Working Directly with the Elements

Working with the elements is nothing new to modern Pagans. Hardly a ritual goes by without invoking the properties of Earth, Air, Fire and Water, often in their representative forms of nature spirits referred to in Wiccan ritual as Gnomes, Sylphs, Salamanders and Undines. Some rituals also include Spirit as an element, and personify it with representations of deity in some form.

The early Alchemists were aware of the idea of the four elements which constituted matter from the Aristotelian point of view, yet had different ideas about Spirit than most Pagans. The qualities of the elements were looked at from a more scientific point of view, and this pragmatic perception has carried down into modern ceremonial magic.

In the modern magical community, there is rather a lot of crossover between the spiritual aspects of Paganism and the pragmatic approach of the traditional magician. The combined approaches allow us to see the elements themselves as magical entities which each contain their own spirits, making up the whole of physical and spiritual existence. There are many among us who believe that all living things in nature as well as those things which are considered to be 'inanimate' by the secular scientific community are animated by Spirit.

With this in mind, it becomes possible to approach the individual spirits of the elements themselves rather than limiting ourselves to representations and abstract ideas of elemental spirits. For example, a ritual may be done involving the spirit of a specific rock, brought into the ritual space or resident in an outdoor location, with the intent of petitioning the spirit of that specific rock to perform some service for the purpose of the magic. Similarly, a spirit of air may be invoked or evoked for an intent which is appropriate to that element such as protection while flying as I explain in my book, Spirits of the Air. In this case, the air spirits of a particular path or air current would be petitioned. A particular flame or body of water will hold an elemental spirit which can be approached for purposes appropriate to those elements.

This animistic approach to the elements allows for a wide scope of magical techniques to be employed depending on the intent and circumstances of the magic to be performed. The elements transcend the ancient ideas of Spirit hierarchies as they may be looked at both as higher and lower spirits than ourselves, and in fact when one becomes familiar with this approach to dealing with the elemental spirits, it quickly becomes apparent that our own spirit nature is very much attuned to these elements which do after all, make up our own physical bodies.

Approaching Earth Spirits
Earth spirits are the most immediately apparent in an animistic universe. A simple rock picked up from the ground is a useful item which can be used to adorn an Altar, deliver a spell, be charged for a specific purpose and be placed among other magical treasures, or even simply kept as a pet as the American craze of the 1970's demonstrated. We are all familiar with the existence of crystal magic to some extent, and there is no doubt that crystals vibrate electromagnetically in a way which is easier to detect that a common stone may be, yet the common stone may be made of the same stuff of the Earth which comprises sacred standing stones. It is worth approaching any of these with respect for the spirit within.

The method for approaching them is essentially the same, one touches the stone or holds it (depending on size) and projects one's own spirit within the stone structure, reaching for contact with the entity within. This may be easier for some people than others, and can be employed through ritual means if direct projection is unfamiliar. Methods of meditation help one to learn to adjust the mental voice that interferes with spiritual attunement, and practice can make a lot of difference. One essential ingredient is to recognise the stone as an entity, rather than looking at it as a 'thing'. Once awareness of the stone spirit is achieved, it can be petitioned for the magic intended, or simply enjoyed as a new spiritual companion. One may feel silly chatting to the local standing stones, but when I used to live near the Devils Arrows in North Yorkshire, I often did exactly that and was far from being the only one. Many of the locals who probably attended the village church also had developed their own relationships with these stones.

Rocks and stones are not the only things of Earth which may be approached in this way. Most of the things of the material plane you live within are things of Earth, including the computer you may have been swearing at when it didn't work properly. Those who speak nicely to their appliances often get better results from them.

Approaching Air Spirits
Air is of course, all around us. We walk through it constantly, and are often completely unaware of it as we take it completely for granted. For this reason, incense is often used to represent Air on a magical Altar, as the rising smoke is very sensitive to minor air currents and creates a visual focus for our awareness of the element of Air. Recognising Spirit within Air can be a bit tricky because of the lack of a specific point of focus for those who have not practised animistic thinking. Visualising a boundary of some kind, such as a ritual space or the air within a specific room can create a limited area of focus within which to practice. Addressing the Air spirits is much like addressing the Earth spirits, but it feels a bit different in a way that only first hand experience will fully explain. I often see Air as a fluid force with each molecule being animated by an individual spirit, thousands of which make up an air current. With this visualised perception, I found it quite easy to teach my 8-year-old daughter to call up small breezes on a hot day by ''calling'' the spirits toward you, right into your face, and then releasing the thought and blanking the mind. It is usually at the point of blanking one's mind that the breezes flow gently from whatever direction was addressed. It's quite an easy trick to learn really.

Approaching Fire Spirits
Fire is the only element which does not literally make up our physical existence, and yet it makes up much of our spiritual nature in its potential form (see Spirits of the Fire). The physical flame of Fire is something which many of us find fascinating in various ways. A bonfire 'speaks to us', inspiring us to dance or celebrate life in some way. A candle flame serves as a focus for concentration, or candlelight creates an atmosphere in a room which is quite unlike any other source of an equal amount of light and heat.

Fire is a fairly easy element to contain within boundaries if safety measures are observed correctly, but it is essential that it is indeed contained as Fire gone out of control is an extremely destructive force. It is this power that makes Fire attractive for magical use in some circumstances, but something to be used with caution.

To look at a candle flame or a bonfire as an entity to be addressed may seem very odd to some people, yet attempting to project one's spirit within as I've described for addressing the other elements can test one's courage. Remaining physically at an appropriate distance from the source of flame is basic safety and must be observed meticulously, but the best way to 'make contact' with the spirit of the Fire is to dance with it. Fire is an active element and even the calmest candle flame will dance. Literally dancing around the flame often eliminates the need to address the Fire spirit at all, it will project itself to you!

Approaching Water Spirits
Unlike Fire, Water is essentially a calm spirit. This may seem incongruous to anyone who has ever witnessed a massive storm or tidal wave, but the water is pushed about by other forces to create such dangerous (to humans) conditions. Left to itself, Water will become calm again, despite being easily moved by even the slightest of breezes.

Water can be approached from within the actual element, while physically immersed. It can also be addressed from a more remote location if one chooses not to get wet. Those who approach Water spirits from within a body of water should always have a friend along, as Water spirits tend to 'call to' the human spirit and drowning is a serious consideration. One's practicality can be challenged when dealing with nature spirits, and Water spirits are playful creatures with a reputation for claiming the occasional sacrifice, so be warned.

Projecting one's consciousness into a body of water is likely to be much easier than with any of the other elements, and indeed one often feels drawn into the depths all too easily. This is not advised for anyone suffering a bout of depression. Water does, however, conduct magical energy as well as it does electricity, and Water spirits can be very valuable allies for spells concerning those things which are associated with the element as well as many purposes which might normally be associated with some of the other elements. Water, as most of us have learned in some manner or another, has ways of getting into places where Earth or Fire might much more easily have been contained.

Approaching Spirit
Spirit itself is represented by the element called Aether. Approaching the world of Spirit is done regularly by many people in some manner or other, mostly through practices determined by the religions of the world. Witches often seek assistance from the goddess and god by many names just as other religions petition their own perceptions of deity through repeated ritual, sometimes through simple prayer.

Those who practice magic in one form or another may have a wide variety of beliefs where the world of Spirit is concerned. The advantage that we all share is the awareness of our own divine spirit and how it can be attuned to work with the forces of Spirit itself, rather than supplicating oneself to an abstract idea of deity. Self-awareness plays a large role in the magical life. Those who practice methods of awareness of one's own inner spirit by their chosen means usually find it very easy to petition the assistance of Spirit in any of its forms, whether it is deity or elemental spirits. The difference is largely one of perception after all.

Approaching any of the elemental spirits should be done with as much respect as one would use to approach a powerful deity or one's own spirit. Success in magic with such spirits depends largely on this, as well as on the ability to approach them with a light-hearted attitude and a good sense of humour. Elemental spirits are playful and may test your endurance before they are ready to assist an act of magic. Attempts to order them about in the manner of a classical demonologist would be very unwise.

Any of the elemental spirits can be addressed through basic rhyming rituals. These often work best for an actual act of magic, while meditation techniques are recommended for getting to know the spirits of a particular location or object. Spending time quietly near a body of water on a regular basis can help to form a relationship with the spirit of that body of water, just as dancing with a bonfire spirit can attune one to the intensity of its short lived existence.

Once one becomes familiar with the sharing which occurs between entities of Spirit, the magic of the elements becomes second nature and spell casting with elemental spirits becomes a natural part of one's chosen magical path. The greatest benefit, however, is in the effects that it has on oneself. That is providing that it is a two-way sharing. As I said earlier, elemental spirits are playful entities which require a good sense of humour. Magic done in the spirit of play is not only very effective, but it is fun! Learning to approach life with such a spirit of fun is perhaps the greatest magic of all.