"In another way the whole human being in his functional
threefoldness is depicted in the hand. The finger rays with the sensitive ends
are the part in which the soul-astral element expresses itself. The point-like
action belongs to the astral body and produces consciousness. The nerve-sense
pole is reflected in it.
The palm which we can open and close, which permits us to
produce systole and diastole, is related to the rhythmical system. Massage
movements made with the palm can be given a special "breathing"
quality. With the thumb we enter the field of the will, when we put it in
opposition the hand becomes space. Thumb gestures are will gestures, they may
have a rough, indeed, almost brutal effect.(13)"
It is this threefoldness within the hand and its meaning for
massage which is of special interest. Every massage movement is a gesture. It
derives its basic direction from the part of the hand applying it. A massage
movement applied with the fingers will draw its effect from the form-giving
dynamic of the nerve-sense pole. If the massage is carried out by the thumb,
the effect emanates from the releasing dynamic of the metabolic pole. Massaging
with the palm of the hand brings the benefit of the balancing dynamic of the
rhythmical system.
The next step is to see how the effect of the form-giving
dynamic influences the human organism. This will lead us to the correct way of
massaging with the fingers. In order to find the right massage movement for the
thumbs we have to investigate how the releasing, mobile quality acts on the
various parts of the human organism. The same applies to the balancing
processes and massage movements using the palms of the hand.
Different regions
Under the heading "Massage and the nature of
muscles" is discussed the different regions of the body and the
connections between head and calves, lungs and thighs and so on. In massage it
can be especially fruitful to get to know the relationship these parts of the
human organism have with the four elements.
Take, for example, the alchemist terms Sal, Mercury and
Sulfur. The Sal process relates to the elements water and earth, the Mercury
process to air and water and the Sulfur process to air and fire. This offers a
perspective where, for example, the head belongs to the earth element, whereas
the intestines at the opposite pole belong to the fire element.
This means that for a massage of the calf muscles acting
through the astral lemniscate the massage therapist needs to derive the quality
of the movement from the earth element. This can be further elaborated by using
the three parts of the hand to work in different directions. The same applies
for thighs and the water element, upper arm and the air element, lower arm and
the fire element.
Developing the quality of each element in three directions
we arrive at the twelvefold nature of the zodiac. Getting to know the zodiac we
can put the above into practice.
English by Ulrike O'Callaghan.
web nawroth.com
planetmassage.org 2003