By Cat Gina Cole
Many people assume a Hedge Witch is simply an herb worker or a kitchen witch. In my family tradition, however, a Hedge Witch is someone who lives and works with the elements—and with psychism—every day. We define witchcraft as the ability to work with all forces of nature, both those of the physical world and those beyond the veil.
Those who follow my blog may remember my entry, “Weather Magic With Clairvoyance in Time and Space,” where I describe how I built my relationship with the Element of Air. In this article, I expand on that work by sharing a core belief from my tradition: the directions and the elements are separate things. The Direction of East is the realm where Air resides. This distinction is fundamental to how I connect with the elements.
Air — The First Element
As we walk the circle, the first element we encounter is Air. For all beings on Earth, Air’s primary function is the breath of life. The first thing a newborn does is gasp for air; without breath, there is no life. The planet itself is a living, breathing organism: if Earth cannot breathe, she too will not survive.
Is Air the act of breathing? Is it weather? It is both—and much more. Air contains countless components, each with its own presence and spirit: wind, storms, gases, lightning, snow, light, silence, sky, stars, electricity, space, rain, daylight, temperature, fog, sound, clouds, and the atmosphere that holds them all.
Each component has its own energy, action, reaction, and spirit. Each feels different, sounds different, smells different, and responds in its own way when spoken to. Some even make requests of you in return.
The intangible components of Air include levitation, psychism, invisibility, thought, intellect, energy, intent, dreams, spirituality, and the astral planes.
The Direction of East
East is the realm that houses the Element of Air. It is the place of dawn—the daily birth of light—making East a realm of renewal, illumination, and awakening. Within East reside all forms of weather, all intangible qualities of Air, and all spirits, deities, and guardians connected to the element.
On my altar, the ritual tool for East is the wand or staff. We wave it through the air to direct energy and send intent. Wands are traditionally made of wood, born of trees that create oxygen and live within the air they produce. For this reason, the wand is the natural tool of Air.
There is far more to Air than one might first imagine.
Fire — The Second Element
The next direction we meet on the circle is South, home of Fire. When people think of Fire, they often picture flickering flames, forgetting the greatest fire our planet knows: the Sun. The Sun sustains every living thing; without its heat and light, life could not exist.
At Imbolc, the Sun warms the soil just enough for hidden plants to quicken. That quickening—an energy of expectancy, pregnancy, and rebirth—can be felt by those sensitive to it. All living things emit that energy, which we experience as the hope of spring and the spark of life.
Fire transforms whatever it touches. Flames reduce matter to ash, and from ash the Earth creates nutrient-rich soil. The Sun then coaxes new growth from that soil. Thus Fire, through both torch and Sun, becomes an actuator of rebirth. Rebirth is both destruction and creation—Fire is transformative because nothing remains the same after being touched by it.
Components of Fire include heat, flames, sparks, blood, coals, charcoal, lava, magma, and dryness. Its non-tangible forms include intensity, stillness, sudden movement, fierce motion, blasts of energy, passion, destruction, creation, and will.
The heart is associated with Fire, for it is the furnace of the body. It drives our passions, desires, and will to live—just as the Sun drives the life force of our planet.
In my practice, the ritual tool of Fire is the athame. Forged in flame, it embodies passion, transformation, and the dual forces of creation and destruction.
Water — The Third Element
Continuing around the circle, we arrive in the West, realm of Water.
When most people think of Water, they imagine drinking water, rivers, oceans, or emotions. Yet we rarely acknowledge that we carry Water inside us every moment of our lives. Our bodies are two-thirds water, as is our planet. Water nourishes the body, the Earth, and the soul.
Sitting beside running water soothes nearly everyone—that is Water easing our spirits. We are carried in water for nine months before birth. Life cannot emerge or thrive without it.
Water is the birth of all living things. It hydrates us, cleanses us, purifies us, and dilutes what overwhelms us. Emotionally, Water softens stress, clears the mind, calms fiery passions, and holds our deepest feelings.
Tangibly, Water includes rivers, oceans, rain, fog, ice, mist, streams, humidity, and tears. Intangibly, Water embodies fluidity, depth, movement, soothing, purity, creation, destruction, dissolution, and emotional tides. Each has its own energy, spirit, and behavior.
The West is a realm of thresholds—liminal space, the in-between. It is the place of depths, darkness, oceans, rivers, and the setting Sun.
In ritual, I use the chalice or bowl as the tool of Water.
Earth — The Fourth Element
The final element in the circle is Earth, the Great Mother and provider of all. Without Earth, nothing could exist: no plants, no food, no water, no air, no fire, and no us. Earth is the home of our bodies, the cradle of our birth, and the grave that receives us in death.
To a Hedge Witch, the other elements are not separate from Earth but expressions of her:
- Air comes from her plants and atmosphere.
- Water is held by her oceans and soil.
- Fire burns her fuel and flows from her volcanic core.
She is the mother of all life, allowing us to flourish—or to run rampant. When she has had enough, she speaks through storms, fires, floods, droughts, and famine.
Every day, she tells us what she needs: dry soil signals watering, drooping leaves signal nourishment, animal behaviors signal hunger or shelter. The land speaks to us when we learn to watch, listen, and feel.
Earth absorbs our energy, our waste, and our bodies, transforming them into new life. She is the great regenerator of all.
Earth’s components include dirt, rocks, minerals, plants, oils, crystals, nutrients, ores, and even the aurora borealis. Her intangible qualities include stability, foundation, health, home, solidity, birth, death, rebirth, regeneration, transformation, and abundance.
The North is her realm—a place of creation and destruction, life and death, solidity and fluidity. It is home to gnomes, magnets, shifting energies, ice, and the cosmic gateway seen in the northern lights. My preferred tool for North is the staff, which grounds and directs Earth energy.
Calling the Quarters
When I call the elemental quarters in ritual, I draw up the sacred connections I have cultivated with each one. I feel their powers rise within me until they vibrate through my whole being. Only then do I voice the call, letting those vibrations channel through my words and any tool in my hand.
This is how I, as a Hedge Witch, work with the elements. These relationships allow me to call on them at a moment’s notice—to influence weather, direct energy, or shift personal circumstances.
If I need intellect, I call on the wind to carry insight to me.
If I need stability, I garden and ask Earth for grounding.
If I need motivation, I meditate with flame.
If I need emotional depth or cleansing, I step into water.
In every case, I remain mindful of each element as a distinct presence.
Connecting With the Elements
The key is to develop your own relationships with the elements in a way that works for you. Doing so deepens magic and enriches spirituality. This is the heart of the teaching behind:
“As above, so below; as without, so within; as the universe, so the soul.”
It is my hope that a glimpse into the depths of my work will lead you to greater connection, empowerment, and richness in your own magical practice.
So mote it be.
If you want to learn more about Cat Gina Cole, go to her website at www.catginacole.com.