When you ask yourself "what do I want?" what response do you get? In asking myself that question, I hear many different parts of myself that often don't agree - one part of me wants this, another wants that, and another part of me wants something different from the first two.  Sometimes this isn't an issue because all the wants/needs/wishes/desires can all be accommodated.  At other times, the things that different parts of me want are on different sides of a choice, on different sides of a decisive action.  Then, how do I decide?  How do I know what I really want?

Occasionally, the answer that feels best to me will jump out of the muddle without much work.  At other times, the matter seems less immediately clear and I have to discern what the best path for me is.  I find that working with the elements can be helpful in framing my efforts at discernment.  In my experience, each of them provides valuable approaches to deciding on the next step and that, as a whole, they span the many different ways I "know" things.

Using Air, I harness the powers of my intellect - I can make a list of pros and cons, I can hold the perspective of a bird in flight and be aware of the"'big picture," I can analyze, translate, and weave together the information I get from the other approaches into language.

Fire challenges me to see what I am passionate about - I can illuminate my shadows and the unseen, I can burn away the slag to reveal my mettle, I can see what I really burn for and what burns within me, I can prioritize and see what's really important to me - If my house was on fire and I could go in and get three things...

Water shows me the power of emotions and the flow of a situation - I can listen to what emotional signals a situation brings up for me, I can sense where I feel "stuck" or stagnant, I can wait at the "well" of my being for insights to float to the surface and reveal themselves, I can reflect and see myself in the mirror of water.

With Earth, I rely on my body to reveal its knowing to me - I can follow the movements I am called to and hear the story they communicate, I can notice where and when I hold muscular tension, I can practice sitting meditation to feel the answer in my flesh and bones.  Over time, I find that I can begin to cultivate a "center of gravity" in myself that helps me be more aware of my earthy, embodied wisdom at all times.

Between the four complementary approaches, I often am able to gain insight into what it is that I want and what's right for me.   And these are merely some of the elemental approaches available for "knowing myself in all of my parts"  - how do you engage Air, Fire, Water, and Earth in choosing your path? How do they support you on your journey of discernment and becoming?