There is much written already about the spiritual symbolism of the Elements.  Some the correlations might be water and emotions, earth and grounding, fire and passion/power, and air as quick movement or tangible change.  I personally find those associations very helpful when thinking about allowing elements to function as allies in our personal work.  I include them in the explorations below.

But I also think that there is more texture and nuance available when we consider the elements metaphorically, they are a guides for ways that energy can move in different situations and circumstances.  Because no element is static, it takes many forms and of course there are manifestations that combine more than one element at a time.

The search for perfection in itself implies that there is a such a thing as perfect. When we say “I’m only human” or “that was human error” we acknowledge that by definition we are imperfect while also suggesting that being human is not enough.

Pauline Boss coined the term Ambiguous Loss as the experience of a person who is either physically present but emotionally absent, or physically absent but emotionally present. This was originally conceptualized in relation to those with loved ones who were missing, or caretaking for the terminally or chronically ill, but I feel that it could also be extended to help understand our collective experience now.  A frequent dialog recently is that we are not only grieving what we have already lost, but also anticipating loss; it’s like we are moving through a crisis in slow motion, while also feeling as if time is standing still. Someone astutely shared with me week that it feels like “life has ended“ in a way. There is a deeply ambiguous quality to this time of grief that is very heavy and confusing.