Hello my witches! I’m feeling elemental today! The elements are earth, water, fire and air. They are another resource for your magic that help to add intent, give you assistance, added power and sometimes signs based on what they stand for. Some believe in more elements, such as autumn being the element of metal. To me metal is earth but some find it helpful to break things down smaller. I feel sound should be an element at times. Or songs and frequency, they are powerful in their own right. I wanted to talk a bit about what each element stands for and how they can be used. As in calling quarters, bringing the power of the elements to you. Calling quarters is not necessary, some use it and some don’t. The elements are powerful tools to add to your toolkit of witchcraft.

Earth
I always start with earth, it seems reasonable to me and it’s starting with “what is.” The immediate surroundings and physical moment. Oddly earth is often seen as feminine. To me it’s odd anyway. I get it though! The earth is our mother after all. But the masculine, physical, solid world is also relevant. So, perhaps the earth element is both. Much like we are and we are the earths children.
Calling on the element of earth represents anything solid, foundation and drawing things together. It can also stand for responsibility, stubbornness, physical power, stability, fertility, nourishment, physical life path, longevity and grounding. Direction – North, Tarot – Pentacle.

Water
Water, as we know from biology and science, is literally the blood of life as we know it. For the world we inhabit life does not exist without it. Each of us is about 60% water, ruled by the gravitational pulling of the moon. A feminine element that represents emotion and dreaming. I like to relate it to the primordial, single celled creatures submerged in the deep dark of the oceans dreaming of what more they can become. Summoning the gathering power of earth to unite with other cells to create our physical bodies. Some see water as an ending element but for me it’s a beginning dream stage element.
Calling on the element of water can stand for powerful or hidden emotions, creativity, relationships, movement, flowing, solvent, coolness or cold, adhesion, undercurrents, fantasy and dreaming and wisdom. Direction – West, Tarot – Cups.

Fire
The fire element burns things to the ground or gently warms. Considered a masculine sign, it breaths, feeds and grows much like we do. In fact, the only reason it’s not considered alive by science is that it’s not made up of cells. The sudden igniting creation of something new in the solid world is how I like to imagine it as often this is how a fire starts.
Calling on the element of fire can stand for spontaneity and impulsiveness, warmth, passion, strength, competitive, playful, creativity and courage. Direction – South, Tarot – Wands.

Air
The active air element is often considered masculine, active not receptive. Air flows like water but more freely. It can be a gentle breath or wild and curious gusts searching and exploring erratically. The desire to create that blows the elements of an idea to solidify. Unlike the other elements and much like magic itself. Air has no true physical presence yet is undeniably powerful.
Calling on the element of air can stand for intelligence and knowledge, over activity, sporadic actions and thinking, fantasy, desire, communication, justice, memory and reasoning. Direction – East, Tarot – Swords.

Calling Quarters
There are many different ways to call quarters for protection, aid, adding elemental aspects to your magic, asking for witness of your will. All respectfully acknowledge each element individually, ask them to attend you and sometimes their related directions. You don’t need to call on all if you feel one better represents what you are crafting. This is your craft and witchcraft is a craft based on personal meaning and intent.

All of the elements have had ideas and properties assigned to them probably since the beginning of human thought. All of them can create or utterly destroy. These aspects are not necessarily set in stone in witchcraft because what they mean to one person maybe something completely different for another and your intent and craft is your own. What you create should encompass your beliefs and have very specific intent for you. Use what feels right for you as that is where your magic is.

Happy crafting!