Rose Ariadne's Chitchcraft Blog

Dear friends,

You may have heard someone claim that their “element” is fire or that theirs is water. Do we all have elements, are they unchanging, and what does it mean if we don’t identify with one particular element?

There are, of course, four elements: earth, wind, fire, and water. Knowing which element you associate with can help you harness in your own unique energy and draw energy from other sources. However, knowing your element can be trickier than it sounds.

Some people go strictly by their astrological signs. If they are a Pisces, then their element is water. While this isn’t a foolproof way of determining your element, it does have its advantages in that it takes out some of the guesswork.

Still, not everyone identifies with their astrological sign. I know some Pisces, for example, who are afraid of water and don’t derive any type of energy from being around it-not positive energy anyway. I also know some fire signs who are deathly afraid of fire so having fire as their element doesn’t feel right for them.

Of course, you can always find quizzes on the Internet that are more than happy to tell you what your element is and all you have to do is answer a few simple questions! So, do these work? Not usually. For one thing, you have no idea who has made these quizzes out and for another, you usually answer questions like these depending on what your mood is at the time. They’re very situation specific so while the results might be indicative of what you’re feeling then, they are probably not a good indication of what you might feel long-term.

Sometimes, your element may simply call to you. You might be standing by a large body of water and feel an incredible surge of energy and power and just know that water is indeed your element. Or, you might be working in your garden and feel the loose bits of soil between your fingers and have a feeling that your power lies in earth. Being near your element could make you feel peaceful, powerful, and in charge.

On the other hand, you could possibly feel these things around multiple elements. I know that at times I feel very charged around air, but I also get the same feeling around water.

There are certain “personality types” that tend to correspond with the elements so if you fit one of these, then it could help you determine your element.

Those who have fire as their element are typically associated with enthusiastic and spontaneous personalities. As the name implies, they can be considered “fiery” and are usually pretty self-sufficient. They can also be forceful and sometimes a little overbearing, but they almost always get things done.

Earth signs, though, can also be very dependable and “earthy” for lack of a better word. Like the word would suggest, earth elements are solid, practical, and even sensual. They are healing and nurturing and comforting.

Some people think that those with air as their element can be flighty, but more often than not they are actually very intelligent and articulate. They often like to get into philosophical debates because they enjoy abstract reasoning. The “flightiness” might come into play with the fact that they can at times be impractical, but mostly they are simply idealistic.

Water is one of the easiest elements to tell. Water people are almost always emotional, receptive, sensitive, and very feeling. They are sympathetic to others and sometimes get accused of wearing their hearts on their sleeves. They are romantics and tend to fall in love easily, but they can also just as easily turn that love into something else.

I’m not entirely sure that your element has to be one specific thing or that it can’t change over the years. If you can change from the maiden to the crone, then I think it’s also possible that your element can change from water to fire. Are they both not opposites of each other?

Perhaps you don’t identify with one particular element at all, but find something that calls to you in all of them. There is nothing that says that you must have one specific element that is associated with you. Although in the movie “The Craft” the girls want to have 4 people in their coven so that they can call on a higher power, you can create just as much power with one person or even six people. There is no “set” number to practice witchcraft and sometimes, more than one person within your coven will share the same element. (Unless, of course, the coven wants each member to possess a different element, but that would be specific to that coven.)

All in all, this is not something that you should feel stressed about determining. If an element calls to you, then chances are that the element is the one for you. If none of them or all of them call to you, however, then that’s fine as well.

Brightest blessings,