The Elements, Part 1

This is the first in a series of posts exploring the elements as used in magical practices.

There are four classical elements. These are Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Now, it is important not to confuse these with the actual physical elements, of which there are many. Rather, these are forces that work in conjunction to produce creation, manifest and unmanifest. There is also a fifth element, that being Spirit, but discussion about it will be at another time.     

These four elements represent the basic attributes given by man to his surroundings. They are based on tactical sensations. When a physical object is touched, there are many sensations. For example, is it painful, flexible, solid, wet, hot, etc.? In discussing the elements we draw upon the sensations of temperature (hot or cold) and moisture (wet or dry). These are fundamental to the understanding of the elements. Simply put, the forces of temperature and moisture interplay to form the forces of each element. So, Earth is said to be the combination of dry and cold, Water is wet and cold, Air is wet and hot, and fire is dry and hot. These give a basic idea to the attributes of each element. 

There is considerable talk in occult circles to “being a particular element”. This, of course, is pure hogwash. All of the four elements are present in the makeup of everything in creation, and the human creature is no exception. Part of the training of any novice magician is the fundamental awareness of and balancing of the elemental forces in the body and the psyche. How could someone be expected to direct elemental forces if they are out of balance within said person? Surely balance must be attained before even the simplest of magical processes can be attempted.

In the traditional training, the first element that is worked with is Earth. Now, keeping in mind that the physical earth is not the element we can look at its qualities to gain insight about the elemental energy of Earth. The physical earth, of course, is dense. It is solid, rigid, and stable. It is generally unmoving, tectonic forces withstanding. So, we can say that the elemental Earth is solid and dense. It is stable, sure and firm. There is little or no motion with elemental Earth. Just like the physical earth, elemental Earth is necessary to have life. Trees grow in the earth, animals live within it and upon it. Even the great oceans rest on the earth. With elemental earth, the energies of it feel heavy, stable, and rigid. It is the foundation. It is something you can count on. Earth focuses on the physical reality. It can be nurturing and supportive. However, it can also be immovable, unyielding and unchangeable. Unbalanced Earth can be lethargic, focused on physical pleasure and materialistic.

The next element that a student is made aware of is Air. Air on the physical world is fast moving. Try to grab hold of a hand full of air. You’ll wind up empty handed, until you open your hand and the air just drifts back in. Elemental Air is active, just like the physical air. It blows here an there, always changing. It is adaptable, and fills everywhere there is a space. Physical air is essential to our communication. Without it, we would not have speech. Sounds are simply vibrations in the air that react with our inner ear and are interpreted as sounds. Air is essential for life. Just as animals breathe oxygen, plants breathe carbon dioxide creating a cycle of life. It can keep you cool in with a summer breeze, or destroy everything in its path like a tornado. Soft or hard, air is always moving. Air can carry water, dirt and even fire. Elemental Air has the same qualities. Air is naturally considered hot, since it is active, and wet, since it contains water vapor. Air is the element of communication and therefore of intellect as well. We must communicate to learn from each other. Air is also a healer. Wounds need to breathe to keep from going stagnant, and to allow oxygen to heal the body. Too much air, however, can make you spacey or air-headed. It can cause you to over think things, make rash decisions and act with only your interests in mind.

The third element studied is that of Water. Physical water is fluid. You would think of water as active. It flows through pipes and rivers, and the waves of the ocean are constantly moving. But that is not the case. Water is passive. It seeks out the lowest point it can find, and stays there. Left to its own forces, water will not move. The flow of water is simply water trying to get to the lowest point, but watch out if you are in its way. Water can tear things down, erode and destroy. But it, like all the elements, is also necessary for life. Elemental Water is passive and wet. It will flow where it needs to, and just like a supple stream or a raging waterfall, elemental Water can be creative or destructive. With such powers it is considered the element of the emotions. Often it is considered the element of love, which is its positive qualities, but it is often forgotten that greed, lust, envy and anger are emotions too. Water out of balance can result in negative emotions or out of balance positive emotions, such as being overly caring or protective of someone.

Finally, there is the element of Fire. It goes without saying that physical fire is hot and dry. Fire is volatile, and can go from a simple candle flame to a roaring house fire almost instantly. Fire is what separated man from the animals. It is believed that man first started to develop intelligence and language when he began to cook his food. Fire keeps us warm and safe. Most would think of fire as destructive, but it prepares our food, it lights our world, and helps to create everything around us. If the fire that is the Sun ever went out, we would soon die. So too is the elemental Fire. It is the expression of activity. In its natural state it is action without control. It represents raw energy. It is also desire in the sense of the motivating force behind doing something. It is willpower. Elemental Fire is what sets everything in motion. It is the longing to accomplish something, the drive to begin the work, and the energy to see it through. But, when not checked, it can be obsessive, violent and destructive.

So, what does all this mean to the magician? Well, there are many things that the elements can do. You can work with elementals, which are beings of a pure element, create elemental talismans for specific purposes, program artificially created elemental beings to complete tasks, and many other things. However, for now, you need to balance the elemental energies. This is the first step to being able to use elemental energies, but it is also one of the first steps in spiritual growth. After learning to feel and manipulate energy, balancing the elements is the most important thing you can do in your journey. It is not a process to be rushed. Specific exercises and meditations will be coming in future lessons.