The Element of Water - The Elements - The White Goddess

The Element of Water

Water

Water, is a great necessity, without it nothing can live. Only earth and water can bring forth a living soul. Such is the greatness of water that spiritual regeneration cannot be done without it.

Thales of Miletus concluded that water was the beginning of all things and the first of all elements and most potent because of its mastery over the rest. Pliny said "Water swallow up the earth, extinguishes the flame, ascends on high, and by stretching forth as clouds challenges the heavens for their own, and the same falling down, becomes the cause of all things that grow in the earth.

Water is a cleansing, healing, psychic, and loving element. It is the feeling of friendship and love that pours over us when we are with our family, friends and loved ones. When we swim it is water that supports us, when we are thirsty, it is water the quenches our thirst, another manifestation of this element is the rainstorms that drench us, or the dew formed on plants after the sun has set.

The power of the energy of Water, can be felt by tasting pure spring water, moving you hand through a stream, lake, pool, or bowl full of water. You can feel its cool liquidity; it's soft and loving touch, this motion and fluidity is the quality of Air within Water. This Water energy is also contained within ourselves, our bodies being mostly composed of Water.

As well as being vital for life, within the energy of this element is contained the essence of love. Love is the underlying reason for all magic. Water is love.

Water is a feminine element, it also the element of emotion and subconscious, of purification, intuition, mysteries of the self, compassion and family. It is psychic ability; water can be used as a means of scrying or as an object for meditation. Water is important in spells and rituals of friendship, marriage, happiness, fertility, healing, pleasure, psychic abilities and spells involving mirrors.

The Element Water and its Natural Qualities

The Element of Water is a heavy, passive element and is contrary to Fire. It is associated with the qualities of darkness, thickness and motion.

Correspondences

DIRECTION: West - the place of the setting sun.
TYPE OF ENERGY: Receptive.
BASIC NATURE: Flowing, purifying, healing, soothing, loving.
COLOUR: Blue - from the hue of deep water
PLACES: Lakes, springs, streams, rivers, beaches, oceans, wells, swimming pools, bathtubs, showers, bedrooms (for sleep), health spas, steam rooms, fountains.
RITUALS: Purification, love, psychic awareness, dreams, sleep, peace, marriage, friendships.
RITUAL FORMS: Dilution, placing into water, washing away, bathing.
HERBS: Aquatic, such as water lilies and seaweed; fleshy, as in succulents and lettuce; loving, as in rose and gardenia; generally flowers.
STONES: Transparent or translucent, as in amethyst and aquamarine; blue, as in blue tourmaline.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT: Cymbal, bell, all resonant metals.
CREATURES: Cat, frog, turtle, dolphin, whale, otter, seal, dugong; most fish and shellfish.
SEASON: Autumn - the time of harvest.
TIME: Dusk.
MAGICKAL TOOL: Cup, the cauldron.
SENSE: Taste.
NATURAL SYMBOLS: Shells, a cup of water.
TYPES OF MAGICK RULES: Sea, ice, snow, fog, mirror, magnet.
GODDESSES: Aphrodite, Isis, Mariamne, Mari, Tiamat, Yemaya.
GODS: Dylan, Ea, Manannan, Osiris, Neptune, Poseidon.