Attuning With the Elements

Many Wiccans put a good deal of time and effort into exploring and aligning themselves with the elements in order to enhance their rituals and magic. The following are a few easy exercises that you can do to begin attuning yourself to the elements. They’re so easy, in fact, that they’re kind of obvious. That’s the point, for two reasons.

First, the elements are everywhere and in everything, so getting in sync with them should be simple. The second reason is that because they’re everywhere and in everything, we take them for granted. Sometimes shifting our perception slightly and making a conscious decision to become more aware of something ubiquitous, like the elements, opens up whole new possibilities right under our noses, in our everyday lives. Try one or more of these ideas:

At Home

Find and list everything in your living space that symbolizes one of the elements to you. For example, the stove, the microwave, the fireplace, the space heater, the curling iron, the hair dryer, the toaster oven, matches, a cigarette lighter, the thermostat, the furnace, the barbeque, the electric blanket, and maybe even the smoke detector all represent fire. Once you’ve made your list, reflect on why you chose the things you did. What do they have in common? How are they different? Repeat for the other three elements.

Outdoors

Visit a natural place that contains or symbolizes to you one of the elements. For example, you could go to a garden, forest, or cave for earth; a windy bluff for air; or a stream, lake, or ocean for water. If you can’t find a suitably fiery place (I live near a volcano; you may not be so fortunate), a campfire somewhere away from city noise and people is a great alternative. Relax and ground in the place you chose. Close your eyes, unless it’s not safe. Breathe in deeply. Use as many of your senses as possible to experience the element. See if you can touch it (not fire, of course, although you can pass your hand near it and feel the heat), smell it, hear it, taste it [if possible]. Spend enough time in your chosen location to make a real connection to the element. Write down your perceptions afterward. Repeat with the other three elements.

In Your Mind

Create a pathworking where you visit each element and learn about it. For example, a journey to the bottom of the sea or the surface of the sun. Record your experience, and repeat for the other three elements.

Through the Seasons

To Wiccans, the cycle of the seasons throughout the year is one of the most important things that the elements symbolize the Wiccan holidays are based on the seasonal cycles. To attune yourself to the elements and seasons together, choose one of the solstices or equinoxes to begin. From that day until the next solstice or equinox, make a conscious effort to notice and feel how the associated element works in your life and how it aligns with its season. For example, begin to explore spring and air, separately and together, beginning on the Spring Equinox, and keep it up until the Summer Solstice, when you will shift your attention to summer and fire. Follow the cycle through the year. Record what you discover.