The Elements - The Simply Witchery Podcast Episode 4

Intro

Hello witches, diviners and cosmic beings. I’m your host Laurel and welcome to the Simply Witchery Podcast. Where we discuss witchery ritual the divine and magic of all sorts.

This week I’m discussing the elements and how they can be used in magic, meditation, and daily life. In this week’s magic and me I talk salt and how to use it in ritual and spell work. Finally in tarot time I do a reading for the collective and answer a listener question. Enjoy the episode!

The Elements in Magic and In Life

Hello everyone! As I’ve said a few times on the podcast, the elements are a central part of my magical practice. I use them in just about every spell and ritual that I preform as power sources and grounding points. They are the main source of power outside myself that I turn to when I need strength. I reach out to the elements during tarot readings to help me find the meanings of the minor arcana and to help me understand the general energy and mood of the reading that the client is being given. The elements are constantly around me because I have pulled them close to me and its one of the things that makes me feel powerful and gives me the ability to do magic at a moments notice when its needed and I don’t have any of my tools or if I don’t have a whole lot of energy to spare.

So let’s talk about each of the elements!

I’ll start with fire because as an Aries Sun and a generally passionate person I identify with fire the most. In the balancing act of fire we strive to keep control so that that energy becomes the flame in the hearth of our home shining light and warmth into our lives. When fire’s energy is let loose it becomes like a wild forest fire eating away at the landscape that is our lives. Fire is all about power, action, and desire. It will leap into action and to the defence of the witch who wields it. It is warmth and safety and strength and power and destruction. An over abundance of fire energy makes a person rash, irresponsible and quick tempered. Too much fire burns bright but burns out very quickly. A great thing to do to connect to fires energy is to have a bonfire or to  watch a candle burn. Spend some time thinking about its qualities recognize that it gives life and also has the power to take it away.

Next up it water. Water is healing and cleansing. It touches our emotions and brings serenity in chaotic moments. When water overwhelms us we loose control of our feelings and become scattered and our footing becomes unstable. To balance water we must be able to feel our feelings without letting them control us. We must be able to see through and past our ego in order to reach out to and connect with others. Fluidity and adaptability is key with water.  A great way to connect with water energy is through bath magic, getting close to a body of water, or getting in touch with your feelings.  

Air rules the mind and intellect. It brings knowledge to us on swift winds and grounds us in logic. It gives the witch who wields it an understanding beyond that which they should have and gives them glimpses of the unknowable universe. A person who is overwhelmed by air energy is flighty and hyper focused on something that will not sustain them long term. The balance that we try to achieve with air is to be involved with the higher intellect and mysteries without forgetting to participate in mundane life as well. To experience air energy stand outside on a windy day, make decisions based in logic, or allow the universe to help you make decisions quickly when needed.

Earth ties us to the physical world and gives us a sense of duty and dedication. It is the feeling of safety and the force that enables us to expedience all things. It is calm and focused in trying times and provides all that we need to sustain ourselves both physically and spirituality. An excess of earth energy makes a person stubborn and unable to connect with the energies of the universe. It cuts us off from anything but the work before us no matter if that work is for our highest good. You can connect with earth energy by burring your toes or fingers in freshly turned dirt, work consistently and diligently on your projects, or do a grounding meditation.

A great way to bring the elements into your magic is by using them as power sources. I do this by invoking them in the beginning of my spell work or rituals. I often use chant in which I greet the elements and praise their qualities to each of their corresponding cardinal directions. I will then visualize a pillar of each element rising up on my altar in that particular direction and then tie them to the spell or ritual in some way.

If I’m enchanting an object I will tie them to the object itself and if I need more general energy in a spell I will just charge the elements to power the spell for as long as is needed until the spell is complete. Its a great way to keep a spell going long term without draining your personal energy reserves. That’s why I use the elements to power my home protection and cleansing rituals. It takes way less maintenance when the energy used in protection is coming from a never ending, ever flowing source.

If you’ve listened to the last episode of the podcast you know that I’ve been working on balancing the elements within myself and its opened up so many doors that I didn’t even know existed. I feel strong and in control in a way I didn’t before and I can’t recommend tying yourself to the elements and balancing them in your spirit enough. At the end of this episode I will share a guided meditation called The Elemental Altar that I wrote in order to share my process of elemental balancing through meditation with you all. But first let’s move on to Magic and Me.

Magic and Me

This week I’ve been all about reconnecting and connecting for the first time with my pantheons. I have been feeling the pull toward the kemetic pantheon for a little while now and I finally had the experience I needed to move forward with Them.

My grandmother passed away a few weeks ago and I went back to California where I’m originally from to attend her funeral. It was difficult but not in the ways that I expected it to be. Grief is a familiar old friend to me these days and I know how to sit with it and process it very well. The unexpected obstacle that I encountered wasn’t the grief but being surrounded by grieving Christians.

I haven’t been to anything resembling a church service since I became a pagan over two years ago and I didn’t realize how hard it would be to listen to people talk about a wonderful god that hasn’t been so wonderful to me. My deities drew very near to me during the service and give me so much love and support that I might not ever be able to put what I felt into words. I also had deities that I’ve never previously worked with draw near as well and show their support.

And one of those deities who came to stand with me was Anubis. He gave me this wonderful sense of calm and peace and once I was home and back at my altar I felt called to introduce myself to Him properly and to offer to Him. He was so wonderful and welcoming and it was an amazing thing to expedience. Especially on the back of a funeral and coming home and being in an airport for six hours and it was amazing. He told me that he wanted peanut butter as an offering the next time we talked and He has such a soft presence to Him. I think I’d say He feels quietly fierce. I think that’s a great way to describe Him.

This time since I wasn’t really prepared for a large feast offering, Anubis asked for an offering of water, mandarin oranges, a candle, and a tarot card. He chose The Guardian from my Wild Wood Tarot Deck to represent Himself.

It was interesting to have an interaction with a deity to which iconography was so important. I haven't experienced that with the Hellenic or Norse pantheons they like iconography just fine but it hasn’t been a necessity in my worship before now. I’m excited to see how things develop with the Kemetic pantheon. If Anubis is any measure of how things will go it’ll to be a wonderful experience.

The next day Frig and Hel tugged at me and I introduced myself to them as well. They each asked for an apple, water, and a candle as their offerings. Its really fascinating to me how some members of the Norse pantheon are so clear and united in their mission and desires for me. Hel and Frig came to me as two sides of the same coin and the embodiment of the cycles of life. It was so comforting and healing to have them remind me that with death always comes new life.

Paganism has brought so much happiness and strength into my life and I will forever be grateful of the deities that surround me. What are you’re experiences with deities of any pantheon? I’d love to hear your stories and maybe share them in a special deity love fest episode in the future. You can send your stories to simplywitchery@gmail.com or to my twitter or instagram.

I also got a question from a listener about salts and how to use them so I figured I do a brief over view in this week’s magic and me section. I use salt in a lot of different ways but mostly for the same reasons. Slat is an excellent way to cleanse things of energy. I say cleanse them of energy because unlike other methods salt extracts all energy from an object not just negative or otherwise undesirable energies. I use salt mostly to remove energy from objects. I just bury the object in a bowl of regular table salt and let it sit for an hour or two at the most. If find that after this process its necessary to replace the energy that’s been extracted from the object with a new intention and so I’ll spend some time meditating with the object and imbuing it with whatever energy I want it to contain.

Epsom salt and pink salt I most often use is bath and glamour magic as they are best used in bath soaks and body scrubs. Table salt also works well in scrubs but I find the extra minerals in the pink salt give my skin an extra mundane and magical boost. Epsom salt is great for balancing and healing bath rituals because of its ability to relax the mind and body.

I also use black salt in my practice. Black salt is a mixture of ash and salt and some times metal shavings is used primarily in protection and banishing rituals. I used it often in the past to protect my sacred spaces when my living situation wasn’t so great. Its a wonderful too to create barriers around things and spaces that you don’t want negative energy or negative people to infect. It can be sprinkled around the perimeter of your home or across window sills and door frames to keep things with the intent to cause you and other inhabitants out. I have also used black salt in curses.

Lastly green salt maybe my favorite kind of salt just because I get to eat it. Green salt is just salt mixed with herbs and spices that can be used when you cook to add a magical boost to your meal. Its most often used to manifest abundance, luck, and prosperity but depending on the herbs you use it and the intent you put behind it, green salt can do just about anything.

I hope this little overview helped you out. Let me know if you have any other questions about magical ingredients or tools of any kind. I’d love to answer more questions like this in future episodes.

Tarot Time

This week during tarot time I’m doing the collective reading first and then answering a listener question as usual.

I felt called to pull three cards for the collective this week from the Linestrider Tarot. Judgment, the Queen of Cups, and the Page of Wands came up for us this week. The Cards each have an individual message today so I’ll describe them and then give their message one at a time.

Judgment depicts an angle with an orange mask covering their face. They wear white robes that change to a bright blue as they fall down their torso. A striped cloak is around their shoulders that is clasped by a round disk with a cross at the neck. They hold lilies in their right hand.

Judgment in this deck has always had a more gentle energy than the Judgment card of other decks. This card advises the collective to heal their pain by releasing the things that are causing the pain in the first place. Its time to balance the scales and place your own comfort in equal priority with the comfort of others. When your comfort conflicts with that of another use your intuition to decide who’s comfort should win out.

The Queen of Cups pictures a young woman wearing a crown of star fish. She holds a cup that contains a small fish within it. Jellyfish swim in the water around her. She stares deeply at the cup in her hands.

The Queen asks the collective to seek out our deep emotions this week. Understanding how you feel and what you want is the key to problem solving. Dig deep and touch the very deepest parts of yourself. Shed light on what is within so that you can make changes in your physical world to honor the truth you find there.

The Page of Wands is signified by a priestess. She looks up to the sky and holds a staff in her left hand. A dragon sand behind her with its mouth open in a snarl. Three eggs and a treasure chest sit at the priestesses feet. She wears blue robes that expose her chest.

The Page reminds us that we have the power to manifest the abundance that we seek. Intentional action is needed to bring the life we desire into reality. You are the priestess that this card depicts. You have the power of a dragon at your back and a treasure trove at your feel. Reach out and grasp them both with both hands and allow the abundance to flow freely into your life.

I hope these words help to guide you to your highest good where peace and blessings flow.

This week’s listener question is from instagram and the question is ‘Any advice for the next three months?’ I pulled four cards for you from the Wild Unknown Tarot. The Fool, the Daughter of Pentacles, The World and the Two of Wands come up for you. The energy of these cards is so cool and particularly powerful. I have to say. It feels like the cards have something very deep for you today.

There are a few different layers to the message the cards have for you today so I’ll start by describing the cards and then we’ll get into their meaning.

The Fool pictures a baby bird standing with one foot clutching a branch and the other stepping off into the air. The little bird is about to try its hand at flying for the first time.

The Daughter of Pentacles shows us a young doe with a rainbow above her head. A pentacle floats above her as well in the center of the rainbow.

The World depicts a rainbow circle that encases a scaled circle. Flowers grow from the scales reaching toward the light in the center. Stars shine in the darkness around the circles.

The Two of Wands has a rainbow background with two wands in the foreground. The wands are a white to black gradient.

These four cards come to you both as a whole and in pairs. I’ll start with the pairs and then give you their united message as well.

The first pair is The Fool and the Daughter of Pentacles. These two cards ask you to move forward into a new chapter leaving old pains behind you. Its time for a fresh start and a fresh outlook in the the coming months. Lean into the qualities of the Daughter as you begin anew. You are strong, diligent, and capable of doing whatever work the source asks of you. You cane cultivate these qualities in yourself even if you don’t see them in you right now. You are being reborn over the next three months and you have the tools to root yourself in your own power.

The next pair, The World and the Two of Wands. They show you a glimpse of what is to come if you can persevere through the growing pains of the next few months. The World itself is all about the perfect completing of a cycle and when its paired with the duality of fire that the Two of Wands speaks of it paints a picture of a hard fought victory that will bring you to a soft, warm fullness within yourself.

The united message of these cards shows you on the journey you are taking over the next couple months. In this moment you take the first steps, with blind faith and an open heart. The key tools you’ll need are perseverance and diligence throughout whatever hardships and obstacles come up as you walk this path. When this cycle of growth and rebirth is completed you will feel more whole within yourself than you have ever felt before and you will have new power and passion for and in life than you have now. Life won’t be perfect but it will be so, so good.

Thank you dear listener for sending in your question. It was my pleasure to read for you and I hope the reading resonates with you. Love and luck to you in everything you do.

Next up is the guided meditation The Elemental Altar. Enjoy!

First get comfortable you can sit with your legs crossed or in a chair or lay down. No matter what posture you take close your eyes and bring your attention to the breath. Breath deeply and feel the life giving air flow through your body from the top of your head to the tips of your toes.

As you inhale feel your muscles relax. Drape your body over the line of your spine and feel your body sink into the surface supporting it. Keep the natural curve in your neck and lower back those are good curves.

As you exhale feel any negative or blocked energy flow out of you carried on the flow of your breath. Inhale deeply to replace that energy with fresh, healing, life giving sustenance.

As you breath notice any pain you feel throughout you body. Focus you mind in these places for a moment. Reach out in spirit to these points and breath into the pain directing the healing flow of your breath to it. If the pain dissipates move on to another point of pain or refocus your attention back to the flow of your breath. If the pain does not dissipate that’s OK. Thank you body for the work that it does to keep you alive and move on to another point of pain or refocus your attention to your  breath.

Once you have checked in with your body come back to the flow of your breath. Inhale healing energy and exhale blocked energy. Keep with this for as long as you need to in order to relax fully.

When you are ready visualize yourself at the top a staircase spiraling downwards into darkness before you. You are safe here. The path is lit enough for you to see the next step you need to take. It is dark but you are safe here, Take your first step down and sink deeper into your meditation. Continue to step downwards sinking deeper with each step. Count down from ten. When we reach ten you will come to the bottom of the staircase. 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.

As you take your last step you feel your feet touch soft grass. You can smell the warm solid earth that the grass grows from. Wiggle your toes and feel the grass tickle you in return. As you look around you a forest comes into focus. What time of day is it in you forest? Does the light of the mid day sun shire brightly around you? Are the leaves of the trees that stretch up into the clouds bathed if the soft glow of the full moon? Once such tree growl tall and proud beside you. Reach out and feel the texture of its bark. What do you hear? Is the forest alive with bird song? Is there a river nearby or perhaps a waterfall? Ground yourself in this place with all your senses and create your own sacred forest. Visualize all that you can see, hear, smell, touch, and taste.

When you are ready and fully grounded in the sacred forest with in. Take your first steps on the path the curves ahead of you. Listen to the swaying of the trees as the wind guides you forward. After some time the path leads you to a clearing. In the center of the clearing is a great tree. It stretches up taller than any of the others. It is old, you can feel its ancient wisdom and power from where you stand. As you approach the tree you see an altar before it. On the altar are four bowls, in one burns a flame strong, hot and bright, from the next bowls rises a powerful vortex made of clear, clean water, you see a column of earth rising from the next bowl gently shifting and pouring over itself. Lastly a small tornado whips around in the final bowl. Take a seat before the altar if you so desire. Perhaps there is a bench or a chair nearby. You may also choose to stand. Once you have made yourself comfortable turn to the elements. Does one element in particular call to you? Reach out for it and take a hold of it. There is no fear that you may be hurt by the elements. There is not danger here. You are protected. As you hold the element in your hands notice its qualities and listen for the lessons that it whisperers to you.

Once you have studied and listened to the element return it to the bowl on the altar. If you feel called by more than one or even all of the elements you may move on to another element. When you are ready to leave thank you teachers for their lessons and walk back through the clearing to the path. As you walk the path once again immerse your senses in the forest around you. Know that you can return here at any time to reconnect with the forest and with the elemental altar as well. Before you is the familiar darkness from which you entered the forest. You can see the bottom step of the stair case. Step onto it and allow the comforting safe of the darkness envelope you. Walk up the stairs count up to ten with me. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Wiggle your toes and fingers and come back into your body. Rub your hands together to create some heat and press them over your eyes. Listen to the sounds of the world around you. When you are ready open your eyes. Stand up and take a moment to stretch and reconnect with your physical space. Love and luck to you.

Outro

Here we are at the end of this weeks episode. Thank you so much for listening. Please subscribe where ever you get your podcasts and rantings and reviews would be greatly appreciated. If you would like a transcript of the episode please visit our blog at simplywitchery.wixsight.com/home. You can find daily oracle readings, magical tips, and spiritual musings at Simply Witchery on Instagram and Twitter. If you’d like to receive a reading for yourself on a future episode send me a dm on my socials. The music in this episode is Where Was I by Lee Rosevere and We are Already Dead by Nihilore. Love and light to each and everyone of you and I’ll see you next time. Bye.