I grew up, and have spent most my life, in the forest, foothills, and Mountains of the US. In the early years of my practice I had thought the element I was most drawn to was Earth. The lush greens of spring and summer. The shifting and dancing colors of fall. Even the slumber of the winters brought a deep sense of comfort.
I also knew deep down somewhere that what I was really connecting to and being drawn to wasn’t the land, but something that was laying below the surface…
The Element That Calls
I have heard it often enough, and have even said it myself to people just starting to connect to elements and elementals “Start with the element you are drawn too most.”
In theory this seems to be the right choice, and perhaps it is in a way, as long as you do not lock yourself into that mindset.
Even though I had this intense draw to what I thought was the Earth, the land – there was also some huge problems in my working with it. First being that I had the blackest thumb. Any plant I tried to grow or nurture would die. No matter how hard I try, it ends the same. Now, if I just plant a seed or plant and then take myself completely out of the picture by letting it go wild, it does great.
Our food plants suck first year, but we let some of them drop and stay on the ground. Those seeds seep in, and our second year is fantastic yields. I planted grape vines and blackberries – The first year I was pretty sure they were completely dead, but the next year they sprouted like wildfire. The key problem in all of this was me. For whatever reason, if I try to tend it, it will die.
There is a difference between what we “like” and what we are really connected to. Sometimes it can be hard to see until you go really deep. Still, there are some clues to help us. I should have seen being a plant murderer as one, but nope, I just kept trying to fit into this little box that I thought was right.
A Moment of Clarity
It wasn’t until our triplets were 3 years old and we decided to spend a year going cross country in an RV, did I experience something that would forever change my view on this idea that my element was Earth.
We spent several months in the desert and scrub planes areas. I had never felt so drained, so disconnected in my life. My spiritual connection felt like it was shriveling up under the scorching sun and dry heat. If my core element was Earth, this would not have been such a big issue. The problem was, it wasn’t the element of Earth that I was drawing my power from – It was the Waters beneath it.
Water in the desert is sparse. It is droplets comparative to the lands of my home. Even the water underground is overshadowed by the immense heat of lava flows that were in the areas we were.
The moment we crossed back into the mountains, the lush greens, and hidden springs, my energy spiked. It began flowing through me like a raging river.
No, my core element, the one that I have the deepest connection to, the one where my power flows with the greatest, is Water. It was the waters laying quietly below the earth. It was the changing forms of Water through the seasons that I was shifting with.
If I had never experienced the desert, I am not sure I would have really seen that. Not in the powerful way that I needed to in order to break free from the trap I had created for myself.
What Others Tell Us
Often when I ask the question “What element are you most connected with (or drawn to)?” the most common answer is the element associated with their Sun or Moon sign (astrology). In a way, it even feels like a conditioned response – because it kind of is.
It is common for people to choose an element because it correlates with their astrology. I have even seen books telling people that their astrological sign dictates the element that they are most strongly connected to – their core element if you will. I see a flaw in this thinking though – Which part of the astrology dictates this? Is it the Sun sign, Moon sign, or your rising which is the hardest for many to figure out since you need the exact time of your birth?
Some people may get lucky and all of them are under the same element. Most have at least two different ones though. In my case I have all 4 elements. My Sun sign is Fire – My Moon sign sits directly between Earth and Air, and my Rising is Water.
No matter what the astrology you are looking at though, doesn’t mean your core element will align with it. I do not think it can, since different astrology systems have different dates and even different associations to them. For those on the cusp between two (water in one system but fire in another) it can get even more confusing.
Then there is the original problem we started with: The surface level vs the depth. Sometimes what we are drawn to is the result of an element but not the core of it. I was drawn to the land, what I could see – but my power was being drawn from the waters below it. In my younger years I thought my calling was to heal people – from a physical body perspective – which is why I became a Critical Care Nurse. What I learned though, is that my true and deepest healing is that of the soul. Both are still healers, I can still heal both, but my strength, my deepest power, comes in Soul healing. This is what I mean by surface vs depth.
This is why I feel it is important to do a deep dive within the self to find the answer.
Core Element
To find your core element, you first have to clear away any preconceived notions you have of what that is. Try to look at all of them with fresh eyes, fresh perspectives. You are not leaving any of the others behind – we work in all the elements. The core element is just the one we draw the most power from, have the deepest connection to, and shows us how to work more effectively and efficiently with the others (I will get more into that in an upcoming article).
Think about how you personally see and feel each element. The emotions that each one brings up – how you interact with each one – what do they symbolize for you – how do you work with them in your magic – how do they work within your body – how do they work in your preferred environment. Remember, you have to put away all the information of others here and are answering these questions based on how you experience them and the role they play for you. There is nothing to look-up, just a journey within yourself.
Which element do you draw the most power from when channeling elements? When that element is missing, what is the effect on you? Are there any red flags – disconnects or dysfunctions between you and that element (black thumb here)?
This is a good opportunity to work through each element to find how they fit and work for you, for your magic and your spirit. Through the process you will be able to identify your core element. It is the one that centers all the rest – dictates how they work for you.
For example:
My core is Water. It dictates how the other elements work and move for me.
The air is a carrier for it. It is breath and voice – the catalyst for the Storms that I create (Death worker here). It freezes water, thus preserving and protecting knowledge/ memory/ history.
The Earth is the medium I manipulate with water to shape the change in the physical world. Through water I can shape the physical world and cut my own path within it.
Fire is my destruction and creative mode – it shifts the form of the water – it allows the water to be imbued (think brewing/ cauldron) – it changes the water into vapor that can then be spread to other places (expanding) – it melts the ice releasing the life held in the water.
These are simple examples, and ones that fit how I work, within the work I do. At the center of everything is Water. Water is what enhances my power in the most profound way. It is what dictates my movement in all the others, and how to use them to my fullest advantage. I can move from any element, for I am part of them all – but when I move from my core element, this is when I have the greatest power and potential – and the best results. From my experience, when find and actually start working from your core element, your magic will be the most potent magic you have created.
Going Deeper
When you have found your core element (or if after the inner journey you are still not sure) then you can do some deeper research to help give you some ideas and inspirations to try out.
Create some self spells using your core element as the central energy, and the others based upon that energy. Experiment and see what kind of results you get. I say self – spells because they are the easiest and quickest ones to see clear results from.
If you are a book worm like me, I personally suggest the Llewellyn Element Series. They are written from a world perspective vs a specific tradition/ culture, giving them a broader scope and including a deeper variety of information. Touching on history, folklore, working with, and crafting spells/ rituals with each element. I’d suggest starting with the book that is your core element – the rest would just be gravy on-top, possibly giving you inspirations on how to use them with your core element.
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