How do you...?

[Dindrane]

I belong to another message board, and seen an interesting post that I wanted to post hear to see what opinions might be shared.

How do you call in your elements, what visual techniques do you use? Personally I use different techniques for different circles. Most of the time I call the elements from within myself. earth = body, water = womb, air = breath, fire = emotion. Other times I use different candle colours. And other times I visualize a lake for water, a tree for earth, ect. I also use dishes of earth/water, insence and candles. What do you use?

Blessings,
Dindrane

[Erincelt]

Typically I use physical symbols -- ie, bit of earth for.. well.. earth, some water for.. well.. water, etc -- but will sometimes visualize abstracts, such as creatures, scenes, and symbols associated with that element, if working without ritual tools. :) In either case though, I like to have colored candles, just.. for aesthetic reasons, really.

[Annyka]

I use both candles and things to represent the elements (ie incense for air)....

Sometimes I use one or the other, but usually both.

[Rainx]

I visualize in terms of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. I find myself in the soil, smelling and feeling it's fertile, cold texture around me, and so on. Rarely I use items for each quarter, but I have only once or twice use 4 quarter candles.

[Autumn Sidhe]

Calling the elements from within yourself.. what a wonderful idea! Something I'd never considered before. Thanks for sharing. :)

I guess i'm a fairly typical Wiccan in the sense that I use physical objects on my altar to represent the elements. A clear bowl for water (water), clear bowl for salt (earth), incense (air) and a tea light candle in a red holder (fire).

Typical-schmipical :D

(edited because I can't seem to spell worth a poo tonight!)

[Dindrane]

It's really neat to see what other people do to call elements, it's great to try out new things. I'm eclectic and a solitaire so all ideas are great ideas, and I look forward to trying them.
Thanks for sharing!

Be Blessed,
Dindrane

[Elfa Wylde]

MM!

I have stones with the symbols for the elements painted on them in the corresponding colours.
I set up the circle by calling each element as I set the stone in the app. place.

Then I visualise a shimmering mist forming over each in the app. colour as I take a moment after each call.




BB!

[AmbivalentMirage]

Weeeeell, it really depends.

When inside, I use candles with element-appropriate colours. If I'm outside, however, I use the actual elements. (Small pile of rocks, little pond of water, candle, and wind) Of course if it's not windy naturally, I make an appeal to the element of air and hope it works. ;)

[Emy]

Usually I just try to feel the elements... feel the air and the wind, feel the heat of fire, the cooling water and the calm earth. I try to feel them inside, and for me this works just fine, and I can really feel when they are with me in a circle.


B*B

[wildwoodswoman]

On my alter I keep stones=earth, water, a special candle=fire, water/ shells=water, and wild bird feathers=air. I wasn't thinkig about it when I put them there. They just sort of landed there and it all seemed so natural and correct that I built the rest of the alter around them.

[cydira]

I've a few different elemental symbols.

On my small, every day altar, I've a bit of lightning struck oak for fire, a sea shell for water, a fossil for earth, and one of my scrying tools (a snowflake obsidion sphere, about the size of a small marble) for air.

On my larger, ritual altar, I've my elemental tools (chalice for water, culdron for earth, bell for air, athame & sickle for fire) and candles. I also will use feathers for air, a bowl of water for water, a candle for fire, and some form of scent for air. Usually it's been either my oil diffuser or a scented wax tart. Can't use insence any more since I got asthma. :(

I also carry a small pouch with stones that I identify with the elements. I have a peice of flint for fire, a river stone for water, a fossil for earth, and either a clear crystal (which is in there most of the time) or a bit of moon stone for air. I'm hesitant to use my tecktite or my meteroite just because I don't want them to be damaged in anyway.

Some times I'll use a fossil for water just because the fossils that are in my area are related to the large, shallow sea that covered my part of the world during the Devorian era. (Lets see how many rock hounds will guess where I am. :D ) I sometimes will use a deer knuckle bone that I found while hiking for earth, also. It reminds me of the connection that I have in my bones and also of the mortality which is so intimately tied into life, and also into the element of earth. At least from my perspective. :)