Thursday, December 10, 2015

Transforming with Nature's Wonders

Let’s try something…let’s piece the Classical Elements into our poetry. You can do this in any way that pleases your poetic heart but be sure to include an array of elements.

The classical elements are: fire, air, water and earth and there’re a few others according to differing views – the Tao includes wood and metal to the list, a Babylonia text references sea, earth, sky and wind and, “Aristotle added a fifth element, aether, as the quintessence, reasoning that whereas fire, earth, air, and water were earthly and corruptible, since no changes had been perceived in the heavenly regions, the stars cannot be made out of any of the four elements but must be made of a different, unchangeable, heavenly substance.”

Here’s a piece that I found inspiring about Egypt:

“A Greek text called the Kore Kosmou ("Virgin of the World") ascribed to Hermes Trismegistus (the name given by the Greeks to the Egyptian god Thoth), names the four elements fire, water, air, and earth. As described in this book:

And Isis answer made: Of living things, my son, some are made friends with fire, and some with water, some with air, and some with earth, and some with two or three of these, and some with all. And, on the contrary, again some are made enemies of fire, and some of water, some of earth, and some of air, and some of two of them, and some of three, and some of all. For instance, son, the locust and all flies flee fire; the eagle and the hawk and all high-flying birds flee water; fish, air and earth; the snake avoids the open air. Whereas snakes and all creeping things love earth; all swimming things love water; winged things, air, of which they are the citizens; while those that fly still higher love the fire and have the habitat near it. Not that some of the animals as well do not love fire; for instance salamanders, for they even have their homes in it. It is because one or another of the elements doth form their bodies' outer envelope. Each soul, accordingly, while it is in its body is weighted and constricted by these four.

According to Galen, these elements were used by Hippocrates in describing the human body with an association with the four humours: yellow bile (fire), black bile (earth), blood(air), and phlegm (water).”

Explore and bring us what sparks your muse!

Here’re two added images for inspiration…

(web image sharing fanpop.com)

The Four Classical Elements of Air, Fire, Water and Earth are a foundational part of the Western worldview and are found in every aspect of Western esotericism including Kabbalah, Astrology, Alchemy, Medicine, and the Tarot.


(wiki image share alike)


Have fun writing a new poem for this challenge and reading the work of others!


This post will be featured till Saturday and Mr.Linky is still active thereafter – please feel free to join in anytime and I will keep my eye out for your poetry.

Thank you, for joining in!

11 comments:

Maude Lynn said...

Woo hoo! I'm first!

Sherry Blue Sky said...

Yippee! Nature's Wonders, and a cool prompt. I shall return from the aether with something in my paws, hopefully.

brudberg said...

What a great prompt... somehow I was strayed from nature when I started to write :-)

Hannah said...

I've so enjoyed reading you three tonight!! Thank you, so much for joining in!! :)

Kerry O'Connor said...

Such an inspiring prompt, Hannah. I shall be returning to it when I get home. Only two more sleeps!

Jim said...

I like this one, Hanah, thank you. You might not like how I reacted to your prompt/instructions, but I did, just a little at least. What I wrote is what came to me, my fingers and the keys cooperated.
..

Outlawyer said...

A fun prompt--mine is very daft! k.

Marian said...

So cool, Hannah. I'll be back and hope to participate on the weekend.

hedgewitch said...

I'm afraid mine is very silly, but I had fun with it. Thanks, Hannah, for a fascinating prompt.

Anonymous said...

Struggled at first and then it just flowed (the elements are in our language) Thanks, Hannah!

Hannah said...

So wonderful everyone!! I love hearing from you, (all)! I'm looking forward to reading this afternoon and will keep checking for new posts!! Thank you, for being inspired. :)