The Five Elements

earth water fire air space

Many philosophies and traditions around the world believe in similar elements that make up everything in nature. They may vary slightly in both choice of words and the number of elements but there are five that seem to be common in many cultures. These elements not only describe a state of matter; they describe interactions and relationships between all things. Each element also represents structures or functions in our bodies.

EARTH: Earth represents everything that is solid such as mountains, soil, trees and sand. In our bodies, earth represents bones, teeth, flesh and hair. Images in this gallery, as you might guess, include subjects mostly made up of solids. View the EARTH images HERE.

WATER: Water represents everything that is liquid and in our bodies represents saliva, blood, sweat and urine. This gallery includes subjects that are liquid such as oceans, rivers and waterfalls. View the WATER images HERE.

FIRE: Fire is that which transforms a state of matter turning an element into another element; water into steam for example. In the body, fire represents hunger, thirst, courage and creativity. Included in this gallery are transformative parts of the day like sunrises and sunsets. View the FIRE images HERE.

AIR: Air is everything that is a gas and represents all movement within our bodies such as expansion, contraction and suppression. Images in the air gallery have a strong atmospheric present within them like mist, fog or haze. View the AIR images HERE.

SPACE: Space is sort of the mother of all other elements. It’s the element from which all other elements originated and are returned to and is omnipresent. Within our bodies, space forms fear, physical attraction, intuition and wisdom. These images are generally minimalistic, expansive or represent luminous emptiness providing a higher spiritual experience. View the SPACE images HERE.

The relationships between the elements form the laws of nature. Some elements are natural enemies like fire and water. They block the expression of the other and in order to co-exist, they need to be separated. Some elements love each other, like air and fire; air increases fire. Earth and water nurture each other. Water and air can co-exist, but they separate when given the chance.

All images in these galleries are available as prints so please get in touch if you’re interested. I’m happy to help you select the best size for your needs.