The Four Elements
In the witches' view of the universe, all things are made up of four elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. All animals, plants, stones, emotions, inanimate objects, and energies are combinations of these elements..as, of course, are we. Everything has its own unique blend of the four elements in it: everything that has substance has earth in it; everything that has energy in it has fire; everything that flows and/or has feelings has water; and everything that involves sound, thinking, or communication has air in it.
We call upon the elements when we do magic, offer healing, undertake a project, cook a meal...anything where we would like to have the elements come together in perfect balance for a specified purpose. This isn't praying so much as inviting the energies of the elements to come into our space and offer their own unique gifts to the project we are working on.
Many people work with "elementals." These are creatures whose being is totally of one element. They embody that element and can help or hinder us as we work with it. Generally, they like people who embody the best features of their element, and can make trouble for those who feel uncomfortable with it...but it is possible to befriend all of them.
Most of us have more of one element than the others in our makeup...or perhaps have one or two that are lacking in comparison. One way to get an impression about this is to have your birth chart drawn by an astrologer and count how many planets you have in each element. Another is to read about the elements and their correspondences and see which ones you are most comfortable with. Most people start out by establishing working relationships with the elements they resonate with easily, and then work toward those which are more elusive for them. To be most successful as a magician, and to have a well balanced personality and energy system, one should try for reasonable balance between all four, but there will always be some you'll find easier to work with.
Earth
....Imagine yourself walking in the forest. See the tall trunks around you, smell the dry leaves on the forest floor. See where the sunlight filters through the branches, and see the little flies that are highlighted in the sunbeams. Beside you is a tree that has fallen over. You go to sit on it... You see a small seedling growing in the fallen log, its roots digging in to anchor it, its branches reaching up for the sky...
....And as you sit there, let part of your energy body grow like roots into the log...through the moss that covers the trunk...down into the wood itself...feel the grain of the wood as your roots grow down through it. ..see the insects that are eating the wood, let your roots search out moisture and nutrients...growing ever deeper and more solidly into the log.. .and as you pull the nutrients up into your being, feel them sucked up into your head and arms....turn your face up to the sun and feel its warmth and light...let the wind play around you and feel how solidly rooted you are in the log...
The element of Earth represents our Mother, the planet Earth itself. It represents body and solidness. It represents permanence, stability, and security. All the things of Earth are things you can see and hold. If Earth is Matter, it's also the Mother, or Mater. It represents nourishment on all levels. So Earth encompasses the soil which nourishes the plants and the insects and worms that process the decayed matter in the Earth to turn it into food. It represents the plants and all creatures that eat the plants. So it represents all the animals that run on four legs ...or two...or many...
Creatures Associated with Earth
Hoofed Animals
Cows and Bulls, Stags and Does, Buffalo, Moose, Antelope, Goats, Sheep
Forest Dwellers
Boars, Wolves
Diggers in the Earth
Rabbits, Squirrels and Chipmunks, Gophers, Groundhogs, Badgers
Insects that live in the Earth
Centipedes, Termites, Worms, Woodbugs
Earth Creatures from Myth
Earth Dragons, Gnomes, Dwarves
Go out to a garden...preferably in the early or late winter when the ground is bare of snow but unplanted. Best to do this with your bare hands if you can. Stick your hands into the earth, and feel it...the moisture, the texture....ooops, something tickles....you pull your hands out and drop the handfulls of earth. Quick...look....see the little creatures that go scurrying into the earth...back to the moist darkness where they feel safe.. ..
Pull up another handfull of earth and really look at these little beings ...they are busy eating last year's cast off leaves and turning the matter they were made of into the rich dark soil that will nourish next year's growth. Without all these tiny friends, the earth would be smothered under a pile of garbage...and it would quickly be depleted of nourishment.
Take a moment to express your gratitude...for the Earth, for the food She provides, and for the infinite cycle of food and waste and recycling that support all life on this planet. Express your gratitude for the food that nourishes you. Express your gratitude for the beauty of the plants that will grow in this soil, and for how that beauty nourishes your soul. Blessed Be.
Earth is the element traditionally placed at the North pole of the circle. This is an easy association for me, because there are mountains north of me, and vast stretches of wilderness that are too cold for many people to wish to live in. Since anyone in this hemisphere associates North with tundra, ice, and snow, it is reasonable that as we've followed the circle around, North represents Winter. It also represents the Winter of our lifetime... old age, when our bodies are no longer fertile, but our dreams are. Within the cycle of the day, Earth represents midnight, the time of complete darkness after dusk and before dawn.
If you know where you can find a cave, take a trip to it...or perhaps go into the woods to a place where a tree has fallen and you can sit in the hole left by its roots and look up and the wall of intertwined roots. If you can, and it's safe, go near dusk...so you are there as darkness gathers. If you are going to a cave, you can go at any time, if there is a spot in the cave that is dark...if all else fails...go into a root cellar for a bit.
But take some time to sit in the cool darkness. Let your mind be quiet.... sense the peace to be found in this place where you are partly within the Earth. Put aside all the concerns of daily living and really feel this peace. As the concerns of daily life fall away one by one, slow your breathing until you are barely moving. Allow yourself to feel your body... and to let the boundary between your body and the earth around it become hazy...so that they merge as one... Let your awareness gradually slow and become one with the earth. And rest in this dark silence...at peace... knowing that it is enough to be...and to be one with all Her children. Any thoughts that come to distract you...replace them with the mantra "I AM"... until your beingness, as Hers, is all there is....
While all of the elements offer their own types of healing, Earth is the element that rules the healing of our bodies. It is the element of the plants...so the healing herbs... although each herb will have a unique balance of the elements within it. And of course, it is the element of the crystals, used for healing on physical, emotional, and spiritual levels.
Take some time to sit on the earth...you may go back to your cave or cellar for deep emersion, or just sit on some soft earth anywhere. Feel how your body touches the earth. Let your roots grow into the earth again, deep, deep into the rich nourishing soil, seeking out what they need. And let them grow down further, through the bedrock, finding the cracks and crannies they can grow through...deeper and deeper...until they come to the heart of Mother Earth herself. And let your connection to the Mother be deep and strong.
Then feel all the parts of your body. Have you pain or tension anywhere? Let your awareness to into that place, and see the pain. See what colour it is. Now let that colour start to drain down through your body, down into your roots and through them to the Mother. And feel the energy She offers in exchange coming back up your roots, into your body, and into the area where you hurt. Feel that energy, Her love, as warmth or coolness, whichever is most healing for you...it can be straight from the fire at Her core...or cooled by the underground streams it passes through. See that energy, possibly white or red, seeping into the painful area. Keep using your breath to encourage the painful energy down your roots, and to pull in the loving, healing energy of the Mother. Keep doing this, slowly, easily...peacefully...for several minutes...for as long as it takes to completely offer to the Mother all of your pain, knowing She will transform it in the fire at Her core and replace it with her cool love. And see how the area that was sore feels now...
The Earth Elementals are called Gnomes. Gnomes come in many sizes, from the little guys who nurture each blade of grass to the large ones who work with the trees, to the huge ones who work with whole mountains. They are the elementals we can contact and communicate with most easily because they are the densest, the most like us. They like to live in the earth, and don't care for exposure or sunlight. They work hard and tend to be quite serious. The "Seven Dwarves" who befriend Snow White and go each day to dig in the earth for precious stones are very typical Gnomes. They can be good friends to those who love the earth. (We call people who are loyal and practical "the salt of the earth") They respect wealth and they respect those who are thrifty and recycle.
They appreciate coins and stones as gifts...they also appreciate any work you do to heal the Earth, to recycle, or to plant and maintain gardens.
If there is a vacant lot near you or any unowned property that has been abused take half a day to go there and do some healing work with it.. Take some large garbage bags with you. Greet the Gnomes in the place as you enter...state your intention to clean the lot or the land...and ask them to help you restore its health. Be careful in these places...sharp edges can be concealed in long grass and weeds. Pick up the garbage until your bags are full or until the area you defined is clean. Perhaps toss a few seeds onto the earth, or some grain, or bury a crystal charged with healing energy.. And ask the Gnomes to speak with you...then sit quietly until you have a sense of their answer. You might ask them if there is something else you can do to help heal this piece of the Earth. They might ask you to run a particular colour of energy into it, or to sing a song, or to imagine it healthy for a few minutes in meditation each Full Moon. If you can do what they ask, do it. If you need help or something you haven't got with you, tell them you'll come back another time.
The Gnomes will help you with work to heal the body, or to heal the Earth itself. They will work with you to break habits that aren't healthy. They will work with you for prosperity and abundance. They will assist you with fertility issues and with any work you do for your family.
Types of magic ruled by Earth and the Gnomes include crystal or stone magic, herb magic, magic that plants seeds or buries things, and magic with sand or salt. Any of these things can represent Earth on your altar...stones and crystals, pots of earth, growing plants, salt, or cast-off gifts of creatures of earth...like antlers or hooves.
They can also help you with all of the following:
Magical Goals Aided By Earth:
Abundance
Agriculture
Archeology
Buildings and Houses
Construction and Fabrication
Family
Ferility
Healing
Job and Career Matters
Money
Nutrition
Old Age
Weight Problems
A simple piece of magic I love to do in the late fall is to imitate the trees as they move wastes in the form of organic acids out into their leaves , causing them to change colour and dry out. I will pick up a cast off leaf and envision the energy of a particular habit or emotional pattern flowing out of my cells and through my hands into the leaf. I call in the healing energy of the earth to flow through me and wash the memory and energy of this trait out through my hands and into the leaf. Then I bury the leaf...knowing that the creatures of Earth will cause it to decompose and the energy I have placed in it will be transformed to become the nourishment of the next generation of growing things...
The magical tool associated with Earth is the pentagram. This magical symbol, the five pointed star, represents the four elements pulled together and under spirit. It is a powerful symbol of protection. Earth is associated with the Discs or Pentagrams in the Tarot, and with the Empress, the Chariot, the Wheel of Fortune, the Hermit, Judgement, and the World.
Other correspondences include the astrological signs of Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn, and the Planets Venus and Jupiter.
The Archangel of the North and the Earth is Uriel. Dressed in greens, browns, and black, he is a fearsome, quiet figure who offers justice. He is the patron of psychics and an initiator into the mysteries.
Take a moment, while out in the woods on a winter day, when all is gray and black and brown, to be still and meditate on the processes of life. Perhaps you will feel the stirrings of life in the soil under your feet... for the soil is never still even when there is no green growing from it. Perhaps you will contemplate how this apparent barrenness is truly the gestation of the life that will burst forth as the wheel turns toward Spring . Perhaps you will feel and know the connection you have to all living things through being a creature with a body animated by energy. Perhaps you will feel the calling of the ancestors whose bodies lie in the earth and whose energies whisper through the living things that rest around you. This is the time to reach deep into yourself and deep into Mother Gaia to understand the mysteries of life.
You might wish to make an altar in the northern part of your house to honour the Element of Earth and the Gnomes. Drape it and decorate it in browns, greens, and black. Offer stones and crystals, pots of earth or bowls of salt, coins, gems, herbs sacred to Earth, and the cast off gifts of animals, such as antlers or hooves. Welcome the Element and the Gnomes to make this their home. Then light the candles on this altar when you cook, wrap gifts, work with your family, plan your finances, or do healing work.
It may help when invoking the Element or elementals of Earth to use the symbols offered in the background of this page. An Earth Invoking Pentagram starts at the top point, moves to the lower left, and continues around to repeat this line. Earth can also be invoked using the circle with a cross in the middle, or a plain black square. To release the element, draw the Earth Releasing Pentagram shown in the bottom left corner, which is a reversal of the Invoking Pentagram. If you use the black square or circle and cross, see the shape it folding in upon itself and disappearing.
Psychological Qualities Associated with Earth
Balanced Earth
Concentration
Connectedness
Endurance
Industry
Nutrition
Responsibility
Self-assurance
Thoroughness Imbalanced Earth
Dullness
Hoards posessions
Laziness
Misanthropy
Obsessiveness
Tardiness
You can ask the Element of Earth, or its Guardians or the Gnomes to help you develop any of the postive traits listed above. To balance any of the negative traits, you may need to appeal to the other three elements to help balance an overabundance of Earth.
Herbs Associated with the Element Earth
Alfalfa Barley Beet Bistort
Buckwheat Corn Cotton Cypress
Fern Fumitory Honeysuckle Horehound
Horsetail Loosestrife Magnolia Mugwort
Oats Oleander Patchouly Pea
Potato Primrose Quince Rhubarb
Rye Sage Sagebrush Sorrel, Wood
Tulip Turnip Vervain Vetivert
Wheat
Gems and Stones Associated with the Element of Earth
Aventurine Angelite Azurite Celestite
Agate, green Agate, moss Alum Aventurine
Cat's Eye Crysophase Coal Emerald
Geodes Jaspar Jet Obsidian
Olivine Onyx Peridot Stalagmite
Stalactite Tourmaline,
black and green Turquoise
Earth Incense
(from Cunningham)
1 part Pine Needles
1 part Thyme
a few drops of Patchouli oil Earth Oil
4 drops Patchouli
4 drops Cypress
1 ounce carrier oil
A Sample Invocation to the North and the Earth Element
Guardian of the North, Mighty Uriel:
Hold this corner of our circle and let the Earth support it.
Send to us the industrious Gnomes to help in our healing work.
Bless us with the beauty and healing of the herbs and crystals, Nourishment for our bodies, minds, hearts, and spirits,The peace and strength of the dark places,
Understanding of our connection to all living things,
And a melding with the mysteries of life.
We feel you and welcome you.
Blessed Be.
Blessings of the Earth to you...
Wind
...Take a deep breath into your heart, and let it out. As you breathe in, take a moment to ponder the mystery of this ocean of air we live in. We and all the other animals breathe in the air and remove the oxygen so that we can live...we use it to extract energy from our food. The waste product is Carbon Dioxide, which we breathe out. Our cousins the plants take in the Carbon Dioxide and use it to trap the energy of the sunlight, so that when we eat them we extract this energy. The plants give off oxygen, which they breathe out...and the cycle of life continues...giving and receiving so that we all live...like your breath...in...and out...
The element of Air is associated with the East in the Northern Hemisphere. This is the where the Sun rises, so this thinnest and most etherial of the elements is associated with Sunrise...and new beginnings. It is associated with Springtime and the wonder and curiosity of childhood.
Think of the joy you feel as the sky lightens in the East. Think of the sense of potential you feel as you see the clouds take on the glorious colours of the beginning of a new day. Of course, we feel the same sense of potential, of awe at the beauty of a life beginning when we hear the cry of a newborn babe, or when the winds of Spring blow the scents of the thaw and the bursting blossoms our way...
The element of Air is, of course, associated with the sense of smell. While there are scents we associate with each of the elements , the scents of Spring flowers come to mind. And the scents we use for cleaning the air...lavender, lemongrass, and pine. Incense is the magical tool of the East and the Air.
Think for a moment about how scent can effect your mood... your state of mind. How does the memory of cinnamon make you feel? ...perhaps you remember apple pies your mother used to make...it can make you feel loved and nurtured. And roses...late summer evenings...romantic interludes. And lavender...your grandmother's house...a sense of age and cleanliness. Frankincense and Myrrh...churches...sacred spaces...
The element of Air is also associated with music. Of course, sound is transmitted through airwaves. But Air provides the songs of the wind rustling in the trees. Of all the songbirds. Of flutes and whistles. Of our own voices raised in song. Certainly, one can associate certain types of instruments with each of the elements, and we will, but Air is the element of that first creative urge to create beautiful sounds...
Some morning when you are awake early enough to greet the dawn, make a point of really listening to the birds as they sing their joy at the coming light of a new day. In fact, get up out of bed and go outside...before coffee or anything else. Listen to the riot of song around you, and take part if you wish. Call back to the birds. Maybe offer them some seed. Really feel the joy of interacting with these creatures of Air at the time when Air's energy is highest...
Creatures Associated with Air
Birds
Eagles, Hawks, Nightingales, Larks, Hummingbirds,
Wrens, Chickadees, Sparrows, etc.
Insects
Butterflies, Dragonflies, Bees, Ladybugs
Flying Creatures from Myth
Air Dragons, Fairies, flying horses
Angels are also associated with Air, although there are angels specifically associated with each of the elements. The Archangel often called as Guardian of the Air is Raphael.
Raphael's name means "Healer of God." He is robed in gold, yellow, and blue. He carries a caduceus, the wand entwined by two serpents used as a symbol of healing. He rules science, knowledge, compassion, and healing.
Another Being who carries a caduceus, of course, is Mercury, messenger of the Gods, who rules intellect, verbal expression, science, synthesis, and research. Mercury is another Guardian of the Air.
The realm of Air is the mind and mental activity. Air rules the ideas that come "out of the blue." It offers the gift of clarity...the ability to perceive what is relevent and useful in a given situation. It rules the process of sythesising ideas and concepts from many different sources or disciplines into something that is cohesive and comprehensive. It rules the communication of these ideas... writing and verbal expression. It rules teaching. And it rules poetry.
Some sunny morning, perhaps in the Spring...get up early and go to some point, perhaps a hilltop somewhere where you are near the sky. Sit for a moment and enjoy the view. Feel the wind on your skin and in your hair. And take out a large notebook. Ask for the guidance and help of Raphael or Mercury if you wish. Start with a word, any word, maybe "beauty." And let the wind blow ideas, images, and associations into your mind. Write them all down...just jot them down, maybe in little clouds like in the comics...bursting out from the original word. For now just make as many connections and associations as you can. Fill up a few pages. Then take a few deep breaths, read what you have, and use the ideas and images to construct either a story, paragraph, word picture, or poem, whatever is easiest to you. Then stand and read it aloud to the wind...and know that you have received the gift of inspiration from the element of Air...and returned the gift of your own creativity.
The elementals associated with Air are called Sylphs. These are among the easiest elementals to see, especially as a flash from the corner of your eye. They look like small winged creatures in pastel colours who ride the airwaves..often they are called fairies. They tend to be attracted to those who are quick thinking and quick moving. They can be mischevious...blowing things about...rustling through your hair...making sounds that distract you.
They can also help you with all of the following:
Magical Goals Aided By Air:
Communications
Educations
Group Work
Intellectual Skills
Organisation
Overcoming Addictions
Speaking
Teaching
Tests and Examinations
Theorising
Travel
Writing...Prose, Poetry, or Music
All of the exercises offered above will help you attune to the Element of Air and its elementals, the Sylphs. Focussing on breathing, timing magic for dawn and/or Springime, attuning to and befriending birds and/or flying creatures, writing, singing, making music, reading anything that makes you think, burning incense or otherwise offering lovely smells to the air (perhaps as essential oils). When you chose to meet the Sylphs, try to find a hilltop where the breazes fly around you. At first, just meet them and share joy in their gifts and beauty. Offer them a present...of a song, poem, or scent. Befriend them.
You might wish to make an altar in the eastern part of your house to honour the Element of Air and the Sylphs. Drape it and decorate it in pale blue, yellow, and white. Offer feathers, dragonfly wings, pipes, pale blue stones, incense, herbs sacred to air. Welcome the Element and the Sylphs to make this their home. Then light the candles and incense on this altar when you read or write or study.
It may help when invoking the Element or elementals of Air to use the symbols offered in the background of this page. An Air Invoking Pentagram Starts in the upper right, moves to the upper left, and continues around to repeat this line. Air can also be invoked using the circle with a dot in the middle, or a plain blue circle. To release the element, draw the Air Releasing Pentagram shown in the bottom left corner, which is a reversal of the Invoking Pentagram. If you use the blue circle or circle with dot, see the winds blowing out through it, then see it folding in upon itself and disappearing.
Psychological Qualities Associated with Air
Balanced Air
Clarity
Creativity
Diligence
Discernment
Flexibility
Independence
Joy
Optimism
Teaching Ability Imbalanced Air
Arrogance
Boastfullness
Contempt
Dishonesty
Emotional Coldness
Frivolity
Gossip
Paranoia
Slyness
You can ask the Element of Air, or its Guardians or the Sylphs to help you develop any of the postive traits listed above. To balance any of the negative traits, you may need to appeal to the other three elements to help balance an overabundance of Air.
You can also call upon the Air elementals when you wish to work on healing for the air or the atmosphere...ask them to help remove pollutants, to repair the ozone layer, etc.
Herbs Associated with the Element of Air
Acacia Agaric Agrimony Almond
Anise Aspen Bean Benzoin
Bergamot Bistort Bittersweet Borage
Bracken Broom Caraway Celery
Chicory Clover Dandelion Dill
Dock Elecampagne Eyebright Fennel
Goldenrod Hops Lavender Lemongrass
Lemon Verbena Lily of the Valley Linden Mace
Male Fern Maple Marjoram Mastic
Meadowsweet Mint Mistletoe Mulberry
Parsley Pecan Pimpernel Pine
Pistachio Rice Summer Savory Senna
Slippery Elm Southernwood Star Anise
Gems and Stones Associated with the Element of Air
Aventurine Angelite Azurite Celestite
Kyanite Mica Pumice Sphene
Air Incense
(from Cunningham)
4 parts Benzoin
2 parts Gum Mastic
1 part Lavender
1 part Wormwood
1 pinch Mistletoe
(mistletoe is toxic, if used, burn outdoors) Air Oil
5 drops Lavender
1 drop Lemongrass
1 ounce carrier oil
Other correspondences include the astrological signs of Libra, Gemini, and Aquarius, and the Planets Mercury and Uranus.
Air rules the suit of Swords and is associated with the Magician, Justice, the Wheel of Fortune, Temperance, and the Star in the Tarot.
A Sample Invocation to the East and the Air Element
Guardian of the East, wise and gentle Raphael:
Hold this corner of our circle and let the Air blow into it.
Send to us the beautiful Sylphs to help in our healing work.
Bless us with the music and strength of the winds,
The inspiration of the Sunrise, The clarity and perception of the soaring eagle, And the clear communicating power of language.
We feel you and welcome you.
Blessed Be.
Blessings of the Air to you..
Fire
...Take a moment to watch a candle burning. See how the wax forms a puddle at the base of the wick and is drawn up the wick to feed the flame, as the air feeds it from above. See how this combination of liquid, solid and gas comes together to make Fire, which transforms its fuel to light and heat. Yet another of the mysteries of our world...the way that fire can transform anything we feed it to pure energy, leaving only a small amount of ash...which is itself a nutrient for the soil...
...whether it is the miracle of a single candle flame, or the raging destruction of a forest fire, Fire is an element whose power for transformation is immediately apparent...
Perhaps the greatest source of Fire we know is our Sun. This ball of burning gasses provides all living things on Earth with warmth and light. Without it, life as we know it would be impossible. By the miracle known as photosynthesis, our cousins the plants are able to capture the energy of the Sun in a form that both they and we can use for nourishment. The sugars made by plants using the light of the Sun form the basis for all foodstuffs...and when we eat these sugars and starches, we break them down to release the energy they have stored.
Energy is the currency of life. It is the vibration of the molecules in our cells that allow those molecules to come together so that our cells can be built. Energy allows us to move our muscles to go in search of food, to gather and prepare it, and to consume and digest it. It is the heat that makes us respond to the opposite sex and the fuel for the acts that reproduce the species. Our brains, hearts, and bodies require it to function.
As above, so below. The Sun burns above us...and its energy supports life. The energy we consume we can translate into useful work. That work we can trade for the things we cannot do for ourselves, and our work supplies the needs of others. Any energy that is in excess after our basic needs are met, we can burn off in the pursuit of pleasure.
....Think for a moment about what energy means to you. Most of the time we think of having energy as being awake enough to keep our minds on whatever we do for a living. But it takes energy to propel our bodies out of bed and into clothes and into our cars. We know it takes energy to propel those cars to where we work. It takes energy to make the buildings we work in, and to light and heat those buildings, and to run our computers. And it takes energy to heat the water to make the coffee that gives us the feeling of awakeness that we need to concentrate on what those computers are showing us....But it's the sun's warmth captured in the molecules of caffeic acid that gives us that sense of energy...
Fire is associated with the South in this hemisphere. Certainly it is easy to think of the great deserts and tropical jungles to the south of us. Even on the shortest days, the Sun rises in the South and shines upon us from this direction. Fire is associated with noon, when the sun is at its zenith in the sky. It is associated with Summer, that time when the Sun is with us for long days that ripen produce. It is associated with young adulthood, that time of life when we expend huge amounts of energy training and making careers for ourselves...the time of life when we expend large amounts of sexual energy to find the mates we wish to have children with...and to produce those children.
Sex and passion are definitely associated with Fire.
...Think for a moment of Summer. The Sun is high and hot. The crops are planted and ripening...or the lessons are learned and the kids are on summer break....or the paycheques are in the bank and you are given a holiday. And the weather is good, so you want to travel. It's a time for seeing new sights and traveling in search of pleasure...and oh, what pleasures can be found. Everyone is dressed as lightly as possible in the heat, and we see displays of flesh that get our hormones pumping. We can renew our pleasure in our partners or meet new partners in our travels. We get out of the cities and feed our souls with the beauties of the natural world...or with the cultures of other civilisations. It's a time when everyone is moving, everyone is socialising, and everyone is eating well of the foods that are ripening to fuel all this activity...
Movement is one of the themes of Fire, and when we build the great bale-fires at the Sabbats, we often raise energy by dancing around them. Dancing is one of the most effective ways to raise energy and alter consciousness that we have: it keeps us in our bodies but makes our circulation of both blood and energy increase markedly. It is a wonderful way to dislodge blockages by increasing the energy flowing by them. It also pulls people together, moving to the same rhythm, creating a movement of bodies around the fire and a movement of energy in harmony.
Magical techniques associated with fire are candle magic, burning of anything, scrying in flames, and dancing around fires.
...Find some music that has a very strong drumbeat. Light a candle and turn out the lights. Put the music on and let your body start to move with the rhythm and flow. Feel how your muscles and joints loosen up as you move them. Feel your connection to the earth and how it is broken and reformed each time you lift and replace your feet. Feel how you begin to breathe deeper as you move, and how your breath molds itself to the rhythm. Let yourself dance freely. Dance with your shadow. Sing along if you can...use a rattle if you have one. Keep dancing for as long as you have energy and enjoy it...and stop...
...and tune into your body...hear your heart pound...feel the energy in your legs and arms....feel the depth of your breath and feel how warm you are...you've been burning lots of energy doing this...and feel your energy flowing...feel how everything is speeded up...feel how it flows...
...and realise how outward movement can make things move in the hidden parts of your being...and the subtle, energetic parts of your being...
...Do some light exercise while you slow down and drink lots of water...and record your experience...
Fire heals by getting things moving. It can help one overcome the stagnation of apathy, the heaviness of depression, or the distant coldness of intellectualisation. It also heals by transforming one form of energy to another.
Fire corresponds to Will, that force within us that keeps us selecting goals and moving toward them, dealing with the obstacles and challenges we find in our path. It's the spiritual quality of strength of purpose, and it helps us deal with obstacles and challenges. It motivates us and helps us motivate others to work with us for common goals. It gives us courage (from coeur, French for "Heart") when we are dis-cour-aged or dis-heart-ened.
...Think for a moment about a time when you felt discouraged....when it seemed like you had come up against an insurmountable obstacle. And think about the different ways you have managed to move beyond obstacles. Sometimes we attack and try to destroy them or defeat them so they'll move out of our way. Sometimes in attacking, we can scare the obstacles off. Sometimes we try to scramble over them. Sometimes we try to find a way around them, using cleverness to sneak by. Sometimes we go another way. Sometimes we can take the time to befriend the obstacle so that it no longer wishes to impede our progress. Sometimes we try to find out what the person or thing in our way needs and provide it so that the obstacle can move on.
...Think of times when you have used each of these strategies. Think of other ways you have been able to proceed in spite of obstacles. Then think of an obstacle you are facing now. What is your instinctual approach? What are some other possibilities you could use to be able to continue on your path? Talk about some of these possibilities with a friend and then try them out. See how they work....perhaps you now have some new tactics for getting where you know you need to be... Flexibility and Creativity are among of the gifts of Fire.
The magical tool associated with the South and Fire is the Wand, which conducts and aims the energy of the practitioner out to his/her goals. Actually, the athame and sword are often used in much the same way, and sometimes the assignments of these tools are reversed, with the wand in the East and the athame in the South. I prefer to place the Wand in the South because the Tarot suit of Wands corresponds to Fire, the suit of creative work, energy, and overcoming obstacles... Major Arcana associated with Fire are the Emperor, Strength, the Devil, the Tower, and the Sun.
One of the magical functions of Fire is protection. It is the energy that sets boundaries and rings alarms when those boundaries are crossed. Many techniques for self-protection involve surrounding oneself with light. That light might absorb any negative energy that comes toward you, or it might transform it, burning it in the way of fire to create a neutral energy. The technique that surrounds one with purple flame, as described in Basics of Personal Energy Management is particularly effective this way.
As one progresses on the Wiccan path, the question of will comes up many times. First one embraces the Rede which commands that we not harm others and that we learn what our will is and do it. It commands that our actions must be directed by our own wills...not by the whims of others or by our fears, reflexes, or addictions... but by what we have consciously chosen as our will. Then comes the realisation that when we search for our will, this means looking beyond convenience or habit to look for a higher will or purpose. A Wiccan might not say, as Jesus did, "Thy Will not mine be done." But we do learn that there is a higher Will related to a higher good, and sooner or later we who pledge ourselves in the service of the God/dess will be looking for ways to bring our own wills into alignment with Her Will.
....take a moment to sit in silence, and let your mind become very still. Ground in the way you normally do and feel your body....feel its solidness and its flows...feel your heartbeat and feel the flows of energy in your body. Center in the way you normally do, and let your thoughts still as you focus on the light in the center of your head...
...now let that centered focus drift downward through your being, so that you become aware of the bright light burning in your heart, and let it drift further down so that you come to a place in the very center of your being, somewhere between your solar plexus and your navel. See the light that shines there. Breathe deeply to feed the flame. Use your breath to draw the energy of the Earth and the energy of the Heavens into that flame and see it flare brighter. See it burn like a small, brilliant Sun in the center of your being...
...and think of a question you have been looking for an answer to. Ask this question and let it burn in this flame of golden light. Let the smoke be carried to the Goddess...and wait for an answer....
....if the answer doesn't seem to make sense...or if it seems like something unattainable, ask how you could proceed if you wanted to bring it about, and wait for an answer. Keep this light burning as you map out the first steps you would take to bring this goal about...
...and when you know how to proceed, offer a prayer for the strength, clarity, and will to succeed in your aim....and let the light in your center flare a thank you for the guidance you have received....let that light spread through your being for a moment, to empower you to do what is necessary to meet your goal...and let it fade into an underlying awareness that you know your Will and how to achieve it....
This light of Will that burns at our core is sometimes called Spirit. People define Spirit in many different ways, and my own definition is still evolving: for me it has to do with this process of aligning my will with Divine Will and my light with Divine Light. Many esoteric traditions put this quality or aspect of being called Spirit in the South with Fire. Some place Spirit in the Center of the circle, where all the elements come together.
The angel associated with Fire is Michael, chief of the archangels, known as the Warrior of God. I don't see Michael as a Rambo of the heavens; he is an arm of the God/dess and his flaming sword dispenses justice, balance, and protection to all the children of the One. He is often depicted in armor, like the ideal chevalier of the Middle Ages, protector of the weak and helpless. Like a true warrior, he would rather settle disputes peaceably than with violence. He is dressed in red and scarlet, the colours of Fire, courage, and honour.
All the elements have a destructive side; hurricanes, floods, and landslides can kill as surely as fire. But there is something about the consuming hunger of fire that strikes fear in people. Certainly the virtues of this element...transformation, protection, and fighting spirit...need to be carefully contained and directed or they can also be destructive. Certainly the warrior spirit has gone completely out of control many times in human history.
I also believe that the Catholic church had a stroke of genius when they elected to use Fire as a tool of execution for those who strayed from their teachings. They also made fire their symbol of eternal suffering. By creating an almost universal fear of fire, they also made us afraid of our fighting spirit, our will to communicate with Divinity in our own way and work toward our own goals, afraid of our very creativity. It was a wonderful weapon to keep people from expressing individuality and independent spirit. I think that the witches' willingness to embrace the Fire in their being is far closer to the "devil worship" Christians fear in us than is our gentle horned God.
Fire is about facing fears and overcoming them.
....Sometime around the first quarter moon, think of something that you have always wanted to do but let fear hold you back. It might be facing up to a particular type of authority figure. (like your father or boss) It might be acting in a way that would give you a feeling of freedom (like making love outdoors) It might be trying a new creative outlet. (Like belly dancing)
....Whatever it is....write it on a piece of paper, and put that paper under a red candle. Light the candle and watch the flame. Get yourself centered in your power center as in the exercise above, and envision yourself doing this thing. See the obstacles you will have to overcome, and make plans to get around them. Feel the freedom, excitement, and empowerment of doing this thing within that flame of Will inside. Do this every night until the full moon....and then do whatever it is that you have been building the courage to do. Once it is done, burn the paper, and offer the light as a thank you to the Element of Fire...and the ashes to Mother Earth...
The fire elementals are called Salamanders. They are brilliant, ephemeral creatures that dance in flames. They will help you overcome obstacles, and they like people who have the courage to act on their truth. They will help you protect yourself when you must...and have little patience for willing victims. While they enjoy playing in flames and will come when you light candles or fires, the gift they appreciate most is an act of courage.
Magical Goals Aided By Fire:
Athletics
Banishing Illness
Competitions and contests
Courage
Creativity
Defense
Loyalty
Protection
Sex
Strength
Success
You might wish to make an altar in the southern part of your house to honour the Element of Fire and the Salamanders. Drape it and decorate it in red and orange. Offer candles, snakeskins, sand, desert roses, and red stones. Welcome the Element and the Salamanders to make this their home. Then light the candles on this altar when you ask your Higher Will for guidance or work on your fears.
When invoking the Element or elementals of Fire use the symbols offered in the background of this page. A Fire Invoking Pentagram starts at the top, moves to the lower right, and continues around to repeat this line. Fire can also be invoked using the circle with a triangle in the middle, or a red triangle. To release the element, draw the Air Releasing Pentagram shown in the bottom left corner, which is a reversal of the Invoking Pentagram. If you use the red triangle or triangle in a circle, see the flames burning out through it, then see it folding in upon itself and disappearing.
Psychological Qualities Associated with Fire
Balanced Fire
Courage
Creativity
Idealism
Independence
Intuition
Loyalty
Passion
Power
Strength Imbalanced Fire
Aggressiveness
Destructive Tendencies
Hatred
Intemperance
Jealousy
Rebellion
Resentment
Vindictiveness
You can ask the Element of Fire or the Salamanders to help you develop any of the postive traits listed above.
Creatures Associated with Fire
Cats
Lions, Tigers, Cougars, Panthers, Housecats
Desert Dwellers
Snakes, Lizards, Scorpions
Fiery Creatures from Myth
Fire Dragons, the Phoenix
Herbs Associated with Fire
Alder Allspice Amaranth Angelica
Asafoetida Ash Basil Bay
Wood Betony Blood Root Cactus Carnation
Carrot Cashew Cat Tail Cedar
Centaury Chili Crysanthemum Cinnamon
Cinquefoil Clove Copal Coriander
Cubeb Cumin Curry Damiana
Dragon's Blood Frankincense Galangal Garlic
Gentian Ginger Ginseng Goldenseal
Gorse Hawthorn High John the Conqueror Holly
Horse Chestnut Houndstongue Juniper Leek
Lovage Mandrake Marigold Masterwort
May Apple Mullein Mustard Nutmeg
Oak Olive Onion Orange
Pennyroyal Pepper Peppermint Pimento
Pineapple Poke Root Pomegranate Prickly Ash
Radish Rosemary Rowan Rue
Saffron St John's Wort Sarasparilla Sassafras
Sesame Shallot Snapdragon Sunflower
Tangerine Tea Thistle Milk Thistle
Holy Thistle Ti Toadflax Tobacco
Tormentil Venus Flytrap Walnut Witch Hazel
Woodruff Wormwood Yarrow Yucca
Gems and Stones Associated with Fire
Agate, fire Agate, red Amber Apache Tear
Asbestos Bloodstone Carnelian Citrine
Flint Garnet Hematite Iron
Jaspar, red Lava Red Calcite Ruby
Sardonyx Sulfur Sunstone Tiger's Eye
Topaz Zircon
Fire Incense
(from Cunningham)
3 parts Frankincense
2 parts Dragon's Blood
1 part Red Sandalwood
1 pinch Saffron
a few drops of musk oil Fire Oil
3 drops Ginger
2 drops Rosemary
1 drop Clove
1 drop Petitgrain
1 ounce carrier oil
Other correspondences include the astrological signs of Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius, and the Sun and Mars.
A Sample Invocation to the South and Fire
Guardian of the South, Mighty Michael:
Hold this corner of our circle and let the flames burn in it.
Send the clever Salamanders to help our healing work.
Bless us with the movement and energy of the flames,
With the passion of the summer heat,
With your own strength and courage,
And the pure clear glow of Will.
We feel you and welcome you.
Blessed Be.
Blessings of the Fire to you...
Water
Water...it has so many moods. One can picture the deep swelling power of the ocean or the tiny lines made by raindrops on a window. Water is the crystal clarity of a mountain stream or a stagnant pool rich in micro-organisms. It's the warm laziness of a scented bath or the cold splashing challenge of white-water rafting. It can nourish or it can destroy. It can clean or it can leave a layer of muddy sludge. It can be still or rapid, deep or shallow, tranquil or fierce, ephemeral or enduring. We do our best to contain it and train it...and it serves our purpose when we do...but it also becomes unusable if allowed to sit too long.
All in all, it is a very fitting metaphor for the flow of our emotions.
...Take a moment to picture in your mind some of the moods of water. Waves crashing on rocks, perhaps. Or a rivulet flowing downstream. Or the surface of a pond rippling out in concentric rings when disturbed by a rock. Let the images flow...fast or slow...and in each case take a moment to note how they make you feel. Some may fill you with awe, others may make you laugh. Some may lull you into a doze and others may chill you to fearful alert. Some may make you feel disgusted, slightly nauseous, and others stun you with their beauty.
Some of these images and the feelings they spark may flick in and out quickly, others may catch and hold your attention. Many of them will call up memories, each with a similar emotional charge. Are the majority of these memories sparked by water joyful or otherwise? Just note what you observe...and let the waters flow on....
Water is the element generally associated with West in circle. Because I live where the ocean lies to the west of me, this is an easy association to make. Certainly in much of British and European folklore there are tales of lands of plenty over the waters to the West.
It is the place where the sun sets...so a place associated with earned rest. It is, naturally enough, associated with dusk...that hazy time between true day and true night...between work and sleep. It is associated with middle age, that time when we have settled to enjoy some peace...in relationships, in constructive work, in the raising of our children. (...well, again, water isn't always peaceful!)
And the shadowy in-between time, when light and shadow are so hard to distinguish is also a metaphor for another association of water...that of dreams, visions, and illusions. Just as, in dreams, the connections between scenes and events are murky and might not make sense...water can seep in unexpected ways through the ground or through walls. Just as mist can make both vision and hearing inaccurate...just as water can magnify anything seen through it... just as a watery surface can act as a mirror that distorts, so can our emotions render our perceptions inaccurate....and create illusion. And a classic way to scry for visions is to use a bowl of water.
....Imagine that you are out in a forest near dusk. You see a cottage on a hill in the distance, and start walking toward it. As the sky gets darker, the lines between the tree trunks and the shadows become harder to make out....and a mist begins to rise. You see the house before you...but soon the mist rises above the level of your eyes, and you can see little but the trunks of the trees a few feet in front of you...soon you have no idea if you have seen these trees before...or if you are even still going in the right direction. For a moment, you feel despair, and you wonder if you will be able to find any shelter at all for the night....
Take a moment to ground, to center, and to ask for guidance. As you do, a sense of peace comes over you...and you open your eyes to see the cottage shining on the hill before you. A voice whispers, "Use your heart." You aren't sure what this means, but you send out a line of energy from your heart to the cottage...and when the mist rises to obscure it again, you manage to maintain a sense of direction as long as you stay centered in your heart. See yourself pushing onward though the grayness and the treetrunks...until you eventually reach your destination....
The heart, of course, is another association of Water. Do you recall that melting, weak-kneed feeling the first time you fell in love? Love, considered by some the queen of emotions, is a strong association of Water.
The heart pumps the blood through our arteries, and collects it from the veins...which in turn collect water from the tissues and lymph. It pumps blood through the kidneys, which regulate the balance of water and electrolytes in the body. Our bodies are 90% water, and that water creates the intracellular and extracellular fluids, the brew in which electrolytes, nutrients, and enzymes are able to carry on the functions of life.
Water is central to the mystery of how life first came to be; the chemicals that first came together into self-replicating forms could not have done so in any medium but water...
Take a glass of water, and put three drops of food colouring into it. Watch how the food coloring swirls out in tendrils to mix with the water. See how things move in water. What starts as a discrete drop soon becomes a beautiful pattern of interlaced swirls. In a few minutes, the whole area will be coloured...with bits of colour moving into the bands that are still clear. After a couple of hours, the whole glass will be a uniform colour. This shows how anything placed in water will eventually come into contact with everything else in that body of water...
Water flows in riverbeds and sits dreaming in lakes, it falls through the skies and shifts constantly in the deep craters that form our oceans. It becomes a body we can define only through being captured in some kind of container. Indeed, we need a container for it if it is to sit on our altar. We can't raise it to our lips to drink without a container. The magical tool associated with water is the cup or chalice.
And this tool is a metaphor for all the containers that open to receive and hold the stuff of life. It can be the cauldron of Cerridwen or the cupped hands of Quan Yin. It can be the womb of the Great Mother or of Gaia which contains the seas. The ocean, of course, being the place where all waters flow, is the final cauldron where our souls are collected when we die.
The Christians took this image and made it into their Holy Grail, which has become a symbol of the healing possible through Divine Love... Again, love emerges as a theme for Water.
...Fill your bathtub with warm water, scent it with roses, jasmine, or ylang ylang, and sink into the water. Do this when it's dark, and have the lights turned off. Let the water surround you as much as possible. Be still. Feel the water ripple over you as it responds to the movements of your breathing. Hear your heartbeat. Ask the Mother to let you feel Her love...and open to receive it. Let yourself imagine that you are in Her womb...the dark, peaceful watery nourishment of Her cauldron where life begins...
...to complete the picture, roll over, so you are face down...and hum a lullaby into the water. Hear your voice resonate through the water, and imagine it is the Mother Herself singing her love to you. Breathe when you must...but keep singing and breathing and floating until you are surrounded and permeated by a sense of Her love...
And before I leave the theme of chalices and cups....the Tarot suit associated with Water is, of course, the Cups...the suit of emotions and matters of the heart. Major Arcana associated with Water are the High Priestess, the Lovers, the Hanged Man, Death, Temperance, and The Moon.
The Moon, of course, has a deep association with Water because it rules the tides of the oceans. And again, we see here the theme of the uterus, watery container where life begins, with its tides and cycles synchronised with those of the moon. The other "planet," (astrologically speaking) associated with Water is Neptune. The astrological signs are Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces.
One of the major functions of water in magic is its role as a cleanser. Of course, all the elements cleanse in their own way, but water of course is the medium in which we bathe, shower, wash our clothes, and scrub our homes. It's what we combine with soap to make bubbles..
The next time you have a shower, imagine that with the water spraying down around you is a shower of sparkling white healing energy. Let it flow over your head and down your body...and let it flow through your body. Imagine that as this energy flows through you, though the matrix of water held together by the walls of your cells, it flows into each and every cell and cleanses emotional residues. Let it wash away any old feelings you have been carrying that no longer serve you....
...you would know better than I what those might be...but an example might be that you could let go of any old fears you suffered as an infant that your mother or father might not love you...whatever the truth of these fears might have been, you are an adult; you made it, and you have formed your own life and opinions. And fear about having people accept you can only hold you back...
....whatever emotion you decide to cleanse, just let it wash away as the healing watery energy flows through you....and see it wash down the drain with the swirling water. Then pamper yourself with some rich skin cream or a hot drink by the fire as you dry off in your robe....
Of course, one of the more wonderful gifts of Water, which combines both its cleansing action and it's Love, is forgiveness. Cleanse the old resentments, fill those spaces up with love, and see how much better you feel.
Some ways of using water in magic include bathing and showering, as above, and charging water to drink, sprinkle about, anoint with, and evapourate by your bed or on your altar. As already mentioned, one can scry using a bowl of water, or look for visions in the steam rising from a pot, kettle, or cauldron.
....Some morning as you spend time with your altar at the beginning of the day, try this. Fill your chalice with clear water and let it sit on your altar while you meditate. Then choose intuitively a rune or tarot card ...or use some other divinatory device...asking for a message for the day. Take a moment to form an affirmation for the day based on how the card or device selected relates to the issues you are facing that day.
Then lift the chalice, hold it in both hands, pull in the energy of heaven and earth as described in The Basics of Personal Energy Management and let the energy run out your hands to charge the water with this affirmation. Drink the water down, imagining it entering all the cells in your body, carrying this affirmation into the water that fills your cells...
The elementals of Water are the Undines. These are filmy, translucent beings rather like little mer-people who swim in the waves. Nancy Watson sees them as little globules floating in the water. They are sentimental, and romantic, and love people who are in touch with their emotions. Tears, love poetry and songs, and scented oils or perfumes make gifts for these beings.
The Archangel associated with Water and the West is Gabriel. Some sources see this angel as masculine, others feminine; in general, angels are considered beyond gender. S/he rules birth, death, and transformation. S/he is the angel of mercy and justice in balance. S/he is considered the angel of the Moon, and guardian of women's cycles and childbirth. S/he can be seen with a cup or a horn, and is usually dressed in blue with orange highlights.
...Sometime near sunset, when the moon is waxing or full, take yourself to an ocean beach if that is possible, or to a lake or river. If it's warm enough and private enough, you might consider stripping down and bathing naked; if this isn't possible, consider at least taking your shoes off and putting your feet into the water. Think of someone you love whom you have a quarrel with. Take a few moments to review the quarrel, and really feel your anger and frustration.
Then let this anger and frustration flow out your feet to whatever extent is possible, using your breath, perhaps with sounds or toning, to help it flow out. And then think of what you love about this person. Review all their good points and how much they have done for you. Focus on your heart as you breathe and let it open. Then allow yourself to see/feel/know that the energy of the Water is flowing up into your being. Feel it fill your legs...your pelvis...your abdomen...your chest...up to your shoulders and out your hands...and your head. Feel your heart in your chest, and feel it pump the loving energy of the water through you...
And if it feels right, express in your own words that you are willing to see the other side of this quarrel, to try to understand the point of view of the other person involved. Not necessarily to accept it if it doesn't fit your own sense of truth, but to understand it and allow your loved one to have his/her own view. And allow the moonlight to shine into your being and speak to the energies of the waters flowing within you. Pull in the moonlight and let it shine in your being. And let a new level of love and understanding shine in you as well....
...After such an act of love and cleansing with Water, you should be able to make contact with the Undines, and with Gabriel. Ask them to help you with your goals related to emotional healing. Ask them to help you with matters of love and forgiveness. Ask them to help you with any healing you wish to do for the waters of the Earth. Ask them to help you work with dreams or visions.
Magical Goals Aided By Water:
Communicating with Ancestors
Beauty
Childbearing and Rearing
Family issues
Friendships
Healing
Home..comfort and beauty
Letting go
Love
Meditation
Partnerships
Psychism
Purification
You might wish to make an altar in the western part of your living space to honour the Element of Water and the Undines. Drape it and decorate it in rich, watery blues and greens. Offer shells, feathers of waterbirds, and green watery stones. Have a chalice or bowl of water on this altar and change it daily. Welcome the Element and the Undines to make this their home. Then light the candles on this altar and drink its charged water when you explore your emotions in your journal, perform acts of love, work with your dreams, or work with psychic techniques.
It may help when invoking the Element or elementals of Water to use the symbols offered in the background of this page. An Air Invoking Pentagram starts in the upper left, moves to the upper right, and continues around to repeat this line. Water can also be invoked using the circle with a line across the middle, or a silver crescent; see waters flowing through these symbols into your space. To release the element, draw the Water Releasing Pentagram shown in the bottom left corner, which is a reversal of the Invoking Pentagram. If you use the silver crescent or circle and line, see the waters flowing out through it, then see it folding in upon itself and disappearing.
Psychological Qualities Associated with Water
Balanced Water
Compassion
Comprehension
Conscience
Devotion
Forgiveness
Receptivity
Tranquility Imbalanced Water
Apathy
Depression
Frigidity
Laziness
Indifference
Insolence
Instability
You can ask the Element of Water, or its Guardian or the Undines to help you develop any of the positive traits listed above. To balance any of the negative traits, you may need to appeal to the other three elements to help balance an overabundance of Water. For example, the fiery emotion of anger often helps one move beyond the apathy and helplessness of depression by helping one find one's own power, and gets the emotions flowing freely again.
Creatures Associated with Water
All creatures that live in or on the water
Fish, Whales, Dolphins, Sharks, Otters, Beavers, Seals, Walrus
Starfish, Anemones, Shellfish, Abalone, Sea Snails,
Crabs, Lobsters, Scorpions, Sea Horses,
Barnacles, Sea Urchins, Sand Dollars, One-Celled Organisms,
Seagulls, Ducks, Swans, Herons, Albatross, Puffins, Cormorants,
Alligators, Crocodiles, Eels, Water Snakes, Frogs, Leeches
Water Creatures from Myth
Water Dragons, Mermaids
Herbs Associated with the Element of Water
African Violet Aloe Apple Apricot
Aster Avocado Balm of Gilead Banana
Bedstraw Belladonna Birch Blackberry
Bladderwrack Bleeding Heart Blue Flag (Iris) Boneset
Buchu Buckthorn Burdock Cabbage
Camellia Camphor Cardamon Catnip
Chamomile Cherry Chickweed Coconut
Coltsfoot Columbine Comfrey Cowslip
Crocus Cucumber Cyclamen Daffodil
Daisy Datura Dittany of Crete Dulse
Elder Elm Eucalyptus Feverfew
Foxglove Gardenia Gourd Grape
Heather Hellebore Heliotrope Hemlock
Hemp Henbane Hibiscus
Huckleberry Hyacinth Hyssop Indian Paintbrush
Jasmine Kava-Kava Lady's Mantle Lady's Slipper
Larkspur Lemon Lemonbalm Lettuce
Licorice Lilac Lily Lobelia
Lotus Maidenhair Mallow Mimosa
Moonwort Morning Glory Mosses, all Myrrh
Myrtle Orchid Pansy Papaya
Passion Flower Peach Pear Periwinkle
Persimmon Plum Poplar Poppy
Purslane Ragwort Raspberry Rose
Sandalwood Scullcap Skunk Cabbage Spearmint
Spikenard Strawberry Sugar Cane Sweetpea
Tamarind Tansy Thyme Tomato
Tonka Trillium Valerian Vanilla
Violet Willow Wintergreen Yew
Gems and Stones Associated with the Element of Water
Agate, Blue Lace Amethyst Aquamarine Azurite
Beryl Calcite
(blue, green, pink) Chalcedony Chrysocolla
Coral Holey stones Jade Kunzite
Lapis Lepidolite Malachite Moonstone
Mother of Pearl Pearl Rhodocrosite Sapphire
Selenite Sugilite Tourmaline
(blue, green, pink)
Water Incense
2 parts Benzoin
1 part Myrrh
1 part Sandalwood
1 part Rose petals
1 drop Ylang Ylang oil
Water Oil
From Cunningham
3 drops Palmarosa
2 drops Ylang Ylang
1 drop Jasmine
1 ounce carrier oil
A Sample Invocation to the West and the Water Element
Guardian of the West, Merciful Gabriel:
Hold this corner of our circle and let the Water flow into it.
Send to us the beautiful Undies to help in our healing work.
Bless us with the cleansing of the mountain streams,
The beauty of the waterfall,
The peace of the deep dreaming lakes,
The strength and mystery of the oceans,
The rejuvenation nourishment of the cauldron,
And the love of the Grail.
We feel you and welcome you.
Blessed Be.
Blessings of the Water to you..
All information on this page was found here:
www.thedance.com/wicca101/4elem.htm
This page was researched and created by JuliahDarq
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