The Circle -- indeed the world and everything in it (us included) -- is made up of four basic Elements.  These are not the elements from the periodic table we had to memorize in high school, they are the four classical Greek Elements of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth.  

The assignments of pentacle points comes from the Greater and Lesser Keys of Solomon the King and have been in use for centuries.  In recent years, we have seen a number of newer practitioners trying to "even out" the pentacle by putting the two masculine Elements of Air and Fire on one side and the two feminine Elements of Water and Earth on the other, most likely so it lines up with the placement of the tools on the altar.  While this may seem to make sense, anyone who is familiar with the banishing and invocatory pentacles will readily understand that Solomon (or whoever actually wrote the books ascribed to him) knew what he was talking about when he did it this way!  There is a valid magical reason for arranging the pentacle thusly:

Within our Temple, we represent the Elements in several ways.  First of all, each Element has a shrine, or a home within our home, to call their own.  Each shrine contains things that will make the Elementals feel welcome when we invite them into the Sacred Space.

As an example, Water of Air (or Water "in" Air) is rain or snow.  The water bottle on the Air shrine below is rain water.  The stones are Air stones (pumice, aventurine and yellow calcite -- calcite isn't technically an Air stone, but it is yellow and a better focus for energy, we find, than the other stones available for Air.)  In the spring, we place seeds upon the Air shrine before we plant them.  There are two candles, one is the Elemental Candle, done up in the colors of Air (lavendar, grey, sky blue and lemon yellow), the second represents Fire of Air -- a yellow-orange candle.  Although it cannot be clearly made out because of the sun coming in the window, there is a small light purple chalice on the shrine as well, so that we may offer libations to our Brothers and Sisters of the Air when we welcome them into our Sacred Space.  Each shrine also has its own incense burner and other items that are special to the Element.  We use Soma Luna Elemental blends for our Elemental incense (they're the only company we buy pre-mixed incense from.  Everything else we make ourselves.)

                               Air: To Know                                                                      

The colours of Air are pale yellow, sky blue, silvery grey and pale violet.

Earth of Air: Desert Sand /  Air Stones Storax incense Air of Earth: Any seed Myrrh incense	Fire of Air: Yellow-Orange Candle Olibanum incense Air of Fire: Smoke Frankincense incense
Water of Air: Mist/Fog Camphor incense * Air of Water: Rain/Snow Copal incense	Air of Air: Feathers, Incense Mastic incense Devils Dung incense *

*not a recommended scent!  (Devil's Dung is quite aptly named...)

The season of Air is Spring which begins on Imbolc; the phase of the moon for Air is the Waxing moon, the time of day is Dawn.  In typical Wiccan ritual, Air is located in the Eastern Quarter of the Temple.  Air Elementals are called Sylphs. 

Air is knowledge and intellect and learning, which is why it was our choice for the Element of the Dedicant level.  Air is also the Element of communication.

Humans can live without food for many days, without water for a few days, without air for just a few moments.  Air is vital to our survival; the first thing an infant does upon entry into this world is to take a big gulp of air.  The last thing any of of us does as we die is to breathe our last breath.

It is considered a masculine or "active" Element.  

Upon our altar, the incense burner, sometimes called a thurible or a sensor, represents Air -- not just on the physical level, but on the spiritual level as well.  The thurible IS Air.  It is the wind, the breath of the Goddess.  We offer incense in prayer and offering to Her and to the God, our Mother and Father.

Below is a collection of the thuribles we use, as well as some incense. 

There are other tools associated with Air as well.  Most notably, these are the wand and the staff.

The staff is associated with the office of the Summoner.  He is one of only two men within the Circle who may carry a staff.

Typical woods for making either a staff or a wand include ash, oak, rowan, hazel, birch, willow, and almond.  (Both Agrippa and Levi make mention of the positive qualities of almond and hazel wood for wand making.  Birch and willow are traditional witches' trees.  Oak is sacred to the Druids, ash to the Norse.  Rowan is a fine 'firey' tree to work with.)  As you can see in the picture above, wands can also be made of metals and stone and decorated in a variety of ways.

                                                     Fire: To Will

The colours of Fire are scarlet red, magenta, bright orange and sun yellow.

The stones are citrine (the large cluster), carnelian and pyrite.  The wand on this shrine is made of brass and has garnets on it, therefore it is considered to be oriented towards Fire, even though wands in general are of Air.

 

Earth of Fire: Ash / Earth Stones Red Sandalwood incense Fire of Earth: Russet Candle Lava (obsidian) Benzoin incense, Pine incense (resin, wood or needles)	Air of Fire: Smoke Frankincense incense Fire of Air: Yellow-Orange Candle Olibanum incense
Water of Fire: "White" Water (rapids) Red Sanders incense * Fire of Water: Red-Blue Candle Falling Water (waterfall) Opponax incense	Fire of Fire: Fire Candle, Red Candle All open flames Olibanum incense

*not the same thing as red sandalwood

The season of Fire is Summer, which begins on Beltaine. The phase of the moon for Air is the Full Moon, the phase that reflects the most sunlight back to the Earth.  The time of day is Noon, when the Sun is at its zenith in the sky.  In typical Wiccan ritual, Fire is located in the Southern Quarter of the Temple.  Fire Elementals are called Salamanders, but they are not to be confused with earthly amphibions of the same name.  These salamanders are Fire Lizards, made up of pure Elemental energy. 

Fire is courage and will power.  It is lust and passion.  It is electricity.  Fire can be angry... destructive.  Fire is best symbolized by the phoenix rising from its own ashes.  This is why we chose Fire to be the Element of the First Initiate, the clergy-hood.  Once a person gets to this stage, they tend to exhibit the best (and sometimes the worst) traits of the Element of Fire.  (But even exhibiting the worst of Fire is considered a part of "growing up" and it doesn't usually last long.  Think about your teenaged years... there were a lot of growing pains, but eventually you grew out of them and settled down.)

Fire is considered a masculine or "active" Element.  It is the "unstoppable force" (where as Earth is the "immovable object.")  Fire is considered to be the most 'spiritual' of the Four Elements, for Fire has no weight, nor any real substance.  It is the least solid or dense of the Four Elements.  (Spirit isn't really an Element, it is Deity... and us... upon the pentacle.)

Upon our altar, the Fire Candle represents not merely physical Fire --  that which gives us light and warmth --  but also Spiritual Fire.  It is the First Spark of Life, the Big Bang of cosmology, the First stirring of Love (Eros) from which all other things came forth.  It is the Light that guides us upon our Path.

The other tools that are of the Element of Fire are the sword and the athame.  In ritual, only the High Priest and High Priestess may wield the sword, for the sword is a symbol of authority.  In our rituals, only High Clergy use their athames in ritual as well, but this is for safety reasons.  The Temple room is not especially large... even a small group of people swishing sharp knives about really isn't anyone's idea of a good time!

The most traditional athames have black handles; however, an athame can be any double edged blade, simple or ornate, to which the witch feels drawn.  What matters is that it IS double edged.  Below is a collection of athames that belong to various members Silver Skein.  Also pictured is our coven's sword (and no, that's not blood on the floor next to the sword, it's wax.  Much to our Lady's husband's chagrin, there is a LOT of wax on the Temple floor... )

                                                     Water: To Dare

The colours of Water are true blue, sea green, aquamarine and indigo.

The stones are ametyhst, river stones and moon stone.  There are also sea shells and a scrying globe, since srcying and intuition are two of the gifts of Water.

Water of Air: Rain or Snow Camphor incense* Air of Water: Mist or Fog Copal Incense	Water of Fire: "White" Water -- rushing water Red Sanders incense Fire of Water: Red-Violet Candle, Water Fall Opoponax incense
Water of Earth: Spring or Well Water Lotus or calamus root incense Eart of Water: Beach sand Water Stones Amber incense	Water of Water: Ocean Water Opoponax incense    Holy water is made up of one third rain water, one third ocean water and one third spring water. We use Holy water as a part of our rituals of bathing and purification before we enter Sacred Space.

 *not a particularly nice smelling incense... as oil it smells a bit like Vick's Vapor rub.

The season of Water is Autumn which begins on Lammas; the phase of the moon for Water is the Waning moon, the time of day is Sunset.  In typical Wiccan ritual, Water is located in the Western Quarter of the Temple.  Water Elementals are called Undines. 

Water is intuition, and emotion; it is feeling, knowing with one's heart rather than with one's mind.  It is the power of deep emotional love.  It is the Element of healing, which is an act of love.  Water is also the sourece of Life on this planet, the womb of the Goddess.  If other planets are found to have life that is easily recognizable as being similar to our own, that life will be found on worlds where there is Water.  For this reason, we have selected Water to be the Element of our Neophyte level, the level at which the student truly is born into mysteries and begins to embrace them as a part of his or her life. 

Water is represented in the Cauldron of Cerridwyn and the Holy Grail, both of which represent change and the Quest of knowledge.

Water is considered a feminine or "passive" Element.  

Upon our altar, Water is represented as either a shell or a large chalice filled with shells.  This water is not merely the physical representation of water, however, it IS Water... it is the ocean and the life giving rains.

This is our Water:

                                           Earth: To Keep Silent

The colors of Earth are green, citrine, russet and black... students of the Qabala might notice a similarity between these colors and the sphere of Malkut!

The stones on our Earth shrine are clear quartz and black quartz.

Earth of Air: Desert Sand /  Air Stones Storax incense Air of Earth: Any seed Myrrh incense	Fire of Earth: Obsidian stone, Lava, Russet candle Benzoin incense Pine incense (resin, wood or needles) Eart of Fire: Ash, Citrine or other Fire Stones Red Sandalwood incense
Water of Earth: Well or Spring Water Lotus or Calamus Root incense Earth of Water:  Beach Sand Amber incense	Earth of Earth: Black dirt Patchouli incense

The season of Earth is Winter, which begins on Samhain. The phase of the moon for Earth is the New Moon, the moon that is hidden from view.  The time of day is Midnight.  In typical Wiccan ritual, Earth is located in the Northern Quarter of the Temple.  Earth Elementals are called gnomes... but don't be fooled into thinking that they share any commont traits the pointy-hatted statues that sit in gardens (or have been adopted as mascots for travel agencies.)  These gnomes are ancient earthy spirits.

Earth is stability and steadfastness.  It is Law.  It is silence and santuary.  It is every Sacred Grove and Standing Stone Circle.  Earth Magic is the Magic of the house and garden, the Magic of the home.  This is why we chose Earth to be the Element of the Second Initation, for by the time one reaches this level, they have attained  groundedness.  They are also ready, should they choose, to hive off and form their own Coven, their own spiritual home, which will function autonomously of Silver Skein.

Earth is considered a feminine or "passive" Element.  It is the "immovable object" (where as Fire is the "unstoppable force.")   It is the most solid or dense of the Four Elements.  It is constriction, restriction, and foundation.

Upon our altar, the Pentacle and the Salt Dish represents not merely physical Earth --  that which gives us strength and stability --  but also Spiritual Earth.  

Pictured below is a wooden Pentacle (complete with red wax), a metal pentacle, salt dish and a crystal cluster. 

Also of the Element of Earth are our cords, for cords symbolize the Oaths we take.  Pictured below is our Hearthfire Candle  (for 2009), our Coven Stone and one of our cords.  (You probably noticed cords in several of the pictures above, as well.) 

Although made of stone (mineral), the Coven Stone represents the heart of spirit of the Coven, not the Element of Earth (although we certainly appreciate the steady strenght of such a big piece of quartz!)

The Hearthfire candle is lit at the beginning of each ritual; it is renewed every year in January.  Although it is dedicated to Hestia, we also honor Brigit, Bast, Aine and Gabija as Goddesses of the Hearthfire at various times through out the year.

In addition to those named and pictured above, there are a few tools that have no direct Elemental association.  The Besome, or witches' broom, is used to sweep the Circle prior to ritual as part of the purifications.  Originally, the broom was used to sweep the outdoor area where the ceremony was to take place, to sweep away small stones, twigs and other things that would hurt if someone stepped on them.  The Besome, is of coures, as iconic to the witch as the conical hat.

The Boline, or white handled knife, is used to cut herbs.  Although the one pictured above has a curved blade, many Bolines have straight blades; they are always single edged, to make them practical to use.  (We also have a pair of "ritual scissors" for cutting herbs and flowers in the summer.)  Both the Besome and Boline are tools of the Handmaiden.