The Original Composition

Air. Fire. Earth. Water… It was once thought that these four elements  reflected the simplest essential parts and principles of which anything consisted or upon which the constitution and fundamental powers of anything were based. 

What if the original composition of us human beings could be described in terms of these same four elements?

Air is vital to us. When we breathe, our lungs process the air and leak it into our blood vessels for them to carry oxygen to our body organs, which need it to perform their vital functions correctly. In a more platonic or figurative sense, however, air would represent our souls, where our hopes and dreams reside. These are also vital to us, as they guide us along the path of life. Without them, we find ourselves trapped in a meaningless existence, a mere quest for survival with no further goals. 

Fire has been used to cook and to heat places. However beneficial this may sound, there is another face to fire: it has the power to burn and destroy. Such is the dual nature of our passions— that fire burning within us—which can either be nourishing or wreack havoc on ourselves and those around us. 

Earth is what makes life as we know it possible. It represents the tangible, the physical world. From the earth we get fruits and vegetables to eat, and on it grow the trees, which are in charge of cleaning the air we breathe. All the topography, all the animals, even us human beings, exist because the earth is there to give us shelter. Much like the earth is a shelter for us, our bodies function as shelters to our souls. Through them, our souls experience reality. 

Finally, water can be found in several states: liquid (as in rivers, seas, wells), solid (in the shape of ice), and steam. It can be sweet or salty, depending on the source. It is said water is the liquid of life, as we need it to live as badly as we need air. We are 65% water : blood, perspiration , salivary juices— only to mention a few. Like air, water makes our lives possible; not only as regards the functioning of our bodies but also as regards our daily habits and needs, such as washing and cooking. In our composition, water reflects our mood: we sweat when we are nervous; we cry when we are sad; we may spit when we are angry (okay, some do!); and even our blood pressure goes up when we go through a hard time, evoking the image of a tsunami within us; just to mention a few. Also, most people associate the view of a calm sea with peace. 

Air, fire, earth, water. Their nature is also our nature. 

~*Princess of the Stars*~