I asked JMG once if there was a traditional method of assigning the virtues to the elements. He said that there wasn't-- but that it was a traditional practice to give students the task of assigning the elements to the virtues in meditation.
The arrangement that I give here is personal to me, actually. That is, it's not so much that I see this as a "correct" way of organizing things, but rather that I personally go to these particular elements for these particular virtues. Earth, for example, is stable, strong, and enduring. For me, when I'm trying to develop Courage, my issue is not willingness to face danger-- on the one hand, I have faced extreme danger in my life many times, and on the other hand, I don't often have to do so these days. But I do have a very strong tendency to abandon projects that I've started when something else catches my eye. So I look to Earth for stability and endurance. It's easy to imagine how Fire might be more appropriate for someone who was unwilling to face danger and needed a boost from Fire's destructive power. Someone who was simply lazy might look to Air to develop Courage, as their problem would not be abandoning projects, but getting started in the first place. On the other hand, someone who had the excess vice associated with Courage-- that is, rashness-- might well come to this virtue via the calming effect of Water!
I was going to add more, but I think I'm just going to do another post on this topic.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2023-08-31 11:14 am (UTC)I asked JMG once if there was a traditional method of assigning the virtues to the elements. He said that there wasn't-- but that it was a traditional practice to give students the task of assigning the elements to the virtues in meditation.
The arrangement that I give here is personal to me, actually. That is, it's not so much that I see this as a "correct" way of organizing things, but rather that I personally go to these particular elements for these particular virtues. Earth, for example, is stable, strong, and enduring. For me, when I'm trying to develop Courage, my issue is not willingness to face danger-- on the one hand, I have faced extreme danger in my life many times, and on the other hand, I don't often have to do so these days. But I do have a very strong tendency to abandon projects that I've started when something else catches my eye. So I look to Earth for stability and endurance. It's easy to imagine how Fire might be more appropriate for someone who was unwilling to face danger and needed a boost from Fire's destructive power. Someone who was simply lazy might look to Air to develop Courage, as their problem would not be abandoning projects, but getting started in the first place. On the other hand, someone who had the excess vice associated with Courage-- that is, rashness-- might well come to this virtue via the calming effect of Water!
I was going to add more, but I think I'm just going to do another post on this topic.