I Am: To your other question, Tiev, who are you? You are a divine creation.
Tiev: My family said, ‘This you cannot be!’ replied Tiev, her back now straighter and taller.
I Am: Tiev, do not let others define what they did not create. Look at your name: T-I-E-V, Treasure In Earthen Vessel. You are a very special treasure, remember this now and forever.
Tiev: Me? A treasure?
I Am: Yes, Tiev! You knew this but you forgot. Many people forget how valuable they are.
from My Forgotten Self: A Story about a Girl, a Powerful Encounter, and a Universal Message by Lynyetta G. Willis, PhD
The Power of the 5th Element
Various traditions have many names for what I call the 5th Element – Spirit, Soul, Brahman, Aether, Christ Consciousness, Akasha, God-within,Goddess-within, Atman,Yhwh, and Chi, just to name a few. Other words used to represent the 5th element are energy, no-path, unity, presence, Being itself, force, wise mind, Self, and principle. Personally, I also use the phrase, “highest wisest Self.” Like water, air, and fire, the symbolism of the 5th element can assist in the evolution of ourselves and our relationships.
My Path to the 5th Element
In 2010, I had a mystical experience that led to the writing of my book, My Forgotten Self: A Story about a Girl, a Powerful Encounter, and a Universal Message (quoted above). The underlying message embedded in this children’s tale is that regardless of what we may be led to believe, we are powerful spiritual beings capable of more than we could ever imagine.
When I wrote this story, I was surprised by this message because it wasn’t even close to anything I’d been taught in my childhood faith tradition. As a result, I felt like a lonely mystic on the mountain but I knew I couldn’t be the only person who’d been given this insight. It was then that the explorer within me was activated and I began searching for my new tribe. Those whose perspective about what I call, God, carried them in the direction I found myself walking.
Presently, I do not believe the 5th element is connected to any one religion. When I speak of the 5th element, I am speaking of that aspect of our essence that encompasses what I believe we truly are — spirit.
[Hey! If you’re not comfy with the word, “spirit,” that’s okay. Fill in a word that connects you to your inner wisdom! If you can’t think of one, scroll up to the top of this post and try on a few of those words for size 😀]
I often use the four elements to represent our thoughts, feelings, body or physical sensations, and actions; however, though we have thoughts, feelings, a body, and behaviors, we are none of these things. To exemplify this further, I tell my children that we are like astronauts; our bodies, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are our space suit and it’s components. They support us while we live and breathe on this planet. One day, we’ll take them off and move on as the spiritual beings we are.
The 5th Element In Action
When we view ourselves and our family in the following ways, we can use the symbolic power of the 5th element to connect deeper to ourselves and those we love:
1.The answers we seek regarding how to engage our family are within us. The reason it doesn’t seem to be this way is because our “stuff” often drowns out the “still small voice” of our highest wisest Self. This is why much of what I help my clients do is deal with their “stuff” that gets in the way of doing what otherwise comes naturally to most of us — CONNECT with ourselves and others.
2. Tapping into our 5th element can help us get super clear on what within us needs our healing energy. After working with countless families, I was (pleasantly) surprised to realize that client questions like, “how do I get my kids to eat peas?” or “how do I stop the fighting between me and my husband?” actually had muuuuuch deeper roots. And these roots, more often than not, U-turned us right back into their internal landscape and towards questions like, “why am I so afraid?” or “why am I so angry?”
3. When we accept the idea that we have high wise Self, we can discern when we’re tapped into it and when we’re not. Let me get real for a second; there are times when I know what I should do or say (or not do or not say) but there’s a part of me that doesn’t give a shoot about the should’s and in those moments, when I’m not tapped in, I often react more than I mindfully act. Can ya relate? This has definitely happened with my kids and husband more than I’d care to admit. Looking back, I can see that in those moments I was not connected to my highest wisest Self.
4. Ultimately, we can use the power of our 5th element to become centered in our highest wisest Self. Creating our centering pathway or a personal centering process helps us deal with the triggers, traumas, and stories that disconnect us from our highest wisest Selves, our chil