Daily Meditation: Wednesday, May 31, 2006

In the hierarchy of the elements, fire is situated above …

05/31/2006

In the hierarchy of the elements, fire is situated above water. Why then does the symbol for Mercury O present them in reverse order, with fire, the sun, below water, the moon? This relative position of the sun and moon corresponds to a cosmic phenomenon, which you will understand when I explain that we encounter it every day when we put water over fire and boil it. The boiling water is transformed into steam, which sometimes makes the lid jump. Thanks to the fire, the water becomes a driving force. Fire represents the masculine principle, water the feminine principle, and when the masculine acts on the feminine it produces a force. Within us, the masculine principle is the spirit and the feminine principle is the soul. When our soul, exalted by our spirit, travels through space, we become the perfect incarnation of the sign of Mercury. This same idea is expressed in Greek mythology in the god Hermes – Mercury – who travels by virtue of the wings on his heels.