Essential Elements
The elements that make up life can be summed up into 5 categories.
Fire, Water, Earth, Air and Spirit.
For centuries, cultures around the world have held regard for these elements, what they represent and their magical properties. Although science has discovered many other elements that create our physical world (water is h20 and oxygen), These basic Elements are said to be the building blocks of the metaphysical and spiritual universe.
Each Element has a direction associated with it. Many traditions will place Fire to the South and Water to the West. Earth and Air are usually placed in the North and East, depending on the path you’re following. I personally tend to switch them up depending on what energy work I’m doing.
Water
Suit: Cups
Quarter: West
Feminine Energy
Season: Autumn
Influences:
Feelings, happiness, pleasure, love, children, friendship, marriage, home, taste, dreams, sleep, healing, the physic and, the sub-conscious, fertility, purification. Represents emotions and intuition.
Represent with:
cup of water, crystal ball, rainwater, driftwood, seaweed, mirror, seashell,
Fire
Suit: Swords
Quarter: South
Masculine Energy
Season: Summer
Influences:
Sun, strength, intensity, desire, energy, light, vitality, health, passion, destination, purification, and sight. Represents courage and daring,
Represent with:
candles (flame of some sort),lighter, matches, Cinnamon, Frankincense, dragons, Anthame
Earth
Suit: Pentacles
Quarter: North or East
Feminine Energy
Season: Winter
Influences:
Matter, foundation, manifestation, money, incorporating, employment, touch, empathy, understanding, fertility, prosperity, and business. Represents stability and physical endurance.
Represent with:
salt, soil, cauldron, flour, plants, seeds, acorns, rocks or stones, pentacle
Air
Suit: Wands
Quarter: North or East
Masculine Energy
Season: Spring
Influences:
Thought, knowledge, mental activity, study, speech, intellect, ideas, communication, hearing, travel, messages, eloquence, freedom, discovery, revealing hidden things, and secrets. Represents intelligence and the arts.
Represent with:
feather, bell, wind chimes,angels, fairies, incense, wand
Calling upon the 4 Elements and their direction to lend you their energy is often called “Calling the Quarters”. I usually just refer to it as Respecting or Calling the Elements.
Spirit
Spirit represents our souls, the divine and the spark of creation.It can be represented by The cycle of life and the wheel of the year. It is Universal. White or light blue is often used to represent the spirit element as well as a circular spiral. Can represent: Spiritual energy, magic, divine connections, interconnections. Represents the All, Deity, and the blending of the elements. It's color is white. Represent with: Butterfly, Cauldron, Mirror, Dragon Fly, Deity Figurine
Below you will find some more information on the elements, how they can be used and their properties. If you research enough you will come across many beliefs on what the Elemental and Directional relationships are depending on if you are looking at Wicca, Shamanism, Astrology, Celtic or other Belief Systems.
Find what resonates with you and use it. All of them believe in the power of the 4 Cardinal Directions and the Elements in one way or another.
Other sites for Reference:
Significant Symbols
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