Elemental Correspondences
Fire, Earth, Air, and Water are the Classical Elements, with the fifth of Spirit, aether, or quintessence being the binding force. They represent the realms of the cosmos where all things exist and consist. Classic Greek thinking classified the elements according to temperature and water content with Air being primarily moist and secondarily warm, Fire being primarily warm and secondarily dry, Earth being primarily dry and secondarily cool, and Water being primarily cool and secondarily moist.
Hippocrates used the elements to describe the human body with the following associations: yellow bile (Fire), black bile (Earth), blood (Air), and phlegm (Water).
The Pythagoreans added idea as the fifth element and Aristotle added aether as the quintessence, both of which today are commonly referred to as the Spirit. The reasoning behind the thoughts Pythagoreans and Aristotle are believed to be that whereas Fire, Earth, Air, and Water were earthly and corruptible, and since no changes were ever perceived in the heavenly regions, then the stars must not be made of any of the four elements, and therefore must be made from a different, unchangeable, heavenly substance, henceforth the idea or aether theories.
Below are listed the most common magical elemental correspondences. This list is by no means complete, but we have attempted to give a good, high-level overview of the subject.
elements fire wind air earth
divider line
FIRE
Direction: South
Qualities: hot and dry, light and active
Color: Red
Metal: brass, gold, iron, steel
Type of magic: tantra, healing, candle magic
Zodiacal signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Tattvic symbol: red triangle (Tejas)
Tattvic tide: March 21 - June 21
Season: Summer
Hour of day: Noon
Celtic name: Deas
Major Arcana Card: judgement (XX)
Minor Arcana suit: Wands
Symbolic creature: lion, fire-breathing dragon, horses
Alchemical symbol: right side up triangle
Symbols: fire, sun, stars, volcanoes, candle flame, hearthfire
Plant: nettle, red poppies, garlic, onions
divider line
WATER
Direction: West
Qualities: cold and moist, heavy and passive
Color: Green
Metal: copper, silver
Type of magic: fertility, mirror magic, purification, healing, divination, dream magic
Zodiacal signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
Tattvic symbol: silver crescent (Apas)
Tattvic tide: September 23 - December 23
Season: Fall
Hour of day: twilight
Celtic name: iar
Major Arcana card: Hanged Man (XII)
Minor Arcana suit: Cups
Symbolic creatures: scorpion, snake, dolphin, dragon(serpent), all water creatures
Alchemical symbol: upside down triangle
Symbols: waterfalls, all bodies of water, waves, fog, rain
Plants: all water plants, fern, lotus, moss
divider line
AIR
Direction: East
Qualities: hot and moist, light and active
Color: Blue
Metal: aluminum, mercury, tin
Types of magic: To find an object that has been lost or stolen, magic of the four winds, visualizations, divination.
Zodiacal signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Tattvic symbol: blue circle (Vayu)
Tattvic tide: June 21 - September 23
Season: Spring
Hour of day: Dawn
Celtic name: airt
Major Arcana card: Fool (0)
Minor Arcana suit: Swords
Symbolic creatures: eagle, hawk, butterfly
Alchemical symbol: right side up triangle with a line through the middle
Symbols: sky, wind, clouds, incense
Plants: aspen tree, mistletoe
divider line
EARTH
Direction: North
Qualities: cold and dry, heavy and passive
Color: Yellow
Metal: lead, mercury
Types of magic: fertility magic, tree magic, herbal lore, prosperity, runecasting, knot magic
Zodiacal signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Tattivic symbol: yellow square (prithivi)
Tattivic tide: December 23 - March 21
Season: Winter
Hour of day: midnight
Celtic name: Tuath
Major Arcana card: Universe (XXI)
Minor Arcana suit: Pentacles
Symbolic creatures: bull, sphinx, stag
Alchemical symbol: upside down triangle with a line through the middle
Symbols: mountains, caves, gems, fields, rocks
Plants: red poppy, thrift plant, ivy, grains
divider line
SPIRIT
Direction: the Center
Color: White
Metal: meteorite
Qualitites: timelessness, spacelessness
Tattvic symbol: black oval (Akasha)
Time: Now and all time
Major Arcana card: Fool (0) and Judgement (XX)
Tarot suit: Major Arcana
Symbols: spiral, the cosmos
elemental meanings
|