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If we go back a thousand years to the time of the “middle English” spoken
language, “elements” usually referred to the 4 substances - air, water, fire
and earth - believed to compose the physical universe. “Elements” also
referred to one of the celestial “spheres“ including the sun and the moon.
For all of human existence before then, our ancestors lived every day fully
aware of the environmental conditions impacting them. They were keenly
aware of the “elements” and their changes because they experienced them
real time – day to day.
As our lives became more urbanized, we were increasingly insulated from
these conditions, and keen knowledge of them was less important. Today,
unless most of your daily activities are outdoors, your awareness of these
conditions is either indirect (like a television weather report) or very
intermittent. You check when you need to, but it’s not part of the rhythm of
daily life.
One of the joys of an extended time outdoors is that you start to get back in
sync with the “elements.” Even if your opportunities to be outdoors are not
constant, there is some satisfaction in approaching each day with deep
awareness. For me, one of the benefits of waterfowl season is that for a span
of several months, I am more aware of these conditions on a day today (or
hour to hour) basis, even if the number of times I’m actually in the marsh are
relatively few.
Exactly what conditions are important may vary with your situation. For
purposes of this article, imagine an extended trip on the water in an open
boat (like a canoe) traveling down a river or lake. Perhaps fishing along the
way. You would want to be aware of:
The sun. When does it rise and when does it set? When do you need to
be looking for a camp for the night? If not by exact time, by what
position in the sky?
The moon. When does it rise and set? What phase is it in and is it
waxing or waning? This would tell you if you might have enough light
at night to travel (or whether that time is coming up) and would also
mark the passage of time in a very visible way.
The air. What is the temperature? How is it changing? What direction
is the wind from and what is its speed? Is it raining or could other
conditions make rain likely?
The water. Is the water level in the river or lake rising or falling? Is the
river current faster or slower? What is the water temperature?
It’s possible to imagine a situation where inadequate knowledge of any of
these could have significant health and safety consequences.
So pause for a minute and imagine you were living your life on a nearby
river. Do you know when it gets light? Or when will it get dark? Is the river
rising or falling and how cold (or warm) is its water? When does the moon
rise, and what phase is it in? How long before the next full moon? What are
the air (weather) conditions today?
Many things are easy to find on the Internet - but do everything you can to
observe them firsthand, and try to observe them every day so the changes
are experienced and the future state – tomorrow – can be anticipated.
Don’t let our modern world deprive us of the satisfaction of daily awareness
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