On the Spiritual Nature of the Liquid Element

‘It is really vain to attempt to express the nature of something. We notice effects, and a complete account of these effects would perhaps comprise the nature of this thing. We attempt in vain to describe the character of a man; but a description of his actions and his deeds will create for us a picture of his character.’ (Goethe Theory of Colours)

Let us examine water with this in mind.

Wherever there is water, life can become active in the material world; where there is no water this possibility ceases. Water is essentially the element of life, wherever possible it wrests life from death. It is the great healer of all that is sick and has lost its living poise; for water forever strives after balance, a living balance, never a static one that would extinguish life. It is everywhere a mediator between contrasts, which grow sharper where it is absent. Thus it brings together elements hostile to one another, constantly creating something new out of them. It dissolves what is solid, rendering it back to life.

In itself water remains chemically neutral, but it does unite with other substances where the solid element is too much in opposition to life. Water desires nothing for itself, it gives of itself freely, never questioning the form into which it must change when needed by plant, animal or man; with the same submissiveness it fills them all. Selflessly it resigns itself to every need, retiring after acting as mediator, to be ready for new creativity. As in its very nature it is itself pure, it can purify, refresh, heal, strengthen, revive and clarify all things. ‘Water is the element of selfless contrast, it passively exists for others ... water’s existence is thus an existing-for-others ... It is its fate to be something not yet specialized ... and therefore it soon came to be called “the mother of all that is special”.’ (Hegel Encyclopaedia of the Philosophical Sciences.)

Water does not close itself to light as does a solid body, but makes itself clear and transparent; in the pure play of colour in the rainbow it attains the fullness of possibilities. Selflessly it is mediator, in the eye for the impressions of the visible world, in the ear for those of the audible world. But it also opens itself to the harmonies and laws of the heavens, which it passes on to the growing human embryo, surrounding it entirely. It also passes these laws on to the thoughtful human being via a watery sphere with which it surrounds his organ of thinking. To a great extent withdrawn from the force of gravity, it maintains a central position between earth and cosmos, never losing itself to the one or the other and yet remaining closely connected with both, uniting them in an eternal circulation. Water holds a balance between extremes of solidification and evaporation, always retaining its possibilities of transformation. Like an echo of the ever changing events of the heavens, the fullness of form in the world comes forth from water.

Not only does water give to the human being and to all living nature the basis for existence in a living body, but it pictures—as though in a great parable—higher qualities of man’s development. Qualities such as the overcoming of rigidity in thought, of prejudice, of intolerance; the ability to enter into all things and to learn to understand them out of their own nature and to create out of polarities a higher unity; all these are aims of human striving which we can recognize also in the qualities of water. They represent ways in which human beings may win through to selflessness in a pure, healthy and light-filled soul life. Just as water aids them in their entry into the earthly world, mediating to them the heavenly forces, so it can also lead them to a rebirth of their spiritual nature. Touching upon these possibilities of development, Wolfram von Eschenbach speaks of the nature of water:

‘... He also went into the water for baptism from Whom Adam received his features. From water, trees derive their sap. Water fructifies all created things, which man calls creatures. From water man has his sight. Water gives many souls such radiance that angels cannot be more bright.’

Parcival XVI, 817.

Translated by H.M. Mustard and C.E. Passage.