Natural Witchery (9 page)

Water

Water is associated with streams, rivers, springs, oceans, lakes, and life-giving rain. This element corresponds with the Witch's Pyramid adage “to will.” Just to keep things interesting, the moon is closely linked to the element of water, as the moon affects the tides of the oceans and all life on the planet. Water is in all life. It brings freshness and fullness. Water is also the element of dreams, the subconscious, trance, vision, and clairvoyance. Psychic abilities and loving emotions are said to come from the element of water and from the moon. Emotions are naturally linked to this element, as they are often described as “welling up” or “springing forth.”

Water people are sensitive souls. They are the natural empaths, and their emotions rule them. Also, other people's feelings are of utmost importance to a water personality. Water people have open, romantic hearts and are generous, sympathetic, and empathic. They are the mystics, the romantic lovers, and the dreamers. They may become artists, therapists, healers, mystics, and musicians. These individuals have a sensuous grace; they are elegant and prefer flowing, soft clothes.

Folks who carry too much water energy are brooders, moody and deep. They can be overly sensitive and become overwhelmed or drown in other people's passions and emotions if they don't shield properly. They may also be prone to struggles with depression. This type of “water overboard” energy can be a serious problem for some magickal people. For an immediate fix, try grounding and centering, which uses earth energy. Also, try a little sunlight therapy (for fire energy), or try the old reliable smudging technique with incense smoke, which pulls in air energy. These will help to muscle those elements back into balance quickly.

Elemental Strengths and Challenges Worksheet

Here is a worksheet where you can quickly jot down your thoughts on your magickal personality and how it relates to the four natural elements. Once you've done that, then decide which element you feel is most compatible with your character. Also note which element or elements you feel aren't well-suited to your personality. Finally, there is a space provided for you to note any elemental challenges that you may be experiencing. Once you've completed the worksheet, use it as a tool for personal change.

For the elemental creatures go
About my table to and fro,
That hurry from unmeasured mind
To rant and rage in flood and wind …

William Butler Yeats

Personal Power and Elemental Blocks

So, what did you discover about yourself? Did you get the outcome you expected? Which element is the one you feel the least attracted to? Perhaps you should consider that you are experiencing a block in your personal power with regards to a particular element. There is nothing more frustrating for creative people than a block. And before you think, “Well, I don't consider myself artsy or creative,” consider this: magicians and Witches are creative people because they create change. All magick seeks to transform or change a situation or an outcome. That's the essence of why we cast spells and work to raise our levels of personal power—because we are all working to create positive manifestations of change with our magick.

Now, personal power can become blocked for a variety of reasons. When it does, you can either whine, sulk, or mope about it, or you can take a ruthless personal inventory. Then you go to work to transform the problem into a magickal lesson and a personal strength. (Oh, and in case you are wondering—I have done all of the above. Once I was finished feeling out of sorts and frustrated, I turned the elemental blockage around and gained a better understanding of myself in the process.)

Furthermore, I discovered an important magickal lesson: in order to be an adept practitioner, your personality must be balanced with all four natural elements. It's not enough to just assume they are. Perform a bit of personal magick and pull those elements into balance. This way, your magick will flow, and you will get better results with your spellcasting.

Elemental Blocks—Who, Me?

Even the best of us occasionally find our personal power low or face elemental blocks. The reason for it may come from several different sources: everyday stress, a change in your routine, moving, a different job, having a cold or recovering from an illness, family squabbles, relationship troubles, or even post-holiday blues can make us feel out of sync and disconnected from our magick, which makes it more difficult to access our personal power.

Not everyone is a perfect balance of the elements; it is normal to have more personality traits from one element than the others. It is true that invariably one of the four elements will call to you more than the others. That's to be expected. The trick is to take a hard look at your personality and how you work your magick. Then make the effort to put all four of those elements, and all their enchanting qualities, into a better working balance.

So, how do you know if you are experiencing a block in regards to your personal power? Check out the following symptoms.

Earth Block

This element corresponds to physical reality, such as wealth, health, and your personal belongings. The financial side of an earth block is a tough one for everyone, since money relates to survival. We all have concerns in this department, and no one likes the thought of being in a tough financial situation. Symptoms of an earth block are when you hold on to items or possessions that are unnecessary or disruptive to your goals, like having trouble sticking to a budget because you never can resist a sale or are going out to eat all the time. Resistance to change is another trait. When you disconnect from your physical senses and stop paying attention to your body or taking care of your health is another. If you have trouble being grounded, responsible, or dependable, these are classic earth block symptoms. A good start for you would be to consider releasing your old habits. Accept that everything is in a constant state of flux. Change is a positive thing, and it will allow you many new opportunities.

Air Block

Symptoms of an air block may be that you are holding on to old ideas or outdated beliefs that no longer serve you. Your creativity fizzles out and concentration becomes difficult. A classic example would be writer's block (shudder). The element of air embraces mental powers, intuition, and your creative ideas and concepts, for when you believe in something you are giving it life and creating the power that it has. So an air block can be one of the most frustrating blocks to work through, since this element represents your mind. This is especially troublesome as the down-and-dirty definition of magick is “mind over matter.” What can you do? Distract yourself with other physical projects. Take a walk and enjoy nature, which is linked to the element of earth. Try igniting a little fire energy and make love, or link into the element of water and go for a swim. Bottom line: distract yourself, turn off your brain, and stop thinking so damn hard! Take a break, and allow the inspiration to flow back into your life in its own way and time, without any expectations attached to it.

Fire Block

A sign of a fire block is not having enough energy and passion to complete your goals—basically that you feel as though you have lost your spunk and spark, and that you can't get fired up or enthusiastic about projects or events that once delighted you. Should you find yourself wondering what ever happened to your sexuality, you definitely have a fire block. If working to create those positive changes all seems like “too much trouble or work,” you are again dealing with a fire block. Both on a personal and a magickal level, this is exasperating. Fire is the element of transformation, and if you are blocked here, you will find it difficult to transform your wishes into reality. Are you holding on to old hurt feelings and unresolved issues? It's time to shed some light on the problems. A prescription for you to consider is to do something constructive, like exercise, and to release your anger in a affirmative way. If you feel disconnected from your sexuality, then do something positive just for you—something that will transform your self-image and make you feel better about yourself. Whether you are male or female, you can change your look, get a new haircut, color your hair, try different body care products or a new personal scent. Buy new sexy underwear or a whole outfit. Treat yourself to a massage. Get a baby sitter and take your partner out for an evening of romance. Use your imagination, and you'll get those juices flowing again.

Water Block

The sign of a water block is emotional turmoil. Since the element of water classically represents emotions, this can be an especially uncomfortable block. Here we are dealing with the more negative emotions, such as sadness and anger. Now it's certainly true that none of us likes to admit when we are behaving badly. But being pent-up emotionally is the equivalent of a being a walking, ticking time bomb. Eventually all that anger and emotional frustration will spill over—and probably at a socially inappropriate time. These emotions may run deep. But unless you take a hard look at why you feel it's so important to repress the feelings and hold on to them, you won't move forward. Study those murky emotions, climb out of that swirling pool of hurt, and start to release that frustration in healthy ways. Claim your emotions, and admit when you are upset or your feelings are hurt. Have a nice cry, and then wash your face and start dealing with the issues. Try journaling. Or you can have a little chat with a friend or partner—that's a positive talk, by the way, not a shouting contest—and clear things up. If this isn't an option, then consider finding a therapist and talking about your troubles. Therapy can be a positive tool for change. Don't dismiss the idea.

Removing Elemental Blocks

Probably you will discover that you have a combination of the above blockages. And if so, you've got work to do, my friend. This situation calls for soul-searching, some personal transformation, and then banishing those elemental blocks. This will probably be some of the most challenging spellwork you will face, for many reasons. First off, it's very personal, and your fears and emotions are involved. It's tough to let go of fear of failure, frustration, old ideas, or unhealthy habits. But this type of purge is a positive step and can become a powerful tool for self-transformation.

I know that when I faced a blockage to my personal power there were a few of the elements involved. Which ones did I have blocked? Okay, I'll give. They were air and fire. I had way too much water energy and earth energy, and they had smothered the other two. So did I figure this out all by my amazing little witchy self? No, I had a talk with a dear friend, and she gently pointed out that I needed to take a closer look at my personal energies and see if I was experiencing a block. Actually, she gave me a “mom” type of lecture, which was the magickal equivalent of getting a loving
whack!
upside the head.

But you know, once I really thought about her suggestions, I was able to figure out what the problem was. Then I rolled up my sleeves and worked to put those elements back in balance. I felt so much better afterwards, lighter and clearer-headed. My family and other friends noticed a change in my attitude as well. But I worked damn hard on pulling myself and my personal energies back in line.

You can't just announce, “Oh, I have some unresolved anger. I have a fire block,” and
poof!
problem solved. Nope, it takes a few steps. First you've got to sit down and figure out what started the block. Second, admit the problem. Third, work through the emotions that go along with the issue. Finally, work magick to pull things back in line.

Hey, we all go through tough times, and then our personal power and magick goes out of whack. The tough part is working through all those steps. It takes time and perseverance. Don't beat yourself up emotionally about it either. Blocks and imbalances happen to all of us. So suck it up, figure out what the problem is, start to make the necessary personal changes, and then get to work. Challenging? You betcha. But I'll wager that you are more than up to the task. The following is a ritual that I designed when I faced down my own elemental blocks.

A Ritual to Pull those Elements
Back in Line

Timing and Directions

To banish those blocks and obstructions, work in harmony with the waning lunar cycle. Try a Monday to add extra lunar power or a Saturday to bring in the closing energies of the week and the protective powers of Saturn.

Supplies and Directions

Gather together a copy of the worksheet on page 62 and a simple natural representation of each of the four elements, such as a feather for air, a seashell for water, a crystal for earth, and a white tealight candle for fire. Finally, set the tealight in a holder, and arrange the other components around it. Light the candle, take a few moments to focus on the elemental blocks that are obstructing your personal power, and then repeat the opening verse: