Eclectic Elementals: The Magic & Spirituality of the Elements
This is not a specifically named, established path like Asatru, Kabbalah, Hermeticism, Kemeticism, Wicca or Santeria. Yet the Elemental Path can be adapted to any practice, traditional or modern, and the Elements are indeed present and utilized in all practices and systems. It can also be, as it is for me, its own completely original, self-contained and self-defined path. It is the path of peeking behind all the named and well-presented curtains; of getting to the heart of All and of connecting to and honoring the mystical, essential building blocks of everything in existence, from the planet to our souls.
Autumnal Waters
With the fall equinox approaching, it is a perfect time to reflect on the many facets and roles of water in nature, ritual and magic. Water, essential for life, also carries a deep association with death across cultures and mythologies. This duality reflects our complex relationship with this elemental force. In many occult and esoteric traditions, the autumn season is deeply intertwined with both water and death, representing a potent time of transformation and spiritual transition.
Water often symbolizes the division between life and death. Many funerary practices involve crossing water, from Viking ship burials to the Egyptian concept of the solar barge carrying the dead to the afterlife. This imagery of a final voyage persists in many modern cultures.
In Greek mythology, five rivers wind through Hades: Styx (hatred), Acheron (sorrow), Cocytus (lamentation), Phlegethon (fire), and Lethe (forgetfulness). These waterways embody the emotions and trials souls face in the afterlife. Similar concepts exist in other cultures – the Egyptian Duat features a treacherous river, Norse mythology speaks of icy Gjöll which flows near the gate of Hel, a realm of the dead, and Hindu tradition tells of the terrifying Vaitarna. The Vaitarna is said to exist between Earth and Naraka, the realm of the Hindu god of death, Yama. The Vaitarani is also known as the "salt river" and is said to have the power to purify sins.
Many cultures place their afterlife across vast waters. Celtic legend speaks of Tír na nÓg, an eternal youth paradise beyond the sea. Polynesian traditions reference Hawaiki, an ancestral homeland across the ocean. In Japanese myth, Yomi-no-kuni, the land of the dead, lies beneath the sea. In Inuit tradition, Adlivun is the underworld, which is the deep-sea realm over which the goddess Sedna presides.
The Element of Water in Autumn
Esoteric systems often associate autumn with the element of water, despite the season's apparent dryness in some regions. In others, though, fall is often a very rainy time. This connection stems from water's qualities of introspection, emotion, and dissolution – all themes prominent in fall. As leaves fall and decay, fed by autumn rains, water becomes a medium of decomposition and eventual rebirth.
Samhain and the Thinning Veil
In various neo-pagan traditions, Samhain (October 31st) marks the midpoint between autumn equinox and winter solstice. This festival, often considered the witch's new year, is said to be when the veil between the worlds of the living and dead is thinnest. Ritualistic use of water during this time – in scrying bowls or ritual cleansing – is believed to enhance communication with the spirit world.
Divination and Psychic Abilities
Autumn's watery nature and liminality are thought to enhance psychic abilities and divination practices. Mirror scrying, using still water surfaces to glimpse the future or communicate with spirits, is considered particularly powerful during this season. Some traditions teach that the increased moisture in the air acts as a natural conduit for psychic energies.
Alchemy
In alchemical traditions, autumn correlates with the nigredo phase – a stage of putrefaction and decomposition necessary for transformation. This "blackening" is often symbolized by dark waters, representing the dissolution of the old self before rebirth.
The Wild Hunt
Various European folklore traditions speak of the Wild Hunt – a ghostly procession of the dead led by mythological figures. This spectral cavalcade is often associated with Samhain and autumn storms, linking turbulent waters with the passage of spirits. Howling winds and dark, racing clouds are sometimes interpreted as signs of the Hunt's passage.
Autumn is traditionally associated with the harvest, and the Wild Hunt sometimes symbolizes the gathering of souls, mirroring the gathering of crops.
In some traditions, the leader of the Hunt is associated with autumn deities or figures. For example, in some Germanic myths, Odin leads the Hunt, and he has connections to the harvest and autumn season.
Ancestors and Water Offerings
Many cultures practice ancestor veneration during autumn. Water plays a crucial role in these rituals, with offerings of water left for the deceased. This practice acknowledges water's liminal nature – existing between states, much like the perceived barrier between life and death during this season.
By exploring these esoteric connections, we see how autumn's waters serve as a powerful metaphor for the cycle of death and rebirth, the thinning of spiritual boundaries, and the deepening of intuitive understanding. In many occult traditions, fall's aqueous nature becomes a gateway to profound spiritual truths and transformative experiences.
Water's connection to death runs deep in human consciousness. From mythic underworld rivers to purification rituals, it serves as a potent symbol of transition, judgment, and the cycle of life and death. This universal element reflects our own mortality – powerful, mysterious, and ever-flowing.
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