The Water Element seems illusive and impenetrable and its force depends on the quantity of flow.  The essence and inner quality of the Water Element is strength, reserves and endurance.  The ability to create and draw upon our reserves is essential to all life.  Without these essences and reserves nothing would survive and nothing would be passed down from generation to generation. As the emperor penguin shows us, even we can survive with little food for several weeks, but we need water.

We need pure, clean, healthy water that is found in lakes, rivers, and streams that we can access, these are our reserves. This can appear to be a fearful place to be for without the reserves and the endurance to survive.  These fears are the terrors of the unknown and show an imbalance of the water element. We need endurance not just reserves.  The Water Element seems illusive and impenetrable and its force depends on the quantity of flow.  We need the willpower and determination to survive this dark period so we can move through the winter season to the season of spring: the season of birth and renewal.  Ambition and drive will carry us through this season to see our own future evolve.  The Water Element is the flow of uncompromising power and transforms one season into the next.

As the emperor penguin shows us, even we can survive with little food for several weeks, but we need water.   Emperor penguins live and breed at the beginning of winter.  The male emperor penguins incubate and keep their eggs warm while not eating for up to 9 weeks.  During this time it may get as cold as 140 degrees Fahrenheit.  They huddle to keep warm and use each other’s body heat to stay alive and warm.  All this for the creation of their life cycle?  What drives them?

We need willpower and determination to survive this dark period so we can move through the winter season to spring: the season of birth and renewal.  Ambition and drive will carry us through this season for our future to evolve.  The Water Element is the flow of uncompromising power and transforms one season into the next.

When winter is present life is slower and more within itself.  The winter emphasizes the dark, cold  and barren aspects on earth. This is the time of stillness and reflection. It is a time of shortened days and a remembrance that the light and warmth of the sun will shine again. The harvest time is over and it is time for transformation to the next cycle.  In winter the plants do not flower and leaves have fallen to the earth covering the earths floor.   As we take cover, we spend more time indoors, wearing more clothing. We may even notice we sleep longer with  longer darkness. Winter rains and snow start to clear and level all that has fallen to the ground from the autumn.  Snow and rain provide clean smoothness, creation and brings about clarity for the next cycle to follow.
Through this season life appears to be still but never stops. This is a time for the latent seeds, earth and soil and hibernating animals and all creatures to rest. We can do the same: meditate, slowdown and look inward.

The correspondences are visible and concrete aspects through which we can observe change and transformation of the each of the Elements within the person.  They are the comprehensive understanding representing the aspects of yin and yang that create unity in nature. The elemental correspondences include color, odor, season, sound, emotion, taste, direction, power, organs or function in the body, body part, and physical manifestation.  When ones energy is out of balance there may be obvious changes noted and skilled diagnostic observation can determine the cause (not treat the symptoms) and determine where one needs support or treatment.
The correspondences related to the Water Element:

  • Organs:  Bladder and Kidneys
  • Color: Blue
  • Sound: Groan
  • Odor: Putrid
  • Emotion: Fear
  • Power: Emphasis
  • Body Part: Bones
  • Taste: Salty
  • Direction: North
  • Physical Manifestation: Head Hair
  • Sense Organ: Ears