Earth... Air... Water... Fire... Why the Energy of Handmade Pottery is SO Powerful

Have you ever wondered why handmade pottery greatly changes the energy of any space you put it in?

It just hits a room’s energy differently than any other type of art, and for a powerful reason…

For a craftsman to finish any piece of pottery, he must somehow balance all four of the classical elements…

Earth…
Air…
Water…
Fire…

To fail in any one of them is to fail in all of them.

The earth from the ground must be mixed with the perfect amount of water to become workable.

Too much water and the vessel cracks or breaks. Not enough water, and a form cannot be created.

After water and earth are balanced, and a vessel is created, a potter must expose the work to the perfect amount of air over time.

Too much air and the vessel cracks or breaks. Not enough air, and the form can’t ever face the fire.

After water, earth, and air are balanced and a vessel is dry, a potter must expose the work to the perfect amount of fire. The fire is necessary to turn fragile earth into hardened stone. 

Too much fire and the vessel melts, warps, or cracks. Not enough fire and the vessel will be weak and unable hold water.

Hippocrates, Plato, Aristotle, they understood the power of these elements and why we must balance them in our lives.

Hindus, Buddhists, Native Americans, Africans, Japanese, and countless other spiritual cultures understood that the elements were the only way to achieve true alchemy.

Earth stretches deep beneath us. Wind stretches high above us. Water surrounds us all on all sides. Fire from the sun created us, and fire on the earth renews us and humbles us.

This is why pottery is so powerful. This is why it brings such incredible feelings into your space. This is why just having it in your existence trickles a more balanced and powerful energy into everything you do.

That pottery was created from a balance of the four major elements and when balanced, it becomes set in stone.

In this world of flashing screens and endless anxiety, pottery isn’t just pretty. It’s greatly needed in our homes and surroundings. I really believe that.

Dan Pearce | Dan Pearce Ceramics