Most Western occult traditions include the four plus one elements, and Wicca is no exception. These are Earth, Air, Water, Fire and Spirit. The correspondences and symbols used to represent these elements vary from tradition to tradition. In this section, I will discuss the elements as I see them personally, influenced by many Wiccan works and by the Universal Eclectic Wicca Tradition.

Element Symbols

Some of the symbols used to represent the elements are as follows:

Earth  

Air  

Fire  

Water  

Spirit – no symbol

These symbols can be used as shorthand when writing notes or rituals. They can also be used for inscribing tools, candles, etc. when appropriate.

Some traditions assign elements to each of the points of the pentacle. Two such examples are below:

Each tradition also has correspondences they use for the elements. These can vary widely. For example, one working group may associate Water with the “traditional” direction of West, but another group may use East because there is a large body of water in that direction. Correspondences can be very personal, but it is helpful to research some well known correspondences as a starting point. Aleister Crowley’s 777 is an excellent, if sometimes confusing, resource.

Lesser Elements

Some traditions make use of lesser elements, that is, elements made from the combination of two of the greater, or five plus one, elements. Below is a table these lesser elements.¹

1. Adapted from All One Wicca: A Study in the Universal Eclectic Tradition of Wicca by Kaatryn MacMorgan.