Natural Magic - Doreen Valiente 1998

Magic of the Four Elements

The occult philosophers, magicians and alchemists of olden times regarded the material world as being composed of the four elements of fire, water, air and earth. Beyond these again was a mysterious principle called aether, the quintessence, or spirit.

Exactly the same idea is found in the occultism of the east. There the elements are called tattvas, and are represented as Tejas, the red triangle; Apas, the white crescent; Vayu, the blue circle; Prithivi, the yellow square; and Akasha, the black egg. These are the symbols of fire, water, air, earth and spirit, respectively. A composite emblem composed of these symbols may often be seen topping the spire which surmounts some ancient and time-worn sanctuary, in Tibet and elsewhere in eastern lands.

In Europe, the mysterious fraternity of the Rosicrucians were sometimes called Philosophi per ignem, the fire-philosophers. This is because fire to them was the symbol of transmutation. The substance of a candle becomes transmuted by burning and changes into light. By their beliefs and practices, the occult philosophers of old sought to transmute that which was base into something better, to attain illumination and enlightenment. They had a mystic saying or motto: Igne Natura renovatur integra, “All Nature is renewed by fire.”

The candles and lamps which burn in temples and churches all over the world are not merely for the mundane purpose of giving light. Their use is part of the time honoured philosophy of fire. Magicians, too, use candles to illuminate their place of working, rather than artificial light, because of the atmosphere which the soft natural flame can give even to an everyday room.

Fire was considered to be the most spiritual of the elements, not only because of its light-giving quality, but because the use of fire is one of the things which most markedly distinguishes man from the beasts. Dancing round a ritual bonfire may well be man’s most primitive ceremony. Seeing pictures in the fire was one of his earliest sources of clairvoyant vision, when the tribal groups huddled together in the darkness of the caves.

To this day, there is an old countryside belief in Somerset that leaping flames talk, and if you listen to them at the right moment, they will tell you your future. The technical name for divination by fire is pyromancy.

With the availability of many different coloured candles in the present day, a whole magical lore has grown up around the practice of candle-burning. Fewer people today have an open fire by which to practise pyromancy; but candle-burning for magical purposes is becoming more popular.

The practitioners of this art generally advise that you should burn your candle last thing at night, and then retire to bed with the thought in your mind that the ritual will succeed. If this time is not practicable, however, then perform the rite anywhere that you can be quiet and undisturbed.

Select a candle that is of the appropriate colour for what you are trying to do, according to the list of colours given further on in this chapter. The candle should be new, and never used for any other purpose. You should have also a little phial of anointing oil, which is likewise kept solely for magical purposes. This must be pure vegetable oil and advanced practitioners sometimes use costly scented oils. Sandalwood oil, for instance, has a beautiful scent and is suitable for magical anointing; while the strange, exciting perfume of patchouli oil is very popular in America among practitioners of voodoo.

If, however, you have none of these, then make use of pure olive oil. You may care to experiment yourself by adding aromatic herbs to the oil, plus a little gum benzoin to keep it from going rancid. However, the main purpose of anointing oil is simply to impress your thoughts upon the candle, to consecrate it, so to speak, to a particular purpose. From time immemorial, magicians have used anointing oil for consecration ceremonies.

Symbolic magical design showing the Seven-pointed Star of the Seven Planets. Reading around the Star, the order of the planets’ apparent motion is shown, from Saturn the slowest-moving to the Moon, the fastest. Reading along the lines of the star, the order in which the planets rule the days of the week is shown, from Sunday ruled by the Sun to Saturday ruled by Saturn. Outside the star are symbols of the four elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Beneath is the Ankh Cross, the Ancient Egyptian sign of Life. Around is a wreath of flowers and foliage, representing fertility.

Before you start your ritual, get clear in your mind what your wish is and then write it down upon a slip of new paper. You will put this slip of paper beneath the candlestick in which your candle burns. As with all magical things, the candlestick you use for ritual purposes should be kept apart for those purposes only and not put to common use. If you buy an antique candlestick for magical ceremonies, then clean it thoroughly before you use it, to get rid of other influences that may be lingering on it.

Any other light in the room where you are working should be lowered and well shaded. Then take a little of the anointing oil upon your fingers and gently rub it upon the candle, concentrating upon the idea of imbuing the candle with your thoughts and wishes. However, do not merely rub up and down; start from the centre, and rub from the centre upwards and then from the centre downwards. Then put the candle in the candlestick, and wipe the remains of the oil from your fingers upon a piece of clean linen or a tissue—the latter of course is a modern innovation, but a useful one.

Then light the candle, and sit in quiet concentration upon your wish. Above all, visualize the thing you want to happen, because if you can make a clear mental picture of it and hold on to that picture, even if only for a few seconds, without doubts or fears or other intervening thoughts, this will have a powerful magical effect. Visualize it symbolically, if you like, so long as the picture is clear.

The burning candle provides the focus for your concentration; but there is no need to stare fixedly at the brightest part of the flame, as this may strain your eyes. Instead, look at the golden glow of the candle as a whole. Appreciate the beauty of the flame, and notice its different colours. Or, if you wish to rest your eyes from its brightness, look at the colour of the candle itself, remembering its symbolic meaning.

Here is a list of colours in which candles can be obtained from any big store, together with their meaning and appropriateness for different rites:

White: psychic development, dispelling of evil influences.

Red: life, vitality, changing your luck for the better.

Blue: healing, spiritual development, occult protection.

Green: fertility, prosperity, gain of money.

Golden yellow: intellectual development, strength of mind.

Pink: love, friendship, happiness.

Purple: occult power, overcoming.

Orange: optimism, success.

Black: revenge, retribution; also, communing with the spirits of the dead.

When buying candles, remember that the more clear and pure their colour is, the better the effect will be.

Burning good quality joss sticks helps the atmosphere of any occult rite; so use some with your candle-burning ritual if you can conveniently do so. The best way to burn joss sticks is the way they do it in the East, where joss sticks originated; that is, get a metal or earthenware bowl, fill it three parts full with sand and stick the joss sticks upright in the sand. Thus, they will not fall over nor drop ash untidily.

When you feel that you have concentrated long enough, take the slip of paper with your wish written on it, and burn it in the flame of the candle, with the thought that you are projecting your wish into the beyond to find fulfilment. Blow out the candle and if it is not consumed you can wrap it up in a piece of clean paper to use again. Remember, however, that you can only use that candle for working again on the same wish. For a different wish you must use a new candle.

Such is the basic lore of candle-burning; and here is a modern witch’s charm of thirteen lines, to be used in a candle-burning ceremony:

Candle shining in the night,

With your flame enchanted,

By the powers of magic might,

May my wish be granted.

When the candle sheds its gleam,

At the mystic hour,

Let fulfilment of my dream

Gather secret power.

Flame of magic, brightly burn,

Spirit of the fire.

Let the wheel of fortune turn,

Grant me my desire.

One, two, three—so shall it be!

Fire Magic: bringing in the Yule log on Christmas Eve.

If you are the fortunate possessor of an open fire, here is a brief description of how to interpret the pictures you may see in its glowing coals—or better still, logs. A real old-fashioned log fire, with its wonderful scent, is a splendid thing!

Seat yourself on the rug in front of the fire, with the lights in the room turned low. Throw a handful of kitchen salt on the coals and then wait until the fire is glowing clear. If other people are with you, they must keep silent, as chattering spoils the concentration essential to any real magic.

Much depends on how a particular symbol or picture looks. Is it glowing and cheerful, or dark and sinister? If the thing you see is pleasing, it is a sign of good fortune. But if, for instance, you see a gallows, a skull and crossed bones, or a ruined, broken-down house, these are warnings of danger.

A handsome house or castle, however, is a good sign, especially if it stands upon steps which lead up to it. These show rising prosperity. Trees are a good sign, too; they mean success and happiness. Strangely enough, however, flowers and fruit are not regarded as fortunate when seen in the fire; they mean worries and grief.

Domestic animals, such as cats and dogs, are fortunate if their appearance is friendly. If, however, the animal is snarling or vicious-looking, it means you have an enemy.

Farm animals, such as sheep, are generally lucky, and mean increase of money. A wild animal means news from afar off. A horse means a journey.

To see a ship or an aeroplane also means a journey, probably overseas. Flying birds mean letters on the way. A horseshoe means excellent good luck. A bell means news of a wedding, a cradle means news of a birth, and so on—most omens of this type can be easily interpreted by their natural associations.

If you see a face in the fire, it may remind you of someone you know, or it may be that of a stranger. In either case, if the face is bright and glowing your association with that person will be fortunate; but if the features are dark and shadowy you need to be on your guard.

To see the appearance of an outstretched hand means that someone you know is in trouble and needs help. A dagger or gun means quarrels are threatening. One could not possibly list all the likely symbols here that might be seen; but enough has been said to show the general principles of their interpretation. Two more special fire-symbols may be mentioned. The appearance of a bright, glowing pillar, or pillars upholding an arch, means a love-affair; and a windmill, a wheel, or any turning thing, means change, either for better or worse according to whether it is bright or dark.

Water is a universal symbol of cleansing and regeneration. Sacred rivers, lakes and wells abound in the mysteries of every religion. Springs such as those at Glastonbury and Lourdes have acquired a wonderful reputation for healing powers. This reputation, if enquired into closely, is often found to date back to pre-Christian times.

To see pure spring water bubbling up from the earth is a wonderful and magical thing. People of olden time believed such a spring to have a guardian spirit, to which offerings were made. This is the origin of ceremonies of well-dressing, some of which are still carried out in Britain; and of the custom of throwing coins or pins into wishing-wells and making a wish.

A stream which runs from north to south was anciently believed to have magical properties. So was the place where two streams met. Witches went by the light of the full moon to such a place, in order to carry out their rituals.

As fire is a symbol of the life-force, so water is a symbol of the emotions. Hence the saying that “Still waters run deep”. The sun is regarded as the natural ruler of fire, the masculine element; while water, the feminine element, is ruled by the moon. This rulership is evidenced by the tides of the sea, which associate with the phases of the moon.

Witches make use of this symbolism, when they use water for purposes of divination. They take a black bowl filled with water—the old black iron cauldron used to do very well—and drop into it a bright silver coin, an emblem of the moon. Then they gaze through the water at the silver coin, trying to banish all other thoughts until the mind is still and tranquil as the water and psychic visions may appear. This has to be done in a dim light, preferably by candlelight; and the best time for it is when the moon is waxing to the full.

Contrary to popular belief, there is no absolute need for an expensive crystal ball in order to achieve clairvoyant vision. All kinds of things have been used for this purpose; very often bowls or glasses of water. The old-time kahunas, or native magicians of Hawaii, used to use a large, smooth, dark-coloured stone, which was placed in a hollowed-out gourd with a little water. When the kahuna wanted to use the magic stone to see visions, he simply poured the water over it, so that it was wet and shining, and then gazed at its shiny surface as it lay in the gourd. Such practices as these are nearly as old as mankind itself.

The sounds of a waterfall, or of the waves beating upon the shore, tend to lull the conscious mind into the borderline state of reverie. In this way, the perceptions of the inner mind can rise to the surface, and convey their message to the seer. Natural magicians of all ages have attuned themselves to listen thus to the sounds of nature.

The true poet above all is a natural magician. William Blake, who was deeply interested in the traditions of the Druids, wrote:

Hear the voice of the Bard!

Who Present, Past and Future sees;

Whose ears have heard

The Holy Word

That walk’d among the ancient trees …

The sigh and rush of the wind is part of the magic of air. Like the beating of waves, it lulls the conscious mind into quietness, and the multitude of thoughts are stilled. Then perception can begin. This may well be the real meaning behind the many sacred groves which were preserved by ancient religions. The Druids had their groves of oak, and so did the goddess Diana at Nemi. The word ’druid’ is from the old Welsh derw-ydd, meaning ’oak-seer’.

Some sensitive people can attune themselves to the sounds of nature to such an extent that they can actually hear voices and snatches of words, in the rippling stream or the cry of the wind. A seashell, too, can echo a voice to them in this way. Most of us, as children, have held a big hollow shell to our ears and heard in it the sound of the sea. In olden times, a magician would have seemed to hear, not only the echo of the waves, but the voices of the sea-nymphs calling to him.

No doubt the sensitive’s own mind supplies the words these voices say; but their message may be a true one, for all that.

Another part of the magic of air is the secret of our breath. The Yogis of the east have made a whole science of various methods of breathing, which would take a book in itself to expound. One of its basic tenets is that the air we breathe contains a vital principle called prana and that by the right kind of steady, rhythmic breathing we can recharge our vitality by absorbing more prana from the air.

Certainly, we can exist without food or water for some time; but we cannot exist without air, so it must contain very essential principles for sustaining life. To breathe deeply of fresh air will revitalize us, whether we choose to subscribe to the ideas of Yoga or not.

One way to revitalize oneself by rhythmic breathing is to take a walk in the country, or at least somewhere that one does not have to keep dodging traffic. Then time your breathing for an equal time in and out and pausing between each inhalation and exhalation. There is no need to stamp along puffing and blowing, however—this will do no good. Just walk at an easy, natural pace, and let your breath flow gently in and out; but nevertheless breathe deeply and always through the nostrils.

Count one-two-three-four to breathe in, then pause for a count of one-two, and so on. This count is suitable for the average person, though some may like to vary it if their natural rhythm is different. It is the rhythmic breath, synchronized with the footsteps, that matters. Do everything in a natural, well-balanced manner, without strain, and the effect will be beneficial both physically and psychically.

Hold the thought that you are drawing vitality from the air and storing it up in your solar plexus—the area just above your navel, which is the body’s great storehouse of vital energy. You will find this exercise works best on a fresh, bright sunshiny day. Breathe in the beautiful life that the sun is filling the atmosphere with; breathe out not only physical impurities, but all your worries, doubts, disappointments—let the breeze blow them away. In such simple ways as this you can find the real magic of nature.

The magic of earth is likewise a subject upon which whole books could be and have been written. The goddess of earth has revered in ancient times as the Magna Mater, or Great Mother, from whom all things of this physical world are born and to whom all must return, to be regenerated and born again. The chief part of her magic is the lore of herbs, flowers and trees, which will receive a chapter to itself, later on in this book.

We can, however, feel some of the magic of earth by walking or dancing barefoot upon soft grass, and letting the vital, rejuvenating power of earth, oldest of things yet ever young, enter into us. Or we can follow with our eyes the shapes of earth—the undulating hills and valleys, the form of some weatherworn, lichen-crusted rock, the way that trees grow upward and spread out in different, harmonious forms of branches. How often do we really look at things? When we do, in some quiet spot, we can achieve the same quality of perception by this means, that comes from listening to the wind or the waves. By using our five senses rightly, the inner sixth sense is added to them.