The Elements

There are 5 elements in the Wiccan, Pagan, and Celtic religions. Earth, Air, Fire, Water, & Spirit.

Earth: Represented by an upside down triangle with a line through the center.

In many Wiccan traditions, the element corresponding to the North; the colors black, yellow or forest green; and foundations stability, the human body, all solid material things, and prosperity.
Earth is one of the five elements that appear in most Wiccan and Pagan traditions. Wicca in particular was influenced by the Golden Dawn system of magic, and Aleister Crowley's mysticism which was in turn inspired by the Golden Dawn.Common Wiccan attributions include:

Cardinal direction: North
Season: Autumn
Time of life: Old-age
Time of day: Midnight
Regent Planet: Saturn
Elemental being: Gnome
Colors: Brown and green
Magical tools: Pentacle and staff
Tarot reading: Coins in the Minor Arcana
Altar tool: Pentacle
Feminine energy

Other: Correspondences include strength, stability and abundance.
In rituals earth is represented by burying objects in the ground, carving images out of wood or stone, herbalism or using animal fur and bones.
The manifestations of the earth element are found in plants, trees, mountains, forests, caves and gardens. The bear, boar, bull, sow, snake and stag are also thought to personify the element as are all burrowing animals, such as the mole or rabbit. Other legendary and mythical creatures of earth include the Faun, Goblin, Satyr and Sylvester.
People born under the astrological signs of Capricorn, Taurus and Virgo being one of the two drawn elements meaning it is part of two of the classical elements are thought to have dominant earth personalities. Earth personalities tend to be calm, practical, hard working, wise, stable, patient and sensual; however, they can also be stubborn, possessive, jealous, nearsighted and very harsh.

For more information on Earth go HERE

Air: Represented by a upright triangle with a line through the center.
In many Wiccan traditions, the element corresponding to the East, the color light blue, mind, intellect, and imagination.

Air is one of the five elements that appear in most Wiccan and Pagan traditions. Wicca in particular was influenced by the Golden Dawn system of magic, and Aleister Crowley's mysticism, which was in turn inspired by the Golden Dawn.Common Wiccan attributions include:

Cardinal direction: East
Season: Spring
Time of life: Childhood
Time of day: Sunrise
Regent Planet: Mercury
Elemental being: Sylph
Colors: Yellow and white
Magical tools: Sword
Tarot reading: Wands or Swords in the Minor Arcana. Swords are traditionally associated with air and still are in most tarot decks, however, increasingly decks are being published with the Wands association. This is still a matter of debate within the esoteric and Wiccan community.
Altar tool: Incense
Masculine energy
Other: Correspondences include mind, intellect, consciousness, study, communication and beginnings.

People born under the astrological signs of Gemini, Libra and Aquarius are thought to have dominant air personalities. Air personalities tend to be kind, intellectual, communicative, social and helpful. However, they can also be cold, superficial, vicious and very insensitive to other people's emotions.

For more information on Air go HERE

Fire: Represented by an upright triangle without a line.

In many Wiccan traditions, the element corresponding to the South, the color red, energy, will, passion, determination, purpose, and ambition.
Fire is one of the five elements that appear in most Wiccan traditions influenced by the Golden Dawn system of magic, and Aleister Crowley's mysticism, which was in turn inspired by the Golden Dawn.Common Wiccan attributions include:

Cardinal direction: South
Season: Summer
Time of life: Adulthood
Time of day: Noon
Regent Planet: Mars
Elemental being: Salamander
Colors: Red and orange
Magical tools: Athame and ceremonial dagger
Tarot reading: Wands or Swords in the Minor Arcana. Wands are traditionally associated with fire and still are in most tarot decks, however, increasingly decks are being published with Swords associated with Fire. This is still a matter of debate within the esoteric and Wiccan community.
Altar tool: Candle
Masculine energy
Other: Correspondences include blood, the guitar, rubies and in writing fire is sometimes represented by a red upwards triangle.

In rituals, fire is represented in the forms of burning objects, love spells, baking and lighting candles or fires.
The manifestations of the element are found in the sun, volcanoes, lava and all forms of light. Cats of all types, especially the lion and tiger are also thought to personify the element of fire, as are all predatory creatures, such as the fox.
Other mythic and legendary creatures of fire include phoenix, European dragon and occasionally the hawk.
People born under the astrological signs of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are thought to have dominant fire personalities. Fire personalities are believed to have good leading qualities, and also tend to be extroverted, rebellious, passionate and enthusiastic, brave and valiant; however, they can also be moody, hot-tempered, snappy, uncontrollable and angry.

For more information on Fire go HERE

Water: Represented by an upside down triangle without a line.

The element corresponding in some traditions to the West; light green, medium blue, and silver; emotions and intuition.
Water is one of the five elements that appear in most Wiccan traditions. Wicca in particular was influenced by the Golden Dawn system of magic and Aleister Crowley's mysticism, which was in turn inspired by the Golden Dawn.Common Wiccan attributions include:

Cardinal direction: West
Season: Winter
Time of life: Youth
Time of day: Twilight
Regent Planet: Neptune
Elemental being: Ondine
Colors: Ocean blue, sea green, dusky violet and gray
Magical tools: Cup
Tarot reading: Cups in the Minor Arcana
Altar tool: Cup
Feminine energy
Other: Correspondences include emotions, love, compassion, healing, dreams, divination, intuition and psychic abilities.

The manifestations of the element of water are rivers, oceans, lakes, wells, rain, fog, ice, snow, streams and all drinks. Animals, especially the dolphin, seal, turtle, frog and all types of fish are also thought to personify the element of water. Other mythic and legendary creatures of water include the Mermaid, Oread, Naiad and Sea Serpent. Water Elemental Characters are commonly described as kind, timid, shy, and commonly weaker. But, some of the most dangerous natural disasters are water based. Examples are hurricanes, tsunamis, and tidal waves.People born under the astrological signs of Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces are thought to have dominant water personalities. Water personalities tend to be emotional, deep, nurturing, sympathetic, empathetic, imaginative and intuitive, however, they can also be sentimental, sensitive, escapistic and irrational.

For more information on Water go HERE

Spirit: Represented by multiple things.



Spirit is sometimes referred to as the “fifth element.” This idea goes all the way back to Aristotle and his idea that the celestial realm was made of a fifth element (quintessence), ether, which is not found here in the sublunar world.
Four is the number of order and stability. A house has four walls; there are four cardinal points of the compass. The laying out of buildings and boundaries with right angles was so important to our ancestors that our words for measuring off squares are intertwined with our words for propriety and authority: rectangle, regular, regulation, regiment, rex (king), ruler (both kinds), right (both senses), rectify, direct (both senses), correct, rector…the list goes on and on.
The four-fold order is static, not dynamic. Every element has its quadrant, and every quadrant its element. There is no room for mystery, for surprise, for magic. Something is missing, and that something may be called spirit. Here’s one way to think about spirit: if someone created a robot that looked and behaved just the way you do, would the robot be you? Most of us would say no—being alive is more than simply going through the motions. We also have consciousness, a point of view, an interior depth; there is something more than mind, will, heart, and body, some center of awareness that experiences our thoughts and desires, feelings and sensations, without being completely defined by them.
Most Pagans believe that spirit is not something we humans alone possess by virtue of having a soul (in the Christian sense), or by virtue of having complex brains (as the scientific worldview would have it). Rather, we see spirit manifesting everywhere: in the plants and animals we share this world with, and in the grand, slow life of the cosmos as a whole.
Some people use the word “spirit” in connection with the element of fire. It has a different meaning in that context. Compare the two words spirited and spiritual. “Spirited” describes someone brimming with energies and desires and willfulness; that is spirit in the fiery sense. “Spiritual” refers to a connection with deep sources of meaning that lie beyond the confines of the ego. That is spirit in the sense of the fifth element.
The Wiccan pentagram symbolizes this mystery by opening the four-fold cross of the elements into a five-fold star. The pentagram gives physical form to a truth that is not itself physical. We don’t call five “quarters” when we cast a circle, and the four elements retain their own symmetries and contrasts. Spirit is not one of the physical elements. It is everywhere and nowhere. It has no list of correspondences, because everything can be an opening into spirit.
While it is essential to recognize spirit along with the other elements, it is also essential to keep it somewhat distinct, and not trivialize it by simply tacking it on the elemental quaternity.

For more information on Spirit go HERE



For more information on all elements go HERE