It is an old belief that everything on earth consists of at least one of the main four elements. Indeed some people believe these to be the main active elements in the entire universe. The elements are widely used in various practices of magick. Over the years i have compiled a sort of reference chart for each Elements attributes, according to my personal practice. I will share with you a bit of the information on each of the Elements from my book of shadows:
*Air – also known as Vayu in eastern magick*
Represents the mind, tentelligence, communication, telepathy, pyschic powers, inspiration, ideas, knowledge, dreams, wishes etc. Associated with the first breath of air.
Symbol: A right side up triangle with a line through the middle from left to right, or a blue circle
Direction: East
Energy: Projective
Color: Yellow, White, Cimson
Suit: Swords
Archangel: Raphael
Astrological Signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Creatures: Sylphs, fairies, storm angles
*Earth – also known as prithiui in eastern magick*
Represents grounding, substance, passiveness, connection to life, roots, fertility, foundation of life, etc. Associated with the physical realm.
Symbol: An upside down triangle with a line through the middle from left to right, or a yellow square
Direction: North
Energy: Grounding, Manifesting
Color: Green
Suit: Pentacles
Archangel: Uriel
Astrological Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Creatures: Gnomes, Dwarfs, Elfs, Hobgoblins, Lepricons, Brownies
*Fire – also known as Tejas in eastern magick*
Represents energy, transformation, connection to personal power, inner strength, powers of destruction and purification. Fire is seen as the source of life and the destroyer of life. The beginning and the end.
Symbol: A triangle right side up, or a red triangle right side up.
Direction: South
Energy: Destructive, Purifying
Color: Red
Suit: Wands
Archangel: Michael
Astrological Signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Creatures: Salamander, Djinn, Genies
*Water – also known as Apas in eastern magick*
Represents Intuition, inner reflextion, emotional release, passivness, creativity, transformation, subconscious, receptivity, regeneration, etc. Associated with the primeval waters of all creation.
Symbol: An upside down triangle, or a silver moon
Direction: West
Energy: Transformative, Regeneration
Color: Blue
Suit: Cups
Archangel: Gabriel
Astrological Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
Creatures: Undine, Merfolk, Nymphs, Tritons, Harpies, and Sirens
*Spirit or Aether – also known as Akasa in eastern magick*
Represents the connecting point for the main four elements, and the energy of ones soul. Perhaps the most mysterious of the five elements, the more we understand the main four elements the more we gain understanding of spirit.
Symbol: A circle, or a black circle
Direction: Above and within the other elements
Energy: Divine
Color: White, Transparent, Gold, Silver
This list of references is by no means complete, infact in my book of shadows i go on to list references to gender, season, time of day, gemstones, crystals and more for each Element. Do you work with the Elements in your practice? Do the Elements fall into your belief system… or are they outdated, insignificant and hold no baring whatsoever on your path? Thanks so much for reading and as always, brightest blessings!