Elemental States

Last month, I finished reading Practical Elemental Magick by Sorita d’Este and David Rankine. There were some interesting facts in there, and this is a topic that I love to explore because when you look into the different beliefs that were held in the past you find a great amount of variety. This lead me to further analyse my own take on the elements. I drew the following diagram to show how I see the classical elements.

To me, the elements represent the four fundamental states of matter. At the top of the scale, we have fire, which represents the plasma state of matter. Other examples of matter in a plasma state are lightning, electric sparks, the Sun and stars. When a plasma is deionised, it becomes gas, which is represented by the element of air. The air we breathe is formed of several types of gases, such as nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and carbon dioxide. When gas condenses it becomes liquid, which is represented by water. Other examples of liquids include bodily fluids, juice, alcohol and oil. When a liquid solidifies, it becomes a solid, represented by the firm ground beneath our feet, earth. Other examples of solids include bones, trees, rocks, pots, and books. Each state of matter is simply a categorisation of how much the physical particles move around. The more freely the particles move around, the higher up the scale they are. Further down the scale, the particles are packed in together and less able to move around. The thing which generates movement in the particles is energy, often referred to as the fifth element, or quintessence.

Each element is a phase through which matter passes. A solid can melt and become liquid. A liquid can evaporate and become gas. A gas can be ionised and become plasma. This process is a case of heating up and cooling down. As the particles heat up, they move around more freely, and as they cool down they huddle together. For this reason, earth and water are considered cold elements, whereas air and fire are thought of as hot elements. Hot and cold can also be ways of describing our mood or temperament. When a person is hot-headed they are overly agressive, but when someone is cool-headed they are very calm. So, the elements can be symbols for psychological states as well as states of matter.

Fire is "burning with desire", passionate, extraverted, willful, impulsive, restless, excitable, and forthright. Too much fire may indicate someone who speaks before they think, is impatient, confrontational and easily agitated. Getting fired-up means getting excited about something. Fire is highly motivated and driven to achieve. If fire is not channeled into productive activity, it may rage wildly out of control, dangerous and unpredictable, but a fire that has been well-utilised acts as a guiding light, leading others fearlessly into action. Fire's affection can be felt as a warm glow that lights up the face. Fire personalities can be radiantly charismatic, they enjoy the lime-light and aren't afraid to shine like the star they are!

Air is dreamer, someone creative and imaginative. The right amount of air elevates the mind and lifts the mood. Air tends to be warm-hearted and friendly, breezing through life. Too much air makes someone difficult to grasp, non-commital, and easily distracted. An "air-head" has thoughts which are easily scattered and ideas which are impractical. With too many thoughts rushing through their mind, air becomes anxious and may over-think things. Air may huff and puff when agitated. When upset, air becomes a raging storm of emotion. However, air is more likely to resolve conflicts by talking things out, and tries to "clear the air" between friends. Air can sweep you off your feet with their kind gestures, and will put the wind in your sails by motivating you to aim high in life. Air has the power to blow you away with their creative ideas, as they think outside the box.

Water personalities tend to have a graceful ease about them, remaining calm and eloquent when others get flustered. Water prefers to go with the flow rather than rock the boat. Water has a calming influence on those around them, dowsing the flames and washing away their anxieties. Water can also "dampen the mood" when they become too serious. Water's mind flows easily, following deep currents of thought. They take the time to think things through before voicing their opinions. Sometimes water feels all at sea, unable to put their ideas into action. They may drift away from social interactions, and feel overwhelmed and washed out by the hustle and bustle of city life. Water personalities will cry behind closed doors rather than seek confrontation. When angered, the full force of water can come crashing down like a tidal wave, as they need to open the flood gates now and then.

Earth is very practical and reliable, as they take comfort in structure and like to be organised, but can get stuck in their routines and find it difficult to change. Earth tends to be deeply introspective, protected by a fortress of solitude, they may come across as shy and introverted. Earth personalities value their privacy, and tend to work quietly behind the scenes. They are firm in their decisions, sensible and down-to-earth. Sometimes their flat, analytical nature can seem cold-hearted. Earth is very insightful and has a wealth of wisdom, as they dig deep to get to the heart of the matter. Earth tends to be stubborn and not easily swayed by passing fads. They don't let the little things get to them, but may be deeply moved by serious issues. When roused to take a stand, you will feel the earth tremble, because they have a way of ploughing right through anyone who stands in their way.