Rekindling the Pathway of the Priestess | Elemental Intimacy

Written by Baelyn Elspeth

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We wrap back around from where we first began, here we are, in an ancient forest sitting in the shape of a circle, with a clearing in the center. It is here that we continue our journey and begin again, over and over and over. In this space we are joined by the ancients, 4 living masters. These wisdom keepers as old as time, who are continuously shaping the world we live in, shaping our bodies, breathing life into us, and bestowing onto us the manifested magic of the Divine.

Here we sit with

Fire, Water, Earth, and Air

Our Spirit, Blood, Body and Breath. The elemental masters. 

Day by day we travel deeper within, “presencing” ourselves through our 5 senses. As we wake up our subtle body and begin to truly listen, we invoke our senses, opening them to receive the teachings from these living masters. 

              The wonderful thing about the elements is that they are with us in every moment. They never for once during our living life leave us. When the master of Air leaves our body, and the last breath is shed, that denotes death of the physical form. If our blood runs dry, we follow the same fate, and so on it goes.  These masters give us life, feed us, nourish us and have much wisdom to share.                   

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Stop for a moment and take a breath and tune in

Can you feel it?

 If only there were eyes to see || If only there we ears to listen

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A intimate dive, deep into the elemental world is naturally where we would find ourSelves on a path to rekindling our old ways in ritual and ceremony. These living masters are not only teachers that inform the Pathway of the Priestess, but all traditions around the world, The Shamans, Medicine Peoples, Pagans, Druids, the Natives in the South and North Americas, Hindus, Taosits and so forth ~  The elemental wheels may vary from place to place, but all understood that to live in harmony on this Earth, one must pay close attention to that which literally gives us life. 

    Imagine for a moment you were able to meet one of your idols ~ a teacher, or saint or being that walked this earth, that embodied truth and wisdom. If they opened their mouth to speak, wouldn’t you lean in and listen closely? And if you walked into a room busy with your own agendas or stories, do you think they would compete to garner your attention? Most likely they would sit quietly, enjoying the present moment, in total harmony with what is. Time would go by and you would continue missing an opportunity to get quiet and listen. To humble yourself, empty and make space to receive the ancient wisdom that is right there, just staring at you in the face!

      But oblivious you are… 

  This is what it is like every day living with these elemental teachers. There, in each moment, lies an opportunity to learn from them. If we just slowed down to listen….         

        If only there were eyes to see  | If only there were ears to listen  

So we continue on our path and begin to attune ourselves to          

Earth

We will begin with Earth as it gives us the medicine we need to move more mindfully and learn patience. Earth is a master anchor. A grounding chord that keeps us beautifully tethered. It is the drumming rhythms of our heartbeat. The earth is our vessel, this body, our bones, the stones and mountains. It is the dirt and soil. The space where we plants our seeds.  It teaches us to move slowly, it teaches us right timing and how to rest and move with the cycles and seasons. It is our connection to our ancestors and those that have walked before us. It is the cave and the medicine that binds us lovingly to this time and space.

Water

Water is the master shapeshifter, it flows and adapts to its surroundings and environment. It will always find its way into nooks and cracks and assumes any shape necessary to be in harmony with its environment. It is the essence that flows within, our sex, tears, sweat, blood, and our living womb. It is the fluid from which we are all birthed ~ the oceans, rivers, and streams. Water is the nourishment of all of life. After the seed is planted in the earth, it needs water to soften, crack open and sprout. It needs water to take root. It holds the memory and records of this planet we reside on. Water is what makes earth so incredibly special.  Just like our earth, our bodies are made up of 50-70 percent water, which means we are sentient creatures.

The waters awaken our intuition, purify us, and cleanse us. As we stare into a pool of water we see our reflection from the outside in and the inside out. 

Fire

Fire is the master transformer, our source of energy and our connection to the Great Spirit. Just as the earth holds the space for the seed, and water nourishes it, the element of fire gives it the energy to grow. Each day a great glowing orb in the sky rises, shining down on all of life. And for many aeons, we have worshipped and praised the Sun as a God.  Each day we also have an internal fire that rises within as well. This space that resides in our solar plexus is our source of will, power, heat and digestion. It keeps us warm, and our blood flowing and pumping.  Fire teaches us the art of tending and feeding our passions. It requires our attention and energy to stay lit.  As fire transforms and burns, its embers spark with the light of creation and point our way to the heavens. 

Fire has the ability to transmute and illuminate, lightening our burdens and alighting the way. 

Air

Air is the lightest of them all. The master of flight and the energy which has no tether. Air is the breath of life and that which opens our vision. Air is the winds on which our prayers are carried. It brings about change and new life.  After the seed has grown, and the flower has blossomed, the wind spreads its message, carrying the pollinators on its very breathe to help life continue on.  

 Air represents the mind, meditation and is the space in which all things are connected. It is the invisible and the unseen. It is the voices of our songs and ancient melodies. Air brings about clarity, new beginnings. 

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Now each of these Sages weave, one into the other and all back into the One. They harmonize together, giving each other life. Air is that which brings the fire to life, water nourishes the earth ~ as do the ashes from a well burned fire. Air brings water from the earth to the sky, which gives us rain. It goes on and on like this, and when we pay close attention, we start to understand our role in this grand ceremony. Our role as conduit, as a catalyst, as Alchemist ~ as one who can bring these elements together in various ways. The one who gathers the water, lays the coals, and makes space in the garden. The one who can light the fire to cook the food and keep us warm throughout the night. The one who sings the songs that need to be offered, who can balance the elements within and therefore understand how to help heal another. 

Now it would be wise to note that a mastering of these elements is something that must first occur within. When we seek to manipulate and control that which we think is outside of the self, an energy of separation is created, which leads to imbalance unfolding in the world. Chaos and discord is when the whole is forgotten ~ then this “separation” occurs and we are out of alignment with the truth and so therefore naturally illusion sets in. We become disconnected from the spirit of the fire because we can walk into a room and flip a switch. Disconnected from water because we can open a faucet and it runs. Please don’t get me wrong, those things are amazing and I am forever grateful, but to truly remember each day what a gift it is, to tune in and be delighted by the sheer wonder of it all is of upmost importance. Harmony is when things come together and return to center. When we remember, an alignment occurs and our attention and awareness become a prayer itself. It brings reverence into our heart and reminds us of our place in the natural order of things. 

So we open our eyes to see

And we attune our ears to listen

And we find ourselves sitting in an ancient forest, a garden, a park, or just in the comfort our our own home. In the center within, we find these living masters. And as our ancestors did and the circle of Priestesses laid before us, we listen. We make the offerings, tend the fires and sing the songs. We adapt, flow, transform and begin again. We follow the cycles and sermons of the Cosmic Order and lay in harmony once again with our Earth Mother 

As above, so below. As within, so without 

                                 These are the sacred holy laws 

And so it is | Blessed be 

                                     Asherah, Asherah, Asherah