Honoring The Four Elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water

Along with acknowledging the current moon phase and season during our Magick Morning ritual, Tracy and I also honor the four classical elements.

Depending on the day’s weather, we honor either fire, water, or air. (We do a daily grounding exercise for Earth.)

Connecting to the day’s weather is a great way to spiritually tune into the cycles of nature, and bring an added layer of mindfulness and reflection into your morning routine.

Here is an outline of how we honor each element (based on weather), as well as some tips on how you can bring that into your own nature-focused spiritual practice.

Keep scrolling to read the whole article, or…

Skip to: Earth (Daily) | Air (Wind/Clouds) | Fire (Sun) | Water (Rain/Snow)


๐Ÿœƒ – Earth

The element of Earth is the one we work with each and every day. 

Earth represents the birth, death, and rebirth cycle that plays out each year in nature. 

Earth is our constant connection to nature.

Keywords:  Wisdom, stability, protection, support, nurturing.

Weather:  None assigned.  Connect to the Earth every day through grounding ritual, or simply take note of what is happening in nature around you that day.

Season: Winter.

Altar/Candle Colors:  Brown, green. These are the colors of the Earth.

Direction: North

Earth Crystals: There are any number of crystals and stones that you can work with every day to tap into the energy of Earth.

  • Jasper: There are many types of jasper out there.  Overall, jasper is associated with nurturing, healing, safety, and support.
  • Orange Calcite: Joy, happiness, creativity, sensuality.
  • Black Tourmaline: Releasing and/or deflecting negativity.
  • Apache Tear: Grief, sorrow, loss.
  • Petrified Wood: Ancestral work. Tapping into the true you, deeper understanding of things.
  • Tiger Eye: Strength, endurance.
  • Granite: Building, structure, power, strength.
  • Green Aventurine: Luck, gratitude.
  • Green Kyanite:  Connection with nature, the Earth, plants.

Earth Herbs

  • Sage (Salvia officinalis, Salvia apiana): Wisdom, knowledge, cleansing, purification, guidance.
  • Burdock (Arctium lappa): Grounding, protection, purification.
  • Licorice Root: Love, communication, power.

Ritual: Do a simple grounding meditation (like these on YouTube).

Journal Prompts

  • What am I grateful for today? (List 5 things.)
  • What is happening in the environment around me? (What’s blooming? Animal activity? Temperatures, weather, moon phase?)

๐Ÿœ – Air – Wind/Clouds

On windy or cloudy days, we honor the element of Air.

Keywords:  Mind, intellect, spirituality, beginnings.

Weather:  Windy or cloudy.

Season: Spring. Spring is a time of quickening and rapid growth/movement. Birds are migrating, plants are waking up and reaching for the sky.

Altar/Candle Colors:  White, light blue, gray, yellow. These are the colors that represent the sky and sunlight.

Direction: East.

Air Crystals: 

  • Clear Quartz: Clarity, insights.  A “master crystal” that can be used in place of any crystal and used for any purpose.
  • Labradorite:  Intuition, vision, insight.
  • Amethyst:  Awareness, transformation, calming the mind.  Spiritual growth and power.
  • Blue Lace Agate:  Voice, communication.
  • Blue Kyanite: Communication, speaking one’s truth.
  • Turquoise: Power, wisdom, protection.
  • Hematite:  Confidence, boldness.
  • Moldavite/Tektite:  Created by a meteor impact with Earth, tektites represent radical change, and our ability to create something beautiful from past hurts.

Air Herbs:

  • Lavender: Calm, soothe, restoration.
  • Thyme: Healing, purification, courage.
  • Peppermint: Invigorate, energize, refresh.
  • Yarrow: Boundaries, strength, resolve.

Air Rituals: 

1) Feather Ritual For Air – Use a feather to waft air toward you while saying out loud what you want to welcome into your life.  Waft air away from you as you say out loud what you want to release from your life.

2) Oracle Decks For Air – Tracy and I draw a card from one of our plant or herbal oracle decks. Our favorites are the Soulflower Plant Spirit Oracle by Lisa Estabrook, Magickal Herb Oracle and/or Flowers Of The Night by Cheralyn Darcy, or The Herbcrafter’s Tarot.

Journal Prompt(s):

  • Are you moving in the right direction (with the wind/against the wind)?  Should you “set sail” in a new or different direction?

๐Ÿœ‚ – Fire – Sun

On sunny days, we honor the element of Fire.

Keywords: Passion, power, action.

Weather: Sun. (This doesn’t necessarily need to be only during the warm, sunny days of summer. You can honor the element of fire on sunny days even in winter.)

Season: The element of fire is associated with the season of summer – the warmest part of the year when the sun’s energy is most abundant.

Altar/Candle Colors:  Red, orange, yellow. These represent the color of fire.

Direction: South.

Fire Crystals:

  • Fire Agate: Decisive action, getting unstuck, overcoming self-sabotage.
  • Fire Opal: Joy, positive sexuality & relationships, financial abundance.
  • Pyrite:  Money, finances, abundance.
  • Orange Calcite: Joy, happiness, sensuality, creativity.
  • Tiger Eye:  Strength, resilience, endurance.
  • Bloodstone: Courage, purification, sacrifice.
  • Obsidian:  Stability, grounding, focus.
  • Golden Topaz:  Manifestation, faith in yourself, living in alignment.
  • Sunstone: Independence, originality, abundance.
  • Smokey Quartz: Calm, soothing stone.  Helps deal with fear, anxiety, depression.
  • Carnelian: Motivation, endurance, leadership, courage.
  • Amber:  Rekindling past flame, reconnecting to long-neglected passions.

You can work with any red, orange, or yellow stone that represents fire to you.

Fire Herbs: Certain herbs correspond to the element of fire. These herbs tend to be bold-flavored, or spicy.

You can either use them in cooking, make a tea with them, incorporate them in body-care products, smudge with them, diffuse their essential oils, or simply have them on your altar.

  • Rosemary: Clarity, remembrance.
  • Ginger: Creativity, movement, quickening.
  • Nasturtium: Vitality, sensuality, motivation.
  • Mullein: Illumination, imagination, creativity.
  • Basil: Attraction, abundance, gratitude.
  • Calendula: Communication, compassion, balance.
  • Cinnamon: Ancestors, connection with past.
  • Nettle: Protection, transformation, clarity, awakening.

Fire Rituals

1) Light A Candle – Light a red, orange, or yellow candle to honor the element of fire. 

2) Burning Release Ritual – Burn herbs, bay leaves, or words of things you want to release written on paper. See our burning ritual.

3) Fire-Related Oracle Deck – On sunny (fire) days, Tracy and I draw an animal-themed oracle card. Our favorite deck is the Spirit Of The Animals Oracle by Jody Bergsma.

Journal Prompts:

  • What is most important in my life?  What do I value the most?
  • Where do I need to step up and take a leadership role in my life/business/career?
  • Am I spending time each day doing what I am passionate about? 

๐Ÿœ„ – Water – Rain/Snow

On days when it rains or snows, we honor the element of Water.

Keywords: Emotions, feelings, empathy, reflection.

Weather:  Rain, snow.

Season: Autumn.

Alter/Candle Colors:  Blue, white.

Direction: West.

Water Crystals: 

  • Amazonite: Alignment, balance, calm.  Acceptance of yourself and your truth.
  • Aquamarine: Trust, letting go, embracing the truth.
  • Green Calcite:  Calm, taming anxiety/worry.
  • Lapis Lazuli: Wisdom, intellect, strength.  Overcoming obstacles.
  • Moonstone:  Inner growth, intentions, emotions, reflection.  A good stone to use for moon work.
  • Turquoise:  Power, wisdom, protection.
  • Rose Quartz:  Love (both romantic and self-love.)
  • Obsidian: Stability, grounding, focus. Quartz:  Clear quarts represents clarity and intention.

Water Herbs: 

  • Echinacea: Healing, protection, consciousness.
  • Burdock: Grounding, protection, purification.
  • Catnip: Affection, companionship, fresh outlook.
  • Peppermint: Invigorate, energize, refresh.
  • Chamomile: Calm, soothe, sleep, stability.
  • Valerian: Acceptance, relax, let go.
  • Rose: Love, passion, sex, joy.

Water Rituals: 

  • Honoring Water – Leave a bowl of of water on your altar.
  • Ritual Drink – Mindfully drink a small cup of water during your morning ritual, or brew a tea using water herbs like chamomile or echinacea.

Journal Prompts:

  • Check in with your dominant emotions/feelings.  Where do you need to restore balance?
  • Water can sometimes act as a mirror.  Take some time to reflect on where your dominant feelings/attitude is reflected back to you in your life/circumstances/people/etc…  How might shifting your attitude or the way you feel about things change your outer world?
  • How can you use empathy to forgive and release?

Additional Notes About Working With The Elements

Directions: The directional correspondences for each element is traditional. Feel free to change these if it makes sense to do so.

For example, if you live on a lake that is east of you, you may want to associate water with the east, instead of the west.

Working With Crystals: You can work with crystals by meditating with them, carrying them with you or wearing them, and placing them out on your altar.

Working With Herbs: You can work with herbs by using them in smudge sticks or burning them, drinking tea, placing them on your altar, growing them, diffusing their essential oils, or using them in body care products.

Varying Weather or Unknown Weather: Feel free to check a weather app it is dark and you can’t see out the window to tell what the actual weather is.

Also, if the day call for rain and sunshine, or wind and sun, simply pick the dominant element that you feel most drawn to, or simply honor both for that day.