The Meaning of the Five Elements in Magic, the Occult and Daily Life

The five elements are currently used by several individuals and groups of individuals in their personal worldviews. Some use it as a purely symbolic method of categorizing objects, forces and types of experience. Others see it more as a guide to the spiritual life behind the physical plane of manifestation. Many people who value the five element system incorporate it into their spiritual practices. This includes divination (for example, each suit of the Tarot represents one of the four elements) and ceremonial rites of worship and magic.

Earth is often used as a symbol of the material realm. This typically includes physical health, family life, finances, home and similar "earthy" things.

Water is the next least dense element and is used as a symbol for the emotional realm. Just as liquid changes shape more readily than solids, the emotions take less time to change than the body.

Air is less dense than Water and is used as a symbol of the mind, dreams and communication.

Fire is the least dense of the four standard elements. It represents the passions, such as rage and lust. It is also significant of a burning sense of purpose. Like the other elements, it can be either positive or negative in it's application.

Quintessence is the fifth element. It is the new and perfected Earth, free of corruption and bridging Spirit and Matter.

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Elementaries are traditionally considered to be non-physical entities that are composed entirely of one element. These are the intelligent forces behind all natural processes. The term "elemental" is often used in this context but is not traditional.

Sylphs are the spirits composed entirely of the Air element. They are like sprites and faries.

Gnomes are the entites of Earth. They are typically pictured as cave dwelling workers similar to the 7 dwarves of the Snow White tale.

Undines can be compared to merfolk and are composed of Water. They govern such things as ocean currents and waterfalls.

Salamanders are the denizens of Fire and are said to be seen jumping and dancing among the flames.

When using the term Quintessence, the fifth element is understood a bit differently from simply "beyond physicality". It includes as well as transcends the physical and is the key to understanding how the occult elements interact.

You will sometimes encounter the concept that the element of Earth is the result of the combination of the three more refined (in terms of density) elements of Water, Air and Fire. This technically makes Earth the fourth element. Western Hermetic Alchemy elaborates on this in a very interesting manner. The view states that Fire, Air and Water are the three principal elements in the universe. Everything that we see in the manifest world is considered Earth and is a composed of varying amounts of the three principals. In Alchemy, these principals are also often refered to as Salt, Sulphur and Mercury. These correspond closely with Water, Fire and Air (respectively.)

In the Emerald Tablet of Hermes, a fundamental Hermetic text, it states that "the above" resembles "the below" as well as the reverse. Since Earth is created from the Three Principals, it stands to reason that Earth can be broken back down into the Three Principals. Western Hermetic Alchemy claims that it can, and calls this process Death.

Alchemists learn how to use the Death force to reduce their Earth to a chaos of Salt, Sulphur and Mercury. The Alchemist then separates these principals, one from the other, and purifies each of them from all impurities. Mercury through distilation, Salt through calcination and Sulphur through a combination of the two methods. The purified principals are then recombined. They unite in a process of resurrection, creating a new type of Earth element which has conqured and removed the force of Death. This new, immortal element is the Quintessence - literally the Fifth Element.