Prepare to Receive Sacred Medicine Using Fire, Air, Earth, & Water

By Sofia Dagg

Founder of Elemental Medicine Healing

Sacred plant medicines offer us wonderful experiences that often guide us to grow and evolve. These medicines, such as psychedelic mushrooms or Ayahuasca, are powerful teachers. When receiving medicine, it is impossible to know exactly where these teachers will guide us. That said, preparing for your sacred healing journey is still possible. 

The ancient elements - fire, air, earth, and water - are a simple yet profound medicine to work with. The elements offer you healing guidance about how to feel safe and balanced before, during and after your plant medicine experiences. Learning the language of the elements can greatly enhance your healing journey with powerful plant teachers. 

Six years ago, I took Ayahuasca for the first time in Costa Rica with a Peruvian shamanic group. It was a powerful turning point in my life that led me through a beautiful and challenging rebirth. I had been working with magic mushrooms for two years before meeting with Ayahuasca, which supported me in preparing for the deep transformation that the mother medicine created within me. 

I have a profound respect for these plant medicine teachers and the abundance of blessings they have brought into my life. One of the gifts that has been shared with me during my years of training has been the ancient healing language of the elements. In Africa, I was initiated in a mystery school into understanding and embodying the powers of fire, air, earth, and water. 

The universe guided me on my path to continue working with sacred plant medicines in various countries around the world. I learned of the synergy of working with the elemental language alongside sacred plant medicine ceremonies. Working with the elements resulted in me feeling more prepared for each experience, and in addition, I have been able to integrate the complex teachings with more ease. 

I am excited to share with you in this blog how the language of the elements can be supportive as you prepare to take sacred plant medicines. This is knowledge that can guide you in having safer, more profound encounters with whatever sacred plants you are working with. 

The first step to accessing the gifts that the elements have to share with you is to begin to notice how fire, air, earth, and water are manifesting within your body. Each element can be noticed through the sensations that you feel. These sensations in the body mirror how we see the elements manifesting in the world around us. For example, we can observe that fire heats things up, and water cools things down. 

It is the same in the world around us as it is in the world within us. Breathing in air will make us feel lighter while eating a big meal makes us feel heavier. By observing the properties within each element in the world around you, it becomes more natural to be able to see what kind of messages the elements within your body are sharing. At times, there can be an abundance of one element and a scarcity of another. 

Leading up to your ceremony, it can be very beneficial to notice which element you may have a lot of and which one is feeling more scarce. It could even be multiple that there is an abundance or scarcity of. The more balanced you feel with these four energies before your experience, the more harmonious the journey will be. 

For example, if you observe a lot of fire in the body through experiencing heat and hyperactivity, before your plant medicine experience, it can be beneficial to welcome more water into your body. This can be achieved through hydrating the body, getting more rest, and generally slowing down. When the time comes to work with the sacred teacher, you will feel more balanced and calm during your experience. 

It is common to be attracted to one of the elements and have an aversion to another. This response to fire, air, earth, and water reveals what parts of your life you are feeling strong or weak in this time. It is helpful to note your relationship to each element. There truly is no right or wrong answer. Everyone simply has a personal relationship to these elements in their life. No one interpretation or connection is better or worse. 

This practice supports you in viewing yourself and your life with compassion, simply observing what is unfolding without judgment. If fire excites you and earth irritates you, that is perfect. These four energies have the power to support you in feeling safer and more confident in your plant medicine experience. At times, sacred medicines can share guidance or experiences that, from a logical point of view, are wildly confusing. 

However, if you can observe which element the medicine is working with, it can help you to navigate the internal experience. Furthermore, you are then more capable of discerning what you may need from the world around you. Possibly, you are working on your confidence during your ceremony, and you may feel cold. A simple question of how I can support my inner fire could then inspire you to get a blanket to feel more comfortable. 

From the moment we decide to receive plant medicine, the process begins. Before ceremonies or retreats, significant shifts can begin to unfold. This is all a part of the preparation for what you are about to experience with the plant teacher. If imbalances are revealing themselves through body discomforts or relationship issues, you can begin to be aware of which element is speaking to you through the experience. 

As I mentioned previously, it all comes back to noticing the sensations that you feel in the body. Simply ask yourself which element the sensations feel most connected to. There might be two or three elements mixed into the experience. For example, in disagreeing with your partner, you may notice your mind racing, showing an abundance of air, and at the same time, there could be water coming through in feelings of sadness. 

Spending time in nature offers you the opportunity to observe fire, air, earth, and water in the world around you. In turn, this will guide you to be able to see more clearly the balance of the four elements within you. In the time leading up to your journey, notice where you are feeling drawn to be. Possibly, you enjoy spending time at a river, connecting with water, or hiking up a mountain to feel the expansiveness of air medicine.

The elements are always present to support you with your process before, during, and after your sacred medicine experiences. If you are curious to learn more about this medicine practice, you are welcome to explore my book ‘The Truth Within, ’ where I share the healing language of the elements to support people with their healing journeys. The healer in me sees the healer in you. 

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About the Author: Sofia Dagg, an Irish Elemental Medicine practitioner, blends ancient wisdom with modern practices to offer a unique approach to holistic healing. With a background in Psychology, Naturopathic Medicine, Yogic Medicine, Natural Birthing Medicine, and Sacred Plant Medicines, her global journey shaped her expertise. She founded Elemental Medicine Healing to offer teachings about a healing framework based on fire, air, earth, and water. Her book, "The Truth Within," guides readers in awakening their potential through elemental energies. Check here her website or LinkedIn.