Discussion: Elements

Do you include work with the elements in your practice?If so, is there any element in particular you feel a strong/special attraction for or simply enjoy more than the others?

Do you subscribe to the belief that people only have "one" main element, or that they can be balanced in all?

Do you subscribe to the belief that "spirit" is an element?

What are some ways in which a person can include the elements within their own practice?

I try to use all elements because once again to balance it all out but my attraction to air than more than others.

It all depends on the person to be quite honest for example A Wiccan altar usually has symbols of all Four elements on it, but there may be a time in your life when you need to encourage the energy of one particular element into your life.

I personally would not say spirit is a element but other would disagree.

Here is a really good exercise to combind all the elements in a mediation:

1. Begin by sitting in your room. Let all the tensions and the stresses of the day flow away from you and fade away.

2. Still yourself and let your breathing deepens, focus on it. Let your mind become more calm and let it dwell in the internal peace of your own rhythmic breath. Remain like this until you feel calm and receptive.

3. Now imagine that the walls of your room are slowly dissolving away. You find yourself sitting in a sunny meadow. The grass is thick, green and lush around you. The earth feels warm and comforting beneath.

4. The sun shines down above you. Its rays warm you. A light wind blows against you and caresses your face. Close by you hear the sound of running water as it flows along in a stream.

5. You become aware that you are surrounded by the four elements - Wind, Sun, Water, Earth; each one supporting you.

6. After you have visualized and are in a deep state of mind. You now become aware that these elements ae but different forms of energy; the energy that is the life-force.

7. Spend another 10 minutes in this state of mind.

8. Return to everyday awareness and when you feel ready to get up, do so.

9. Take your time and try not to make any sudden or hurried movements for a while.

10. Now ground your self by drinking some water or having something to eat.

Hope you all liked this.

Blessed be!

- Tholek out

*I call upon the elements to aid in my spells, I ask them to protect me, and I guess that storm calling would also count as working with air and water.
*I usually feel really connected to all of them, so I don't favor one over the others. Some days I feel more connected to one than the other, but after a day it goes back to them being equal.
*I believe that no one has just one element. I think that some people just prefer that element over the others.
*I do believe that spirit is an element, but I don't really connect with it because I don't know much about it.

I feel like the elements are kinda in tune to my emotions or maybe my birthday polar cycle.. I'm a fire so I burn hottt, so to reset myself I will jump in water or take a shower to kinda settle myself. Or the Earth,if I'm super grouchy bare feet on the earth will fix you up for sure... When I do any practice I do like to include fire somehow....

It's a stretch to say that the elements are the backbone of magic, especially considering that the classical/western elements aren't the only elemental system in existence.

I don't really work with the elements as a whole because that's just not really my thing. I'm not the type who assigns elemental alignments to every single thing. I try to work with fire when I can though.

Since I don't subscribe to any elemental system or specific belief system involving elements, I'm a little iffy on this one.

I can't really say for all of them, but working with fire is actually pretty simple. Even going beyond the basic candle magic, one could incorporate it easily into kitchen magic, as well as utilizing its energies and characteristics such as heat and purification (literally or symbolically) in your other practices.

An interesting array of views thus far. I'd like for more people to add input here.

Ideally, down the road, it'd be neat to have a group meditative session over each of the elements. Or do something group-wise related to them.

I really enjoy working with a strange mix of elements, mainly with fire and water but that is only because my most common "element" to work with is lightning, but of course, that isn't actually an element.

I do believe that people can be more connected to some elements more than others, but I don't feel as though we are constrained to only one and I also feel as though it changes over time, born a water element, I had an obsession with water when I was really little (I still do), but over time I have also become connected to fire as well, making me a very conflicted person (fire and water.)

Personally spirit is an element as much as it makes up part of us, but sticking to the original principle that the elements are the building blocks of everything, then spirit is an odd one out, its a tricky thing to pin down.

Personally I use the elements in rituals, calling them into the circle when I cast it, using their energies to aid me. I also do a huge amount of candle magick and use the fire as my main source of energy. I do however find that meditating while floating in water is exceptionally easy, much easier than at any other time (so long as you don't sink).

Do you include work with the elements in your practice?If so, is there any element in particular you feel a strong/special attraction for or simply enjoy more than the others? I do use the elements in my practice. I find that asking for their aid helps me, I do see them as beings and as concepts. I like to work with them all.

Do you subscribe to the belief that people only have "one" main element, or that they can be balanced in all? There is a single element listed in the Astrology of each person, however it is a far cry from being all that one can use. It is a simplistic and modern version of elements that is often over valued and not fully understood.

Do you subscribe to the belief that "spirit" is an element? I did at one time. I have come to view spirit as something else, it isn't an element to me so much as it is the base of all life. Humans are a lump of elemental material mix together, as is most life, but it is 'spirit' that makes us move, think, and be. Spirit is what drives all life.

What are some ways in which a person can include the elements within their own practice? Simple ways, understand the nature of each element. It's new agey, I know, but we all have as part of our nature a portion of the elements. Finding a way to balance them all out will help us all to be better at who we are and what we are becoming.