When the Standards Committee was forming the very first American Polarity Therapy Association (APTA) standards for Registered and Associate Polarity Practitioners in the late 1980's, Eleanor Lipton and I decided to revise our instructional manual, The Therapeutic Art of Polarity, to include all of the new requirements for the Associate Polarity Practitioner.  Since we had decided to try to incorporate the newly developed standards into our works, we went to great lengths to make sure that we understood exactly what the standards expected us to impart to our students.  During this process, I discovered several problematic discrepancies and other errors within those new standards, including simple typos.  For example, one confusing error that I discovered had Dr. Stone's sources listed under the wrong elements.  Things just didn't make sense to me. 

My intuition urged me to tell Dr. Jim Said that this error occurred because the elements and their currents had been misunderstood.  I have approached many members of the original standards committee, in addition to Dr. Jim Said, none of whom would listen to my many reasons as to why there was a difference of opinion.  Why is this such a contentious issue?  Why is it not possible that Stone's writings have been misunderstood?  Almost anyone who has read or studied Stone knows that his writing tends to be somewhat disorganized and often lurches from subject to subject within a single paragraph.  Indeed, some of his collected writings were merely notes written by students who had attended his lectures. 

Is anyone open to the possibility of Dr. Stone's work being misunderstood?  Would anyone hazard to claim absolute comprehension of all of his genius?  John Beaulieu, R.P.P., said that there is certainly room in the polarity community for a difference of opinion. The goal of this article is to began a discussion of a view of the universal elements which differs from the way we currently understand and teach them. 

Dr. Stone placed great importance on understanding the currents and their respective relationships to the various elemental energies.  He said "OUR MANIPULATION WILL HAVE MORE MEANING, AND WILL NOT BE MERE MECHANICAL LABOR." (Stone, Book One, page 71(BI, p71) and he wrote it in capital letters.  Stone also felt that, "our work is really an art and a science, instead of a mere routine." (BI, p71)  We should not be thinking about the wrong element while trying to influence a certain current.  This would be like asking the god of fire for rain. 

The current APTA model is constructed with five elements (Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether) combined with five different currents (Caduceus, vertical, spiral, horizontal and radiant).  Three currents are required by the standards of APTA to be taught as combined in this manner: Water=vertical, Fire=spiral, Air=horizontal.   

My new book, You Too Can Have Hands of Magic - Polarity in Application, is somewhat controversial, in part because it reorganizes the Polarity paradigm in a manner which disagrees with the APTA standards model of the elements.  My reorganization attempts to give a flow of energy which interfaces with the organs and parts of the body associated with each elemental energy and to recognize Stone's written material.  

"Written in Stone" was a recurring feature in old issues of the APTA journal which gave homage to Dr. Stone's works.    Quoting Stone again -"Energy travels in a circuit, ." (BI, p46)  Energy must have a circuit or pathway to follow.  Stone's works infer that these flows of energy are forces and function in the body for health and well-being.  Why should some of his words go ignored?  In reference to four of the five elements Dr. Stone wrote of a way to identify them:

"After speaking about the elements, let us identify them by their direction of travel:

1 - The Earth element is always a straight line or plane, as the basis of crystallization.

2 - The Water element goes downward and seeks its level everywhere.  It is the foundation of things. It is the creative principle.  Like gravity, it goes deep.

3 - The Fire element flies upward, like sparks in the hearth.

4 - The Air element moves zig-zag, like lightning or the motion of a worm, . . ."
(B1, p53)

In order to respect these words from Dr. Stone's my theory makes the following pairs: Earth=horizontal, Water=vertical, Fire=radiant, Air=Caduceus.  A discussion of each coupling follows: 

Earth with horizontal:

Stone said the Earth element goes in a straight line.  There are only two currents which could be called straight: the horizontal and the vertical.  Stone clearly pairs the Water with the vertical in Charts #1 of The Evolutionary Energy Charts (EEC, Chart 1 - Titled : Polarity of the Water element & how it operates in the body as finer Energy Circuits).  This leaves only the horizontal current as a straight line circuit for the Earth element.

Dr. Stone shows the Earth/ horizontal/East-West currents as going left to right on page 14, Chart 7. (BII, p14)  However, on page 10, in Chart 3 he shows them going from the right to the left. One RPP argued that these were two different energy currents, but they have the same name "east to west" and I think the intention was to show the current was not just occurring every three to four inches on the body but rather that there were many fine rows of energy.  This also shows that Stone was human and could have made a mistake.  Which direction of energy is correct?  In order to support the intestines, the flow should be from the right to the left in my humble opinion.  EEC-Chart #12 says the flow is from east to west, front to back.  

This horizontal current fits with the body type for Earth which is depicted as "stout, round and thick necked."  The dominant energy of the body is influenced by the horizontal lines of flow which make the body more wide.  This current also travels over all of the areas it is said to influence: knees, intestines and neck.

Air with zigzag:

The only current which could be described as zig-zagging is the Caduceus and thus it is paired with the Air element.  The APTA model for the Air element does not zig-zag at all.  APTA  has the Air going in straight lines around the body.

I had a friend who has a PHD in Physic who laughed at the APTA theory because there was no connection between the circuit and the area it was suppose to influence.  He said this work will never be taken seriously until it made sense.  My arrangement meets his criteria. 

In matching these two together I refer to Stone's first book were he discusses the Caduceus:

"The crossing over of the serpents at the central colume (the spine) denotes the various sympathetic plexuses and the rami communicans which link the cerebrospinal system with the sympathetic nervous system." (BI, p38)

"the Cerebellum, or the lesser part of the wings on the staff, was considered part of the sympathetic nervous system, as it regulates the automatic functions ..."(BI, p38)

This shows that Stone denoted the plexuses of the nervous system with the crossing over of the serpents.  Since the Air element is linked to the nervous system this unites current with its area of influence on the body. 

Chart #2 in book one shows the cervical,heart, splanchnic, sacral and coccygeal plexus as being on the Caduceus flow with the ankle as the negative pole. (BI, p44)  The ankle is the negative contact for the Air element.  

The Air current centered on the spinal cord is in keeping with the Air body type which is described as "thin and wire-y."  This also completes the need for the energy's current to flow over the nervous system it is said to influence. 

Fire with radiant:

The Fire element is left with either the spiral or radiant/Creative Flame current.  I chose the Fire element with the radiant current and placed the Ether with the spiral currents.  This circuit more closely matches the "Path of the Fiery Principle of Light and Warmth" Chart (BIII, p54, Chart #7) which shows the pathway as two vertical currents crossing at the solar plexus area just like the double flames cross over each other in that same region in the Creative Flame.  This pathway is "a radiant flame of energy which is the heart and core of every living thing. . . .It is the warmth of life."  (BV, p2)  The energy flow is upward.  

This current also influences the regions most associated with the Fire element: heart, stomach and the solar plexus. The thighs and eyes are included if the Path of the Fire Element Chart is considered.  The Fire element carries warmth out to the body and Creative Flame is "the warmth of life."  Plus it just seems appropriate for Flame and Fire to go together!  Further Stone said: " The Fire principle flows through the solar (sun) plexus . . . "  (BI, p77)

The APTA model for FIre does not flow upward as Stone identified because both spiral model start by flowing downward. Also APTA's model does not explain Stone's "Path of the Fiery Principle" which shows the pathway as two vertical currents crossing at the solar plexus area.

Ether with spiral:

I chose to marry the spiral currents with the Ether element.  In the EEC -Chart #12 Stone links these:

"2- Vital neuter energy spirals anterior from the umbilicus- posterior from the end of the spinal cord at the 12 dorsal interspace and at lumber vertabra. See Charts No.2 & 3**."
(**Please note: ** Charts No. 2 & 3 are the spiral currents.)

"3-. . .  Etheric and magnetic atomic type energy spirals which tie into the central core. . ."
(The bold emphasis is mine) 

Ether is neutral, influences the joints, throat and the thyroid system.  These currents pass through all joints and rise out of the navel -the most neutral point on the body.  This is the reason that the third eye/umbilicus hold is always so soothing. 

I initially made these changes because I trusted my intuition.  It just felt more natural and in tune to think of the elements in this manner.  My own personal experience in response to specific contacts also had me questioning the accepted model.  Reactions from people receiving my session also confirmed my belief.  

Experiment with this simple system of thinking the next time you work: diagonally, you are influencing the Air; pole to pole/lengthways contacts effect the Water; bilateral and posterior/anterior to front impact the Earth; coming out from the umbilicus or combining joints alters the Ether; imagining energy coming out from the solar plexus changes the Fire element.  See what results you personally achieve. 

I feel somewhat guilty for referring to this as "my" arrangement and "my" restructure because I believe that it is really what Dr. Stone was trying to teach us with his work as his gift to this world.  What has happened to our understanding of Stone's work may be analogous to a personal anecdote.  My family and I love to do puzzles, especially 3-dimensional ones.  One time we were putting together a puzzle of the Egyptian Pyramids.  It went together well, except in the end we had one hole left and one piece which did not match it.  My mother said it was just a mystery.  My son was convinced it was a mistake by the manufacturer and wrote them a letter demanding the correct piece be sent. He even included a tracing of the existing hole.  I decided to look at it more closely and discovered that some of the finished pieces that seemed to fit together really didn't.  I had to take three sides of the pyramid apart, put it back together again, but I ended up with a 3-D puzzle model of a pyramid, complete and whole.

fin

Bibliography

Bryan, Alexandra, You Too Can Have Hands of Magic - Polarity in Application. Bloomington, Indiana: Authorhouse, 1990, Revised 2005

Stone, Rudolph, Polarity Therapy. Volume One. Reno, NV: CRCS Publishing, 1954.

Stone, Rudolph, Polarity Therapy. Volume Two. Reno, NV: CRCS Publishing, 1954.

Alexandra Faer Bryan's book of polarity case studies, You Too Can Have Hands of Magic, is a real contribution to polarity therapy and a wonderful addition to the growing body of polarity literature. Ms. Bryan, is a polarity practitioner and instructor who has over 20 years of experience applying polarity in hospital settings, as a visiting nurse, and in a conventional private practice. She presents her polarity case studies in a loving and compassionate style while at the same time maintaining clinical integrity.

Ms. Bryan's case presentations address polarity practice through studies on high blood pressure, fevers, kidney failure, whiplash, recovery from different surgeries, cancer, wound healing, ear infections, the dying process, and nervous disorders. Reading her studies is inspiring and will help any polarity practitioner build confidence and understand the depth of our work in the hands of a skilled practitioner. I recommend You Too Can Have Hands of Magic for all polarity practitioners.

"This is a fine book that will surely inspire many to learn and to use Polarity Therapy to great advantage."

"A world map of Polarity Therapy and a fascinating account of its power . . . with case histories, compassionate narratives, insightful personal experiences and relevant scientific studies, Alexandra's controversial reorganization of the Polarity paradigm builds a compelling rationale for this work."