Elements Series - Water 🜄

Amber J
Jun 9, 2023
6 min read

Updated: Aug 11, 2023

The summer time is when we really remember that water is important to our lives. We become thirsty faster, seek out bodies of water to cool off in, and really look forward to showering the stink of the day off. Water is both within us and all around us. The very air we breathe has a water content to it (humidity, am I right?). Without enough of it we can experience headaches, dizziness, and dry mouth. Too much water and we feel bloated, lethargic, or nauseated. As with everything a balance must be struck.

This element is very adaptable. Water likes to be in vapor form, solid form, and liquid form. It reminds us that you don't have to stay the same thing forever. You can allow your environment and circumstance to influence change in you. This reminder allows you to go with the flow (more puns to come, I'm sure). Water can be a gentle life giving source of refreshment or a wild and destructive force. We find this with all of the elements and it is important to remind ourselves to be careful.

Both metaphorically and literally, drowning is silent. This is another thing Hollywood gets wrong - there is often not enough time to make noise when you are being pulled under the water. Drowning in our emotional state can look like bottling up and shutting down. It can look like working ourselves to sickness instead of taking time off to recover. It can appear as someone not taking the medication they need to manage their mental or physical health. Much like literal drowning in water, it is silent and deadly. My intention is not to be morbid, I simply want to ensure I can add practical precautions where they make sense. If you are seeking out a body of water to meditate in - please familiarize yourself on how to be safe. The American Red Cross has some good drowning prevention resources available here.

Working With Water

Further down I have a list of information about this element - so if you want to "skip to the recipe" click here.

I live by the motto that there is no wrong way to work with the energies around you. I do have a list of what most sources associate with this energy, don't limit yourself to these interpretations. Listen to your intuition, and use what is below as a guideline, not a rule. Be safe, don't consume things that are not food grade or edible. I believe there is no one size fits all answer so explore.

Now that we have the safety and balance talk out of the way we can get to the fun part. Water is FUN. It is one of those elements that is sought out for sports, activities, and lazy days of summer, fall, winter, and spring. It runs the whole gamut of the year! When spring showers come it is time to start dancing in the rain and planting flowers. Summer sun sends humans in droves to beaches, pools, splashpads, and under lawn sprinklers. I remember many days on my friends trampoline with the sprinkler spraying us in waves from underneath. It was the 90's - safety was an afterthought. Winter finds us heading to ski lodges and snowboarding ramps. Fall brings us kayaking, canoeing, and boating through tree lined rivers and lakes. This gives us a beautiful view of the trees changing colors and even allows for peaceful and picturesque fishing.

Humans have been seeking out water since the dawn of time. We are made of a large percentage of water. According to USGS.gov up to 60% of the human adult body is water. Babies can be up to 78% and water is a vital component to most bodily functions. To deep dive check out the article here. This means that you are always able to call upon water as you are water. Looking inward you can focus on this element and it's influence with just your attention.

I use water to remind me to be flexible. Part of my mental health journey is to be open to change. I have what is called 'Black & White Thinking', where something either is exactly as I planned it or it does not exist. This often comes across as ultimatums and an unwillingness to compromise. It's strange because I love compromise. I simply tend to panic when confronted with sudden shifts. Water teaches me to release the tension and surrender to the moment. Just like learning to float on your back - you need to relax into the right pose or it won't work.

If the situation requires me to come at it full force, I am a tsunami; a giant wave facing the problem head on. If it requires a more gentle approach, I become a spring shower; gentle and soft, but powerful enough to help others grow. If the situation does not require me at all, I vaporize and disappear. No really, I've snuck out the back of a few conversations that did not need my involvement.

Water is emotions. When we see it in Tarot we know that the card deals with emotions in some way. The more water on the card, the more deeply the emotion will impact your situation. The rune Laguz ᛚ means water, lake, or ocean. It even sounds like lagoon. It connects us with the ebb and flow of the world and with our emotional journey. It is a lifeforce rune and connects your subconscious and your conscious mind. Some powerful stuff for just two straight lines.

Emotional regulation is the name of the game with water. If you don't regulate you are bound to drown yourself and those around you. If you do regulate properly, then you cultivate growth and vitality in yourself and those around you.

Tangible Things

OK, so we have talked a lot about emotions and the intangibility of it all with water. We have even dived into some mundane activities that involve water. So what about magic? Here are some things I do:

Bless/Pray/Reiki over my water bottle before I drink to infuse it with the energy I need for the day.
- I do the same for the water I use for my plants and animals.
In the shower I imagine the water washing the ailments of the day down the drain as I wash away the physical dirt.
- I do the same while washing my hands - especially since 2020. I turned the "How to properly wash your hands" steps into a health protection ritual.
I will draw a nice Epsom salt infused bubble bath every time I get the moon-sickness (my fun name for my period, cause now I'm a werewolf). I will soak in the tub and imagine the water honoring my cycle and helping to relieve the discomfort I feel.
Moon water!
- I put my water bottle near my window so every morning I drink moon water.
- I will also use drinking water that was put out in the moon (in a sealed food safe container) to make my coffee. (More moon info here - Basking in the Moon)
A small glass, chalice, or bowl of water on the altar as offerings.
- If you put cut flowers as an offering the water in the vase counts too.
Say a prayer for victory over the water I put in the water blaster or water balloons I will use to defeat my children in the summer games!
Dance in the rain!

If you map out your day and how many times you interact with water you will find that it is an integral part in your life. If you find that it isn't, then let me be the first to remind you to hydrate before you die-drate. Water can go into spells such as uncrossing jars, or simply be present during spell work to ensure fire safety.

The Nitty Gritty

Here are the associations I was able to find that are most commonly "agreed" upon. I have a list of all of my sources at the bottom of this post under the expandable "References" section. I strongly encourage you to check out the source materials as they are not only interesting, but wonderful reads.

Compass Direction: West
Calling Quarter: 4th quarter called
Color Associations: Blue
Symbol: Downward triangle 🜄
Representations: Crystals, mirrors, seashells, chalices/cups, bodies of water (rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, ponds etc), snow, rain, bowls
Correspondences: Love, family protection, meditation
Areas of Influence / Energy signature: Emotions, intuition, mystery, divination, dreams, healing, psychic matters, adaptability
Uses: Cleansing, revitalizing, removal of curses/hexes, calling change, emotional work,
Tarot Suit: Cups
Astrological Signs: Pisces, Cancer, Scorpio
Body Representation: The gut
Season: Fall
Some Herbs Associated:
- Cherry
- Cucumber
- Lily
- Lotus
- Mugwort
- Peach
- Poppy
- Raspberry
- Rose