The ancient wisdom describes these fields of resonance emanating from
the center as elements. The elements are the vibratory archetypes of
Cosmic Intelligence that underlie creation. Ether, Air, Fire, Water,
and Earth. These five patterns of vibration are at the core of the
sciences of the ancients. Dr. Stone writes: “Patterns are mind energy
fields. [underlined in the original] Each type of energy has a
vibratory speed and wave length which determines its function and
affinity to other similar units of energy functioning in the body, or
outside in the cosmos. They are the fundamental resonances that are
the inner vibrational basis of all phenomena. The elemental harmonics
are understood as four phases of radiation (Air, Fire, Water, and
Earth) from one center (Ether). Each of the elements represents a
progressively denser, more material radiation of a single force, a
harmonic of the underlying singular harmony. The elements are
archetypal harmonics corresponding to the phases of materialization in
the Polarity Evolutionary Cycle.
Ether is the matrix through which thought forms are brought into
etheric patterns which then crystallize into physical expression. Ether
resonates with prana, the life breath of the cosmos and sonic medium of
the Divine will to create. Ether is the principle in consciousness that
draws from the universal medium of prana, cosmic breath, to project
into physicality the intelligent patterns that sustain matter. The
other elements radiate outward from within this all-pervasive subtle
inner medium as they step-down into more and more solid matter. The
potency of the emanation drops as the energy moves away from the center
and steps down from Spirit to matter. The etheric body is a high
vibrational matrix which steps energy down from the subtle universal
elements into materiality. Ether is the womb through which the
subtle inner quintessence of the universal elements combine into the
pentamirus
combination of the five gross elements which sustains matter.
Walter Russell – The Nine Octave Harp of the Universe, “In The Waves Lies the Secret of Creation", 1962.
“The trouble with humans is in forming wrong conclusions in relation to Nature’s expressions. We think that elements are different substances and that each substance is permanently existent as such. That is not true. Elements are but different conditions of Light Pressures. They are the raw materials for the fashioning of Creation’s images in the Patterns controlled by Light Waves. They appear when the pressure necessary for their conditions appear and disappear when those pressure conditions cease. Every element in each octave occupies its own pressure position in its Wave. Each element seems to be a different substance as the electric pressure conditions of each position in each Wave of Matter changes. However, it is not the substance that changes, it is the condition of the substance.Voidance and Re-Creation is one of the simplest and most obvious principles of Nature. I cannot imagine how it has escaped discovery during the centuries. Oxygen, for example, is voided when you breathe it in. You produce a condition that calls for the pattern of carbon dioxide, and oxygen, as raw material, is as voided as though it never was. Iron, likewise, voids oxygen and oxygen voids iron by rusting. And so it goes all down through the octave waves.”
The direct pentagram invoking and banishing patterns come are understood from its emergence from of the five elements from the four through the descent of fire discussed previously.
The Air/Water path stands in its original relationship as a pair of opposites, movement from air to water invokes water and movement from water to air invokes air. The Movement along the fire and earth paths follows this same pattern, but the displacement of fire leaves spirit acting as the opposite source of both.
When invoking the path should be drawn with a total of six strokes. Begin as indicated below, moving along the path toward the element, tracing out the pentagram and ending by repeating the first path to end on element invoked. In banishing we use five strokes, we reverse the initial direction and stop upon returning to the element, returning it to its proper place.
The averse pentagram Is the next step beyond the direct. Through the movement of spirit into incarnation the pentagram appears as from behind and below. The emergence of these paths is discussed further here: https://covn.tumblr.com/post/160141036627/emergent-qabalah
In the averse configuration the paths of elemental invoking and banishing no longer stand in pairs of opposites. The process of invoking with six strokes and ending on the element after the sixth and banishing with five in reverse remains the same. The bottom point is elation of spirit bound in manifestation.
The averse configuration is best for working towards manifestation while the direct pentagram is best working in a more detached, “spiritual”, spirit oriented manner.
The Temple ideally shall be a formal and dedicated Temple of
Our Order or, failing such, a convenient place set aside for the occasion of
this celebration. In the East should be a small shrine wherein is placed the
Stele of Revealing, The Book of the Law and the Enochian Tablet of Water. Below
that should be placed the four corresponding Court dignitaries and the Ace of Cups.
These should be flanked on either side by Loti or some other aquatic plant. A
double cube altar should be placed centrally and adorned with a bell or
battery, two Chalices (representing the 2 of Cups), a censer with incense of Myrrh
and a blue candle. Both Hierophants are adorned in white robes with blue
cinctures.
All are allowed into the Temple and create a circumference
around the central Altar.
Both Hierophants exchange the Law to each other. They then
exchange the kiss of peace, an embrace or a firm handshake depending on the
mood of all present. They then move to the people and exchange the same as
above. It is best if they start on either side of the Shrine with one moving
deosil and the other widdershins from the Shrine where they both meet in the
West directly opposite the Shrine. With all having been greeted, the
Hierophants make their way to the central Altar placing one hand on the Altar
and facing the Shrine.
Hierophant
A: “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of
the Law. It is our Will to call forth and savor the Powers of Water so that
thus invigorated we may meet in due course their complement in the sign of Justice.”
Hierophant
B: “Let the Crab be thus led so that our
work in this year may be duly purified
by the lustrous asperging of Elemental Water and hence that all present may
proceed as Children of the Powers of the Waters towards the accomplishment of the
Great Work! Love is the law, love under will.”
Hierophant
A: (Banishes
using Liber XXV.)
Hierophant
B: (Performs
Liber XXXVI.)
All: (Face West for Evocation and give the sign of Auromoth.)
Hierophant A: (Knock.)
“Let us adore the Lady & Queen
of Water! BABALON, mother of abominations, gather our blood in thy
golden cup!”
All: “AUMGN!”
Hierophant B: (Make Invok. Pentagram of Spirit Passive)
“AGAPE HCOMA.”
(Give the Sign of the Closing of the Veil)
(Make
Invoking Pentagram of Water)
“BABALON.”
Hierophant
A: “If I say Come upon the mountains! the
celestial waters flow at my word. But thou art the Water beyond the waters.”
Hierophant B: (With
the Cup, describe the glyph of Cancer)
“In the name BABALON,
spirits of Water, adore your master!”
Hierophant
A: (Make a + with the Cup)
“In
the names and letters of your habitation in the second angle, spirits of Water,
adore your master!”
Hierophant
B: (Raise the Cup)
“In
the Three Secret Names of God that art borne upon the Banners of the West MPH
ARSL GAIOL, spirits of Water, adore your master!”
Hierophant
A: (Lower and raise the Cup)
“In
the name of RAAGIOSL, Great King of the West, spirits of Water, adore your Master!”
All: “In
the name of RA-HOOR-KHUIT the Lord of the Aeon, We declare that the spirits of Water
have been duly invoked.”
Ring the Battery 333-55555-333.
Following the ceremony there should be a Recitation of
Levi’s “Prayer of the Undines” by one of the Hierophants or a Lector especially
chosen for their mellifluousness of voice. This then is followed by a group
reading of Liber LXV, Ch. 3.
Upon conclusion, let the participants gather to enjoy a
languorous Eucharist and participate in the perception of the Element thus
called.
Appendices:
Appendix
I:
The Prayer of the Undines
“Dread
King of the Sea, Who hast the keys of the floodgates of heaven and dost confine
the waters of the underworld in the caverns of earth; King of the deluge and
the floods of the Springtime; Thou Who dost unseal the sources of rivers and
fountains; Thou Who dost ordain moisture, which is like the blood of earth, to
become the sap of plants: Thee we adore and Thee we invoke! Speak unto us,
Thine inconstant and unstable creatures, in the great tumults of the sea, and
we shall tremble before Thee; speak unto us also in the murmur of limpid
waters, and we shall yearn for Thy love! O Immensity into which flow all rivers
of life, to be continually reborn in Thee! O ocean of infinite perfections!
Height which reflects Thee in the depth, depth which exhales Thee to the
height, lead us unto true life by intelligence and love! Lead us to immortality
by Sacrifice, that we may be found worthy one day to offer Thee water, blood
and tears, for the remission of sins! Amen.”
Appendix
II:
Liber
LXV, Ch. 3:
III.
Verily and Amen! I passed through the deep sea, and by
the rivers of running water that abound therein, and I came unto the Land
of No Desire.
Wherein was a white unicorn with a silver collar,
whereon was graven the aphorism Linea viridis gyrat universa.
Then the word of Adonai came unto me by the mouth of
the Magister mine, saying: O heart that art girt about with the coils of
the old serpent, lift up thyself unto the mountain of initiation!
But I remembered. Yea, Than, yea, Theli, yea, Lilith!
these three were about me from of old. For they are one.
Beautiful wast thou, O Lilith, thou serpent-woman!
Thou wast lithe and delicious to the taste, and thy
perfume was of musk mingled with ambergris.
Close didst thou cling with thy coils unto the heart,
and it was as the joy of all the spring.
But I beheld in thee a certain taint, even in that
wherein I delighted.
I beheld in thee the taint of thy father the ape, of
thy grandsire the Blind Worm of Slime.
I gazed upon the Crystal of the Future, and I saw the
horror of the End of thee.
Further, I destroyed the time Past, and the time to
Come—had I not the Power of the Sand-glass?
But in the very hour I beheld corruption.
Then I said: O my beloved, O Lord Adonai, I pray thee
to loosen the coils of the serpent!
But she was closed fast upon me, so that my Force was
stayed in its inception.
Also I prayed unto the Elephant God, the Lord of
Beginnings, who breaketh down obstruction.
These gods came right quickly to mine aid. I beheld
them; I joined myself unto them; I was lost in their vastness.
Then I beheld myself compassed about with the Infinite
Circle of Emerald that encloseth the Universe.
O Snake of Emerald, Thou hast no time Past, no time To
Come. Verily Thou art not.
Thou art delicious beyond all taste and touch, Thou
art not-to-be-beheld for glory, Thy voice is beyond the Speech and the
Silence and the Speech therein, and Thy perfume is of pure ambergris, that
is not weighed against the finest gold of the fine gold.
Also Thy coils are of infinite range; the Heart that
Thou dost encircle is an Universal Heart.
I, and Me, and Mine were sitting with lutes in the
market-place of the great city, the city of the violets and the roses.
The night fell, and the music of the lutes was
stilled.
The tempest arose, and the music of the lutes was
stilled.
The hour passed, and the music of the lutes was
stilled.
But Thou art Eternity and Space; Thou art Matter and
Motion; and Thou art the negation of all these things.
For there is no Symbol of Thee.
If I say Come up upon the mountains! the celestial
waters flow at my word. But thou art the Water beyond the waters.
The red three-angled heart hath been set up in Thy
shrine; for the priests despised equally the shrine and the god.
Yet all the while Thou wast hidden therein, as the
Lord of Silence is hidden in the buds of the lotus.
Thou art Sebek the crocodile against Asar; thou art
Mati, the Slayer in the Deep. Thou art Typhon, the Wrath of the Elements,
O Thou who transcendest the Forces in their Concourse and Cohesion, in
their Death and their Disruption. Thou art Python, the terrible serpent
about the end of all things!
I turned me about thrice in every way; and always I
came at the last unto Thee.
Many things I beheld mediate and immediate; but,
beholding them no more, I beheld Thee.
Come thou, O beloved One, O Lord God of the Universe,
O Vast One, O Minute One! I am Thy beloved.
All day I sing of Thy delight; all night I delight in
Thy song.
There is no other day or night than this.
Thou art beyond the day and the night; I am Thyself, O
my Maker, my Master, my Mate!
I am like the little red dog that sitteth upon the
knees of the Unknown.
Thou hast brought me into great delight. Thou hast
given me of Thy flesh to eat and of Thy blood for an offering of
intoxication.
Thou hast fastened the fangs of Eternity in my soul,
and the Poison of the Infinite hath consumed me utterly.
I am become like a luscious devil of Italy; a fair
strong woman with worn cheeks, eaten out with hunger for kisses. She hath
played the harlot in divers palaces; she hath given her body to the
beasts.
She hath slain her kinsfolk with strong venom of
toads; she hath been scourged with many rods.
She hath been broken in pieces upon the Wheel; the
hands of the hangman have bound her unto it.
The fountains of water have been loosed upon her; she
hath struggled with exceeding torment.
She hath burst in sunder with the weight of the
waters; she hath sunk into the awful Sea.
So am I, O Adonai, my lord, and such are the waters of
Thine intolerable Essence.
So am I, O Adonai, my beloved, and Thou hast burst me
utterly in sunder.
I am shed out like spilt blood upon the mountains; the
Ravens of Dispersion have borne me utterly away.
Therefore is the seal unloosed, that guarded the
Eighth abyss; therefore is the vast sea as a veil; therefore is there a
rending asunder of all things.
Yea, also verily Thou art the cool still water of the
wizard fount. I have bathed in Thee, and lost me in Thy stillness.
That which went in as a brave boy of beautiful limbs
cometh forth as a maiden, as a little child for perfection.
O Thou light and delight, ravish me away into the
milky ocean of the stars!
O Thou Son of a light-transcending mother, blessed be
Thy name, and the Name of Thy Name, throughout the ages!
Behold! I am a butterfly at the Source of Creation;
let me die before the hour, falling dead into Thine infinite stream!
Also the stream of the stars floweth ever majestical
unto the Abode; bear me away upon the Bosom of Nuit!
This is the world of the waters of Maim; this is the
bitter water that becometh sweet. Thou art beautiful and bitter, O golden
one, O my Lord Adonai, O thou Abyss of Sapphire!
I follow Thee, and the waters of Death fight
strenuously against me. I pass unto the Waters beyond Death and beyond
Life.
How shall I answer the foolish man? In no way shall he
come to the Identity of Thee!
But I am the Fool that heedeth not the Play of the
Magician. Me doth the Woman of the Mysteries instruct in vain; I have
burst the bonds of Love and of Power and of Worship.
Therefore is the Eagle made one with the Man, and the
gallows of infamy dance with the fruit of the just.
I have descended, O my darling, into the black shining
waters, and I have plucked Thee forth as a black pearl of infinite
preciousness.
I have gone down, O my God, into the abyss of the all,
and I have found Thee in the midst under the guise of No Thing.
But as Thou art the Last, Thou art also the Next, and
as the Next do I reveal Thee to the multitude.
They that ever desired Thee shall obtain Thee, even at
the End of their Desire.
Glorious, glorious, glorious art Thou, O my lover
supernal, O Self of myself.
For I have found Thee alike in the Me and the Thee;
there is no difference, O my beautiful, my desirable One! In the One and
the Many have I found Thee; yea, I have found Thee.
Bibliography:
–
Crowley, Aleister; Book 5: vel Reguli, in Magick.
Book IV, Parts I-IV, Second, Revised Edition; edited, annotated and
introduced by Hymenaeus Beta. York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, 1997.
——; Book 15: Ecclesiae Gnosticae Catholicae Canon Missae, in Magick: Book
IV, Parts I-IV, Second, Revised Edition; edited, annotated and introduced
by Hymenaeus Beta, Samuel Weiser, York Beach, Maine 1997.
——; Book 25: The Star Ruby, in Magick. Book
IV, Parts I-IV, Second, Revised Edition; edited, annotated and introduced
by Hymenaeus Beta. York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, 1997.
——; Book 36: The Star Sapphire, in Magick. Book
IV, Parts I-IV, Second, Revised Edition; edited, annotated and introduced
by Hymenaeus Beta. York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, 1997.
——(received by); Book 65, Ch. 3 in The Holy Books of Thelema, edited by Hymenæus Alpha and Hymenæus
Beta. York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, 1983.
——; Liber AL: II, 36; New Commentary, in The Law is for All, ed. I. Regardie. St. Paul, MN:
Llewellyn, 1975; rpt. Scottsdale, AZ: New Falcon, 1991, Revised 2nd
Ed., ed. Louis Wilkinson and Hymenaeus Beta, Scottsdale, AZ: New Falcon, 1996.
Though Tarot and other forms of cartomancy tend to be discussed more, scrying is a useful skill for any witch, diviner, or magical practitioner. If you’re not familiar with the concept, scrying is the art of inducing visions by fixing one’s gaze on a surface or object. When most people hear the term, they think of the old cliche where someone gazes into a crystal ball in order to foretell the future, and that’s indeed a form of scrying, though there are many. Many famous magicians and clairvoyants employed scrying, such as John Dee, Edward Kelly and even the infamous Nostradamus.
There are many guides floating around online and in print regarding scrying with a solid object like a mirror or crystal. To me, both of the latter are reliant upon the element of Earth, though, and while many witches favor that, the other elements can be used in scrying, as well. Today, I’d like to discuss a particular method of scrying involving the element of Air. I feel that air scrying is an oft-neglected and practice that presents excellent opportunities, with strengths and weaknesses that make it equally appealing to a diviner or witch when compared to other methods.
When most of us think of the element of air in a magical context, we likely have an image of incense somewhere in our mind. This is because incense usually represents air within many modern witchcraft circles. When talking about air scrying, many would likely have the idea of watching incense rise and gazing into it in order to induce a vision. Indeed, many diviners and witches do just that, but today, I’d like to discuss another method, equally effective but requiring nothing at all in the way of tools, and no burning of incense.
This is particularly a useful technique for those whose practice must remain hidden, or those who haven’t the ability to scry with air using the common incense method. As you might expect, this is a great method for scrying in order to communicate with the forces of air/wind themselves, as well as spirits in general. It may be confirmation bias on my part, but it always seemed to me that, when scrying with air, it’s exceptionally easy to get noticeable results rather than just vague impressions, though the meaningfulness of what you see/experience will vary dependent upon the scryer themselves. I will say that I’ve found it extremely effective for contacting place-related egregores or what you might call “nature spirits,” i.e., that which New Agers often erroneously call “devas.”
I call this method “Mirror in the Sky.” With it, you essentially use the sky itself as a scrying mirror. Please note that this differs from certain other sky-based forms of divination such as looking for patterns in the clouds, which, while effective and useful for some, aren’t technically scrying. This is because the images you see and interpret in those methods are formed from physical phenomena visible to all, rather than arising from the diviner’s subconscious or appearing only to them from another source. I’ve written a bit about my views in this direction here.
How To Do It
To begin scrying the sky, find a place and situation where a medium-sized (at least) patch of sky is visible to you. You might get different results, but for me, the larger the area, the better. It should be an uninterrupted patch of visible sky, not marred by power lines, tree branches, or anything else. Naturally, if you’re in the city, as I am, a relatively small bit of sky framed by buildings can work well. As a rule, I would say you want a view of the sky that gives you the sensation of spaciousness when you gaze at it, regardless of its objective size.
As I describe this, the idea of lying on your back in a park or field might seem ideal, but a (relatively high) window with the sky visible through it over rooftops worked well for me, so don’t feel compelled to wander around looking for the perfect place if you haven’t the time. Really, let me reiterate that all you need is a relatively unobstructed view of the sky.
That said, though, you won’t necessarily be able to start right away. Given that this method of scrying uses the sky as its medium, you need to be mindful of the weather. Unless your patch of sky is visible through a window (as mine is, these days), you won’t really be able to do this if it’s raining, because the rain will likely distract you.
Beyond that, it’s best (especially for your first time) to wait until the sky (or at least your designated patch of it) is a uniform color and unmarred by clouds. As mentioned earlier, some witches and magicians practice a sort of divination where the shapes of the clouds are interpreted, but that’s not really what we’re going for here, and any break in the uniformity of the sky will likely distract you. Remember – the goal is to use the sky like a scrying mirror or crystal ball, and if you’ve ever used either of those with a blemish in them, you know it’s slightly more difficult than if they’re smooth and even.
Beyond that, weather requirements are minimal – I’ve made this work in most seasonal weather patterns provided the above-mentioned conditions were present. This is possible in all light conditions, ranging from the first bursts of dawn to an afternoon haze. Even pitch black will work, provided there’s a least a little overcast of clouds so that stars don’t enter into the picture and compete for your attention. Again, just wait until a time when the sky looks relatively uniform and unbroken, then begin.
The first steps towards scrying the sky in earnest are really the same as you would use with any scrying medium. If you have a ritual you use prior to scrying with a mirror, bowl of water, or other medium, you may well be able to adapt that to this particular technique. I myself like to put myself through some mental or physical exertion prior to scrying, but other witches might just enjoy a cup of mugwort tea and try their best to relax.
One thing that many find helpful is to initiate a verbal dialogue with the medium itself, in this case, the sky. This can be spoken, whispered, or vibrated within your mind. Just simply ask the sky to show you what you need or want to see. If you’re like me, and find the notion of elemental spirits useful (perhaps just as a metaphor), you would want to address this request to the sylphs – the archetypal air spirits.
If you’ve got a specific entity you’d like to communicate with via scrying, such as an egregore or the spirit of the place where you’re located, then address it towards the “airy” part of the entity. This takes some finesse and a dollop of self-knowledge, as you’ve got to have worked out your own cosmological metaphor for how these things work, but can definitely be helpful.
Next, with an appropriate calmness of mind and heart, fix your gaze on your patch of sky. I find it helpful, at this point, to focus and unfocus my vision until the muscles responsible for that act become a bit tired, and focus is naturally lost. On that note, light sleepiness can help achieve this, too. The sky may appear to ripple. Some witches who’ve seen this say the ripples are a type of “energy,” but in reality, it’s a highly common optical illusion. In this case, though, experiencing it often presages the beginning of a vision/scrying session, so don’t shy away when and if you see this phenomenon.
Small shapes and colors usually appear first, and it can be difficult to sort out what’s being seen physically (or due to eye strain) as opposed to merely appearing in the mind’s eye, more so than with other types of scrying. This is not usually a problem, and I’d recommend just taking the images as they come and being as receptive as possible, regardless of their apparent origin.
Most suggestions you’ll see in books and websites regarding how to interpret what you’d see within a scrying mirror or crystal ball apply here, but I’d caution against the use of symbol dictionaries, no matter how comprehensive. It’s much more useful to just focus on what emotions an image stirs within you and what preexisting personal associations you have for it.
For example, if you see a dragon, and a symbol dictionary suggests it represents greed, but your personal experience with dragons has been positive from watching dragon cartoons as a child, your association for the image might be something like “innocence,” rather than anything standardized from a book. This is perfectly okay, normal, and useful, and really makes it obvious why diviners and witches need to know themselves first and foremost, and that you’ll have a much easier time interpreting what you experience if you keep context in mind.
Fine-Tuning This Technique
Just as you can change what you’ll see using a scrying mirror, bowl, or sphere, so you can achieve similar fine-tuning with sky-scrying, as well. For me, the easiest way of doing this is to change the time at which one does the scrying, choosing a time of day that is auspicious in terms of your needs or the subject you’d like to receive information from or about. If the weather is suited for it, this isn’t difficult at all.
Any scrying you do via this method will naturally have a primary elemental attribution of air, since air is the medium you’re using, but you can add a secondary correspondence by choosing a time of day associated with an elemental (or other) force you’d like to connect with.
Dawn tends to be associated with air, noon with fire, dusk with water, and midnight with earth, at least within certain parts of occidental magick. Beyond that, you might be interested in using planetary hours to time your sky-scrying, as well, choosing an hour based on which planet is most associated with what you’d like to experience while scrying.
Strengths and Weaknesses
As with any magical/divinatory technique, this one has both strengths and weaknesses. Your success in scrying the sky is pretty dependent upon the weather cooperating. This is a drawback compared to less mercurial methods like a crystal ball, which is always going to be there, and relatively the same, regardless of what’s happening. It’s also a little difficult getting used to scrying the sky over and over, as it’s bound to look different every time you gaze at it, even if it’s the same patch over and over.
As noted, though, it’s remarkably easy for even the inexperienced to get results of some sort via this method – I put that down to its association directly with the element of air and communication. And, as far as air-based scrying goes, this is a lot easier than scrying in smoke, as it gives you a larger canvas on which visions can be projected. It’s also a good method for scrying if you need to keep your divination/witchery a secret. Whereas having a crystal ball around or even a scrying bowl raises obvious questions, merely relaxing while gazing at the sky is common enough to not cause alarm.
I hope you found this tutorial interesting and informative, and I do have more planned with regards to elemental scrying techniques, as well as other topics. If there’s something you’d like me to write about, don’t hesitate to send me a message or ask, but please read my FAQ and master page beforehand to see if your question has already been answered. And finally, if you enjoy the content I produce, please consider donating to fund further endeavors. Thanks for reading!
I’ve written a lot about the seven classical planets and celestial/cosmic witchcraft. I think it’s time to bring things a bit more down to earth, though!
This is a new two-part series! It will focus on the natural elements as understood by the Western Magical Tradition.
In today’s article, I’ll be explaining a bit about the history of these concepts and how I see them. I hope you find this interesting and informative!
Thinking About the Elements
Elements are one of the first concepts I learned when beginning a journey into witchcraft.
But! How do we view the elements as concepts? Lets consider how they relate to us and the whole universe. Here’s my views!
Some believe the elements are simply words for natural phenomena. In other words, Fire is fire – the burning of a campfire or candle, or another flame. Water would always be something like a stream, the ocean or other liquid. I don’t see it this way. They’re far more complex than that!
The four elements stem the observations of ancient philosophers. These thinkers guessed that these substances were the building blocks of physical reality. Of course, they were wrong! In reality, atoms comprise matter. Matter and energy, then, make up the physical universe.
We could associate four classical elements with the four states of matter. These are solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. They’d correspond to earth, water, air, and fire in turn. This is a very simplified view, though!
These concepts were fundamental to the ancients. A wealth of lore has developed around them. They have grown into complex metaphors for aspects of the human condition. The physical manifestations of the elements have become potent symbols.
They represent various mental and emotional phenomena. Symbols are important in witchcraft. The way I see it, all tools of the Craft are symbols used to connect with larger forces that work within the universe.
The elements themselves, and their attributions, are in fact, somewhat arbitrary. This means that each of us will have a different idea of what each element represents!
There’s nothing wrong with this, though. The point is to use them as symbols. What they symbolize to you is your own business!
Qualifying the Elements
In the Western Magical Tradition, there are four core (classical) elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.
Some traditions do posit a fifth element called the quintessence, also known as Spirit or Aether. This fifth element stands apart from the other four, as it doesn’t behave in the same way.
I’ll be focusing on these four, not on the quintessence. Spirit as an element is a very large topic best suited for its own series of articles.
Alchemical thinkers have placed these four into categories. . They’re quite useful for understanding the system.
Each element is either “hot” or “cold,” as well as either “dry,” or “wet.”
This doesn’t describe the physical qualities of the phenomena in question. Rather, these terms are metaphors. They refer to the roles taken by the concepts each element embodies.
Hot and Cold Elements
Hot elements are active in human existence.
They stand for concepts that penetrate and alter the world around them. An outdated way of putting this would be to describe them as “masculine.” This comes from historical stereotypes about gender. I tend to use the term “active” to describe hot elements. That’s Fire and Air.
Cold elements are passive and receptive.
They represent concepts from which we draw nourishment. They are the structure or substance that forms our mental landscape. The hot elements tend to be the essence or organizing principle.
Cold elements are often stereotyped as “feminine.“ They are Water and Earth, both of which play a nourishing role in human existence.
Wet and Dry Elements
Dryness as a concept within the Western Magical Tradition refers to a fixed state. In other words, the dry elements are things that don’t often change. These elements are full of stability.
The key feature of a dry element is lack of intense motion. We can depend on the stable parts of our existence, represented by these elements.
The dry elements are Fire and Earth. It may seem strange to call fire stable, but it is a reliable source of warmth to us. It represents a constant feature of human life.
When we speak of wet elements, we mean the two elements that aren’t fixed. In other words, elements that flow ,change and transform. It is the concepts associated with these elements that drive the changes. They are reliable, but only insofar as change, itself, is something to rely on!
The wet elements are Air and Water. Both are natural features that shift and flow through our lives. The inclusion of Air as a wet element shows that these are metaphorical, not literal terms.
Much more could be said about how people have described the elements throughout time. The above image shows the alchemical view of how the elements can combine to create secondary principles.
As you might guess, “fixed” and “volatile” here stand for what we’ve been calling “passive” and “active.” If you want to know more about these further topics, I recommend Robert Bartlett’s book, True Alchemy.
The entire concept of the elements is a metaphor, though. It’s a metaphor that can work for you. It can help with your Craft, and help you connect with the universe. I’ll be posting the next article tomorrow! In that, I’ll be discussing each element in detail.
Wastes of pre-memory: seas of ill-conquest, bathed in stars, Risen blind with the drunkenness of a retching crew … They all have flowers in their eyes – storms of the bountiful, Raging hearts, fecund & salivating marchers.
In the beginning & the end there is only THIS curse, To believe with eyes of strangers that this IS Covenant, A meeting ground between sinking castes, revenant tides.
All that is born in the bath, seeding with blind recalcitrance; Order of Hypatia, gathering at the shores … Reduced to a science, they revolt with non-euclidian borders; Inter-dimensional afterbirth: in the Dawn of Heavy Monsters.
Nothing like the ones who saw it coming, with color & fury, Purple face of its bloated mastery over the shifting of plates, Delirious effusions of green gases reducing pressures within.
Incongruous doom, behaving like a child everywhere it goes, Truth of the moment sparing no abstraction, Ruptured will IS will again, penetrating to reservoirs of dusk, Where sea touches sky, reflecting static of intoxicating unions.
“The Pentagram signifies the domination of the mind over the Elements, and the demons of Air, the spirits of Fire, the phantoms of Water, and the ghosts of Earth; all are enchained by this sign. Equipped therewith, and suitably disposed, you may then behold the Infinite through the medium of that faculty which is like the soul’s eye, and you will be ministered onto by legions of angels and hosts of fiends…. It follows that, by means of the imagination, demons and spirits can be beheldd, really and in truth; but the imagination of the Adept is diaphanous, whislt that of the crowd is opaque…. The Pentagram is called in Cabbalah the Sign of the Microcosm…. By the Pentagram also is measured the exact proportions of the great and unique Athanor necessary to the confection of the Philosopher’s Stone and to the accomplishment of the [alchemical] Great Work.” – Transcendental Magic: It’s Doctrine and Ritual by Eliphas Levi
The Zodiac is an imaginary belt of the Heavens, within which are the apparent paths of the Sun, Moon and Planets. The belt contains twelve Constellations of Stars (hence the twelve Signs of the Zodiac) and each of the twelve Signs are governed by one of these four Elements: Earth, Fire, Air or Water. Astrology plays a big part in the Zodiac, as it is the actual study of influence that the Sun, Moon, Stars and Planets have on an individual at the time of their Birth (which creates all the Sun/Moon/Rising Signs of the Zodiac).
Occult Aspects 