
As a Witch, I believe that it is important to align or attune with the energies or spirits of our environment because when we do so, we are able to have personal experiences with the elements and witness how each of them manifests within the natural world that we are a part of as well as how they manifest within our own physical bodies. And if you are a Witch who cast Circle during spell casting and Ritual work, establishing a relationship with each element or Quarter is vital to calling and releasing their energies. If you don’t know how the energy of Water or Air or Earth or Fire feels then how will you be able to determine if you actually accomplished the evocation?
Having a relationship with the elements is a basic tenet of Wicca. I've already written a blog post pertaining to this, which can be found here: The Tenets of Wicca: Having a Relationship with the Elements, Elementals, and Guardians
So, how does the Witch establish a relationship with each element? I am going to share with you some ideas, but these are only suggestions. I would advise that each suggestion would be best as a focus for five to seven days (one week) and that you incorporate the idea as many times as possible during that week, though if it is an activity that you enjoy no one is stopping you from continuing to use it as a focus for a longer length of time. Please keep in mind that not all of the suggestions may work for you and as you begin to work with an element you may be inspired to try something different. I encourage you to follow your own intuition and any messages or insight that you receive from the spirit of the element, your gods, your Spirits, Guides, and Ancestors. Witchcraft is an intimate and personal practice.
The first exercise I usually encourage individuals to do can be found in the book Witchcraft Theory and Practice by Ly De Angeles. This exercise is to create a personal Book of Elements, which will encourage you to consider the elements Fire, Water, Earth, and Air and how they manifest themselves within you.
First you will need a notebook or create a word document, which you will divide into four equal sections. Title the first section Fire, the second section Water, the third Earth, and the fourth Air. Divide the pages of each section into two equal columns, one side titled Acceptable and the other side Unacceptable. Once that is complete you should contemplate the characteristics and traits of your personality and on each side of the pages you will list these characteristics and traits that correspond with each element. During this exercise it is important that you are brutally honest with yourself otherwise you will not be able to accomplish the desired goal. This exercise will be ongoing as you work through the elements as you may not display some characteristics until they are triggered by an exchange or situation.
Keep in mind that sometimes a particular attribute that we have assigned to Earth, Fire, or Air may actually be better associated with Water so continually reevaluate your lists and shift them if necessary.
Questions to consider as you work with each element
- What is the element trying to communicate with me?
- Are there things that I can learn from the way it operates in the natural world?
- How do I think this element feels about its relationship with humankind?
- How is the relationship it has with humankind different and similar to its relationship with the other species that shares the Earth with it?
- How does the element manifest within my personality?
- What activities do I enjoy that would be aligned with the element?
Working with the element of Fire:
| Working with the element of Water:
|
Working with the element of Earth:
| Working with the element of Air:
|