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The mysterious fifth element is the force that binds and animates matter, and at the same time, keeps the elements separate from one another. When the fifth element withdraws from a living form, it immediately begins to disintegrate back into its components. The Quintessence also symbolizes an emergent property - a rare state of consciousness not accessible under normal conditions. One that is the result of an integration of the four bodies, body, mind and emotions aligned under will, and then a synthesis of the integrated mortal self with the Higher Self, the Universal Mind.

The element of Fire symbolizes the plane of will. In the Qaballistic system, it is represented by the Yod in the YHVH formula. It is variously known as Higher Mind, the Subtle Body, our Higher Self, the list goes on and on. The mysterious cosmic fire affects us on all four registers, body, mind, emotions, and spirit. On the material plane, it is the invisible life force that connects and sustains all matter. It is life, light, sustenance through photosynthesis, and the circulation of all frequencies of life through the universe. On the mental plane, the cosmic fire reveals itself as creativity, imagination, innovation and Gnosis. On the emotional plane it reveals itself as our passions, our loves, our affinities and the values we most closely resonate with. On the highest plane, the cosmic fire manifests as our True Will. Not to be confused with simple willpower, our True Will is our inborn sense of our place, our path and our roll in the Universe. The Fire initiation reveals methods for discovering nurturing, and giving expression to the inner fire on all the planes of existence.

The element of Water symbolizes the emotional plane. Our blood, our circulatory and lymphatic systems, the hormones that regulate our moods and emotions, are said to be our "water body". Water symbolizes that part of the four-fold psyche that includes emotions, our sub-conscious mind, and at the higher end of the spectrum, the strange phenomenon of intuition. Rather than being something that the initiate must suppress or rise above, the emotional plane is a necessary ingredient in the creation of the Philosopher's Stone, and like the other elements, must be purified and aligned with the other bodies. Mastery of the Emotional plane is a necessary step on the initiatory journey, as the emotions are the ingredient that binds the lower two worlds with the higher two. Join our initiators and educators as we explore time-tested formula for perfecting this aspect of ourselves, and understanding its role in the Great Work.

The element of Air symbolizes the plane of mind. In Qabballah, this part of the four-fold soul/body is called "Briah", and is symbolized by the third letter in the tetragrammatorn, or Holy formula of creation: YHVH. In this formula, the Vav signifies both the realm of all mental activity, and at the same time, that part of our four-fold soul/body that lives in this realm. The realm of Air signifies Lower Mind, as opposed to the Higher Mind symbolized by the Fire element. Lower Mind is the domain of logic, reason, and basic navigatory skills, but is not the higher aspect of the psyche that we experience as creativity, inspiration, or the noumenous. Lower Mind can be thought of as a lens that can be trained on whatever we want to manifest in our lives. It can be focused on the good, the destructive, the noble or the wasteful. The Mysteries taught that when it is focused on those highest aspects of ourselves and the universe, it is playing its part in the Great Work.

The four elements symbolize at once the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual bodies, the four states of matter, and are even the basis for the four personality types or quadrants from modern psychology. In the Qaballah, the four holy letters Yod He Vav He represent these same four worlds and four parts of the soul. The four suits of the Tarot also have this same symbolic meaning. The element of Earth symbolizes the material plane: Our bodies, our finances, our material life. The initiatory journey begins with an understanding of how we live, act and are influenced by forces on each of the four planes, and continues on to reveal to the initiate time- tested techniques for perfecting and mastering this fundamental aspect of our lives.

The Great Work is the name traditionally used for the study and application of techniques that initiate a rapid acceleration of personal evolution. Through an integration of body, mind, emotions and an alignment to universal forces, each of us can unlock our unique genius and nearly endless potential. The Great Work was known in the past by such names as The Mysteries, The Opus Magnum, in the east by names like Kabala and the Tao, it was encoded into the tarot, and into the arcane symbols of alchemy and astrology. Although the names and cultures differ, the focus is the same: Understanding, organizing and maximizing the self on the material, mental, emotional, and spiritual planes, and then integrating them into a vehicle of truly magical power.