Black Consciousness is a level of awareness that comes from a knowledge of who you are, how you came to be, the world around you, and your place in that world. Out of that awareness comes the concept of the 5 Elements of Life.
There are 5 Elements of Life that make up everything you are, were, and will be. There is no aspect of your existence that falls outside of the 5 Elements of Life.
The 5 Elements of life make up the entirety of your existence in the universe. The elements are…
● The Physical Element of Life
● The Metaphysical Element of Life
● The Career/Academic Element of Life
● The Resources Element of Life, and
● The Relationships Element of Life
Table of Contents
Why Understanding the 5 Elements of Life Matters
Black Consciousness is a journey into gaining knowledge of self. But with so many books, websites, videos, and resources in existence, it can be easy for the new initiate to feel overwhelmed. In fact, many members of this community spend years searching for the truth and exhaust themselves before finding the knowledge they seek.
Instead, initiates are encouraged to develop their Nia – or their life purpose – and use that as a guiding light for developing their 5 Elements of Life. This gives the initiate the ability to filter information that is not relevant to them while focusing on the information that is crucial for their development.
For example, the knowledge that is important to a Black Christian Vegan Entrepreneur whose Nia is to build generational wealth may not be as relevant for a Black Muslim whose Nia is fighting for political change.
By knowing and mastering your 5 Elements of Life, you are able to focus only on the information that is most relevant to you. Here are the 5 Elements of Life.
The Metaphysical Element
Your metaphysical element is everything about you that can not be seen or touched. This includes your spirit, your thoughts, your emotions, and your energy – a collective life force that we call your ‘light body’. This is the part of you that transcends physical death, time, and space. The metaphysical element can be understood and cultivated with meditation, spiritual mentorship, ancestral communion, and through affirmations.
Examples of subjects that fall under the Metaphysical Element are:
- African Spirituality
- Religions
- Mental Health
- Emotional Intelligence
- Meditation
- …and many other topics
The Physical Element
The physical element of your existence is everything about you that can be touched and expressed visibly. This includes your anatomy, your health, your strength, your flexibility, and your physical endurance. The physical element is impacted by sunlight, the food you eat, the liquids you drink, the level and type of physical activity you engage in, and the quality of the air that you breathe.
In Black Consciousness, we know that weapons of white supremacy like infection and intoxication have been used to destroy Black bodies. Thus, we strive to avoid any substances or behavior that make us participants in our own demise.
Depending on your life purpose, the physical element of your life could include:
- Veganism, Vegetarianism, or Pescetarianism
- Anabolic training
- Aerobic exercise
- Kemetic Yoga
- Herbalism
- and Martial Arts
The Academic Element
The academic element is right knowledge that is gained for the sole purpose of achieving your divine purpose. You express that knowledge through your career (assuming your career is aligned with your life mission).
The academic element is strengthened when you “do the Knowledge” – or study for the purpose of using knowledge – rather than consuming knowledge that is not important to you. It doesn’t benefit you to know what celebrities do behind closed doors, and so such worthless knowledge should be discarded in favor of acquiring right knowledge.
“Right knowledge corrects wrong behavior.”
Academic disciplines can include the following:
- Geography
- Philosophy
- Mathematics
- Engineering
- Space Sciences
- Philosophy
- and Biology
The Resources Element
The resources element includes both your time and any physical medium of exchange that you use to achieve your life’s mission. The abundance or scarcity of your resources are determined by your level of discipline, focus, the clarity of your direction, and your intent.
It is important to overstand that time is the only resource given to all of us by our creator. What we do with that time either gives honor to – disgraces – both our ancestors and our divinity. Thus, we acquire and manage our resources in ways that honor both.
The resources element always involves time mastery, and can also include the following:
- Farming
- Real Estate development
- Mining
- Entrepreneurship
- Manufacturing
- Commodity investing
- and/or Cryptocurrency
The Relationship Element
Relationships are how you relate to other physical beings in the world around you. These relationships are not just intimate – they include the full circle of friends, relatives, co-workers, colleagues, and associates around you.
The entire universe is organized around relationships. Positive relationships like the balance of the biosphere, the distance between the Earth and our sun and the sun and the center of the galaxy and the galaxy in this simulation that we call the universe are all life affirming.
But just as positive relationships have the power to produce life, negative relationships can be deadly. It is critical for you to see relationships around you for what they are and understand how they can help – or hurt – you in pursuing your highest purpose in life.
To help you do that, ask yourself these all important questions:
- What is your relationship with this person really like?
- Do you know them? What questions can you ask them to learn more about what they are really like?
- What are their relationships like with others?
- What does the other person seek to gain in their relationship with you?
- Are they using you as a stepping stone to get somewhere else?
- And the most important question is this: how does this relationship change you.
