Spirit is not outwardly recognized in all rituals, often just the 4 nature elements are called on. This is not because the ritual does not believe in the Spirit, but knows that Spirit is already present in each and every person already there. It is the other elements that must be coaxed into joining along.
Finding and getting in touch with your Spirit can bring an amazing amount of harmony and “ahhhhhhhh” to your life. Most people never think about their Spirit, just as they never consider their back – unless they pinch a disc! Then they have no central system to keep their entire body working. Without taking care of your Spirit, you have no central system keeping your inner mind and soul working.
Meditation is the best way to start, and being close to the other element that pulls most strongly to you definitely helps. For the first time trying to find your inner spirit, I really recommend getting away from your normal home setting and using the real thing in nature – not substitutes for when you meditate at home. (I will give you example of each type).
Sit down with your element and concentrate on the aspect of it and it alone – with your eyes open. Fire is warm and has a beautiful light. Water is cool and refreshing. Wind moves the tree leaves and breathes a fresh air on your face. Earth is soft beneath you and has soaked up the sun’s warmth of the day – let the dirt or sand trickle between your fingers. Now close your eyes and listen to the sounds of your Nature element. Fire crackles and pops. Water burbles over a stream, laps up onto the shore. Wind sighs through the trees. Earth is in the crackling of leaves on the ground and the groaning of trees as the earth gives them life. Keeping your eyes closed add the image of what your element looks like to the sounds and just bask in the element.
Eventually you want to see you in the element. You want to become aware of your heartbeat and breathing and have them mesh with the sounds from your Nature element. And this is where you will find the calm center of your Spirit.
I am not proposing that fining your Spirit is going to give you magical powers, but it will give you a sense of strength and self-awareness that you may not have even realized you were missing before. It is a wonderful feeling to have mind, body and Spirit all working together.
Now here are some examples of ways to connect with your Nature element; both for the first time and at your home.
| Fire | |
| Connecting in Nature: | Connecting at Home: |
| Go to the beach or a clear place in the woods and build a bonfire or campfire. | Light a fire in the fireplace or even just a candle. |
| Water | |
| Connecting in Nature: | Connecting at Home: |
| Go to the beach, or a small creek with waterfalls. | Listen to the sprinkler, go outside while it is raining, or just take a bath |
| Wind | |
| Connecting in Nature: | Connecting at Home: |
| Go to the woods or up into the mountains and see and feel how the wind effects everything around it. | Sit on your back porch during a thunderstorm or run a fan over you while your eyes are closed. |
| Earth | |
| Connecting in Nature: | Connecting at Home: |
| Go to the woods, a farm, or the beach - anywhere that you can dig your fingers into the soil. Lean against a giant tree that has soaked up the Earth for ages. | Play in the sandbox or pant a herbs garen. Sit undernesth a tree in your back yard. |
It doesn’t matter what religion you belong to, you can be apart of this. Nature is there for all of us, and we all have a Spirit within us. Strengthen yours.
