Editing Earth (classical element)

{{short description|Classical element in ancient Greek philosophy and science}}
{{classic element}}
{{about|the classical element|other uses of the term|Earth (disambiguation)}}
'''Earth''' is one of the [[classical element]]s, in some systems being one of the four along with [[air (classical element)|air]], [[fire (classical element)|fire]], and [[water (classical element)|water]].

==European tradition==
[[File:La Terre Benoit Massou original.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.7|''Earth'' (1681) by Benoît Massou, a statue of the ''[[Grande Commande]]'', with allegorical attributes inspired by [[Cesare Ripa]]’s ''Iconologia''.]]
Earth is one of the four [[classical element]]s in ancient [[Greek philosophy]] and science.  It was commonly associated with qualities of heaviness, matter and the terrestrial world.  Due to the [[hero cult]]s, and [[chthonic]] [[List of Greek deities#Chthonic deities|underworld deities]], the element of ''earth'' is also associated with the sensual aspects of both life and death in later [[occultism]].

[[Empedocles]] of Acragas {{nowrap|(c. 495 –}} {{nowrap|c. 435 BCE)}} proposed four ''[[arche|archai]]'' by which to understand the [[cosmos]]: ''[[Fire (classical element)|fire]]'','' [[Air (classical element)|air]]'', ''[[Water (classical element)|water]]'', and ''earth''. [[Plato]] (427–347 BCE) believed the elements were geometric forms (the [[platonic solid]]s) and he assigned the [[cube]] to the element of ''earth'' in his dialogue ''[[Timaeus (dialogue)|Timaeus]]''.<ref>Plato, ''Timaeus'', chap. 22–23; [[Gregory Vlastos]], ''Plato's Universe'', pp. 66–82.</ref> [[Aristotle]] (384–322 BCE) believed ''earth'' was the heaviest element, and his theory of ''[[Aristotelian physics#Natural place|natural place]]'' suggested that any ''earth–laden'' substances, would fall quickly, straight down, towards the center of the ''cosmos''.<ref>[[G. E. R. Lloyd]], ''Aristotle'', chapters 7–8.</ref>

In Classical [[Greek mythology|Greek]] and [[Roman mythology|Roman]] myth, various goddesses 
represented the Earth, seasons, crops and fertility, including [[Demeter]] and [[Persephone]]; [[Ceres (Roman mythology)|Ceres]]; the [[Horae]] (goddesses of the seasons), and [[Proserpina]]; and [[Hades]] ([[Pluto (mythology)|Pluto]]) who ruled the souls of dead in the [[Underworld]].

In [[Medicine in ancient Greece|ancient Greek medicine]], each of the [[four humours]] became associated with an element. [[Melancholia|Black bile]] was the humor identified with earth, since both were cold and dry. Other things associated with earth and black bile in ancient and [[Medieval medicine of Western Europe|medieval medicine]] included the season of fall, since it increased the qualities of cold and aridity; the melancholic temperament (of a person dominated by the black bile humour); the [[Femininity|feminine]]; and the southern point of the compass.

[[Image:earth symbol (alchemical).svg|thumb|left|upright=0.4|Alchemical symbol for earth]]

In [[alchemy]], earth was believed to be primarily dry, and secondarily cold, (as per Aristotle).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://chemed.chem.purdue.edu/genchem/history/aristotle.html|title=Aristotle|website=chemed.chem.purdue.edu|access-date=2019-04-18}}</ref> Beyond those classical attributes, the chemical substance [[salt]], was associated with earth and its [[alchemical symbol]] was a downward-pointing triangle, bisected by a horizontal line.

==Indian tradition==
{{Main|Prithvi}}
'''Prithvi''' ([[Sanskrit]]: ''{{IAST|pṛthvī}}'', also ''{{IAST|pṛthivī}}'') is the [[Hinduism|Hindu]] ''earth'' and [[mother goddess]]. According to one such tradition, she is the personification of the [[Earth]] itself; according to another, its actual [[mother]], being ''[[Prithvi|Prithvi Tattwa]]'', the essence of the element earth.

As ''[[Prithvi|Prithvi Mata]]'', or "[[Mother Nature|Mother Earth]]", she contrasts with ''[[Dyaus Pita]]'', "[[Sky Father|father sky]]". In the [[Rigveda]], ''earth'' and sky are frequently addressed as a [[Dualism (Indian philosophy)|duality]], often indicated by the idea of two complementary "half-shells." In addition, the element Earth is associated with [[Budha]] or Mercury who represents communication, business, mathematics and other practical matters.

[[Jainism]] mentions one-sensed beings or spirits believed to inhabit the element earth sometimes classified as pṛthvīkāya [[ekendriya]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Mark|last=Webb|title=Jain Philosophy|url= https://iep.utm.edu/jain/|publisher=[[Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Journal of the Department of Letters|volume=5|journal=Journal of the Department of Letters|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BDxQAQAAMAAJ&q=351|author=University of Calcutta: Department of Letters|page=351|date=1921|publisher=Calcutta University Press, originally from [[University of Chicago]]}}</ref>

==Ceremonial magic==
Earth and the other Greek classical elements were incorporated into the [[Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn|Golden Dawn]] system. Zelator is the elemental grade attributed to earth; this grade is also attributed to the [[Sephirot]] of [[Malkuth]].<ref>Israel Regardie, ''The Golden Dawn'', pp. 154-65.</ref> The [[magical weapon|elemental weapon]] of earth is the [[Pentacle]].<ref>Regardie, ''Golden Dawn'', p.322; Kraig, ''Modern Magick'', pp. 149-53.</ref> Each of the elements has several associated spiritual beings. The archangel of earth is [[Uriel (archangel)|Uriel]], the angel is Phorlakh, the ruler is Kerub, the king is Ghob, and the earth [[elemental]]s (following [[Paracelsus]]) are called [[gnome]]s.<ref>Regardie, ''Golden Dawn'', p. 80.</ref> Earth is considered to be passive; it is represented by the symbol for [[Taurus (astrology)|Taurus]], and it is referred to the lower left point of the pentagram in the Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram.<ref>Regardie, ''Golden Dawn'', pp. 280–286; Kraig, ''Modern Magick'', pp. 206-209.</ref> Many of these associations have since spread throughout the occult community.

It is sometimes represented by its [[Tattva]] or by a downward pointing triangle with a horizontal line through it.

==Modern witchcraft==
Earth is one of the five elements that appear in most [[Wicca]]n and [[Pagan]] traditions. [[Wicca]] in particular was influenced by the Golden Dawn system of [[Magic (paranormal)|magic]], and [[Aleister Crowley]]'s mysticism which was in turn inspired by the Golden Dawn.<ref>Hutton, pp. 216–23; Valiente, witchcraft for tomorrow, p. 17.</ref>

==Other traditions==
''Earth'' is represented in the [[Aztec]] religion by a house; to the [[Hindu]]s, a lotus; to the [[Scythians]], a plough; to the [[Culture of Greece|Greeks]], a wheel; and in [[Christianity|Christian]] [[iconography]]; bulls and birds.

==See also==
* [[Earth]]
* [[Gaia (mythology)]]
* [[Mother goddess]]
* [[Mother nature]]
* [[Pherecydes of Syros]]
* [[Capricorn (astrology)]]
* [[Virgo (astrology)]]
* [[Taurus (astrology)]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* [http://www.friesian.com/elements.htm Different versions of the classical elements]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Earth (Classical Element)}}
[[Category:Earth in religion]]
[[Category:Classical elements]]
[[Category:Esoteric cosmology]]
[[Category:History of astrology]]
[[Category:Technical factors of astrology]]
[[Category:Concepts in ancient Greek metaphysics]]