Illustration © Kaitlynn Copithorne
Humanity has long sought to understand the world by dividing it into its constituents parts. In the same way that scientists now recognise atoms as the building blocks of everything, and protons and neutrons as the building blocks of atoms, thinkers have also recognised that various elements constitute reality. In Chinese philosophy, there are five phases: wood, earth, fire, water, and metal. In Indian philosophy there are five, too: earth, air, fire, water and ether.
The Ancient Greeks recognised four classical elements: fire, water, earth and air. Earth speaks to the material and physical world: plants, trees, animals, and soil, but also earthly pleasures such as money and crafts. Fire keeps us warm and allows us to cook nourishing food; from the fire we can forge something new, but we all know that if untempered, fires have the power to burn and destroy. Water is cleansing and mysterious. By the sea we peer into the unknown, but also into the place where life began, catching a glimpse of the unconscious mind that developed there. Air is so inconspicuous we sometimes forget that it is there, and that we are breathing it; within air lies all unseen, including the mysterious animating forces that keep us alive and allow us to communicate across time and space. Elemental magic allows us to tap into these four aspect of existence, and tune into different aspects of ourselves.
Here is a brief introduction to working with elemental magic. The rituals described are suggestions but not prescriptive; you are welcome to play around with different ways of tapping into the elemental energies.
FIRE
Write a list of attributes you consider fiery. Consider which of these you wish to channel.
Write another list of places and situations you associate with fire. A few examples: a volcanic landscape; a campfire; sitting beneath the warm sun.
Consult the Suit of Wands in the tarot deck of your choice. Lay out the cards in numerical order and look at the story that forms across the deck. Write down any reflections in a journal.
Think about which myths, stories or songs speak to this element. A few that come to mind: the tale of Prometheus stealing the fire from the gods; the story of the phoenix, a bird who is reborn from the ashes; the fiery pits of hell; the passion in Arthurian Romances, and other steamier love stories; tales centring creative and ambitious people who set out on a journey looking for a thing and are unafraid to burn big fires; the fiery songs of Leonard Cohen; stories centring dragons from Europe, the near east, Africa and China, among other places, including modern iterations such as A Song of Ice and Fire and The Lord of the Rings.
If it resonates, create a ritual that involves this element. It might entail sitting beside a fireplace or lighting a candle, or taking a walk on a sunny day. You may also write a list of the habits that no longer serve you and burn them in a ritual bonfire, a cathartic way to expel the past, while laying down the groundwork to forge a future from the ashes.
WATER
Write a list of attributes you consider watery. Consider which of these you wish to channel.
Write another list of places and situations you associate with water. A few examples: the sea, a lake, river, pond or puddle; taking a bath; washing your hands; sitting beneath a veranda and watching the rain.
Consult the Suit of Cups in the tarot deck of your choice. Lay out the cards in numerical order and look at the story that forms across the deck. Write down any reflections in a journal.
Think about which myths, stories or songs speak to this element. A few that come to mind: Hans Christian Anderson’s fairytale The Little Mermaid; Jules Vernes’ adventure novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea; tales of selkies and sirens and monsters who dwell in lakes and lochs; the biblical Noah’s arc, where the world is immersed in water to start anew; myths centring dolphins as messengers of Poseidon; the 16th-century ship folk tale about Davy Jones’ locker, the oceanic abyss and final resting place of drowned sailors; the many rivers and springs associated with goddesses, such as Sulis, Celtic goddess of the hot spring at the Roman baths; “The Stolen Child”, a melancholic poem by WB Yeats; the Irish tale of the Salmon of Knowledge, who ate nine hazelnuts and gained all the knowledge in the world.
If it resonates, create a ritual that involves this element. It could involve showering, bathing or washing your hands; it might mean swimming in the sea, scrying into a vessel of water, or charging a stick with negative thoughts you then cast into a stream to be carried away and cleansed.
EARTH
Write a list of attributes you consider earthly. Consider which of these you wish to channel.
Write another list of places and situations you associate with earth. A few examples: being fully present in a forest; sitting or standing on the grass; taking a mud bath or putting on a clay face mask; doing some kind of physical exercise, whether dance or yoga, and tuning into the sensations in your body.
Consult the Suit of Pentacles in the tarot deck of your choice. Lay out the cards in numerical order and look at the story that forms across the deck. Write down any reflections in a journal.
Think about which myths or stories speak to this element. A few that come to mind: the Russian tale of Baba Yaga, a wild woman who lives deep in the woods; Fern Gulley, a film about fairy-environmentalists; stories about Herne the Hunter, said to have antlers growing from his head; stories about Dionysus, god of wine, fertility and ritual madness; the biblical story of the Garden of Eden, and Eve’s eating of the apple of knowledge.
If it resonates, create a ritual that involves this element. This might mean dancing or standing barefoot on the earth, or eating something delicious and paying attention to the sensation. You could also ground your thoughts or spells via writing – or by carving sigils onto a fallen branch.
AIR
Write a list of attributes you think airy. Consider which of these you wish to channel.
Write another list of places and situations you associate with air. A few examples: a windy hilltop or mountaintop; in an aeroplane over the sea; a place with clean air (you can check the air pollution level via a weather app); breathing.
Consult the Suit of Swords in the tarot deck of your choice. Lay out the cards in numerical order and look at the story that forms across the deck. Write down any reflections in a journal. Think about which myths or stories speak to this element. A few that come to mind: tales of winged animals, such as Pegasus, the hippogriff and griffin; stories of witches taking flight, including the fantastical scene in Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita where a young witch applies flying ointment for the first time, and Studio Ghibli’s Kiki’s Delivery Service; the magic carpet of One Thousand and One Nights, the popular collection of Middle Eastern folklore.
If it resonates, try to create a ritual that involves this element. The simplest way of connecting with air is by bringing awareness to our breath and consciously slowing it down and deepening it; you might also wish to take a walk and feel the breeze on your skin.
Herbal energetics
Medical systems such as Ayurveda and Ancient Greek medicine see wellbeing as synonymous with the balance of the elements. A patient can have too much air, for instance, and suffer from melancholia and digestive issues. Consult a Ayurvedic doctor to find out your predominant dosha, or try a fun online quiz such as this one. You can do the same for your temperament, or humour.
Learn about the herbs and spices that can help remedy dryness, create heat or reduce it, provide a fiery energy kick, or ground you. Try cooking foods that are used to address imbalances.
Read too about the other non-edible consumables thought to affect our elemental balance, including the type of music we listen to, external stresses, and the visual stimuli we consume, and how switching these up could address a balance. For instance, for those who feel outside of our bodies, drawing and dancing can allow us to feel more embodied, and a greater connection with the earth.
Further reading
Timaeus, Plato
Medicine and Society in early Modern Europe. Cambridge University Press.
Hippocratic Writings (Penguin Classics)
Earth, Fire, Water, Air by Mary Hoffman (an illustrated children’s book)
Ayurveda, the Science of Self-healing by Vasant Lad
The Three Books of Occult Philosophy by Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa. Consult chapter III: ‘Of the four Elements, their qualities, and mutuall mixtions.’
The Elements: A Very Short Introduction by Philip Ball
The Life of Apollonius of Tyana by Philostratus (The Elements of Nature and the Cosmos)
Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack
Issues 2-5 of Cunning Folk were centred around the four elements. Pre-order limited reprints of Fire and Water via our online shop, or email us at cunningfolkmagazine(AT)gmail(dot)com. if you'd like to be on the waitlist for reprints of Earth and Air.