Wicca Natural Magic Kit: The Sun, The Moon, and The Elements, Elemental Magic, Moon Magic, and Wheel of the Year Magic - Lisa Chamberlain 2018

Animism, the Elements, and Witchcraft
Elements and the Living Universe

Of course, Witches don’t need scientific proof of the animistic nature of the Universe in order to know that it is at work in all aspects of life.

They learn from their own experiments how to communicate with crystals, plants and water, as well as air and fire. The Craft is about revering nature in all its forms, and harnessing the vibrational power of All That Is to create positive change.

Working with a particular crystal, for example, Witches might hold the stone in both hands for a few moments and attune with its energies. Many people—not just Witches, Wiccans, and Pagans—have experienced differing sensations from holding different types of crystals in healing and spiritual work. Some crystals, like pyrite, can feel very energetic and “buzzy,” while others, like moss agate, have a calming effect.

In addition to physical, spiritual and emotional healing, these Earth energies provide pathways to magical change. Pyrite, for example, is often used in magical work for self-confidence and wealth. Moss agate protects the aura from negative energy.

Water is traditionally part of every Wiccan ritual, either physically present or symbolically represented by a cup, a chalice, or a cauldron.

The water can even be a focus of the ritual, charged with the Witch’s personal power for a particular intention. Some spells involve magical drinking water, charged with the energies of crystals or herbs. Water is also a scrying tool—Witches can gaze at the surface of a cauldron of water for images that communicate information from the unseen realms.

Air, being invisible, seems to be a much less tangible Element, but it often makes its presence known nonetheless. Sometimes it’s subtle, and sometimes it’s impossible to ignore.

Poets and Witches alike have invoked the wind and recognized its “personalities,” from gentle to fierce, and it’s not an uncommon thing to feel a particular “energy” in the air, especially just before a good storm. Wind works very symbiotically with the four directions, and the particular direction the wind is coming from at a given time can be more useful for particular magical work. For example, Western winds are good for strengthening intuition.

Fire is perhaps the Element most often associated with Witchcraft in the popular imagination. This could be because the spirit of fire is so easy to observe, as flames appear to dance on the wick or in the hearth. Candles are widely used in ritual, and often are a key part of magical work. Outdoor rituals may make use of bonfires, which become very powerful tools of transformation. Burning a small piece of paper with intentions written on it is often an effective way to “seal” magical work.

In the next section, we’ll get more acquainted with each of the Elements, taking a look at their characteristics, magical associations, and effects on our lives. We’ll also look at how the Fifth Element—Spirit—works through each of the other four, and by extension, through ourselves.