Elementals

Modern science recognizes 92 naturally occurring elements.  The ancients recognized five, although only four were openly acknowledged.  These were; Earth, Water, Air and Fire, with Spirit often remaining secret.

The elements of physics are physical elements.  The elements of magick are physical - and subtle.    Most of us today understand the difference between copper and oxygen, or between iron and hydrogen.  The difference between Earth, Water, Fire, and Air, however, are little understood.  The ancients did not mean the earth we stand on, the water we drink, the air we breathe, nor the fire that cooks our food.  These are the physical expressions of the four cosmic elements, but not the elements themselves. 

The idea of four cosmic elements is credited to the Greek philosopher Empdeocles, who lived in Sicily in the 5th century B.C. Plato adopted the idea as did many other philosophers.  According to magick, however, this  idea called the cosmic element theory, is much older - with an origin lost in time. 

One of the leaders of cosmic element theory was Aristotle.  He taught that there were four presiding elements which had four primary characteristics, or qualities.  He held that  fire is hot and dry, air is hot and wet, water is wet and cold and earth is cold and dry.  His most important point  was that the cosmic elements are interchangeable. Fire can become air, Air can become water, water can become earth and earth can become fire.  An element can be made to go all the way through the cycle  of fire-air-water-earth and then back to fire again.  Aristotle believed that all matter can be reduced to a parent form, which he called prime matter.  In fact, he saw all manifestations as the combination of the four cosmic elements.  In his Theory of Alchemy he stated that all things are derived from one indivisible nature, which is separated into four primary regions; the dry, the moist, the warm, and the cold.  He called these regions the four elementary qualities from which all things originate.  Many branches of magick, including enochian magick, have adopted this cosmic element theory. 

Along with the four cosmic elements, it was also taught that all four elements contained living beings, or residents, especially designed to flourish in such as environment.  Earth contained gnomes, water undines, air sylphs, fire contained salamanders.  These were later called elementals because they lived in the elements.  Although they were said to be invisible, they were neverless substantial, and could be controlled briefly by a properly trained magician.            - from Enochian Physics The Structure of the Magical Universe.

Each element is governed by an arch angel.  Beneath them is a lord of the element that rules over the creatures that dwell in the element.  The elementals can be seen by those open to seeing them, they can be helpful or mischievous.  So you are reminded to take care, respect and honour the elemental kingdoms.    

Elements:
	Air	Fire	Water	Earth
Arch Angel	Raphael	Michael	Gabriel	Auriel
Lord	Paralda	Seraph	Nixsa	Ghobe
Elemental	Sylphs  (fairy like creatures)	Salamanders  (lizards that like to frolic in the flames) Fire salamanders like to hibernate in the wood pile, so when people went to put a log on the fire they would see a salamander in the flames scurrying to get out.  Hence the name fire salamanders.	Undines (like mermaids and nymphs)	Gnomes

The Elementals

Sylphs  (fairy like creatures)	Salamanders  (lizards that like to frolic in the flames)	Undines (like mermaids and nymphs)	Gnomes
Sylphs: They are almost unseen, as they are like a breath, the wind itself.  Like fairies they have wings.  They are the moving wind, that tickles your cheeks and blow your hair wild.	Salamanders: Here we have a fire creature that frolics in the flames.  They warm our souls and some are seen as sparks flying through the dark.	Undines: Are the water, they easily change form, from fluid, to gas, to ice.  Undines are the motion of the ocean.  Seen as a wave that lap at me.	Gnomes are little creatures, they live in the caves and underground.  They know where all the treasures are.  If you are lucky to meet one be polite for they are friendly earth creatures that can teach us much about the trees.

Sites I learned about the elementals from:

• Nature Spirits ~ Devas ~ Elementals ~ Trees Lots of information

• The elementals

• www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/7841/elementals.html

• Elements and elementals

• Elemental section

• Elementals

• Elementals We are not talking about chemicals here, but abstracts, the condition of things or ideas.

• A second article on elementals essential to understanding the relationship of man to the world

• Another article on elementals

• The Relationships Between Angels, Elementals, and Humankind

• Elementals Article by H. P. Blavatsky