The five elements connect nature and our spirit

The Five Elements Connect Nature and Our Spirit

All women work. Balancing multiple roles, we are mothers, businesswomen, daughters, partners, friends, employers, cooks, cleaners, drivers and more. We are extraordinary in our ability to harmonize, blending all the separate pieces of our lives. To nurture is an inherently feminine principle. It comes from within and is connected to our inner divinity.
Eastern traditions revere God or a goddess as an entity living in the heart of each individual. In the Chinese medical tradition this is called Shen. It governs our awareness. Shen is often translated as spirit and is described as the “supreme ruler.” Shen has five aspects: Shen, Yi , Po, Zhi and Hun. Each aspect describes how the human body is directly connected to the world of spirit or heaven. This connection is further explained by the five-element system of correspondences.
The relationships between heaven, earth and humankind were recorded in “The Yellow Emperors’ Classic of Internal Medicine,” written around 500 B.C. The philosophies described in this ancient classic form the foundation of Chinese medicine, including the five-element system of correspondences, which are as relevant today as they were 2,500 years ago. The five-element framework is based on nature. It provides us with a simple system of seeing the interrelationships of all phenomena. This wisdom can be accessed by anyone.
The five elements describe a sphere of influence showing the relationships between the macrocosm and the microcosm. The natural world surrounding us (the macrocosm) is mirrored within us (as the microcosm) and can be explained through the connections with the seasons and the Chinese medical organ system. The internal organs are not just physical entities. They each have an emotion and spirit seen in the expression of our individual character.
One way of using this system is to explore our individual dominant elemental type, which influences the development and expression of our character. Knowing our natural “home” element lets us maximize our innate gifts and strengths. It also enables us to work consciously with the challenges identified by each element type. Each element of nature has certain physical characteristics reflected in the character of the individual.
The five elements are fire, earth, metal, water and wood. Fire corresponds to the sun and warmth. It shows as the presence of spirit in our lives. Earth relates to the planet we live on, the land and soil. It is associated with balance and the conscious rational mind. Metal relates to the mountains, rocks, minerals and jewels contained within the earth. In the body it is related to gut instincts and the physical vitality of the body. Water in nature refers to oceans, lakes, rivers and streams. It refers to will, power and the storage and release of energy. Wood is related to all that grows in the earth, from grass to trees. Spiritually it is associated with our deep dreams and direction in life.
The Working Goddess retreats help us reconnect to nature’s primal influences, which govern our lives and access the spiritual strength in all of us. By following a daily rhythm – including a balance of physical movement, mental focus and spiritual inquiry – we become open to the spirit and how it moves through the mind and body. Coming to understand ourselves and others at this deep level is very freeing. It promotes acceptance, understanding and appreciation.


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The Five Elements Connect Nature and Our Spirit All women work. Balancing multiple roles, we are mothers, businesswomen, daughters, partners, friends, employers, cooks, cleaners, drivers and more. We are extraordinary in our ability to harmonize, blending all the separate pieces of our lives. To nurture is an inherently feminine principle. It comes from within and is connected to our inner divinity. Eastern traditions revere God or a goddess as an entity living in the heart of each individual. In the Chinese medical tradition this is called Shen. It governs our awareness. Shen is often translated as spirit and is described as the “supreme ruler.” Shen has five aspects: Shen, Yi , Po, Zhi and Hun. Each aspect describes how the human body is directly connected to the world of spirit or heaven. This connection is further explained by the five-element system of correspondences. The relationships between heaven, earth and humankind were recorded in “The Yellow Emperors’ Classic of Internal Medicine,” written around 500 B.C. The philosophies described in this ancient classic form the foundation of Chinese medicine, including the five-element system of correspondences, which are as relevant today as they were 2,500 years ago. The five-element framework is based on nature. It provides us with a simple system of seeing the interrelationships of all phenomena. This wisdom can be accessed by anyone. The five elements describe a sphere of influence showing the relationships between the macrocosm and the microcosm. The natural world surrounding us (the macrocosm) is mirrored within us (as the microcosm) and can be explained through the connections with the seasons and the Chinese medical organ system. The internal organs are not just physical entities. They each have an emotion and spirit seen in the expression of our individual character. One way of using this system is to explore our individual dominant elemental type, which influences the development and expression of our character. Knowing our natural “home” element lets us maximize our innate gifts and strengths. It also enables us to work consciously with the challenges identified by each element type. Each element of nature has certain physical characteristics reflected in the character of the individual. The five elements are fire, earth, metal, water and wood. Fire corresponds to the sun and warmth. It shows as the presence of spirit in our lives. Earth relates to the planet we live on, the land and soil. It is associated with balance and the conscious rational mind. Metal relates to the mountains, rocks, minerals and jewels contained within the earth. In the body it is related to gut instincts and the physical vitality of the body. Water in nature refers to oceans, lakes, rivers and streams. It refers to will, power and the storage and release of energy. Wood is related to all that grows in the earth, from grass to trees. Spiritually it is associated with our deep dreams and direction in life. The Working Goddess retreats help us reconnect to nature’s primal influences, which govern our lives and access the spiritual strength in all of us. By following a daily rhythm – including a balance of physical movement, mental focus and spiritual inquiry – we become open to the spirit and how it moves through the mind and body. Coming to understand ourselves and others at this deep level is very freeing. It promotes acceptance, understanding and appreciation.