The Oracle

This topic is likely to get long and pretty diverse.

Different cultures had different ideas of what the elements were. In our Western culture we have what we call the '4 Classical Elements' of Earth Air Fire and Water. But in the Chinese, as well as Indian and no doubt others culture there are 5, and the 5th element isn't always the same.

So, when there are so many different cultures with so many different takes, how am I going to structure this? At first I will explore each element in turn, by culture, and when they interlink, so will I.

So here goes....

The Classical Greek Elements

Our familiar Western culture has focused on 4 'elements'. These were Earth, Air, Fire and Water.
The Greeks used these elements throughout medicine (each element was attributed to a part of the body, called Humours), Science and even Philosophy.
This system was devised by Empedocles but the term 'elements' was first used by Plato

In my further research I have found several additional attributions which may or may not have stemmed from Greece, including Time of Day, Direction, Physical State, Seasons etc....

From here I will go through each of these four elements adding as many correspondences as I can.

Earth


Direction - North

Primary Property - Dry

Secondary Property - Cold

Time - Midnight

Colours - Many instantly think Green, but also associated with Earth are Citrine, Olive, Black and Russet (as seen in the Sephira Malkuth on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life)

Archangel - Auriel

Magical Tool - Pentacle

Tarot Suit - Pentacles

Spirit - Gnomes

Humour - Black Bile

Physical State - Solid

Zodiac Signs - Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

Playing Cards suit - Diamonds

Air


Direction - East

Primary Property - Wet

Secondary Property - Hot

Time - Sunrise

Colours - Yellow

Archangel - Raphael

Magical Tool - Athame or Sword (this is a subject of some controversy, as some traditions view the Wand as representing Air)

Tarot Suit - Swords

Spirit - Sylph

Humour - Blood

Physical State - Gas

Zodiac Signs - Gemini, Libra, Aquarius

Playing Card Suit - Spades

Kabbalistic World - Yetzirah

Hebrew Letter - Aleph (ALPh)

Tarot Trump - The Fool