The association of elemental forces with different colors, compass directions, seasons, etc. can be found in diverse cultures and religions. Some American Indian tribes refer to the medicine women of the four directions and seasons.
Vajrayana Buddhism (which flourished in parts of Indonesia before it took root in Tibet) uses the symbolism of four cardinal directions plus the center in mandalas. Borobudur in central Java is a three-dimensional mandala which expresses this type of directional symbolism.
Traces of the symbolism of elemental forces can be found in modern playing cards, which are based on the four suits of the Tarot. These four suits can be understood as portrayals of the characteristics of four types of human beings, as defined by their roles in society (castes in India or estates in Europe during the late middle ages): priests, warriors, merchants, farmers.
In a deeper sense, the four suits represent elemental forces, all of which are present in each human being as manifestations of four specialized paths to unity with God. A number of mystical traditions teach correspondences of these forces with specific aspects of human existence, such as: body cavities and sections of the spine (sacral, lumbar, thoracic, cervical); planes or realms of being; archangels or dhyani buddhas; and climates (hot, cold, wet, dry).
Email me if you want to discuss this topic further.
Return to Understanding Natural Symbols