The Spirit of Virginia: Celebrating the Elements

Created 29-Sep-20

“There is no environment "out there" that is separate from us. We can't manage our impact on the environment if we are our surroundings. Indigenous people are absolutely correct: we are born of the earth and constructed from the four sacred elements of earth, air, fire and water."

- David Suzuki (Canadian academic, science broadcaster, environmental activist, and author of The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place In Nature where he adds biodiversity and love to the traditional four elements).

As I continuously organize and re-organize the images in this gallery of elements, I find that it is sometimes difficult to categorize photos. Does an image of water flowing around a rock belong in the Earth section or the Water section? What if a turtle sits on the same rock? Biodiversity? Hmmm.... So, I'm not going to get hung up on labels because ultimately, all the elements are but physical manifestations of the same Spirit.

In addition, I have been moved to pair my photographs with the words of sages, saints, sinners, scriptures, poets, painters, wordsmiths, and writers from traditions across the globe.