Lesson 1
The Element Earth
Earth is one of the four cardinal elements, together with air, fire and water. The four elements can be incorporated to magical practice and ritual. Depending on one’s needs and intent, one may be drawn to one of these elements more so than others.
The element earth was connected to the north direction and is considered the most feminine element. It is fertile like our planet earth that is full of life. We witness the cycle of events in this planet - birth, life, death and rebirth, in every aspects of life. The earth is also nurturing and stable, solid and firm, full of endurance and strength. It presents qualities of a fertile mother full of life and the firm, solid strength echoing from its living youth. In color representations, green and brown fit the element perfectly for obvious reasons.
Earth Spirits
Earth spirits are beings that are tied to the land and plant kingdom. They differ in many cultures as we will find out below. These beings are associated with another realm, the forces of nature that inhabit a particular physical space, and landmarks such as rocks and trees.
In Celtic mythology, the realm of the Fae is known to exist in parallel space with the land of man. They live underground. It’s important to be careful because they are known for their ability to trick mortals to join them.
Gnomes are prevalent in European legend and lore. They are long associated with their ability to move underground. There are also the elves that often appear in stories about the land, especially in old English and Norse legends.
Magic of the Land
It is believed that some land holds more magic than the others. Ley lines were suggested by an archaeologist named Alfred Watkins in the early 1920s. Ley lines are believed to be magical, mystical alignments in the earth. Some believe that these lines carry positive or negative energy such that when you have two or more lines converging, you have a place of great power and energy. It is believed that many well-known sacred sites such as Stonehenge, Glastonbury Tor, Sedona and Machu Picchu sit at the convergence of several ley lines. In some countries, spirits associated with these kinds of landmarks are made minor, localized gods.
Earth Deities
Here is a list of deities associated with Earth:
Earth is one of the four cardinal elements, together with air, fire and water. The four elements can be incorporated to magical practice and ritual. Depending on one’s needs and intent, one may be drawn to one of these elements more so than others.
The element earth was connected to the north direction and is considered the most feminine element. It is fertile like our planet earth that is full of life. We witness the cycle of events in this planet - birth, life, death and rebirth, in every aspects of life. The earth is also nurturing and stable, solid and firm, full of endurance and strength. It presents qualities of a fertile mother full of life and the firm, solid strength echoing from its living youth. In color representations, green and brown fit the element perfectly for obvious reasons.
Earth Spirits
Earth spirits are beings that are tied to the land and plant kingdom. They differ in many cultures as we will find out below. These beings are associated with another realm, the forces of nature that inhabit a particular physical space, and landmarks such as rocks and trees.
In Celtic mythology, the realm of the Fae is known to exist in parallel space with the land of man. They live underground. It’s important to be careful because they are known for their ability to trick mortals to join them.
Gnomes are prevalent in European legend and lore. They are long associated with their ability to move underground. There are also the elves that often appear in stories about the land, especially in old English and Norse legends.
Magic of the Land
It is believed that some land holds more magic than the others. Ley lines were suggested by an archaeologist named Alfred Watkins in the early 1920s. Ley lines are believed to be magical, mystical alignments in the earth. Some believe that these lines carry positive or negative energy such that when you have two or more lines converging, you have a place of great power and energy. It is believed that many well-known sacred sites such as Stonehenge, Glastonbury Tor, Sedona and Machu Picchu sit at the convergence of several ley lines. In some countries, spirits associated with these kinds of landmarks are made minor, localized gods.
Earth Deities
Here is a list of deities associated with Earth:
- Brighid (Celtic)
- Cernunnos (Celtic)
- Cybele (Roman)
- Dionysus (Greek)
- Gaia (Greek)
- Geb (Egyptian)
- Pele (Hawaiian)
- http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/bookofshadows/a/Earth-Folklore-And-Legends.htm
- http://swordrune10.net/images/earth_element.jpg