Elemental Magict Part 4 - EARTH

What an awesome element; solid, grounding, nurturing, the Great Mother. Earth is the hard work, earth is the harvest, earth is nature. I have been spending alot of time over the past 6 months getting in touch with the power of this element; I have begun gardening and in doing so I've started growing my own fruits and veggies. We were lucky enough, when we moved in, to have a vegetable garden set up at the back of our property but there was nothing growing in it at the time. It was a well designed plot and ready to be planted out.

With the help of a few friends and family I soon established a spring garden. I also started a potted herb garden as well, I am a witch after all. We have eaten lettuce, tomatoes, silverbeet, cucumber, spring onions, carrots, zucchini and strawberries as a result of our hard work and I hope to soon enjoy the watermelon and the corn that we planted as well.

Already, in this first season, I have learnt many valuable lessons from the earth and the act of providing myself and my family with sustenance. When I had first planted my tomato seedlings I dilligently tended to my babies everyday, sometimes twice a day. I was always in the vegie patch inspecting and meddling. When the first flowers appeared I was so excited, only to watch helplessly as the blossoms dropped off the plant before having any chance to create fruit. After talking to an expert at Bunnings I discovered I was overwatering them. A few days later I dreamt of an amazing patch of tomatoes that had grown without my knowledge and every bush was laden with beautiful ripe fruit, I had my answer. When preparing the soil and sowing the seeds hard work and attenton is required, however, when the plants are established and growing, a step back is needed to let them do their own thing. Nature, it seems, has a way of sorting things out for itself. It was a great lesson for me to learn, one that is very clearly also a methaphore for life.

Traditionally earth is the element of the south. It's tarot symbol is the pentacle and it's dedicated colour is green. Earth is a strong, grounding, nourishing and practical element. It is our physical presence and the hard work we put into everything we do. My earth magic is about abundance, security and nurture.

Elemental Magic Part 3 - WATER

I moved to Yarra Glen in May of last year, and since then I have watched the water rise up around us to the point of almost completely blocking us off from the rest of the world (even if it was just a few hours). This is nothing however compared to those caught in the Queensland floods or the Tsunami's, but it is impressive to watch the brown and dusty earth around us turn into a sodden and soggy swamp land. Last year we were in the middle of a drought that restricted every aspect of our water usage, now our water tank is overflowing and plants are dying from too much water.

Magically water is the realm of emotion and intuition and dreaming. In a vast ocean of water we can olny see the surface and everything it holds remains hidden until we delve into the great depths. Even then most of it's contents can elude us. Water is mysterious; the ebb and flow of tides which is controlled by the moon, the myths of mermaids and monsters and creatures that are constantly being questioned. The same can be said of the psychic realms and intuition, and perhaps even our emotions. These are things that are always searched for and studied but remain intangible.

My favourite form of water magic is the simple act of cleansing. There is a part of the Yarra River that I go to, it is not that well known and often if I time it right there are not many other people there. This section of the river opens up wide and is surrounded by densely forested mountains on either side. It feels a million miles from anywhere, though in reality it is only a few minutes drive from where I used to live. I love to swim in that rive,r to float with the current and just be present. I always feel cleansed and rejuvinated after trips like these.

Traditionally water is the element of the west. It's tarot symbol is the cup and it's dedicated colour is blue. Water is cleansing, calming, intuitive, dreamlike. So much of our physical bodies are made up of water, therefore using this element in magic is a great way to bring forward parts of yourself that are being unheard and that have so much to teach us.

Elemental Magic Part 2 - FIRE

I am an aries child. For the majority of the time I am a big ball of firey energy - my mother says that everything is 'all or nothing' with me. I don't know how true that is but I have always had a great connection to that fire energy. I love to watch it dance and change and eat through a log or completely destroy a piece of paper. My fascination isn't with starting fires or trying to make them burn off my eyebrows. I love to watch a fire do its own thing. Fire is alive.

It is the spark of creation, the passion and drive to achieve and a destructive force that leaves nothing in its wake - not just a terrible thing to be feared. All ellements have their destructive qualities and where would we be without the hearth or light or the sun? Where would we be without passion? I love the amazing duality in this element. Fire is love and hate; war and creation; life and death, but always, it is the interplay of energy. Energy constantly changes form, our world is a closed curcuit where energy is never removed only reused.


For me the best way to call in fire magic is by focusing on the interplay of energies. Fire magic is dancing, eating and making love. It is potent and powerful and instantaneous.

Traditionally fire is the element of the east. It's tarot symbol is the wand and red is it's dedicated color.
I have learnt that fires excess energy needs an outlet otherwise it has the potential to seep out in negative ways, and it is this energy that keeps me moving, changing and creating.

Elemental Magic Part 1 - AIR

"One of the simplest and most enjoyable ways of making air magic is to breathe" -Phyllis Currot

This month I have decided to begin treating my body as a temple. Among other things I have been excercising I run every other morning and I have joined a yoga class once a week. Both of these activities are teaching me about the act of breathing. They are uniquely different styles of physical activity and therefor my interaction with air is completely different, however being concious of the way you are breathing is a crucial part of each activity.

I think that's the point; for the majority of the time breathing, for most people, is unconcious and taken for granted. In begining these two activities I am learning that breathing is an amazing way to achieve a meditative state.

Air is the element of the mind; of intellect and inspiration; of thought. It makes sense that by bringing focus to the way we interact with the air around us we may then enter a world in our minds. This is fantastic new for me because I have really struggled with trying to meditate at home. Even when my daughter, Violet, is sleeping my mind stays with her and I can't let go. Through focusing on my breath I have rediscovered meditation.

Traditionally air is the element of the east. It's tarot symbol is the sword and yellow is it's dedicated color. When performing a ritual, air is the element I call upon when I need freedom, clarity and space and when I do breath work I gain this and more. I am learning that the most simplest of rituals can sometimes be the most effective.

Everyday Witch

'...When the moon rides at her peak, then your hearts desire speak...' -Wiccan Rede

Every month my sister and I hold space to honour the full moon. We cast circle in the back yard and speak about what we want for the coming month. We also reflect on what we wrote for the previous month. We then pull an oracle card as well as a three card spread of tarot.

Each time we perform this ritual I find we are becoming clearer and more intune with the requirements we have for the coming weeks. A friend of mine says it is like group therapy; that we sit around discussing things we want to change or issues tht are going on in our lives and it is a space to share with other people. These rituals mean so much to me because they are simple and direct and therefore something we are able to continue with each full moon.

Before my beautiful daughter came along my witchcraft was a huge part of what I did. However, after her birth everything was, understandably, pushed to the bottom of my list of priorities. What I have been learning is that I am now a new person so the spiritual practices that suited my old self need to evolve and change with me or be left behind.

This past year has taught me the importance of seeing the divine in everday life. I can't meditate for an hour everday or attend ellaborate rituals every week, but my spirituality has always come from within myself so I have no need to attend someone else's gathering to commune with the Gods or Godddess'. My daughter is a sorce of connecting with the divine, my mother energy and the Mother energy. She reminds me how important and liberating it is to see the world with childs eyes. She shows me everyday how amazing the world is and how much we take for granted.

I am slowly learning to incorporate my witchcraft into every moment of my life. There will be a point in the future where that changes again and I look forward to that potential. For now, my path is in learning the skill of being an everyday witch.

The Beginning.

It is two days before the Moon is full. Outside the rain pelts down despite the shoulder to shoulder blue sky we had today. It is the middle of Febuary and the seasons are coming all at once. I am forever amazed at the natural world, the interactions and the sights and smells. Our planet is a living breathing organism and She holds amazing power and endless potential.

That is the basis of my spirituality, the core of where I am coming from. I look at the world, my perception of how it should be, and I see magic everywhere. There are, of course, other aspects to my spiritual journey; I don't believe anything so complex can be expressed in such a succinct paragraph. I remember the first pagan gathering I went to - it's not important what or where or when - but I remember looking around and feeling the energy in the room and I was overwhelmed with a complete sense of homecoming. I felt comfortable and I couldn't believe there were gatherings like this or that I had never known about them.

The next few years were amazing in my personal developent. Perhaps it was due to my age, but I think this new awareness of my spiritual self had a definite influence on the person I became. I find paganism empowering like nothing else I have experienced. I have had a lot of ups and downs since venturing out to find other people who share a common thread in there journeys. Something I have learnt, that I think is very important when following a spirituality that is so fluid, is to always come back to yourself. The need to check in with where you sit with your own core beliefs and values from time to time is neccessary because other people can teach, but only you choose what you take on board and what you cast aside. This life is about your journey, your lessons and your experiences. Guidance is important, but what it comes down to is you.

I am a woman. I am a mother, a sister, a daughter, a friend, a lover. I am a witch. I celebrate the cycles of my world and the realms of spirituality that resonate in my soul. This is the path I am on.