Water, thus the Mental plane. With Four being the solidifying into Earth of the other three principles. The suits are fairly obvious.

Not very neat and tidy. Though the opportunity for further exploration is available. I wouldn't be surprised if I find resolution as I read further in IIH. Be fun to see if I am close to where we are going in the IIH course. It is a win regardless as this kind of mind stretch is a great learning tool.

Thank you for joining me on day three of building my publishing occult writing practice. The more I write the more there is to write. I am hopeful for a day four post tomorrow!

Questions or comments below are appreciated!