Re: fun knowlege test By: Brysing Moderator / Adept
Post # 11 Mar 27, 2011
The five elements are needed, essential, for life; flora and fauna.
The fifth, spirit, may be whatever you believe. I was trained in natural witchcraft in that the spirit is the "life force". How powerful is this life force can be seen all around. Clear a piece of land of all traces of plant life. Leave it for three weeks; it will be covered in plants! The ancients knew this. Especially in very forested regions, jungles, etc. They would clear an area for planting crops (usually by fire) then, when the soil became "tired", they would leave it and clear another area. The land they leave will, in a very short space of time, go back to jungle again. That is how powerful the life force is. The most powerful instinct in all animals (humans included) is self-preservation; and the next most powerful is sex (the preservation of the species). Everything that grows needs the elements:- air (atmosphere);earth (food); water; and fire (the Sun); together with the life force spirit, this is all the magic! Blessed Be.
The fifth element according to the western system of magic is Akasha also known as Aether or simply spirit. Each of the elements has certain tools that represent it. In the golden dawn tradition, the initiate is expected to create a set of "elemental weapons" as he progresses. These are the fire wand, the air dagger, the water cup, and the earth pentacle. Each of these is painted with the corresponding color with the sigils and names of ascociated entities written with the secondary or "flashing" color. The exception is the earth pentacle which is painted with the colors of the sephira Malkuth on the Kabbalistic tree of life. Modern wiccal has the dagger as the symbol of fire and the wand as the symbol of air. Other symbols include incense, a fan, feathers, smudge stcks, and a staff for air. Candles, firebowls, and a sword for fire. Discs, coins, the altar, stones, salt, and a shield for earth. And scrying bowls, cauldrons, and silver spoons for water. Spirit can be represented by a crystal ball, the circle, and a lamen.
