Four times four - the magick of the elements

The four elements have hold a major role in our lives. We are exposed to them in the material world as well as in the mental and magickal.

The four elements play a major part in life, not only in witchcraft. Since the Ancient Greek, human believed everything was formed out of earth, water, fire and air. The four elements put together would create plants, animals, humans and everything else.

You can find similar principles in other ancient cultures such as Persia, Japan, Tibet and India. Wind is a synonym for the element of air, as well as aether is.

In China the basic elements are wood, fire, earth, metal and water. These elements were thought to describe ones energy rather than types of material, though.

Nowadays, we know because of science that the elements are not the fundament of all being, because of atomic theory.

But back to the basic four: water, earth, fire and air.

These four elements are still essential for survival. Fire provides the heath that keeps you active, water provides you with emotions and healing, earth gives you the ground to root in and grow on and air provides you with the breath of life.

They aren't called sacred because of no reason.

So, how to they connect to the practice of a witch?

Simply through being one with everything the elements will connect us with the earth and all living being.

Every element has its own characteristics and will support you individual in your craft.

Fire is the element associated with action, with will power and energy. The element of the south. It symbolizes courage as well as destruction, strength as well as leadership, passion and sexuality as well as inspiration. Fire can be materialized through flames, light and heat. Its positive impact will strengthen your courage and enthusiasm, will power and confidence. But as everything, this element has its negative side of the coin. An overload on fire energy will lead to anger, jealousy and hate as well as short temper and arrogance. If you find yourself in a state of holding too much fire energy, ground yourself and ask the earth element for stability and ability to be down to earth.

It is often mistaken that the element opposite to fire is water, but the elements are not opposite to extinguish each other, but to balance their characteristics. Fire is action, earth is stability - one can not take place without the other.

If you want to use fire energy in your practice, to strengthen your spells, to attract inspiration or do a powerful spell for passion, you should do it around noon or during full moon. Fire is connected to the sun, meaning when the suns light and heat reaches its peak the element will be the most powerful. If you know ask, why you should craft at night ... During full moon the moon reflects the suns light to the fullest and therefore, reflects the same energy.

My personal tip: if you want to work with fire magick but are not quite sure if the energy is too much, do it during full moon. The element fire will still be quiet powerful, but more calculated.

Another planet attached to the fire element (I know the sun is technically no planet but for understanding let's just call it that way) is Mars. So keep an eye on the movements of Mars if you work with fire energy!

People with a lot of natural fire energy are those born under the Zodiacs of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius.

Aries has the spirit of fire.

Leo embodies the fiery demonstration of the energy

and Sag owns the mind and vision of the fire element.

To invite fire in your practice light a candle, use a lamp, bring an athame into your sacred space or a sword or dagger, or burn herbs. If you use candles in your practice, the colors orange, red, gold and white are strongly associated with fire.

Herbs that carry fire energy are basil, allspice, garlic, juniper, hibiscus, pepper, netted and thistle for example.

Fire is the element of change. It represents magick itself as symbol for both life giving and destroying power.

Earth is the northern element, associated with strength, healing, stability, sturdiness, foundations, fertility, rebirth and death, empathy, wisdom as well as animals and nature itself. This elements traits will help you center and ground yourself, support you to be able to seek and speak the truth, being dependable and thorough. A lack on earth energy will make you nervous and lacking confidence, whereas a overdose will lead to dulness, laziness and being inconsiderable.

This element is strongest during midnight, when we are most connected to our grounding. Especially during winter we relay on the earth, while nature heals itself in a deep sleep.

In witchcraft the element of earth is used to ground oneself, to find the stability and foundation to build spells and rituals, to strengthen fertility spells, empower prosperity spells and simply to center the mind into the body. It is one of the most important and basic exercises for witchcraft to ground and center yourself. Breathing exercises, meditation or calming habits helps us to focus and get down to earth again when our heads were up in the clouds. Without a stabile foundation non of your craft is going to work!

My personal favorite to ground myself is to visualize roots growing from my soles into the earth, grounding myself and connecting with the element that we even call our mother. She was who brought everything to live. Respect her and connect with her.

Planets associated with the element of earth are Venus and Saturn, both named after the goddess of love and god of harvest and wealth in the Ancient Greek. Zodiacs that have a bound to the earth element are Virgo, Capricorn and Taurus.

Beauty and harmony of the earth are embodied by Taurus.

Virgo is the mind and rhythm of it

and Capricorn are the master and conserver of the earth signs.

To bring the element into your craft you can use salt, crystals, soil, herbs and flowers as well as wood. Sometimes you find coins as symbols for the earth.

Especially crystals like emerald, jet, tourmaline, quartz, bedrock, jasper, azurite, amethyst, all crystals coming from the core of this very element, will connect your to earth. Cedat, cypress, honeysuckle, ivy, magnolia, grains, primrose, sage and oak are strongly connected to it as well.

Mother ears bears us and brings us to live, she roots us to our ancestors and gives us the strength to grow into whatever being we decide to become.

If you want to read more about the elements of water and air, part two of the magick of the elements is coming up soon!

Till then and blessed be,

Silver