Understanding Elementals

[icymist]

Elementals, spirits of earth, air, fire, and water, are an enduring part of many ritual forms, especially in modern witchcraft. This article will shed some light on elementals throughout history, and give you some tips on how to go deeper with your understanding of elementals. Through a practical understanding of elemental philosophy and the basic exercise of creating an elemental altar, you can bring these powerful constructs into your life.

History of Elementals
It is human nature to put things into categories. From early childhood, everyone begins to ask questions about nature, and some of those answers help us to decide which things fit into that huge list of objects called rocks, and which things should be called birds (which in turn appear on a bigger list of creatures called animals). In the past, both science and magic were considered common ways to understand the world. Elementals, four basic categories of earthly things, were established and shared between that earlier understanding of science and in the still relevant concepts of magical thought.

http://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/2399