The four elements
Earth, air, fire and water; the framework Wicca uses to order dream imagery.
In Wicca and nature-based practice, dream images are often sorted by element first. Earth stands for the body, money, safety and the north. Air for thought, communication and the east. Fire for will, passion and the south. Water for feeling and intuition, and the west.
The question with a dream is therefore not only what you saw, but in which element it took place.
That makes interpretation practical: a dream full of fire asks something different of you than a dream full of water, even when the story is the same.
Related terms
- Moon phases The moon's phase during the dream, which shapes the reading.
- The Wheel of the Year The eight seasonal festivals that colour the context of a dream.
- Shadow work Working with what you would rather not see; dreams are a key entrance.
- Dream journal The practice of recording dreams; in Wicca often with the moon's phase noted.
- Samhain The festival at the end of October when the dead are remembered and the veil between worlds is thin.
- Beltane The spring festival on 1 May of fertility, fire and union.
- Handfasting The Wiccan wedding ceremony, in which the hands are bound together.
- Wiccan Rede The guiding rule of wicca: do what you will, as long as it harms none.
- Hecate Goddess of crossroads, thresholds and the night, often accompanied by dogs.