Elemental Directions

All things, both animate and inanimate, are made up of varying combinations of the three primary elements of Earth, Water, and Air, and brought together through the divine spark of creation: Fire; the forces of nature are the very building blocks of life and creation. If one were missing, the world as we know it would not exist at all.

Wiccans and NeoWiccans both work with the elements in many ways. They incorporate elemental energy into their rituals and spells. They attune themselves to the elements in order to work in better concert with the rhythms of the Earth Cycle. They also study the elements to learn more about themselves and the world around them; some of the very mysteries of the universe and Deity itself are locked within the elements.

Each element has a specific class of Spirit unique to it, called Elementals- each of which is ruled over by a Sovereign called an Elemental King. How each practitioner perceives these spirits, what they look like, and their powers or properties varies depending on the practitioner and their tradition, however. But it is these Sovereigns which rule as guardians and protectors of the circle, whom we salute each ritual.

The four elements are associated with the quarters of the circle, making them associated each with a cardinal direction by proxy. There are several ways of allocating the elements to the Cardinal directions. The first follows the nature of the winds:

• The Easterly Wind is of the pure nature of air.
• The Southerly wind brings the nature of fire to action.
• The Western wind brings rain and moisture.
• The Northern wind is cold and dry like the Earth.

Another way is the method provided by the Proteus Coven under Judy Harrow.

• East is the place of beginning, associated with Air. Here is the quarter of intellect, research, logic, and critical thinking; of science, and history.
• South is the place of peaking, associated with Fire. Here is the quarter of passion, courage, will, drive, desire, and action- and sometimes even fiery emotions such as lust.
• West is the place of deepening, associated with water. Here is the quarter of wisdom, compassion, empathy, intuition, and insight- as well as dreams, divination, and the Spirits.
• North is the place of transformation, associated with Earth. Here is the quarter of the body, death, and rebirth; of doing, skill, stability, and the senses.

The Lycian Transitional Wiccan Tradition sets theirs thusly instead:

• North: Water; the subconscious or hidden; the cup / chalice.
• South: Fire; the will; the wand.
• East: Earth; the physical world; the pantacle.
• West: Air; the mind; the athame.

Another set of associations according to Thea Sabin include:

• North: Earth; Winter; Midnight; Waning Moon; Elder; To Keep Silent.
• East: Air; Spring; Dawn; New Moon; Youth; To Know.
• South: Fire; Summer; Midday; Waxing Moon; Adolescence; To Dare.
• West: Water; Autumn; Dusk; Full Moon; Adulthood; To Will.

In the Mayan and Azteca method associated with the Soul Retrieval process:

• East is the center of Rebirth and renewal, and of welcoming the soul back into the sacred heart.
• North is the center of ancestral guidance and grounding, and of opening ourselves to the cosmic Divine.
• West is the center of death and release where we engage specifically to release self destructive behaviors that prevent our souls from returning to the self.
• South is the seat of discovery and understanding, especially of why a piece of our souls left, and of how to concise them to return.

In my own system, as it is solar based, the associations follow thusly:

• North for Fire, as Fire is summa vitae, the Solar Element, therefore it deserves the position of Queenship in the above position.
• East for Water, as Water flows into the Earth (East ⤳ South)
• South for Earth, as Earth is summa mortis, the Lunar Element, and therefore deserves its opposite position of Kingship in the below position
• West for Air, as Air feeds into Fire (West ⤳ North)

There are, likewise, other modalities- such as the association with the Book of Creation, where they are linked to the story of the creation of the Earth; here Genesis 1:11 gives the following elemental sequence on the third day:

• Fire: The first day; the creation of Light.
• Water and Air: The second day; the fermentation of the waters and their division.
• Earth: The third day; the formation of Earth and its vegetation.
• Fire: The fourth day; the formation of the Sun.
• Water and Air: The fifth day; the fermentation of the waters and the air, and the creation of aquatic and aerial creatures.
• Earth: The sixth day; the fermentation of Earth, the creation of Animals and humans.

These are far from the only allocations. Indeed, there are as many systems as there are traditions.