The element of WATER

The four basic elements are Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. They are the energetic building blocks of everything in nature, including humans. Before going into details about Water, I highly recommend that you first read about The Elements in general so that you get a better idea about different correspondences and learn about elemental hierarchies.

The energy of Water

Water is the element of emotions, self-healing, and dreams. It is a feminine element that represents absorption, unconscious mind, purification, fertility, love, friendship, healing, and psychic abilities. Its symbols include rivers, oceans, lakes, rain, springs, snow, fog, and mirrors.  When used for cleansing, it often goes in combination with Earth, the other female element. Together they are represented in cleansing with the mix of salt and water. Work associated with Water includes lucid dreaming, cleansing, mirror work, and ritual bathing. Resonant instruments, especially hang drum and cymbal, are those connected with this element. 

Water is a receptive element that wants to feel. It flows and brings life wherever it goes. Your emotions should flow too and bring joy to you and others.

Ever since the womb, we were all connected with and surrounded by Water. When we were born, our world of physical water was changed with water of feelings that like tides rise and fall inside us. Every day we more or less successfully swim in that water of emotions and try not to drown in them. Our tears, whether they come from sadness or laughter, are the materialization of our emotions. The best way to honor the Water element is to be true to who you are and recognize that your every feeling is valid and has its purpose and meaning.

How to work with Water?

The Water element is great for any kind of cleansing and cleaning. You can use it to clean yourself (physically and spiritually) or your various tools. On the other side, any kind of emotional work is also connected to Water. Combining those two aspects in a ritual bath or a shower can be wonderful. Let the physical water clean the outside, while the element of Water will clean the inside. If you are interested in some soul gazing, find a friend, sit comfortably, and stare into each other’s eyes with meditative music playing softly in the background. You can also use mirror work to do the same with yourself.

If you want to plan your ritual or magical work according to Water, work in the evenings, during the full moon, in the autumn, on Lammas and Mabon, and in the west corner of the room.

Use seashells and mirrors when working with this element and the actual water. Moving the water in a container, mixing it around gently, can be a great meditative experience and a way to raise your consciousness to high vibrations and a trance state. Focus on the waves and let them move you. A similar experience can be achieved when observing a wavy sea or a river and an even better one when you are actually sitting in the shallow waters and letting the waves wash over you as they come and go.

Water correspondences

There are things associated with Water in everything you can imagine. Below is a detailed table of correspondences that you can use when planning your ritual or magic work. You will see lists of herbs, crystals, deities, colors, and much more.

Cardinal direction	West
Energy	Feminine, receptive
Properties and basic nature	Purifying, healing, flowing, loving, motion, dreams, marriage, friendships, psychic awareness, subconscious.
Colors	Blue, green
Time of day	Evening
Time of year	Autumn
Sabbats	Lammas and Mabon
Moon phase	Full moon
Qualities	Cold, moist
Elementals	Undines
Astrological signs	Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
Planets	Moon, Venus, Neptune
Place on pentagram	Upper right
Symbol	Triangle pointing down
Altar symbols and tools	Chalice, water, mirror
Chakras	Hearth
Human body	Blood, tears, emotions, sense of taste, kidneys, sweat, urine
Instruments	Hang drum, cymbal, harp, lyre, resonant instruments
Animals	Fish, frog, crab, shellfish, seal, dolphin, whale
Plants	Apple, magnolia, willow, water lilies, violet, cucumber
Crystals	Aquamarine, blue tourmaline, silver, blue topaz, blue lace agate, tanzanite, sodalite, lapis lazuli
Tarot	Cups
Gods	Poseidon, Osiris, Neptune, Njord, Lir
Goddesses	Aphrodite, Persephone, Inanna, Mokosh, Danu, Ran
Places	Beaches, oceans, rivers, lakes, springs, fountains, swimming pools, bathtubs, steam rooms

“They both listened silently to the water, which to them was not just water, but the voice of life, the voice of Being, the voice of perpetual Becoming.”
― Hermann Hesse

Characteristics of Water in humans

Your goal should always be to equally cherish and take care of the energies of all elements in your body, mind, and soul. However, it is not rare that some people exhibit more from one element than another. Those who are particularly skillful with Water and who carry its energy are those who are very good when it comes to dealing with their emotions. That means they are forgiving and compassionate. They understand everyone has emotions that drive them, so they are not easily offended. Of course, people not skilled in this element are overly emotional or completely cold and distant. Poets, caregivers, volunteers, doulas, and nurses carry the energy of this element especially well.

Water is soft, and yet it can wear away any stone if it drops on it persistently. It will always find its way and continue flowing no matter what is on the path. Be like Water and flow through life either going over or around obstacles.

---

Merry meet, and merry part, and merry meet again my dear pagan soul. Rejoice in life, and life will rejoice in you. May God and Goddess bless you in everything you do and spirit guides follow you wherever you go.

In love and light,
Towint

Advertisement