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/lit/ - Literature

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13815195 No.13815195 [Reply] [Original]

How would one better understand the four elements of the ancients/hermeticists, namely earth, water, air, fire and when they talk of them: what do they mean by them?

Paracelsus also described four elemental beings, each corresponding to one of the four elements: Salamanders, which correspond to fire; Gnomes, corresponding to earth; Undines, corresponding to water; and Sylphs, corresponding to air. As a modern westerner I seriously have hard time to form a coherent view of those elements.

Has someone here 'understood' them in a sense and how would you go about it?

>> No.13815281

This makes me confused. I have nothing to contribute lmao.

>> No.13815411
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13815411

>>13815281
>I have nothing to contribute lmao.

Based coomer

>> No.13815423

It was an unscientific guess at how the world worked, it isn’t coherent.

>> No.13815450

>>13815423

I think that is rather simplistic explanation for it: they had a philosophical quality to them, and they were not considered some sort of 'gross' elements. Paracelsus was also an alchemist.

>1766 Alchemical Catechism, Théodore Henri de Tschudi denotes that the usage of the metals was merely symbolic:

>Q. When the Philosophers speak of gold and silver, from which they extract their matter, are we to suppose that they refer to the vulgar gold and silver?
>A. By no means; vulgar silver and gold are dead, while those of the Philosophers are full of life.

>> No.13815479

>>13815195
I'm not an expert but maybe I can explain a little about what ancient Alchemists meant by their system.

The elements represent principles of nature at work. There's the stabilizing force (earth), the excitatory force (fire), the transitory force (air) and the connective force (water). Alchemy is the study of how these forces interact with each other. Furthermore, these were not supposed to be mere physical forces but also psychological and spiritual forces. Human beings could transmute their minds into 'gold' by undertaking their Great Work. The Great Work is one's study and personal experience of these forces, and attempt to master them for personal and societal benefit.

If you're interested in learning more, there's a very good book called 'On Becoming an Alchemist' by Catherine MacCoun. She describes the Great Work in detail and also its eventual benefits.

Alchemy was not merely a study of physical objects, it was a study of the forces of existence. Becoming an alchemist is like becoming a surfer; you learn to recognize forces and 'ride' them to your personal benefit.