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Living with the Elements
Editorial By Yvette Neshi Lokotz
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Life is so interesting, and when we pay attention to the nudges from spirit, we receive welcome miracles and surprises.
As I was planning how to create the January 2021 issue while going through the initial grieving for my mother and mother-inlaw, I realized Star Nations Magazine has a deep wealth of information across the six years of publishing the magazine.
In December, I decided that the January and February issues would be created from diving into the depth of information found in our past issues. This curation process gives my husband, sister-in-law, and myself a bit of ease through the magazine issue creation process.
One of the best surprises that the nudge from spirit gave me was how our contributing writers had shared their experience, knowledge, and wisdom about the four elements. We even included the 5th element found in the beliefs from Feng Shui and the Maya Elders.
In this issue of Star Nations Magazine, we mined the best articles over the six years for you about living with the elements.
The four elements are Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. The fifth element is known as spirit, ether, metal, or the void.
My experience with the elements comes through my cultural filters, Native American. The Native American Medicine Wheel gives me both a physical and metaphysical way of understanding my journey through life. The Medicine Wheel can be thought of as an energetic map or template that includes the four elements and the four directions.
Of course, there is a caveat to using the Native American Medicine Wheel. The caveat is that there are multiple beliefs and understandings of the Wheel. There is not just one Medicine Wheel or one meaning of the Medicine Wheel. Each Native American tribal nation has a different meaning for each direction that can be very different to just a bit different. The common thread is the belief in the spirit of the Wheel.
I want to share with you how I understand each of the elements in the Medicine Wheel directions with the hope this will help you have a deeper enjoyment and perception of the articles in the magazine issue.
The element of Air is found in the eastern direction. This direction’s color is yellow; it is about mental energies (thoughts), Spring, includes items that can take flight—such as birds, and the sacred plant is tobacco.
The element of Fire is found in the south direction. This direction’s color is red; it is about our spirit/soul, Summer, includes items about heat—such as the sun and Fire, and the sacred plant is sage.
The element of Water is in the western direction. This direction’s color is black or blue; it is about our emotions, Autumn, includes items about Water, drums, wolf, and the sacred plant is sweetgrass.
The element of Earth is in the northern direction. This direction’s color is white; it is about the physical body, Winter, includes items about soil, stones, bear, and the sacred plant is cedar.
The fifth element in Feng Shui is Metal, which is about humanmade items, the colors of gold and silver—it can be about coins, and items can be made of iron.
The fifth element in the Mayan traditions is spirit or ether. This element is the energy of all creation. I place this element in the center of the Medicine Wheel.
I would like to share with you one of Star Nations Live Stream Shows with Minnie Kansman and me as we share about the element of Air. Please click the link or the image to watch this recorded live stream.
In this issue of Star Nations Magazine, we mined our best articles from our last six years of publishing, articles about living with the five elements: Air, Fire, Water, Earth, and Ether. If these articles pique your interest, please check out the issues they were drawn from.
The cover for this magazine issue is our respectful nod to the elements. Please enjoy reading the articles, listening to the podcasts, and watching the videos.
Wishing you all well.
Jage Nangonan,
