Water

They say that all life came out of the ocean; all life still needs water. Water is that which lies inside us, which makes up our deep being, and we need it to sustain ourselves. Water is ever-shifting; at one moment, still and deep, another shallow and fast. In yet another form, Water appears icy sharp, and in another, delicate and fragile, but glittering. Rain from the sky is what supports the eco-systems on earth, and all rivers, streams, tides, glaciers erode away the very earth. Water moves in us, as emotions, as physical processes, as thoughts and words.

Water, in classical antiquity, is often associated with the emotions and the deep source of inspiration that comes not from the gods, like Fire, but from within. Like Fire, Water is also to our essential spiritual being, because Water is that wisdom and life that resides within us and supports us. It mothers us, while Fire moves us. Water is another important element of ritual, cosmology and symbolism in Filidecht, and, along with Fire, is at the center of much of Celtic mythology.

 

Fire

In classical antiquity, the world was thought to be made up of four principle elements: Water, Earth, Fire, and Air. This mindset lasted for much longer than you might think in science, and in religion, it has been transformed into a magical system. In ceremonial magic, such as that utilized by practitioners of Wicca, these four elements are called upon or invoked to construct and consecrate a sacred space as forces of nature, connected and manifested in both nature and in our psychology, and often are used with other magical energies in spellwork.These four elements have many symbols and correspondences attached to them in the occult world, and as such are powerful tools for creating spells, rituals and personal meditations.

The Celts did not view the world as being constructed of these same “elements”, and in modern practice, those in a traditional Celtic mindset do not see the need for invoking these elements to create a sacred space, as sacred space already exists all around them. The Three Realms, already discussed in this essay, are acknowledged, but not as “elements”, in the sense of the classical principles or forces. Which isn’t to say that forces or energies have no place in magical workings or ritual. In fact, Celtic tradition has a strong background and evidence for several of these forces, and I have utilized forces of my own discovery that I feel is true to the Celtic mindset, if completely UPG.

However, two of these “elements” do have a place, cosmically, in the Celtic worldview, and in a worldview of story. They are Fire, and Water, the mysteries of which are potent energies and forces in their own right, and to be respected as such.