Elemental Quarters

I've finished reading Wicca Covens by Judy Harrow and am in the middle of reading Witchcraft for Tomorrow by Doreen Valiente. Judy Harrow pointed out in her book that the correspondence of directions to elements is purely symbolic, and not something we should take literally. The elements are not literally found in different directions, because they are of course all around us. Harrow tells us that although most Wiccan covens follow the correspondence of North: Earth, East: Air, South: Fire, and West: Water, not all covens practice in the same way. It is important that we all practice in a way that makes sense to us. Doreen Valiente explains why the common Wiccan correspondence of directions to elements is used. She suggests that it is adapted to the British climate, as opposed to the Greek climate which Aristotle describes. Here we may see Valiente's correspondence in contrast to Aristotle's:

I can see why she would describe Earth as "cold and wet" because you will often find that if you dig a large hole in the soil, it is cold and damp down there. I can see why she would describe Air as "cold and dry" because the wind has a cooling effect on the skin, and to air something out can mean to dry it out also. Valiente agrees with Aristotle that Fire is naturally "dry and hot". The fact that she describes water as "wet and hot" is strange to me because it is very rare to feel warm rain in Britain, just as it is very rare to experience the sea as warm. Most often, the sea is quite cold, and so is the rain. But maybe she's thinking of those rare hot springs that produce a bubbling stream of warm water.

Aristotle describes Earth as "cold and dry" which would be true during a drought. The Earth has a tendency to absorb the qualities of other elements, so it may be warmed up by Fire or moistened by Water. Air is described as "wet and hot" which makes sense if we think of the Air that is expelled from our lungs. The breath is indeed "wet and hot". As for the Air in the sky, we may observe that it is warmed by the rays of the sun and moistened by clouds of water droplets. Lastly, Water is described as "cold and wet" because it usually has a cooling effect, although it can of course be warmed by Fire which is "dry and hot".

Fire is regarded as the least tangible element, because it represents the state of matter in which particles move most freely. The particles in Air, or gas, move a little less freely. The particles in Water, or liquid, become more compact although flowing in movement. The most dense element, Earth, representing solids, is the state of matter in which particles are most compact and restricted in movement. This sequence of Elements represents the gradual solidfying of particles.

 This is why it makes sense to me that when we travel around the circle, beginning in the East and ending in the North, we follow the sequence of the Elements as they solidify. If on the other hand, we follow Valiente's correspondence, then the Elements are thrown out of order. Is it possible that this is a deliberate red herring on Valiente's part? She has simply swapped the places of Fire and Air. It's a small difference. There is still some question over the elemental weapons and whether the Wand and Sword belong to Fire or Air respectively. This confusion may derive from the swapping of Fire and Air between East and South.

 

(the colouring of this diagram corresponds to Valiente's description of the Airts)

Let me know what you think of this. What makes the most sense to you? It is important to recognise that different philosophers offer different perspectives, and that there is a huge amount of diversity in Western magic. If we try to overlap the many magical traditions of the world we will find much disagreement and opposing views. We cannot rely on a global consensus. We must make our own minds up. I can only hope that offering my own point of view is helpful for you.