earth air water fire medieval illuminations

In addition to these four elements, sulfur represented the combustible nature of matter and mercury represented metals. The basic elements of alchemy are air, earth, fire, and water and they’re denoted by the same triangular symbols as used in the Pagan and Wiccan traditions. It’s linked to ideas of cleansing, calm, healing, and introspection.Īlchemy is the medieval forerunner of chemistry and is a philosophical and scientific discipline. Water is its opposite and is represented by an inverted triangle.It’s a powerful symbol of courage, lust, destruction, and renewal. Fire is symbolized by an upright triangle with no horizontal line passing through.Air is associated with communication, exchange, and ideas.Its complete opposite is air, which is the same symbol inverted. It’s used to represent ideas of nourishment, prosperity, stillness, and rest. Earth is symbolized by an inverted triangle with a line through the tip.Pagan and Wiccan SymbolsĮach element is also represented by individual symbols in Pagan and Wiccan beliefs. The pentagram is often enclosed in a circle to represent a protective womb and is used in rituals and worn as a symbol of protection from evil spirits.

The arrangement of the elements starting from the highest tip follows the traditional hierarchy of the most important material (spirit) to the least. Moving clockwise from the spirit, the elements are placed in order of density – fire, air, water, and earth. The tip of the star represents the most important element, the spirit, or self. The Pentacle or Pentagram is a five-pointed star worshipped in pagan spirituality since the middle ages. The Greek view of classical elements makes up the basis of medieval beliefs which influence Pagan interpretations of the elements. He deduced that the classical elements are the originator of all things, a philosophy that was shared by later Greek philosophers, Plato and Aristotle, although Aristotle added the fifth aether element to account for the (then) unknown matter that made up celestial objects. Empedocles first described the elements in the 5 th Century BC while attempting to discover the arche (or origin) of first matter. Classical Greek ElementsĪncient Greek philosophers popularized the idea of the classical elements of earth, fire, water, and air. Here’s a closer look at the elements and what they symbolize.

It’s evident in artifacts and art through the symbols used to represent the elements of fire, water, air, earth and sometimes spirit. The relationship between humans and the natural environment is celebrated in almost every culture throughout history.

Earth air water fire medieval illuminations