Liv Lesson #2: The Elements and their Associations

Elements with Spirit

The elements are essential in all forms of magick. Across the world, we see how spirit and nature coexist, to create ourselves and the reality around us. Therefore, we utilize the four natural elements with the ultimate fifth element, spirit, to bring our desires into this reality (with permission of such elements and Mother Earth herself.) We call upon this elements when casting a circle, which you can read about here.

Elemental Associations

Each element has many different associations that we can use to incorporate them physically and spiritually in our magick, for they encompass important elements of our every day lives. These associations are highly agreed upon within our current spiritual communities, for we see these associations in astrology, tarot, ancient traditions, and more. But, these are still subject to your own interpretation. Experiment and feel out what you associate the elements with. Consider meditating with each element somehow and see what you feel from them.

Here are the popular elemental associations:

• Earth: Material matters, such as money, housing, security, and possessions. Feminine energy.
• Fire: Action-based matters, such as sex, passion, ambition, and fights. Masculine energy.
• Water: Emotional matters, such as feelings, family, relationships, and intuition. Feminine energy.
• Air: Intellectual matters, such as communication, learning, groups, and travel. Masculine energy.

These, like I said, can still be changed around depending on the person. Travel can be considered just as fiery as it may be air, since it is a physical action, but I associate it with air since air moves freely and can go anywhere it wishes once released. Family can also be considered an earthly matter, if we're thinking about roots of a family tree and a home, but I associate it with water since I think of the water of womb and how all life started from water.

Change it up, mess around, do some research into what the elements mean in different cultures. It's fun and interesting and gives you new layers to look upon our worldly elements!

Bringing the Elements into your Magick

When we want to work with the elements, we have to represent them physically in our space in order to tap into the spirit of the elements. Here are some items you can use in your magickal rituals to represent the different elements.

Earth

• Crystals (each crystal can have a different element they're associated with, too)
• Soil
• Cauldron
• Pentagram
• Plain ol' rocks
• Coins/Bills
• Plants/leaves/flowers
• Herbs (these have different elemental associations too)
• Anything the color green or brown

Fire

• Literal fire (please be careful, always use firesafe tools in a safe space)
• Candles
• Wands
• Friction from your hands or two objects
• Your warm breathe
• Anything the color red or orange, gold too

Water

• Water itself
• Chalice/cup
• Shells
• Sea salt
• Your spit/tears/sweat (we made up of water, use that ish)
• Anything blue or silver, even like a nice aquamarine

Air

• The wind from outside
• Blowing air from your mouth
• A fan
• Incense
• Knives/athame (please be safe with your knives idk if I have to tell y'all this but just in case)
• Anything yellow or white

These are like I said, interchangeable. Knives can be associated with fire, incense can be associated with earth, crystals can be associated with any of the elements. Just as long as you're intentional about which item is for which element, you'll be good to go.

Some More Elemental Associations!

Here's some more associations for the elements, gathered from a bunch of things I've read and learned over the years. You'll see some associations overlap between the elements and that's perfectly normal! Everything is made of all elements and therefore the association is, once again, up to you. 

Earth

• Cardinal Direction: North
• Colors: brown, green, black, beige
• Planets: Venus, Saturn
• Foods: potatoes, chocolate, all leafy greens, kiwi, zucchini, insect-based foods, yams, berries
• Crystals: Agate, calcite, diamond, green aventurine, jade, emerald, jasper, onyx, malachite
• Herbs: sage, bryony, cinquefoil, clover, high john the conqueror, honeysuckle, horehound, jasmine, mandrake, patchouli, pennyroyal
• Body parts: feet, knees, ankles, calves, bones

Fire

• Cardinal Direction: South
• Colors: red, orange, burgundy, gold
• Planets: Sun, Mars, Jupiter
• Foods: spicy things, chili peppers, apples, cinnamon, fried things, red bell pepper, tomatoes, meat of all kind, onion, garlic, coffee
• Crystals: ruby, citrine, carnelian, fire agate, fire opal, flint, sardonyx, sulfur
• Herbs: angelica, bennet, basil, bay laurel, cactus, carnation, cinnamon, clove, clover, coriander, dill, dragon's blood, frankincense, holly, juniper, marigold, peony, rosemary, rue, saffron, st. john's wort, sunflower, thistle, tobacco, vanilla, walnut, 
• Body parts: thighs, hips, womb, genitalia, butt, muscles, hands

Water

• Cardinal Direction: West
• Colors: silver, blue, aquamarine/teal, clear
• Planets: Moon, Neptune, Pluto
• Foods: lettuce, water, seafood, sea salt, candy, scallions, fruits, ice cream, slushies, cucumbers
• Crystals: lapis lazuli, moonstone, royal blue agate, pearl, aquamarine, azurite, amethyst, blue/pink tourmaline, sapphire, sodalite
• Herbs: burdock, chamomile, catnip, gardenia, geranium, heather, hops, hyacinth, ivy, lovage, myrrh, myrtle, orris, pansy, periwinkle, poppy, rose, star anise, tonka beans, valerian, vervain, violet, yarrow
• Body parts: blood, bladder, heart, mouth, eyes

Air

• Cardinal Direction: East
• Colors: white, yellow, grey, clear
• Planets: Uranus, Mercury
• Foods: bananas, pasta, rice, bread, cream, cheese, milk, onions, eggs, coconut, yucca, plátano verde, pastries, gum, lemons
• Crystals: opal, topaz, white fluorite, mica, rhodonite, amazonite, turquoise, selenite, 
• Herbs: acacia, anise, benzoin, broom, caraway, clover, comfrey, eucalyptus, hazelnut, lavender, lemon verbena, marjoram, mistletoe, mugwort, nutmeg, peppermint, pimpernel, sandalwood, spearmint, thyme, wormwood
• Body parts: lungs, ears, brain, hair/nails

Comment if any of these resonated with you or if you have anything different/new to associate the elements with! Don't forget to experiment and thank every element that you use, as well as Mother Earth for gracing us with the blessings of the natural world.