Invoking Elements and Elementals

There are several different ways of invoking the elements from the four cardinal points. This is a very simple, basic one that I use.

Hail to the East, the Sylphs, the Air
Positive forces I call you in
Hail to the South, the Salamanders, the Fire
Positive forces I call you in
Hail to the West, the Undines, the Water
Positive forces I call you in
Hail to the North, the Gnomes, the Earth
Positive forces I call you in

ReleaseTo the North, the Gnomes, the Earth
Fare thee well, I send you home
To the West, the Undines, the Water
Fare thee well, I send you home
To the South, the Salamanders, the Fire
Fare thee well, I send you home
To the East, the Sylphs, the Air
Fare thee well, I send you home

In Prefect Love and Perfect Trust
Hail and Farewell

Helpful Tips for Invoking the Elements (and doing other Magickal Work)

• Say the quarter call, invocation, or circle casting slowly
• When working with quarters, remember you are dealing with a portal or passageway to other worlds of some kind.
• Visualize what is to be coming through or guarding any quarter while casting your circle, invoking deity, or aspecting deity.
• Feel, with your sixth sense (or other senses), what is happening around you
• If you are participating in a group and you have been given the job of a quarter, you are responsible for that quarter from the time you open it to the time you close it.
• If you are working alone, you’ve got your hands full.
• All energies/quarters must be closed/dismissed precisely in the manner they were called:
  • Summoned: dismissed and thank
  • Stirred: farewell in peace and safety and thank
  • Called: hail and farewell and thank
• All workings with both Divine energies and those of other planes should be done in perfect love and perfect trust.
• All workings should have a goal.
• Our purest intentions are those in which we succeed the best,
• A working Witch does not mind summoning, stirring, or calling power, but is not driven by the guest of power for itself.
• A working Witch carries no delusions, either of self, intentions, or others.
• A working Witch does not seek to control unlimited minions, either human or astral.

Elementals

Elementals are nature spirits that are called upon to aid in magick.

Gnomes - Earth, North. Givers of material gain and stability. The rulers of the forest. Seen as "little people", like brownies or pygmies, or green light. Protectors of outdoor circles and groves.

Sylphs - Air, East. Givers of wishes, knowledge, and dreams. The rulers of weather. Envisioned as "faeries" or angels, or white light. Protectors of magickal applications. Delicate beings with beautiful wings.

Salamanders - Fire, South. Givers of passion and creativity. The rulers of fields and fire or blue flame. Envisioned as dragons or lizards or red-orange lights. Protectors of hearth, home, and business.

Undines - Water, West. Givers of love and friendship. Envisioned as mer-people, sirens, or pink or pale blue lights. Rulers of all water. Protectors of the gates of death and karma.

When using elementals, the pentacle employs control over them. The pentagram (usually with one point up) is an interlocking five pointed star. Each point of the pentagram stands for an element. Earth is located at the lower left hand corner; Fire is the lower right hand corner, Water, the upper right hand corner, and Air on the Upper left hand corner, with the uppermost point representing the Divine. The circle signifies the melding of all the elements through the work of humankind and indicates the universal mystery of oneness.

An upside-down pentacle represents chaos and is rarely used.

Elements

An important factor when working your desires is the use of the four major elements. These are the basic components that make up life itself. Each one has their own individual energies, vibrations, and direction.

Magick is in the mind and these elements are used to make the will, the desire, and a concrete manifestation in the world. When properly understood and aligned with all the other tools, they will aid in providing a tremendous force to your desires.

Fire: represents passion, enthusiasm, desire and courage, force, lust, fertility and virility, initiative and rejuvenation. It represents both light and heat. The light of intelligence and the fire of courage to follow it. A low fire person is usually cold, slow to act, without enthusiasm for life or themselves. A high fire person is bold, dramatic and passionate in all areas in their self; however, this person must be careful as fire can destroy everything in its path. Fire magick can bring on the new, courage and passion, and destroy the old.

Feeling: dry heat

Season: Summer

Direction: South / Energy

Symbol: athame/sword, candle and burner

Colors: reds, oranges, golds

Moon phase: 2nd quarter

Time of day: High noon

A type of fire magick is Bonfire Magick, which usually involves burning something such as an herb or flower, or a piece of paper of petition of which you have written your desire. It is used for banishing, ridding, or destroying negative influences in your life.

Another is Candle Magick, a simple, easy, and useful method in bringing about your desires. A color for the candle is chosen and can also include the correct scent in relation to your desire and lit sometimes for up to seven days. This form of fire magick is usually for any type of desire.

Another is Sun Magick. Using the sun in our wishes is a beautiful way in which to enhance new beginnings in love, health, work and home, awaken subtle powers and aid in attraction desires. It is also a good way to attune to the God.

Air: represents mental activity, thoughts, reason and intellect, memory, knowledge, persuasion, birth and friendship, freedom, clarification and expression. A low air person seems without any direction and unable to define nor visualize any future and cannot reason out the alternatives and objectives. A high air person is at ease in complex situations and can sit and think things through, and can carry through with decisions.

Feeling: moist heat

Season: Spring

Direction: East / Mental

Symbol: wand or the smoke of incense

Colors: white, light blues and yellows

Moon phase: 1st quarter

Time of day: dawn

Different types of air magick include visualizations. An important tool in any magick work, it makes the events happen. For this type, it is important that all the other factors such as color, time, moon phase, et cetera, are all in balance, and to have all the other tools working, such as incense and candle burning, or even the right tea or wine to drink in the background. This is because you need to "fix" or ground" the images or ideas you are using in your visualizations.

As our thoughts are extremely powerful, as are our words. Words can put together in such a way as to form spells, or used in channeling your power. Words give rise to our desires and released upon the winds for attainment. Created and repeated with intensity and concentration is a powerful magick in itself. You do not have to be an accomplished linguist to accomplish this; just a simple sentence will do. It creates an atmosphere of concentrated awareness and strength. It can be used in moments of stress or fear, and will create the magick itself. It does not have to be said aloud; say them to yourself if need or want be.

Another air magick is mirror magick. It can help in overcoming inner problems and also help with difficult personal decisions. It uses both the word and visualization forms in its use and can also aid in being able to visualize a future event. This is sometimes used as a scrying tool in which you are able to "see" possible future events and outcomes.

Water: the symbol of emotions. Water imbibes all life forms and in us we flow with the tide of our feelings. It involves intuition, insight, conception and pregnancy, fertility, the womb, health, beauty, and divination. A low water person outwardly would appear as a cold and calculating individual, one who is indifferent and unresponsive. On the other hand, a high water person may seem as though at the slightest touch the well is opened and can be over-emotional and over-dramatic in all areas of life. A good balance of water here is needed to keep the flow running smoothly.

Feeling: moist cold

Season: Autumn

Direction: West / Emotion

Symbol: cup/chalice, broom, or cauldron

Colors: blue, light grays, sea greens, and white

Moon phase: Full

Time of day: dusk

Some water magick can involve the beach and its sand, shells, animals, and seawater. This is especially good for love spells and also when you need to "get a grip" or clarify your own emotions. The use of shells in the practice is widely used. These can hold appropriate herbs or be used as a symbol of water magick.

One old tradition is using that of well water. A lot of gems and stones are exposed to this for a period of time and used at night during a full moon or waxing phase for water magick. Be careful, though, to know your stones as some do not react well in water for long periods of time. This type of water magick can give you insights to how others think of you, what others are doing and how well they are, and to find the truth within yourself.

Water spells can involve the use of scrying bowls. This is a bowl of clear or colored water in which you are able to "see" the future and future events or outcomes or get a clear direction on decisions. This is widely used in certain meditations and visualizations.

Earth: Finally we come to the element of Earth, the source and provider of all needs. It represents sensations, decay, patience, balance, stability, strength, health, warmth and comfort, animals and animal instincts, farming and physical labor.

Feeling: Dry cold

Season: Winter

Direction: North / Balance

Symbol: pentacle, grains, or a stone

Colors: browns, black, purples, and dark greens

Moon phase: 4th quarter

Time of day: Midnight

A high earth person seems a practical sort and quiet "down to earth; a hard worker, stable and good provider. However, they can be a little too stubborn sometimes. A low earth person can seem confused, insecure and alone, unable to feel wanted and their work may be affected.

Earth magick can involve the use of herbs and plants. Using the correct herb to help attain your desire along with the other tools can be very effective. Burying things and making some offerings to the earth such as planting trees is also a form of earth magick. Using your gems or crystals and burying them in the earth under the appropriate tree while making your wish is also effective.

Another type which is considered earth magick is any type of routine. Anything you do on a regular basis can be used as a magickal vehicle. While performing something you do at the same time everyday (like brush your teeth or shower), prepare yourself and use this period for clarity on a subject, figure the best course of action in a situation, or to find just where you are in the course of your life.