Daniel Bran Griffith - The Chattering Magpie: From the Archive

The paper below was first published in 2006 and it appeared in that much missed Traditional Craft journal, the HedgeWytch. I reproduce it word for word as originally printed, without correction or editing.

If I was to write the same article today, it would be quite different. I like to think that I am a better writer than I was fourteen years ago and that my individual style has generally improved with practice. Furthermore, if I was to write this paper now, I would be able to explore the subject in greater depth and it is possible, certain sections would be corrected. For example, I certainly would not spell magic with a K today.

The paper itself is however, special to me. It was not the first article I had published. I had a few published in the 1990s but they are now lost. That was before word-processing and being able to save work conveniently on a computer. Hard copy manuscripts have long been misplaced.

No, rather this piece is special because it was the first, I had published in a serious and influential journal. The HedgeWytch and the Silver Wheel were the two nationally available magazines that took my work to a new level, allowing me to inflict my opinion upon a much broader audience. I owe a great debt to the editors of those two magazines for their support and encouragement to write.

When people first begin to explore the occult and study magick, they are often confused by the elemental associations. Does the sword belong to air or fire? Should the wand be air and if so why? These are valid questions but often the answer is dependant on which magickal philosophy you primarily follow.

First of all I better comment on the correlation of magical tool with the related element. Although we call it the Western Tradition much found in ceremonial magic is of Romano-Greek, Middle Eastern and Egyptian origin. The alternative Western Tradition is British, Irish and Northern European. The historical division is between the cultures south of and north of the Alps.

The Western Tradition whose origins lie along the Mediterranean coast states;

Air=wand

Fire=knife or sword

Water=cup or cauldron

Earth=the platter or pentacle disc

The British (Gaelic) Tradition whose origin is Northern and Western Europe states:

Air=sword or knife

Fire=wand or staff

Water=cup or cauldron

Earth=the altar, the sacred stone or the pentacle disc

My own suggestion as an alternative reason for swords belonging to air may be that the sword is the arrow point that cuts the air as it races to its mark. However, an arrow of course looks remarkably like a wand doesn't it?

Now let us look at a few correspondences and how they relate to each other. I am not going into a lot of detail here as the listing will in theory, illustrate the more salient points.

The Element of Air.

Traditional tool or weapon is the sword or knife although some traditions say wand. Tarot suit is therefore either swords or wands and in a deck of cards spades or clubs. Compass point is east. Colour in the Western Tradition is yellow although the Airt colour (more later) is crimson. Air represents energy and is related to the mind, intuitive and psychic work, communication and legalities. Power: to know. Season: Spring.

Element of Fire.

Traditional tool or weapon is the wand although some traditions say sword. Tarot suit is therefore either wands or swords and in a deck of cards clubs or spades. Compass point is south. Colour in the Western is red although the Airt colour is white. Fire represents spiritual will and is related to purification, combat, sex, passion, physical health and healing. Power: to will. Season: Summer.

Element of Water.

Traditional tool or weapon is the cup or cauldron. Tarot suit is cups and in a deck of cards hearts. Compass point is west. Colour in the Western Tradition is blue although the Airt colour is grey. Water represents compassion and is related to emotions, matters of love, dreams, intuitive and psychic work and the deep subconscious mind. Power: to dare. Season: Autumn

Element of Earth.

Traditional tool or weapon is the altar pentacle. Tarot suit is pentacles or coins and in a deck of cards diamonds. Compass point is north. Colour in the Western Tradition is green (or brown) although the Airt colour is black. Earth represents understanding and is related to growth, material gain, employment and the home, prosperity, stability and fertility! Power: to be silent. Season: Winter.

Now you have read that and you may be wondering what an AIRT is, although the reader may have come across the term in Druidry. This is an old Gaelic (Irish) term for the four compass points and is related to how the old Irish experienced wind (must have been all that feasting in the fabled halls of Tara).

The prevailing wind of the east is cold, dry and bracing. Representing the element of air its' colour is the crimson of dawn.

The prevailing wind of the south brings heat and dryness. Representing the element of fire its' colour is the white light of high noon.

The prevailing wind of the west brings rain and dampness. Representing the element of water its' colour is the brownish grey of the twilight.

The prevailing wind of the north is cold and often freezing. Representing the element of earth its' colour is the black of midnight.

There is of course a fifth element. Spirit is given the fifth power "To Go" and represents the power of progression and evolution.

This leads us to the elemental associations of traditional treasures of Ireland. I am taking a lot of this next part from The New Celtic Oracle by Nigel Jackson and Nigel Pennick. Published by Capall Bann in 1997. There are plenty of other books for you to continue your research if you wish to do so.

The Sword of the Nuada corresponds to the eastern quarter, representing the mind and spiritual consciousness. It is the blade of the intellect that cuts through problems and the breath of life given by the Gods. It represents the element of air.

The Spear of Lugh is another magical weapon and corresponds to the southern quarter, representing the power of the will and dynamic energy. It represents fire and in Irish mythology the spear may have been the Gods' thunderbolt. In other words the wand represents the fire from above, lightning

The Cauldron of the Dagda corresponds unsurprisingly to the western quarter. Representing knowledge and the element of water it may be (and almost certainly is) connected with other "Celtic" cauldrons such as that of the Welsh Goddess Carridwen.

The Stone of Destiny corresponds to the northern quarter and represents earth. It is the base, the axis of the world, our foundation and may originally have been represented by a permanent stone altar, rather than a mobile representation in the form of the modern pentacle.

So here we have two equally valid systems which effectively switch the correspondences for air and fire. However the story doesn’t stop there. In some Traditional Witchcraft groups the correspondences for the elements are very different, east is fire, south is earth, west is water and north is air. That however is another story.