The Elements
Please click on one of the elements in the image above for info on that element.
The Elements are the four essential ingredients to life, neither can exist without the other, but brought together they effect massive change to each other. The elements are the key ingredients in basic "alchemy" or "magic", all of these things need to be brought together in the right amounts, with the right parts/qualities of each in order to make the "spell" work. But it goes beyond what we in the western world consider to be magic. In fact the whole universe runs this way. As Gardeners, Tammie and I know how to bring these elements together to make the plants grow, as workshop leaders, course facilitators and ceremonial diretors all the members of the Tribe understand how important the principles of balance between the elements is to whatever we are doing. Take a workshop for instance. Earth is represented in all the physical parts of the workshop, it's loaction, surroundings, the food and even the furniture need to be right. Water is the wisdom, the flow and the cups of tea at a break time that help us to assimilate what we have learned. Air is essential as during a workshop, you can't follow a written structure, there are always times you need to think quickly and look for inspiration when presented with new personalities, new questions and of course good ventilation stops people from feeling sleepy during the workshop. and of course the fire is there to both make people warm and to make the workshop fun, exciting and creative within the souls of the participants.
Think of anything that you do, look at it for all it's elemental values and see how they interact, see it as a recipie, and when you can see it this way, you can see how to further refine what you are doing to gain the best results, dont be disheartened when things turn out wrong. learning to work this way is like trying to make a loaf of bread with only vague instructions. Perhaps you put in too much flour (earth) and the bread is stodgy, or too much water so it becomes too runny, perhaps you leave it in the oven too long (fire) and it burns, or perhaps you opened the oven too early (letting too much air in) and it collapsed. With time and patience, you'll soon have your own perfect loaf to celebrate Lammas with.
Modern Druidry, like Witchcraft, often associates an element with one of the directions and with one of the seasons from the wheel of time. This can be simply useful as a nmemoic device, or it can be for practical reasons. Information on this is included in the section about that element below.
Within modern Druidic ceremonies and possibly within ancient ones also, we call the elements into the sacred space to attend our ceremony and ask that they bestow some of their qualities to the ceremony, tow work within the ceremony and to the participants. An example of how to call in the elements is given below each element, feel free to try it out in your own ceremony.
Of course the lsit of elements here is just the basic four. Some traditions such as wicca use a fifth element, that of spirit. Some Oriental traditions also include Wood and Metal but do not have Earth. In between the elements below we could place things like lightning, steam, magma etc and from a scientific point of view the entire table of elements could be added.
Earth
This refers to earth as in "matter" such as soil, but also in flesh. This is the element of the physical being, in its static state. It is best reflected in things like Mountains and hills, which to early man seemed static, unmoving and unchanging.
This element is seen as that which gives us strength, stability, groundedness and steadfastedness.
In modern Druidry we most often place Earth in the North and associate it with Winter, North is suitable for Britain as the northern regions are where we find the mountains. Winter and earth go together because of the fact that earth is the immovable element and the land is gripped with ice which is of course the earth aspect of water. Some Druid orders also associate the Bear with earth.
Sample ceremonial calling for Earth:
Hail to the Spirits of the North,
Element of Earth,
Time of winter, ice and snow,
Place of the Great Bear,
We bid you come to this our ceremony and gift us with the strength to stand firm in our work, the groundedness to remain in balance and good ground in which to plant our desires so they can grow strong.
Hail and Welcome!
Air
Air, in truth, refers to all gasses, from the air we breathe to the breath itself. This is the element of the mind, unseen and yet immensely powerful. It is best reflected in the breezes, gusts and gales that blow across the land, making their way around a mountainside and howling as it goes, drawing pictures in the ripened grain on a hot summer's day, or tearing the roof from your house on a bleak, cold winter's night.
This element is seen as that which gives us inspiration, intelligence, flightiness and grace, aiding us in soaring above our problems to view them from another perspective.
Air, in modern Druidry is associated with the east, the rising sun and springtime. Like a new idea popping into our head the sun rises into the sky (our mind). Also in Britain this is appropriate for a geographical view as the east of England is flat, and east of Britain are the flat lands of Europe across which the wind howls and blows strong. Some Druid orders place Hawk as the guardian beast of air, I believe the same is true of Christianity.
Sample ceremonial calling for Air:
Hail to the Spirits of the East,
Element of Air,
Time of Spring, of the thaw and of sunrise,
Place of the Great Hawk,
We bid you come to this our ceremony and gift us with the freedom to move with the spirits, the inspiration to carry on when all seems lost and with good breezes help our desires breath and live.
Hail and Welcome
Fire
The Magical element that spirng straight from spirit and yet never manifests physically as a solid, liquid or gaseous form. This is the element of the change and provides the passion, drive and soul of a living being, in fact of any entity. This is the element that puts the heat in our blood, the fire in our hearts and the passion in our loins. This element is also a catalyst, it has the ability to change every one of the other elements in a way that neither of the other's can. Air may be able to blow fire out, but fire can make air rise high to change the weather. Water can extinguish fire, but fire can make water boil, to make healing poitions. earth can smother fire, but fire can turn earth into ash to feed the soil for better crops.
In modern Druidry we place fire in the South, with the full noon sun and with summer and often Druid orders will palce Stag as the Guardian animal of fire.
Sample ceremonial calling for Fire:
Hail to the Spirits of the South,
Element of Fire,
Time of Summer, joy, passion and growth,
Place of the Great Stag,
We bid you come to this our ceremony and gift us with the passion to make this ceremony alive, the flames to burn away dross and add fertility to our work and the heat and light to make our desires grow strong.
Hail and Welcome!
Water
Water in fact refers to all liquids, including the blood. This is the element of Spirit and of the physical in its moveable, fluid and changing form. It is best reflected in the peaceful still pool next to the raging churning sea, the slow movement of a river that ever so slowly changed the face and feature of the land around it. Water is the stuff of life, it was in the water that life began and without water all life will cease to exist.
Water is seen as the element of knowledge, wisdom, spirit and emotions.
Withint modern Druidry and most likely ancient Druidry too, Water is associated with the West, Sunset and the Spirit world. Today we also add autumn to these associations and many druid orders add Salmon, the wisest of all creatures, as the guardian beast of Water.
Sample ceremonial calling for Water:
Hail to the Spirits of the West,
Element of Water,
Time of Autumn, harvest and preparation,
Place of the Great Salmon,
We bid you come to this our ceremony and gift us with the fluidity to follow the needs of the ceremony, the wisodm to practice our path properly, beautifuly and with honour, and good water wash and feed our desires so they can grow strong.
Hail and Welcome!