The Elements
(Cunningham & Ravenwolf)
The Pentagram represents not only the human body with out stretched arms, it also represents the five Elements of the universe.
Everything in the universe is made up of these five Elements. Consequently it is helpful to know their attributes.
Akasha or Spirit
The elements emerge from Akasha, the immutable, changeless source of all energy. This is the realm of potentiality, of promise, of paths not yet taken, of unformed galaxies, of outer space.Some say the spark of life we call "soul" is a bit of Akasha.
Basic Nature: Unknowable
Type of Energy: Projective and Recptive
Color: Purple and black
Types of Rituals: Religious in nature.
Ritual Forms: None
Herbs: None
Stones: None
Metal: Meterorite
Musical Instrument: None
Creatures: None (and yet, all)
Time of Day: Eternal starlight
Magickal Tool: None
Point of Life: Conception, soulness
Sense: None
Natural Symbols: None
Types of Magick Rules: Religious
Direction: Up, center
Elemental Spirit: All four groups of Elemental Spitits
Astological Sign: None
Akasha is often seen as the Mother or Creatrix of the Elements.
Air
The power of movement, of freshening and intelligence.Basic Nature: Flying, moving, fresh, intelligent, suspending. Sound is a manifestation of Air.
Type of Energy: Projective
Places: Mountaintops, wind-swept plains, cloudy skies, high towers, airports, schools, libraries, offices, travel agencies
Rituals: Travel, instruction, study, freedom, knowledge, recovering lost items
Ritual Forms: Tossing objects into the air, suspending tools in high places, fanning light objects, visualizations, positive thinking
Herbs: Fragrant, as many flowers; pungent, as in culinary herbs such as dill; airy, finely-veined or wind-swept
Stones: Light stones, such as pumice; transparent stones, such as mica
Metals: Tin and Copper
Musical Instruments: Flute, all wind instruments
Creatures: Spider, most birds, winged insects
Point in Life: Infancy
Senses: Hearing and smell
Natural Symbols: A feather, incense smoke, fragrant flowers
Direction: East
Elemental Spirits: Sylphs
Astrological Signs: Gemini, Libra and Aquarius
Season: Spring
Time of Day: Sunrise
Color: Yellow
Gem:Topaz Incense: galbanum, frankincense
Astrological Rulers: Jupiter, Mercury
Magickal Virtue: To Know
Magickal Tools: Athame, Sword, Censer
Archangel: Raphael - Healing of God
Greek Wind God: Eurus
Attribute: masculine, andogynus, active, mediating. neutral, conductive, warm, moist
Rules: the Mind, intellect, reason, intuition, abstract thought, knowledge, inspiration. movement, balance, harmony, theory, understanding, justice, breath, speech
Virtues: Sociability, diligence, optimism, dexterity, persuaveness, friendliness, health, knowledge, adroitness, kindness, cheerfulness, independence, joyfulness, lucidity, rationality, cleverness, adventurousness
Vice: Frivolity, boastfulness, absentmindedness, loquacity, rootlessness, easily distracted, contemptuousness, intellectualizes rather than feels
Fire
The creator and destryer. Fire cannot exist without consuming something else. Because of this, Fire transforms objects into new forms: heat, light, ash, and smoke. Basic Nature: Purifying, destructive, cleansing, energetic, sexual, forceful. Heat is a manifestation of Fire.
Type of Energy: Projective
Color: Res
Places: Deserts, hot springs, volcanoes,ovens, fire-places, bedrooms(for sex), weight rooms, locker rooms, saunas, athletic fields
Rituals: Protection, courage, sex, energy, strength, authority, banishing negativity
Ritual Forms: Burning, smoldering, heating
Herbs: Stinging, thorny or hot, as in chile peppers and bouganvillea; desert-dwelling, as in cacti; stimulating, as in coffee beans; generally seeds
Stones: Red or fiery, as in Jasper; volcanic, as in lava; clear, as in quartz crystal
Metals: Gold, Brass
Musical Instruments: Guitar and all stringed instruments
Creatures: Snake, cricket, lizard, praying mantis, ladybug, bee, scorpion, shark
Time: Noon
Magickal Tool: Knife
Sense: Sight
Natural Symbols: Flame, lava, a heated object
Types of Magick Ruled: Candle, storm, time, star
Direction: South
Elemental Spirits: Salamanders
Astrological Signs: Aries, Leo and Saggitarius
Season: Summer
Time of Day: Noon
Color: Red
Gem: Fire opal
Incense: Frankincense
Astological Rulers: Sun, Mars and Jupiter
Magickal Virtue: To Will
Magickal Tool: Wand
Archangel: Michael - Likeness of God
Greek Wind God: Notus
Attributes: masculine, active, electric, hot and dry
Rules: Will, force, energy, aspiration, purification, transformation, creation, destruction, courage, passion, integrity, enthusiasm, fervor, zeal, light, warmth, heat, liveliness, hearth fires, volcanoes, explosions, phallus
Virtues: Activity, creativity, courage, control, confidence, enthusiasm, passion, virility, chivalry, self-assertion, adaptability
Vices: Gluttony, intemperance, temper, jealousy, hatred, envy, vindictiveness, fanaticism, ruthlessness, destrctiveness
Water
Cleansing, healing and refreshing. Water gives us life. We all contain Water energy.
Basic Nature: Flowing, purifying, healing, soothing,loving
Types of Energy: Receptive
Places: Lakes, springs, streams, rivers, beaches, oceans, wells, swimming pools, bathtubs, showers, bedrooms(for sleep), health spas, steam rooms, fountains
Rituals: Purification, love, psychic awareness, dreams, sleep, peace, marriage, friendship
Ritual Forms: Dilution, placing into Water, washing away, bathing
Herbs: Aquatic, such as water lilies and seaweed; fleshy, such as in succulents and lettuce; loving, as in rose and gardenia; generally flowers
Stones: Transparent or translucent, as in amethyst and aquamarine; blue, as in tourmaline
Metals: Mercury, silver, copper
Musical Instruments: Cymbol, bell, all resonant instruments
Creatures: Cat, frog turtle, dolphin, whale, otter, seal, gugong,, most fish and shellfish
Time: Dusk
Sense: Taste
Types of Magick Ruled: Sea, ice, snow, fog, mirror, magnet
Natural Symbols: Shells, a cup of Water
Direction: West
Elemental Spirits: Undines
Astrological Signs: Scorpio, Cancer and Pisces
Season: Fall
Time of Day: Sunset
Color: Blue
Gem: Aquamarine
Incense: Myrrh
Astrological Rulers: Moon and Venus
Magickal Virtue: To Dare
Magickal Tool: Cup
Archangel: Gabriel - Strenth of God
Greek Wind God: Zephyrus
Attributes: Feminine, passive, receptive, magnetic, cold, wet
Rules: Emotions, love, sorrow, courage, the consciousness, psychism, sensitivity, tides, oceans, pools, streams, wells, womb
Virtues: Devotion, compassion, serenity, trust, tranquility, tenderness, forgiveness, modesty, fluidity in creativity, receptivity, emotional stability, awakened psychic ability
Vices: Immaturity, dishonesty, self-indulgence, apathy, negligence, indifference, instability, moodiness, cowardice, vulnerability, pessimism, depression, infatuation, delusions
Earth
The Earth is our Mother. True Earth energy exists within ourselves and the universe at large.
Basic Nature: Fertile, moist, nurturing, stabilizing, grounding. Gravity is a manifestation of Earth energy.
Type of Energy: Receptive
Places: Caves, canyons, chasms, forests, groves, valleys, farms, gardens, aroretums, parks, plant nurseries, basements, mines, holes
Rituals: Money, prosperity, fertility, stability, grounding, employment
Ritual Forms: Burying, planting, making images in soil or sand
Herbs: Earth-smelling plants, such as patchouly and vetivert; mosses and lichens, nuts, dry and stiff plants, heavy-low growing plants, generally roots
Stones: Heavy or opaque as in coal; green, as in emeralds and peridots
Metals: Iron, lead
Musical Instruments: Drum and all percussion instruments
Creatures: Dog, horse, earthworms, gopher, ants, cow, burrowing animals
Point of Life: Advanced age
Sense: Touch
Natural Symbols: Salt, clay dish of soil, rocks, sheaves of wheat, acorns
Types of Magick Ruled: Gardening, magnet, image, stone, tree, knot, binding
Direction: North
Elemental Spirits:Gnomes
Astrological Signs: Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn
Season: Winter
Time of Day: Midnight
Color: Green
Gem: Rock crystal, malachite
Incense: Storax, Dittany of Crete
Astrological Rulers: Venus and Saturn
Magickal Virtue: To Keep Silent
Magickal Tool: Pentacle
Archangel: Auriel - Light of God
Greek Wind God: Boreas
Attributes: Feminine, passive, receptive, elctromagnetic, cool and dry
Rules: Form, instinct, sensation, solidity, containment, persistence, the Body, the vehicle of manifestation, material things, birth and death, growth and decay, sustenance, gain, nature, fields, stones and metals, caves, chasms, silence, graves
Virtues: Stability, productivity, punctuality, commitment, responsibility, endurance, patience, calmness, practicality, pragmatism, strenth, thoroughness, wisdom, sense of timing, imperturbability
Vices: Dullness, insipidity, restlessness, boredom, unreliability, misanthropy, impotence, tardiness, lack of conscience, melancholy, inertia stagnation, hoarding of resources
