Elements, Mythology

Earth Element

Attributes, qualities and correspondences of the element Earth.



The energy of Earth can be stable but she is not necessarily always stable. The Earth is not just rock or solid material. It is always in motion, both around the sun and revolving on its axis. The crust is always moving and shifting; close to her center is molten lava. It is dense, nurturing and receptive. It is manifestation, the material universe of matter and form, also associated with the World of Assiah as well as the Sephirah Malkuth. People born under the Earth signs are practical and methodical. Their personalities are described as ‘down to earth’ and they don’t like to make decisions with out making sure it’s the best answer. They can appear cold or stoic even though a volcano is bubbling within.

Secondly, bread and salt consist of both vegetable and mineral kingdoms. The human who is from the animal kingdom is actively participating in both of the other kingdoms. The vegetable kingdom is a higher frequency than the animal and the mineral kingdom is much lower than the animal, so a person partaking of bread and salt are simultaneously linking the above with the below. Thus showing a spiritual superiority over matter or more appropriately stated a mastery of matter.

Some correspondences and symbols of Earth are the Cubical Altar in the Golden Dawn tradition, the color black which represents terrestrial earth and the square which could represent stability. The Cubical altar is a correspondence of Earth because it is said in the Neophyte initiation ritual “The Double Cubical Altar in the center of the Hall, is an emblem of visible Nature or the Material Universe”. The stones rock salt, moss agate, onyx and galena. The trees of Earth are Oak, Cypress, Grains, Potato, Turnip, Cotton & Patchouli. The incense of Earth is storax. The tarot suit of Pentacles/coins and the Trump card Universe. The Ruler Kerub and the elemental species of Gnome, their King Ghob. The last Heh of the Tetragrammaton is attributed to Earth.

Two deities that correspond to Earth would be Geb and Osiris. Geb was the earth literally and was involved in the creation thereof. Osiris was a god of vegetation as was his father Geb. This is why the skin of Osiris was depicted as black like that of the Nile soil or with a greenish tint for vegetation. Osiris also descended to the underworld as did Tammuz/Innana/Ishtar.

I would you use Earth magically for anything that involved a need for manifestation or growth. I would use Earth for finance, business or money; aid in invoking determination in your self and acquiring grounding. It could be used to learn patience and responsibility. It is also used to balance the other elements. I would make talismans, prepare incenses or paint pictures of ideas to meditate on.

It is interesting that even in science a theory or idea is only an idea until it is proven by experiment. It must be made manifest in order to prove its truth. The scientist must bring his airy & mental theory into the earthly physical realm by either recreating or manifesting the idea.

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