Elements in Magick

Elements & Magick

The Ancients divided the world into four basic principles or *elements* earth, water, fire,

and air. That viewpoint has mostly changed with advances of science, but the four elements

are still accepted in magick, for they are more closely linked with emotions, the human

psyche, and with nature than are modern explanations of the world. These *magical

elements* are also of some importance in astrology. Many occultists think of the magical

elements as forces, or as *qualities* of energy; especially within the astral world. Each

element has a symbol and color. (Common symbols are -- fire: a triangle pointing up; air: a

triangle pointing up and with a horizontal line through the middle of it; water: a triangle

pointing down; earth: a triangle pointing down and with a horizontal line through the

middle of it.) Colors of the elements are -- earth: brown and green; water: blue; fire: red;

air: yellow... The Eastern tattvic system uses different symbols and colors. (The tattvic

symbols are briefly described later on in this course.) The elements are often used in

magick ritual.

Magick sees relationships between things. These relationships are called 'correspondences'.

Although magical correspondences are not literally equal to one another, you can think of

them that way (such as gold equals sun). Tables of these relationships, called

'Correspondence Tables', are available (an important one is Crowley's '777'). Thus one

thing or symbol can be used to suggest another. This is important in magick, for the

magician may surround himself with as many appropriate correspondences as he can to

vividly affect the senses; thus making his magical contact with the inner planes more lucid.

The magical elements have correspondences with the tarot cards as the four suits. The four

quarters (directions of the universe as used in magick ritual) and the Archangels also

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