The Four Elements

by William R. Mistele, Tanya Robinson (Illustrator)

The four elements reveal the mystery of life. The earth element enables us to be practical, solid, and down to earth. Yet also found within the earth element is a quiet ecstasy and inner silence in which the things we care about most in life are always near to us. The air element, weightless and free, has within it a perfect state of relaxation. Here are balance and harmony, the feeling of freedom, of good cheer, and a sense of wonder—that in each moment the unknown universe is revealing itself in a new way. In water are innocence and receptive grace. The water element is so open and focused on the present that our responses to others are not shaped by our past experiences. The water element also produces graphic imagination—the ability to experience the past and the future as if they are completely real and happening right now. Within water is found a nearly super human empathy in which we can feel other’s feelings as if they are our own. The fire element is expansive, energetic, and commanding. It overcomes obstacles and makes things happen. Through its will power, we are able to seize new opportunities as they arise. Fire has the light of vision and the ecstasy that comes from accomplishing a mission. By studying the four elements, we are able to answer for ourselves these age-old questions, What is human nature? What is it to feel fully alive? And what can we accomplish in our lives?

175 pages, Paperback

Published August 30, 2019

About the author

“I was born in Detroit, Michigan. My parents were extraordinarily dynamic. They were patrons of all the major Christian evangelists in the United States. They had contact with many political and business leaders. When it came to motor boats, sailboats, planes, and cars, they either set new records or owned some of the most famous ones in the world.

In this enchanting environment, you could come down to breakfast in the morning and meet a house guest like Captain Fuchida who led the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. You could hear the Captain and my mother discussing previously undisclosed details about the causes of World War II.

However, surrounded as I was by relatives who were masters of engineering, business enterprise, law, and accounting, I pursued a different path.
I graduated from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois with a BA in philosophy and a minor in economics. At that time, I began studying esoteric, oral traditions. In genuine mythology, individuals come into contact with the creative powers of the human spirit. Words and language possess a symbolic and imaginative quality that is magical. To understand an idea is to experience it from within. This involves a life-long, transforming journey–if you change the self, you change the world.

As part of my field research, I lived in a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Berkeley, California. I next studied Hopi Indian culture and language at the University of Arizona where I received a Masters degree in linguistics. At that time I became the only accepted student of a Hopi Indian shaman.

While living in Tucson, Arizona I began studying the Western hermetic traditions and the nature religions of Wiccans and Druids. I worked with a number of extremely gifted psychics and parapsychologists whose primary focus was on experimentation and research. I also practiced evocation with a Sufi master.

I then moved to Hawaii in 1982. There I studied with the relocated abbot of a Taoist monastery that existed for over two thousand years in China, a Vietnamese Zen master, and one of the foremost Tai Chi Chuan masters of China.

Since 1975, I have been a steadfast student of the system of initiation taught by the Czech magician, Franz Bardon, who died in the fifties. This system has provided the methods for contacting nature spirits and interacting with them in a personal and original manner. Franz Bardon’s mission was to offer a system of self-initiation that maximizes the spiritual powers and creativity of the individual.

Over the years I have worked as a group facilitator and a mediator in family and divorce mediation. I have taught as a civilian instructor for the U.S. Navy and marines. I have researched investing strategies for individuals’ portfolios. I am also a life long student researching strategies for resolving international conflicts.

I consider myself a spiritual anthropologist. Expanding on Bardon’s purposes, I am integrating into his system the wisdom of all traditions. To this end, I have created a new genre of modern fairy tales. These stories are not about belief or faith but direct experience. They open gates to other realms where we discover the keys to what is missing from life.

In 1998, I created a teaching website where I post my research and writings. This site currently offers a free correspondence course and on-going seminar for developing undine empathy. I am also establishing an archive on this site that gathers individuals’ experiences with undines from around the world. The goal is to expand and add clarity to the body of world literature in this area.”

~ William R. Mistele