Elementally Speaking – Spirit

Spirit exists within each of the other four elements.

It is immaterial, yet present in all things. It represents the Divine and the divinity inside each of us. All things. Spirit is the bridge that connects the physical realm to the spiritual. It is the essential connection and balance within the other four elements.

We are aware of Spirit, and when we have clear and focused intentions, we can utilize this core fundamental energy to manifest desired change through magical workings.

Our Western concept of the Elements comes from ancient Greece. Through their studies, it became obvious to Aristotle and his fellow philosophers that something was missing from the classical set of elements – Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. The Greeks recognized the divine and worshipped many individual deities, therefor they knew that there was more to the universe than what can be experienced with just five senses. The word “Aether” is what the Greek philosophers used to refer to what they saw as the “upper air”. They used this to indicate the air the gods breathed in their celestial sphere. Initially, they considered it part of the Element of Air. It later became clear that this energy was its own distinct Element.

Many Wiccan traditions still used the word Aether as the name of this fifth element of Spirit. Some refer to it as Akasha, a Sanskrit word that roughly translates to “space” or “atmosphere;” meaning an absence of physical form. It is an energy that is present in all things but is not physical itself.

In Eastern philosophy, Akasha is seen as the “original” Element. All of creation comes from it. This Eastern concept is not identical to the Western concept of Spirit, there are enough similarities for later traditions to adopt Akasha into their use.

No matter which term you decide to refer to the Fifth Element – Spirit, the concept can seem elusive, even though it is within each of us and around us in all things. Keeping our awareness and focus quiet enough to experience it can be difficult in this loud bustling world we live in. This is why we emphasize the practice of meditation, prayer, and ritual; they help us, in their stillness, to come back in touch with this all-encompassing Element.

Spirit can be represented on your altar as a statue of Deity or a white candle. But most often it is just the divinity that resides within us all.

Here are a few ways you can connect with Spirit:

• Invoke Divinity: This can be done by calling on “The All” of Divinity, or particular gods or goddesses you feel an affinity with. If you are calling on a specific deity do some research. What correspondences do they have? Is there a specific incense they prefer? What are the best offerings to leave? You can take time to meditate on this deity, inviting any messages that they might have for you to come through.

• Practice Divination: This is a great way to connect with the spirit realm. It helps us to bypass our conscious mind and connect with the subconscious mind. Our conscious mind can often block us from receiving messages from our subconscious. You can use whatever form of divination you feel called to.

• Dream Journal: We often receive messages through our dreams as we sleep. If we do not write them down as soon as we wake, they often slip away from us, especially the details. When we sleep our conscious mind is not activated, which makes it easier for us to receive messages from Spirit. Learning how to interpret symbolism will help you learn to interpret your dreams.

• Draw, Paint, Do Something Creative: You can learn to do these things as a form of meditation. Coloring can even be used for this. Any kind of repetitive art form that can keep your monkey mind (conscious mind) busy so your subconscious mind can bring forward messages from spirit. If you do not think of yourself as creative, doing something mindless like washing dishes or folding laundry can have the same effect if you let it.

Symbols of Spirit

• Colors: White, Violet, black, rainbow

• Directions: Above, below, within

• Crystals: Quartz, Angel Aura, Meteorite, Phantoms, Shiva Lingam Stones, Zebra stone.

• Symbols: Circles, spirals, the top point of a Pentagram

• Number: 1

• Body part: Will, consciousness, soul

• Animals: Spider (weaver of fate), Chameleon (a changer)

• Plants: Trees tied to creation myths – such as Apple in Celtic Mythology.

• Deities: Ahura Mazda, Allah, Amaterasu, Anat, Apollo, Baal, Brahma, Ceridwen, Dagon, Diana, Ea, Fortuna, Freyr, Gaia, Hathor, Hestia, Inanna, Isis, Luh, Maia, Nanna, Njord, Nut, Odin, Rama, Shiva, Sol, Timat, Tyr, Vesta, Vishnu, and Yhwh

The element of Spirit acts as a bridge between Earth and Heaven/Afterlife or our Body and our Soul. In our own bodies, it is the conduit between the soul and our physical body. Some believe that Spirit is the essence that Divinity used to create everything on all the Planes of existence.

Depending on your belief system, all things have Spirit within them to some degree.

Divination and the Element of Spirit

When practicing any form of divination “Spirit” is the element you are tapping into.

No matter how hard you have studied the symbology of your chosen form of divination, in the end, the messages you receive come from Spirit.

In Tarot the Element of Spirit can be linked with the Major Arcana. Each card in the Fool's Journey through the Major Arcana represents an esoteric lesson we must learn on our path to self-awareness and enlightenment.

Numerology and Spirit

The element of Spirit is in alignment with the divine number 1. As the inception point of creation and the “I am” of the universe, Spirit is the primal force that is the mover and shaker of the universe.

Number 1’s energetic vibration has purpose and strength. It guides and directs, sure and steady in its path. It builds the cornerstones for all Beings and civilizations in turn. It has no time for anyone or anything that is not true and real.