The role of destruction, and of the working out of polarities, is a subject that has been dealt with an the alchemical tradition for a very long time.  Alchemically, it is understood that the issue you are dealing with, in which you find yourself (the prima materia) MUST go through a process of putrefaction, of...

Earth --> Day-waking (i.e. 'normal' adult) consciousness  Water --> Imaginative consciousness  Air ----> Inspirational consciousness  Fire ---> Intuitive consciousness   Earth --> Thinking 'about' - object-oriented  Water --> Thinking 'with' - process oriented  Air ----> Thinking 'between' - polarity-oriented, (Brad exemplifies this very well)  Fire ----> Thinking 'as' - whole-oriented   Further, considering that all thinking...