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Monday, January 27, 2020

Elemental Magic: Introduction to the Elements

magic, elements, earth, air, fire, water, spirit, witchcraft, witch

Well, the survey results were pretty clear regarding which topic you guys wanted me to talk about in more detail: The Elements. One of the biggest issues with most modern books on witchcraft is that they gloss over the Elements, giving a brief overview and their correspondences, then never returning to them with more detail. How have the Elements been used historically? How can one connect on a deep spiritual level with each element? How can the Elements be used in witchcraft in a meaningful way that enhances a spell's potency, instead of just throwing them in because their correspondences align with the spell? These are questions this series will help to answer.

The plan for the next several months is to dive deep into each element and how you can use it more effectively in your spellcraft. For each element, I will discuss their history, correspondences, tools, and how they work with other elements, as well as provide you with a ritual designed to specifically connect with that element with alternative methods for those without access to certain materials or limited mobility, and finish with spells and rituals that incorporate that element in a positive, enriching way, with a full explanation of course.

But what are the Elements? There are four basic elements: Water, Earth, Fire, and Air. For many of us, we include a fifth element that pulls everything together, and I'm not talking about a beautiful weapon with orange hair designed to save Earth from impending destruction. I'm talking about Spirit or ether. Honestly, you could think about Spirit as a weapon against impending destruction if you like. It's the human spirit that has gotten humankind through more than one rough patch. Its the human spirit that has driven innovation, exploration, and discovery. It is also the human spirit that drives kindness, passion, empathy, and love. Spirit is the magical fountain within each of us; our individual source. Within Spirit, all the basic four elements come together to work in harmony with one another.

In most if not all traditions, each element is associated with very specific correspondences and used in specific ways based on their nature. Water is traditionally associated with healing, emotions, and intuition. It is sometimes referred to as the element of movement, as water is constantly in motion, and is often used in spells for cleansing, purifying, clarifying, and healing the body and mind, but is also destructive and deadly. Water can take life just as easily as it gives life. Earth, also known as the solid element, is the element of stability, grounding, endurance, abundance, and even stubbornness. Earth is often unyielding, but other times light as a feather and easily moved. It is from the Earth that plants grow and thrive (with few exceptions, think mistletoe), providing an abundant life source of food. In spellwork, Earth is often used for grounding and centering, to make a spell stick, or to bring abundance and prosperity. Fire, on the other hand, represents passion, enthusiasm, love, and transformation, and is vastly unpredictable and volatile. It is often used to spark innovation, increase vitality and vigor, as well as speed up a spell, or during transformations. When used properly, fire is a potent ally in spellwork. Finally, there is Air, the most elusive of the elements as we cannot easily see it. Air is the element of communication, knowledge, and wisdom, but can be flighty and a bit ditzy at times. Air is often used in spells to carry messages, especially to the Universe, spirits, deities, and our ancestors, through the use of incense. Air is also used in spells to aid in communication between two parties on our plane of existence and to bring wisdom to a spell.

For this series, I will be starting with Water, which asked to be first because it is associated with healing and starting over. What better element to begin the new year with? Plus, emotions have been running high, relationships have come crashing down, and everyone is at their wit's end. I think some serious healing is in order. I will follow Water with Earth, as life is returning in the Spring and early Summer months. After healing, we all need a little grounding and Earth will help us do just that. Next, I will cover Fire, as the Summer Sun is beating down passionately on the Earth, bringing with it plentiful gardens, beach bonfires, and the longest day of the year. Once we have healed and recentered, it's time to start anew and fire will help with this transformation. As the year begins to wane, I will delve into Air. Communication and lightheartedness are important during the early Fall months as we shift gears for Winter and return back to jobs and school after Summer fun. Air will help us communicate our new selves and ideas to others. Finally, I will end the series with Spirit, helping you connect to the magic within yourself. Winter is the perfect time for shadow work, reflection, and spiritual growth and it only seems fitting that we end with ourselves. By the end of this series, I hope that not only will you have developed a relationship with each element and a deeper understanding of how to use each, but that you will have transformed through their ritual use. 2020 is a year of healing and transformation, and what better way to do it than through the elements?

I look forward to walking this road with each of you and seeing where it takes us. While I have a general outline of the series to come, I am going to let intuition guide me, so keep in mind some of the outline may change as we proceed.

Interest in the rest of the series? Here's what's to come!

Elemental Magic Series


Looking for more information on the elements? Check out my posts on the topic:



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11 comments :

  1. The elements are definitely one of those topics that you feel like you've read about hundreds of times, but when you think back to the content it's only ever been about basic correspondences (not to discount the usefulness of that, because it is good to know). I look forward to the deep-dive into the subject throughout the year!

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    1. Thank you Adrienne. I am really excited to get this one started. I think its going to be a really fun year for all of us.

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    2. 2020 just feels like it's going to be a good year. Hard to put my finger on -why- exactly, but it's just a feeling I have. I'll happily accept the universe's optimistic energy though, haha.

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    3. Right?! Although there has been a hell of a lot of crazy stuff going on in my personal life...well, in my friend's lives anyways. I've become the shoulder to cry on this past 2 weeks, which is completely fine. I originally thought all the upheaval in my 2020 tarot reading was about my life, but its turning out to be in the lives of those around me. Very transformative couple of weeks so far!

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    4. It's funny how our interpretations of things can be ever so slightly off, but still very much be true. I'm glad you're able to be there for your friend and hope their life settles down soon.

      Speaking of 2020 starting off dramatically, my mother-in-law passed away on January 1st. She had been battling cancer for over 5 years, and doing really well up until September when tumors were found in her brain. Her health had rapidly declined in her final three months, and the last week of December she had been placed in hospice care. While I'm sad she's gone, I'm relieved she's no longer suffering. Our society often views death in such a negative light but I know the last thing my MIL wanted was to be kept alive artificially and incapacitated.

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  2. I love your blog!! It's so inspiring.

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    1. Thank you! I appreciate the love and I'm glad you enjoy it. :)

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  3. Yes! I'm looking forward to this series!

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    1. Yay! I'm glad! It won on the survey by a landslide. Haha!

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  4. This gets a roaring chorus of yays and votes of support from me. I've connected to each of the elements since childhood, doing so intuitively before I was even aware of their role in the spiritual realm, and much like yourself, am often bemused by how little coverage they generally receive in contemporary books (and other publications).

    This series is going to be, I'm sure, akin to a (stellar!) book unto itself and I cannot wait to read, learn from, and savour every last word.

    Thank you deeply for creating this magnificent multi-part look at the elements for us, dear Willow.

    ♥ Autumn

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    1. I hope it turns out to be a great series. I'm really letting intuition guide me this time. We shall see how it turns out!

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