Weaving Elements: A Collaboration
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Hello everyone! I am deeply honored and excited to introduce Hunter Burgtorfas a guest author for this post. We have been in a delightful conversation about elements and the many ways they can be woven into our daily practices.
As you might know from some of my other posts (especially The Living Elements), I use the classical elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water in all of my rituals. It’s become a foundational part of my relationship with Spirit.
But there are many different systems of elements out there. In ancient Chinese cosmology, there are Fire, Water, Wood, Metal and Earth. The Japanese element system is Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Void. Some Celtic polytheists use a system of nine elements (Heaven, Sun, Moon, Fire, Lightning, Wind, Earth, Sea, Rock.) And, of course, there is the periodic table of the elements used in modern chemistry. What they all have in common is that they are life’s basic components—the threads that are woven together to create the tapestry called life.
Coming into a conscious relationship with these threads is essential for understanding the world around us. When we take the time to learn about them, we can gain a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of all things and how we fit into the larger web of life. We can also begin to see how our actions and decisions impact the world around us, and how we can use this knowledge to create positive change. Perhaps most importantly, once we are able to really see these individual threads, we can learn how to combine them. By doing so, we empower ourselves to co-create truly fulfilling lives.
Needless to say, I was super intrigued when I came upon Hunter’s system of Intentional Elements.
I had signed up for her amazing class on slow living, called Sacred & Slow. I learned a lot from her about being present, mindful, and deliberate in all my decision-making; about being centered in the heart instead of spinning out in the head; and about including self-care into all my daily practices.
But when she introduced the topic of Intentional Elements, I couldn’t wait to find out more.
Can you tell us about your Intentional Elements system, Hunter?
Hunter:
Thank you so much for welcoming me into your space, Jenna. Intentional Elements is something I adapted from the manifestation world and through the Lacey Phillips’ program: To Be Magnetic. She shares about discovering your Authentic Code by finding four keywords with descriptions that make up your truest self.
I ended up sitting with this concept for a long time and, after coming up with my own words, I knew I wanted to share a similar idea in my course, Sacred & Slow.
I chose the name "Intentional Elements" because it represents the pieces of our lives that, if we pause and listen closely, guide us toward our true selves. These elements reveal our purpose and help us become the person we are meant to be. When woven together, they help us live our deepest intentions.
My elements are currently: Creativity, Spirituality, Family/Community, and Freedom.
When making decisions—both big and small—I return to these words to ensure that every choice I make is connected to at least one of these. For example, if someone asks me to join them for a yoga class or have a playdate with our kids, I will typically say yes because those align with my Spirituality element and Family/Community element. If they ask to go to a concert or out for drinks, however, I’d probably say no because it doesn’t align with any of my elements. I also turn to my Intentional Elements for the big, life-changing decisions, like when my husband and I talk about where we want to live long-term. We must be able to foster a strong, like-minded Community there, and it needs to be diverse enough to embrace Spirituality and Creativity. Or, when I make plans for the future of my business, how will those choices lead to more Freedom?
So I purposely align my life with my chosen elements and, while they can always change, they keep me on a path that makes me excited about where I’m going.
I love to use a simple guided meditation in my course to discover our Intentional Elements. This helps define what matters to us most and strip away anything that doesn’t truly light us up. To help people get started on finding their own Intentional Elements, here are a few prompts:
What do you spend your time doing when you have no responsibilities and nothing to prove?
What do you value above all else (freedom, security, travel, family, etc.)?
What do you love learning more about? It could be through books, courses, YouTube videos, blogs, etc.
What did you enjoy doing most as a child?
When thinking back on your life, what do you want to be most remembered for?
If your friends could describe you, what are a few keywords they would use?
Jenna:
Thank you so much, Hunter! I love that the Intentional Elements system provides us with the threads for weaving a life based on what we truly VALUE.
And I also love when new things come in to re-energize my own spiritual practices.
Through using Hunter’s method, I found my Intentional Elements: Comfort, Inspiration, Sacred Devotion and Discovery. I now had a wonderful framework for creating my life around how I wanted to feel.
But the magic didn’t end there.
One morning, while I was planning my day, I had a flash of realization that these Intentional Elements could be woven together with the Classical Elements of my spiritual practices. It felt like no coincidence that there were exactly four of each.
The way I arranged it is:
Comfort=Earth
Inspiration=Air
Sacred Devotion=Water
Discovery=Fire
From there I was able to include both the Intentional Elements and the Classical Elements in my sacred morning ritual.
The specifics of this is something I’ve never shared before as it always felt very personal to me, but this dialogue with Hunter has opened something within me. This is an invitation to come join me at my altar, and experience a bit of how I’m relating with these elemental threads to co-create my life with Spirit. Please feel free to change the words to be relevant to your own Intentional Elements.
At the end of the post, please jump in the comments and tell us all about the ways you relate with elements in your life and practices. We’re SO looking forward to discussing it all with you!
My Morning Ritual:
I open my sacred space by getting embodied, inviting in all my guides, clearing my space around me and within me, and making sure my boundaries are strong. I say a brief prayer of gratitude and sometimes offer a quiet song. Then I turn to the elements.
I pick up a stone (Earth) and as I hold it, I feel the minerals within me attune to the Earth element everywhere. I say aloud, “As I attune to Earth, may I be ever more clear in my intention for Comfort, may the minerals in my body be my ground and foundation for Comfort.” Then I hold the stone out and say to all my spirit guides and allies, “I offer this to you, may it be the nourishment of Earth that you need.”
Then I pick up a feather and I move the air around my face and hands with it. I breathe deeply and feel the air within me attune to the Air element everywhere. I say aloud, “As I attune to Air, may I be ever more clear in my intention for Inspiration, may the breath in my body carry Divine Inspiration to my mind.” Then I fan the feather outward and say to all my spirit guides and allies, “I offer this to you, may it be the nourishment of Air that you need.”
I pick up a vessel of water and dip my finger into it, feeling the water within me attune to the Water element everywhere. I say aloud, “As I attune to Water, may I be ever more clear in my intention for Sacred Devotion, may the water in my blood and in my cells flow and make my every moment a living prayer.” Then I hold the vessel up and say to all my spirit guides and allies, “I offer this to you, may it be the nourishment of Water that you need.”
Finally, I pick up a candle and gaze into the flame. Through the window of my eyes, I feel the electricity of my whole nervous system attune to the Fire element everywhere. I say aloud, “As I attune to Fire, may I be ever more clear in my intention for Discovery, may my electrical impulses move me towards mystery; and my passions and joy be ignited through this.” I hold the candle out and say to all my spirit guides and allies, “I offer this to you, may it be the nourishment of fire that you need.”
I offer thanks again, then close the space when I feel complete.
Thank you again, Hunter, for joining me in this discussion! And thank you to everyone who read along. 💕
How do you relate with the elements in your life?
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SO glad we got to do this collaboration, Jenna! Thank you for including me in your beautiful process, and I'm so grateful we've been able to connect so deeply over our intentional elements. The way you weaved yours in with the classical elements is profound! You are truly such a gem and I can't wait to see what others take away from this!
Thanks Jenna and Hunter for this collaboration! This is fantastic! Intentional elements! I also use the elements of air, fire, water and earth. Have them on my altar as well. I am going to take some time and come up with my own words for them, but I sense they will not be much different from yours, Jenna. I also related to your ritual. I am so intrigued by what others say and do. I too honor the elements and the directions, just not every morning. What I consistently do before dawn is burn dried sage that comes from the garden. Create a circle with it and welcome in the goddess and my ancestors. There is more to this, but for another time. Again really appreciate this today!
Side note, you had mentioned something about an email a bit ago? Just want to check in because I have not seen anything. I did not want you to think I had not responded.