Deep spiritual and energetic healing can talk place when one incorporates healing with the elements: Air, Fire, Earth, Water and Spirit.
Healing with the Elements
As you know, I love talking about healing. Healing in a variety of ways, using a variety of methods and tools. In this article, we are going to talk about Healing with the 5 elements. Not just any healing, but deep spiritual and soul healing. Energetic healing. The healing that takes place at our core, that enables us to live our dreams with a healthy body and vibrant mind.
Of the 5 elements, in reality, we all generally gravitate towards an element or two. Or maybe more. But usually, we simply resonate more with one specifically. For me, that is water. The irony behind that is that I am deathly scared of drowning. I honestly believe I drowned in a past life. But I digress. Water is still my most healing element. Baths, running water on my hands, listening to the ocean, FEELING the ocean, all of it. My second element is Earth. Walking barefoot, walking out in nature, touching a tree.
Some of the information that we will talk about is from a great book called “How to Become a Witch. The Path of Nature, Spirit and Magick” by Amber K and Azrael Arynn K. It is a great book for all the foundational topics of magic. I got it not for the How to Become a Witch part, but rather to learn more about the specific aspects of the elements and craft in general. So if this topic interests you, check out that book!
What Are The Five Elements?
In the reality that we live in, there are 5 commonly agreed upon spiritual elements. They are Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Space/Spirit. Each of these elements also corresponds to a particular direction as well as physical attributes, a human component, a season, and a color. There are many more attributes, but these will be our focus.
Let’s go through each one. And then we’ll talk about how to use each one in our own personal healing journey.
Earth
Earth is the planet that we live on. We came from the Earth and our physical bodies will go back to the Earth. Earth is that which sustains us physically. It basically represents all that is physical in our reality. Earth represents abundance of the physical, ex, our bodies, clothing, shelter, money, trees, finances, and more. It also represents healing and expression.
Direction – North
Physical – Solid/Physical Matter
Human Component – Physical Bodies
Season – Winter
Color – Green
Air
Air represents our breath and the wind. It is in us and all around us. Air also represents our imagination in our minds, intellect, the thoughts we think and also change.
Direction – East
Physical – Gas
Human Component – Minds/Mental
Season – Spring
Color – Yellow
Fire
Fire is the heat of the Earth’s core, the sun, a campfire, a candle. It is also that which transforms solid into liquid (ice, water) or liquid into gas (water, steam). It also represents our purpose in life, our passions, our deepest desires, and our energy.
Direction – South
Physical – Energy
Human Component – Energy Fields
Season – Summer
Color – Red
Water
Water is the rain, the ocean, the sea, tears, and even our blood. It also represents our emotions, love, intuition, healing, relationships, feelings, and compassion.
Direction – West
Physical – Liquid
Human Component – Emotions
Season – Fall/Autumn
Color – Blue
Space/Spirit
Spirit transcends and is embodied by all the other 4 elements. It is in all things and of all things. It is the soul and the Divine.
Direction – Center
Physical – Spirit
Human Component – Soul
Color – Purple
The 5 Elements and the Pentagram
Just a little side note here, on a traditional pentagram, going clockwise from the top point we have Spirit, Water, Fire, Earth, and Air.
Healing with Earth
There are many ways to heal with the Earth. We literally live on the Earth and walk on it daily. It is there for us always. We don’t have to go and seek it out. It is there. The energy is there. We just need to tune in. The color of the Earth element is green.
Green can help with anger and fear. It is also for healing and attracts abundance. From a Chakra point of view, green is the heart and green can help mend a broken heart.
Healing with Color
Grounding/Earthing
Earthing is commonly called grounding and they essentially mean the same thing when referring to using the Earth. So, what is grounding?
Reconnection with the Earth’s electrons has been found to promote intriguing physiological changes and subjective reports of well-being. Earthing (or grounding) refers to the discovery of benefits—including better sleep and reduced pain—from walking barefoot outside or sitting, working, or sleeping indoors connected to conductive systems that transfer the Earth’s electrons from the ground into the body.
Journal of Environmental and Public Health
Grounding has been shown to reduce pain, improve sleep, and reduce inflammation. Pretty amazing!
From a scientific standpoint, what exactly is happening behind the scenes when your bare skin touches the Earth?
[When connecting to the Earth’s surface]…the ground’s abundant free electrons were able to enter the body, which is electrically conductive. Through this mechanism, every part of the body could equilibrate with the electrical potential of the Earth, thereby stabilizing the electrical environment of all organs, tissues, and cells.
Journal of Environmental and Public Health
So what does all this mean?
The Earth is like a giant battery, providing essential life force to everything on this planet. Including us. These free electrons that the Earth’s surface carries have a negative charge. And I’m sure you’ve heard of free radicals and the damage they can do to our bodies when in excess. The damage is due to the fact that they are always on the hunt for a free electron and will steal one from our healthy cells.
You’ve probably also heard of anti-oxidants that have extra free electrons to give to the free radicals to neutralize them. Popular antioxidants that you might be familiar with are vitamin C and vitamin E.
But did you know that the Earth is another HUGE and natural antioxidant? Simply by coming in contact with the Earth through your bare hands or feet, you can reap the benefits of all these free electrons.
How to Ground Yourself
Walking in Nature
I know not everyone has the pleasure of walking outside and into nature as we commonly think of as nature. Some people live deep in the city surrounded by cement, pavement, and buildings. And that is right where they want to be! So if that is you, you might need to venture a little further out. I live on a 10-acre farm in the Pacific Northwest and can simply walk out my door and be right in the middle of nature. Animals, trees, grass (well, more like hay, but it looks like regular grass when mowed).
Whether you have to travel or you can just walk outside, spend some time walking out in nature. Find some trees, some long grass, flowers, and even just some good old fashion desert sand. And just listen, look, feel.
Hugging a Tree
Yes, literally hugging a tree. I have this super old cherry tree on my property. It looks like this thing is ancient. It is one of those twisted, moss covered, mostly dead, but still hanging on kind of trees. It is my oldest and dearest cherry trees and it produces the BEST cherries out of all the cherry trees on my property.
This is my tree that I hug. It is the one that I touch to reconnect.
Find a tree and either wrap your arms around it or just touch it with open palms. And listen to what the tree has to say. Trust me, it has something to say. It just needs someone to listen.
Journaling Ideas
How do you feel about your physical health?
What could you focus on to bring more abundance into your physical presence?
Touch the Earth with your bare hands or bare feet for 5 minutes with a clear mind. What did you see? Feel? Hear? Know?
Healing with Air
Air is one of the most basic and fundamental ways to heal. The color of the Air element is yellow.
Yellow is said to be helpful with the lymphatic system, inflammation, and weight loss. It can aid in issues with the liver, pancreas, kidneys, spleen. This makes sense given Yellow is also for the Solar Plexus Chakra which is located in your midsection.
Healing With Color
Breathwork
If you’ve never tried breathwork, you are in for a treat.
Breathwork is basically a breathing exercise. There are a variety of techniques that can be used during a breathwork session. Breathing in specific ways is very common in many practices. Yoga is an example.
Breathwork can be done on its own and the benefits are quite phenomenal.
Some of the benefits include:
Boost Immunity
Reduce Stress
Reduce Anxiety
Reduce Negative Thoughts
Improve Self Confidence
Improve Feelings of Depression
Decrease Chronic Pain
It has also been known to work well for cases of PTSD, grief and trauma.
So what does a typical breathwork session look like? It is basically very deep, fast breathing, without taking breaks between breaths. Then you will pause and hold your breath for varying lengths of time. My favorite is an 11 minute session that includes 3 breath holds. The first is 60 seconds, then 90 seconds and then 2 minutes. Many people go way beyond 2 minutes, but that is where I’m at right now!
If you are looking for an online class, my favorite place is Inward Breathwork. They offer a 3 day trial (no credit card required) – so go sign up and try some classes here.
Meditation with Breath
Meditation with a focus on the breath is another great way to heal the body. This can be simple as meditating while counting as you breathe. In for four counts. Out for four counts. In for four counts. Out for four counts. And so one.
Being mindful of the breath is what is it about, regardless of what you are doing.
Journaling Ideas
How do you feel when a warm summer breeze touches your neck? Or what about a cool fall breeze?
Next time you are stressed or upset, take 3 very deep breaths. Counting to 4 on the way in and 4 on the way out. How do you feel? Has your heart slowed? Is your adrenaline taking a backseat?
Healing with Fire
Fire is a fun one! Be careful with it, but it is a fun one. The Fire element is red.
Red is great for warming and pain reduction. It is said to be helpful with things such as constipation, reproductive issues, anemia. Remember that red is the color for the root Chakra.
Healing with Color
Sit close to a fire
Do you have a fireplace? A fire pit? A bonfire even? Sit close to a fire, but stay responsible of course. Feel the heat. Watch the big flames. Sense the heat deep inside your body. Smell the burning wood. Listen to the crackle. Be aware of all your senses.
Stare deep into a candle
This is a much easier one if you struggle with finding a fire. Light a candle and sit with it. It doesn’t have to be in the dark. In fact, I’d recommend doing it in the light so that you can see more of what is around the flame.
Watch how the flame flickers. Place your hand above the flame without burning yourself of course. Feel the warmth on your hand. Stare at the flame and move it with your mind. Intend for the flame to go right. Intend for the flame to go left.
Ground yourself in the warmth. The primal heat. Feel any anxiety and worry just melt away. Just like the candle melts.
Journaling Ideas
What lights that fire deep within you?
What steps can you take to achieve that passion that burns at your core?
Healing with Water
My favorite, favorite, favorite! The Water Element is blue.
Blue’s calming and purifying attributes work well for things like inflammation, irritations, overexcited. From a Chakra point of view, blue can help with communication issues and confidence to speak your truth. Remember that blue is for the throat chakra.
Healing With Color
Taking a Bath
I love taking baths. When I am stressed, or when my body hurts, or when I feel disconnected from myself, I will take a bath. I use Epsom salt and some herbal bath sachets that I make. I light a candle. Sometimes I listen to music. But mostly I am just there partially submerged in water. It is very similar to grounding with the Earth in terms of how I feel.
Just let the water soak into your skin. Feel it wash over your body.
Run your hands in water
When I do a reiki session, the first thing I do afterward is run my hands under cold water. It is the quickest way to ground myself and get rid of any negative energy or energy that isn’t mine. If nothing else, remember this one when you are feeling pegged with negativity or feel like you are holding on to energy that isn’t yours. Just place your hands under a cold water faucet and let the water rinse it all away.
Stand in the rain
Do you remember being a kid and just running out in the rain and splashing in puddles? Why don’t we do that more as adults? Even if it is frigid cold, there is something electrifying (in a good way) about going out into the rain with as little clothes as you can get away with and just feeling the drops all over your body.
It is like a larger version of running your hands under water. Put your face up towards the sky and let the rain hit your face. Your eyes, your mouth, your cheeks. Feel every drop.
Journaling Ideas
What is love?
Sit quietly for 5-10 minutes and ask your higher self a question. What was revealed?
What does it feel like to lay in a bath or swim in a body of water? How does it make you feel?
Healing with Spirit
Healing with Spirit is all encompassing. It is whole and healing on every level. The Spirit element color is purple.
Purple is good for releasing stress and for pain and is associated with Spiritual Awakening.
Healing with Color
Personal Prayer
Many non religious people will balk at the word prayer because it is associated with religion. But let me say prayer does not mean talking to a specific God or Goddess. It can. But it doesn’t need to.
Prayer can be talking to a deity, an angle, a guide, your higher self or simply putting your intention out in the quantum universe. It is not reserved for religion.
Now that we got that out of the way – prayer is quiet time, being thankful, and finding clarity. It is a time to align yourself to your highest purpose and get rid of all the roadblocks that are standing in your way.
Meditation
Meditation is the perfect way to connect to Spirit, to heal the soul, to strengthen one’s energy and energetic field. You will begin to know yourself in ways you never thought you could.
Journaling Ideas
What is one way to deepen your connection to Spirit?
What are the times when I feel closest to Spirit?
Spiritual Healing with the Elements
I’m sure that by now you’ve caught onto the theme of spiritual healing. We are 99.99% (lots more 9s) empty space. This empty space is not actually empty space, but rather is energy. It is what (in part) makes up the quantum field. Along with all energies and possible realities and futures.
Now if most of our body is energy and part of the collective consciousness and oneness, we are Spiritual in nature and Spiritual beings. Emotional beings. Energetic beings. Our healing must happen at the emotional/spiritual/energy level before healing can take place at the physical level.
Heal the energy. Heal the body.
What If You Don’t Know What Element to Choose?
If you aren’t sure what element to choose, I have a few suggestions.
First, I would think about which one you feel most comfortable around. And try that one first.
Now, if that doesn’t jump out at you, then look at it in terms of what you are needing the healing to focus on. Let’s say that you are sad because you are unable to speak your truth. I would gravitate towards water. Why? Blue is the color of water. Blue is the color of the throat chakra and represents communication. Additionally, water represents emotion. So between feeling sad and not speaking your truth, Water is the perfect element to heal both of those.
That is just an example of how I might piece together which element to use for healing.
Please let me know if you found this helpful!
