Elemental Magick

The Four Elements of Western Philosophy

All things in the universe (at least ours) are made up of the four elements, earth, air, fire & water (and combinations of these four elements).

Regardless of what pagan faith we follow we call upon the elements to aid us. When we do a spell, offer prayers, make a potion, plant an herb garden, make an amulet (the list goes on forever) we use a combination of the elements to create a balance to achieve something. The elements are not only limited to our spiritual lives. They permeate our secular lives as well; when we cook, wash our car, write
a love letter, etc.

Some pagans focus their work with "elementals". An elemental is the embodiment of the positive and negative aspects of a particular element into an aiding or hindering force. It is believed that each one of us has a dominating elemental force in our lives, which can be determined by a few methods.

One method of finding out is by your birth chart. Another method is by reading about the elements and their correspondences and seeing which one you have the most affinity to. You will naturally gravitate to your natural correspondence because innately it will resound to you.

After determining your ruling element it is a good idea to begin working with said element because it will be the easiest to start with. Your target goal is to achieve a sort of balance between working with all elements. You will find that you will always have an element that is kin to you and another that can be a bit difficult to work with. Remember to keep a balance even if you want to work with one element. The balance is important because all the elements are actually form a symbiotic circle.

There are different ways to work with the elements. Here are two basic ways:

1. To only focus on the force or forces of the element(s) as a power: Many people who wish to avoid using gods and goddesses for various reasons use this method.

2. Some people can select something to embody the element. They might use a being and or god to making the element have a physical entity. For example: They will use Poseidon as the divine representation of the water element.

The four elements correspond to the four directions of our world: north, east, south, and west. It is considered that fire and air are male energies, while water and earth are female. For the most part the colors associated with each element are: air-yellow, fire-red, water-blue, earth-green

"Air represents mental activity, thoughts, reason and intellect, memory, knowledge, persuasion, birth and friendship, freedom, clarification and expression.

A low Air person seems without any direction and unable to define or visualize any future and can not reason out the alternatives and objectives.

A high Air person is at ease in complex situations and can sit and think things through, and can carry through with decisions.

Its feelings are moist heat, its season is Spring, its direction is East/Mental, the symbol is the Athame/Sword, and the smoke of the incense. Its colors are White and Yellow. Moon phase is the first quarter and its time is Dawn.

Different types of Air Magick include Visualizations. An important tool in any magick work, it makes the events happen. For this type, it is important that all the other factors such as color, time, the moon phase, winds, etc. are all in balance. And to have the other tools working such as incense and candle burning, or even the right tea or wine to drink in the background. This is because you need to "fix" or "ground" the images or ideas you are using in your visualization.

As our thoughts are extremely powerful, so are our Words. Words can be put together in such a way as to form spells, or used in channeling your power. Words give rise to our desires and can be released upon the winds for attainment. Created and repeated with intensity and concentration, the spoken word is a powerful magick in itself. You do not have to be an accomplished linguist, just a simple sentence will do. It creates an atmosphere of concentrated awareness and strength. Words can be used in moments of stress and fear, and will create the magick itself. They do not have to be said aloud; say them to yourself if need or want be.

Another Air Magick is Mirror Magick. It can help in overcoming inner problems and also help with difficult personal decisions. It uses both the Word and Visualization forms and can also aid in being able to visualize a future event. Sometimes used as a Scrying Tool, in which you are able to "see" possible future events."

"Fire represents passion, enthusiasm, desire and courage, force, lust, fertility and virility, initiative and rejuvenation. It represents both light and heat. The light of intelligence and the courage to follow it.

A low fire person is usually cold, slow to act, without enthusiasm for life or himself.

A high fire person is bold, dramatic and passionate in all areas within himself, however this person must be careful as fire can destroy everything in its path.

Fire magick can bring on the new, bring on courage and passion and destroy the old. It's feelings are hot and dry, its season is Summer and direction is South/Energy. Its symbol is the Wand/Staff, Candle and Incense Burner; its colors are Reds, Oranges and Golds. The moon phase is the second quarter and its time is high Noon.

The different types of Fire Magick are: Bonfire Magick, which usually involves burning something such as an herb or flower, or a piece of paper or petition on which you have written your desire. It is used for banishing, ridding or destroying negative influences in your life.

Another is Candle Magick, a simple, easy and useful method in bringing about your desires. A color for the candle is chosen and can also include the correct scent in relation to your desire and lit sometimes for up to seven days. This type of Fire Magick is usually for any type of desire.

Another is Sun Magick. Using the Sun in our desires is a beautiful way in which to enhance new beginnings in love, health, work and home, awaken subtle powers and aid in attraction desires."

Water, the symbol of our emotions. Water imbibes all life forms and in us we flow with the "tide" of our feelings. It involves intuition, insight, conception and pregnancy, fertility, the womb, health, beauty and divination.

A low water person would appear as a cold calculating one, one who is indifferent and unresponsive.

On the other hand, a high water person may seem as though at the slightest touch the well is opened and can be over emotional and over dramatic in all areas of life. A good balance of water here is needed to keep the flow running
smoothly.

Its feelings are cold moisture, its season is Fall, direction is West/Emotion and its colors are Blue, Light Grays and Sea Greens. The symbols are the Cup or Chalice. The Moon phase is the Full Moon and its time is Dusk.

Some Water Magick can involve the use of the beach and its sand, shells, animals and seawater. Especially good for love spells and too, when you need to "get a grip" or clarify your own emotions. The use of shells in the practice is widely used. These can hold appropriate herbs or be used as a symbol of Water Magick.

One old tradition is using that of well water. A lot of gems and stones are exposed to this for a period of time and used at night, in full moon or the waxing phases, for Water Magick. Be careful though to know your stones, as some do not react well in water for long periods of time.

This type of magick can give you insights to how others think of you, what others are doing and how well they are and to find the truth within yourself. Water spells can involve the use of Scrying bowls. This is a bowl of clear or colored water in which you are able to "see" the future and future events or get a clear direction on decisions. Widely used in certain meditations and visualizations."

"Finally we come to the Element of Earth – the source and provider of all our needs. Represents sensations, decay, patience, stability, strength, health, warmth and comfort, animals and animal instincts, farming and physical labor.

Its feeling is dry and cold, its season is Winter, direction is North/Physical, colors are Browns, Blacks, Purples and some Greens. Its symbol is the Pentacle or Salt, rice or grain in a brass or terra cotta bowl or a Stone. Its Moon phase is the Fourth Quarter and its favored time is Midnight.

A high Earth person seems a practical sort and quite "down to earth". A hard worker, stable, and a good provider. Can be a little too stubborn sometimes, however.

A low Earth person can seem confused, insecure and alone, unable to feel wanted and the work may be affected.

Earth Magick can involve the use of herbs, plants and trees. Using the correct herb to attain your desire along with the other tools can be very effective. Burying something and making some offerings to the Earth such as planting trees is a form of Earth Magick. Using your gems or crystals and burying them in the Earth under the appropriate tree while making your wish is also effective.

Another type that is considered Earth Magick is any type of routine magick. Anything you do on a routine basis can be used as a magickal vehicle. While performing something you do at the same time everyday, prepare yourself and use this period for clarity on a subject, figure the best course of action in a situation or to find just where you are in the course of your life."

The Five Elements of Eastern Philosophy

Chinese people hope to improve their Ch'i and fate by examining their Five Elements:

Wood
Earth
Fire
Water
Metal

Like Yin, Yang and Ch'i, the Five Elements are not physical substances. They are powers or essences describing all matter and attributes. The Chinese associate these elements with:

time/space
matter
senses
colours
psychological moods.

For example, they assigned the element Wood to spring; the colour green; the East. Fire heralded summer; the South; and red. Earth, positioned at the centre, was mid-autumn and yellow. Metal is autumn; white and the West. Water governs black (the deeper the water, the blacker it gets); the North; and winter.

The Cycle Of Development

The Five Elements have relative effects on each other, creating and destroying one another in a fixed succession. The cycle of development is as follows:

Fire produces Earth (ash);
Earth produces Metal (minerals);
Metal creates Water (although water rusts metal, this order derives from the observation that when water is in a metal cup, it condenses on the outside;
Water feeds Wood (trees need water to grow);
Wood aids Fire.

The Chain Of Destruction

Wood harms Earth;
Earth obstructs Water;
Water destroys Fire;
Fire melts Metal;
Metal chops down Wood.

Finally there is a Chain of Balance...

Personalities In Relation To The Elements

Chinese philosophers suggest each person's nature possesses varying quantities of these corresponding natural elements.

Each of the five human elements, they say, can be divided into 72 different types or amounts.

The following are notes from one geomancer that describes the deep inter-relationship:

Everyone has the Five Elements. If someone is deficient in an element, this isn't necessarily bad. One first must check out the other elements to see whether they are well balanced. The ideal situation is to follow the mean, not have too much or too little of an element.

On a scale of 1 to 72, the average 36 is the middle road, the most harmonious of natures. But if one has a lot or a little of an element, neither has a good or bad connotation, one simply must see all the elements in relation to each other.

The element Wood, for example, stands for the Confucian ideal of benevolence, loyalty, and forgiveness. If a person possesses only a little Wood, he is like a green leaf floating on a lake. When the east wind blows, he goes this way, when the west winds blows he goes that way: He is easily influenced. So whatever he hears, he agrees with or reputes. He doesn't have his own opinion.

A person with type-36 Wood is like a growing tree: Under the influence of the wind his leaves flutter - meaning in the small things he is flexible - he bends but still has roots. When others say something, he listens, ponders all sides, and then makes his own decision.

If he has a great deal of Wood, he is like an old sturdy tree. When the wind blows, he isn't swept along. He doesn't listen to others (only to himself). He can be so inflexible that under a strong typhoon gust, he might break. He is prejudiced and just plain can't learn from others. No matter how long people talk to him, he still holds to his set position.

Gold, also translated as Metal, stands for righteousness. People with a little Metal speak little, are very meticulous and careful, appear aloof and arrogant, strange and isolated.

A little Metal can also be the essence of a very independent person. A person possessing the mean of Metal is fair, speaks the right amount, and always says the correct, appropriate thing. If someone is wrong he will criticize, but not overdo.

In contrast, the person with a lot of Metal tends to be unfair and self-righteous, leaping on any chance to gossip, criticize, and put his nose into others' business. He is argumentative and prone to complain. On the other hand, he can fight for principles and help and care for others.

Fire is the element of wisdom, reason, and etiquette. When angered (literally "produce Ch'i"), the person possessing little Fire swallows his pride (Ch'i) without expressing himself. When he is criticized, he doesn't speak up and ask for proof or defend himself. He is meek, with little passion to expend except for self-pity.

The 36-person's anger is based on principle and logic. He knows how and when to put his foot down, but after he finishes stating his point or criticizing, he stops.

The person with a maximum amount of Fire can flare up without reason. He can be loud, unreasonable, unheeding, and highly critical of others.

A person short on Earth, the element assigned to honesty and faith, will be an opportunist and a cheapskate. He will easily down play a given situation and use it to his advantage. He has an eye out for good opportunities. He can be narcissistic, selfish, and slick. He may be a procrastinator and a cheater, always looking for shortcuts.

People with a medium amount of Earth are honest and dependable, very frank, and helpful to others.

People who have lots of Earth are like our redneck or hick. They are backward, old-fashioned, and unfashionable. Although something might be done to improve a situation or help themselves, they are scared to venture because people might criticize them, so they maintain their old customs. They do, however, like to help others to the point of self-sacrifice.

For example:

If three friends, one with little Earth, one with a medium amount, and another with lots of Earth, go to a restaurant, the first two have $10 each, while the last has only $5. When the bill comes, the one with little Earth will say he has only $5, the next will offer to lend the difference, and the third will offer to treat them all,
though he's short on cash.

Water is the element of insight, motivation, and social contacts - One divides water into:

Living (or flowing);
Dead (or still).

Each person possesses both kinds. Flowing water is a person's drive and effectiveness in society. Still water reflects a person's clearness of mind. Here are seven of the seventy-two possible types of flowing water:

1) The Flowing Variety:
The smallest amount is valley water, which trickles down from a small mountain and then disappears (evaporates or seeps into a cave or a crack) before reaching level ground. These people are agoraphobic - they don't like to go out and are uneasy in open spaces. They prefer to spend time in the country and around the familiar sights of home. They also have a hard time mixing in society.

2) The Fountain springing out of the ground:
This second type of moving water is appealing, glamorous, strong and controlled. But in fact, fountain water rises only to return to its pool and rise again. These people run around expend a lot of energy, but go nowhere. Habitually, they go to the office, work, and return home.

3) The Stream:
The stream's activity is wide. It affects those whose progress may be meandering but ultimately has direction. When faced with an obstacle, the stream may be set back for a brief interval, but it always finds a way to get around it and continue its course.

4) Rivers:
The Rivers (the mean) are still more powerful and directed. They enjoy wider and unhindered social contact and activity - seeing and making friends during vacation.

5) Large Rivers:
The Large River has a lot of drive, but can flood over its shores or drag things along in its path, sometimes leaving chaos behind without being affected by it. He always accomplishes tasks efficiently. This is the prototype aggressive (Type A) person.

6) The Sea:
The Sea has a network of connections everywhere and travels a lot, touching people in different countries and different walks of life. It is the way of the jet setter, or a social and political creature.

7) The Ocean:
Although the Ocean has high and low tides, it belongs on any shore. As an Ocean, one is unpredictable, going in very direction, but attractive - all rivers flow to that person.

The first type of the seventy-two varieties is - Still Water:
Well water with limited vision and no movement in thought - a stagnant mind.

The second type is Sewer Water:
A person with unclear thoughts who clings to the wrong opinions and who is polluted from outside sources.

The third type is Troubled Water:
An unstable, hysterical person's assessment of things.

The fourth type is Muddy Water:
Someone with innate understanding who is nevertheless inarticulate and unclear.

Pool water, on the other hand, has a clear knowledge that is learned and not instinctive. A person with pond water may have a clear understanding at home, but when he enters society his thought may be polluted by nearby roads (ideas), causing misunderstanding and poor decisions.

Lake water stands for pure knowledge. As the sun and the moonrise and set, the middle of the lake shows the reflections. As things happen, the person reflects them like a mirror. He clearly knows what is going on and can intuit the essence of people and things around him.

As you can see, all of the elements can be broken down into more and more distinctive parts...

~~ Source Unknown ~~