Elemental Magick: Reconnect with Nature through Spells, Rituals, and Meditations

INTRODUCTION

Magickal Building Blocks of the Universe

Everything in the universe is created from specific building blocks or ingredients. These are called Elements. The scientific community (with its limited knowledge) agrees with this, but disagrees as to what the Elements are called, what they may or may not do, and whether there are beings associated with them. Although their names for the Elements, and the way they divide the Elements, are worded differently, both scientists and magicians are talking about exactly the same creating ingredients. The differences are only a matter of semantics.

From the beginnings of human acknowledgement and use of religion and magick, cultures knew that the four Directions of the terrestrial plane were connected with four Elements: North (Earth); East (Air); South (Fire); and West (Water). Ceremonial magicians, Pagans, and Wiccans all correspond these Elements to the Four Quarters of the universe, the Zodiac (astrology), and any magickal circle. In most ritual ceremonies, one of the first steps is to call upon the four Elements and their rulers in their proper Direction. This invokes the Elemental Spirits to protect their Quarter of the circle against negatives of any kind.

Magicians, Pagans, and New Age followers of all paths know that there are four Elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. To those who study deeply into this subject, they soon learn there is a fifth, nebulous Element called Spirit. To many of these people, there appears to be no practical purpose in learning much about the Elements, so they run through the learning process as quickly as possible, never seeing the possibilities that lie waiting. However, because of ritual use, it is vitally important to what each Element is and what it can do and not do.

Alchemists, philosophers, and magicians have recognized and used the four Elements for at least three thousand years. Although records beyond this point are scanty or nonexistent, it is highly likely that the same knowledge was shared and used by tribal shamans, priests, and priestesses in their religious ceremonies and magick as far back as the beginning of humans living in clans.

There are a wide variety of opinions and interpretations of the Elements, each holding clues to the meanings of these esoteric materials. My opinions will differ from those of others. This doesn't make them or me wrong. It merely points out the fact that we look at the same material in different ways, many times according to how we have grown on our spiritual paths. Change should be constant. Where there is no change, there eventually becomes a vacuum. Nature, abhorring a vacuum, will fill it with something. If you want your life and spiritual path to be filled with positive experiences, take an active part in deciding what your future goals are and how you will accomplish them. You can most easily do this by working with the Elements and Elementals.

The Elements are also the magickal building blocks of everything from what we call natural events to magick. The Elements, or combinations thereof, are found in every single object, being, or happening in the entire universe. So it is in our best interests that we understand as much about them as possible.

All magick is primarily based on the four Elements. These Elements are, in reality, forces, energies, and substances—all at the same time. In magick, we combine different mixtures of the Elements on the astral plane for a specific purpose or result. When properly combined and seasoned with time, that purpose or result manifests itself on the physical plane of existence.

In this book, I will explain, according to my own understanding, about the mystical, mysterious Elements, the energies and forces that lie behind each Element, and particularly the Elemental Spirits that arise from these Elements. When I speak of Elemental Spirits, I don't mean creatures that have total existence in the world of matter. They may make temporary appearances in this plane of existence, but they are not of a physical nature. These beings, and the Elements they represent, are more a tendency than an actual product. However, the Elements themselves have certain qualities, natures, moods, and magickal purposes. Usually, they are called kingdoms and are said to have rulers. They have both positive and negative traits, which can affect humans and events on this planet, as well as the universe itself. So do the Elemental Spirits that are connected to them.

Although the Elemental Spirits are made of ethereal, spiritual material, they have a direct effect on the visible world, because of their attachment to an Element. All visible things have more than one Element in their construction. Even human personalities come under this multiple influence and are believed to reflect the pattern of the soul in their balance or imbalance of Elements.

Cultural differences sometimes changed the descriptions of some of the Elements. Physical settings, such as climate or hemisphere, could also affect the belief of an Element's power or its traits. For example, in Ireland and Scotland, the Celts knew the four Elements as the Four Airts (winds), or castles of the four winds. In Africa, the Element of Fire, which represented the sun, was an enemy. In the Southern Hemisphere, not only the seasons, but the positions of the Elements of North and South are reversed.

Working with certain Elemental Spirits is the best way to become familiar with the Element itself, how you can handle its energy, and for what purposes. Because Elemental Spirits cannot exist without the Element in which they live, one must learn something about the Elements themselves first. The Elemental beings are quite powerful and frequently work with humans on projects that interest them. They can see, hear, and feel, but have no physical organs to register these senses as humans do. However, they have the power to mold the creative forces of the Elements to produce any desired physical manifestation.

Elemental Spirits can only be perceived by feelings or the inner eyes. They are rarely seen with the physical eyes. They are living beings whose ethereal world exists on a different vibration level than ours. This world interpenetrates, yet is separate from, the physical world of matter. Elemental Spirits did not evolve along the same lines as humans, and they will never become human, nor do humans become Elementals.

These ethereal beings can assume any appearance they want, but usually match the picture imprinted on the minds of those humans who are around. Every country has its fairy tales of Elemental Spirits. Some African tribes called them the Yowahoos. The ancient Egyptians and present-day Arabs called them the Afrites; to the people of India they were the Daityas. In the Jewish Kabala, they were known as the Shedim, which were then further divided into four classes.

The Elemental Spirits do not suffer sickness as we know it, but do react to violence and strong negative emotions. When they feel unappreciated or misused, it hurts them. Then they will either move out of the area of the troubling humans or cause the offending humans a great amount of trouble. They can vary in form from very tiny to gigantic, but usually contain some human likeness.

Sometimes Elemental Spirits will have a secondary nature in another Element, which will be discussed later in the book. They can cooperate and partially merge with each other, but cannot enter or control Elements other than their own. These connections of Spirits from different Elements allow the magickal energy to flow in a continuous circle around the Element of Spirit, or the Creative Void.

Frequently, statues, amulets, talismans, and sometimes specific places, will have Elemental Spirits attached to them; hence the story of the genie or Djinn of the lamp or ring.

Sometimes, the attachment is temporary; at other times, it is permanent. If one is fortunate enough to own a piece of jewelry with an Elemental attached to it, treat that jewelry with love and respect. In return, you will be gifted with good luck.

Although the Elements are prominent in every area of our lives, we can positively change events by working with them instead of against them, or worse, doing nothing at all. As long as you are not using magick to harm or to control others, the use of magick to better your life is not wrong. It is no different than strong prayers in other religions.

By learning to balance the Elements with the aid of the Elemental Spirits, we can better balance our lives and personal environments, our towns, and then slowly spread this balance out to encompass the entire world and universe. We will also be presented with more and more universal phenomena, such as crop circles, to study and ponder and work at deciphering. What we now know about the Elements is only the tip of the iceberg of knowledge about these magickal building blocks. We actually know very little of the Elemental Spirits that surround us at all times. These beings are the ambassadors of the Elements to humans. Most of the remaining knowledge about these astral creatures is buried in old folk tales. To learn the truth, one must follow barely visible threads through hundreds of remaining tales, assimilate the collected data with common sense, and reach a logical conclusion.

We also find the use of Elements in astrology, where Earth, Air, Fire, and Water are considered to be fixed, cardinal, or mutable in nature. In astrological charts, we can see the Elemental Spirits at work in their effect on human personalities or life events. Lack of the influence of an Element in a personal chart will appear in life as an imbalance. This lack can be filled by specifically working with the missing Elemental Spirits who work with that missing Element. Sometimes, these Elemental Spirits will bring another person into your life whose chart contains the balancing Element needed. Other times, one must have frequent contact with the necessary Elemental Spirits, plus immersion in or nearness to the physical manifestations of the needed Element.

Besides explanations and descriptions of the Elements, there will be short meditations, exercises, spells, and rituals to help the reader learn more about the Elements and the Elemental Spirits.

When you balance the Elements within yourself, and learn how to communicate and work with the Elemental Spirits, you will find yourself in the center of the Elemental circle. And the nebulous Element of Spirit always is found in the center of the other four Elements. Being drawn into the esoteric energy of Spirit causes humans to move upward on their spiritual journey. This connection with the Element of Spirit may last only a few seconds or a few minutes, but when experienced, the human soul will always seek the purity of this higher Element.

So we constantly work with and walk the path of the four Elements with our soul-eyes on the Element of Spirit. We learn that the more we know of the other Elements and their Elementals, the more will be revealed whenever we make that momentary connection with Spirit.

How to Use This Book

The Power Animals listed in the Characteristic Tables are energies to call upon during spellwork or rituals. The term dark does not mean evil. It means more aggressive, protective, and a type of energy to balance those of light. These animals can also be called upon for shapeshifting, especially for shamans. The bear and turtle are light energies that represent the positive side of the Earth Element, while the wolf and lynx are the balancing negative energies of Earth. The dark energies have a heavier, very different feel to them, energies that are often needed to push things back into balance when they have swung too far in one direction.

The Element table given in each appropriate chapter is based on traditional beliefs, unless otherwise stated. By studying the characteristic tables for each Element, you will find it easier to plan rituals and spells, and to reach a spiritual understanding of each Element and its Elemental Spirits. To strengthen your contact with the proper Spirits, use as many symbols as you feel necessary when you perform a ritual, spell, or meditation. Even visualizing these symbols will aid you in your contacts and desired manifestations.

For meditations and Otherworld journeys, you can use the same symbols in reality or visualization. This way you can experience more detailed meetings with the Elemental Spirits. Also watch for certain symbols in your dreams and meditations. Through these symbols you will know when the Elementals send messages to you.

Now, let us begin our journey. . . .

CHAPTER 1

The Element of Earth

Like Earth, be balanced with a solid foundation.

The Element of Earth is solid, dense matter, a tangible material that can be touched and felt by humans in this physical world. It is also anything that has a solid form in the Otherworld or astral plane. In the Welsh language, the term for Earth is Calas, which means everything hard or firm in structure. The Earth Element represents the final stages of creation or magick, for all manifestations are first formed in the astral world, and then must appear in the physical world, or the Element of Earth. This applies even if the magickal result is love, healing, creative ideas, or prosperity.

In modern Paganism and Wicca, rituals and magick are performed in a sacred space that is created by magickally casting an invisible circle. This circle becomes a space between the worlds—for a time a sacred spot that has access to this world and the Otherworld. Within this circle, a dark green candle, and any other symbols representing Earth, is placed just inside the North side. In the Southern Hemisphere, the Earth Element is considered to be in the South. This placement is one of the four quarters, with the altar in the center representing Spirit.

The Element of Earth influences human personalities by imparting a sense of balance and solidity in life. We can be out of balance if we have little or no Earth in a natal chart. We can also suffer imbalance if we do not keep in touch with nature on a regular basis. If we become aware of such an imbalance, we need to make a conscious effort to realign the Elements within our psychic bodies. This may take the form of spending more time in nature, or by deliberately cultivating or renewing relationships with Earth Elementals. These are discussed on pages 5–6. At other times, we feel an imbalance of an Element because