What do the four elements mean and what is their significance in ceremony?
The four elements—fire, earth, water, and air—are used in ceremonies as symbols. Fire represents transformation, earth signifies the physical form of an intention or a wish, water symbolizes either a cleansing or an emotional immersion, and air represents the intellect or the power of the mind to impact experience. In each ceremony, lighting a match with intention begins the transformation process. A candle burning seeks to hold the sacred space of the ceremony and continues the transformative effect. A small stone is used to represent the physical form of an intention or a wish, and is often imbued with the energy of the ceremony that can be recalled later as the stone is seen or felt physically. Spring water is used to sprinkle over a stone or other material in order to evoke the emotions of the dream come true, an important aspect of moving toward manifestation. In some cases the spring water is used to cleanse and clear the energetic pathway so that new experiences or new patterns
