Elemental Correspondence?

[ashuriixinfallible]

I know that the elements each have a directional correspondence- Air is East, Fire is South, Water is West, and Earth is North- but I was wondering if anyone knew why they were arranged that way. Personally, it didn't make much sense... I use Air as North, Earth as South, Fire as West, and Water as East, and a lot of people I've shared this with have had odd reactions- like those directional correspondences can't be changed.

Again, just wondering if anyone knows why they were arranged that way, and looking for opinions. ^.^

[Skye Shadowstone]

I would guess it's more of a tradition than a requirement, just something people have been using for a long time. It's more about the personal meaning than anything else, so if it feels right to you then it's fine. I use the traditional system myself because that's the directional association I've gotten used to.

[Ula]

I don't do mine that way. Mine are based on the local landscape. North = Air, East= Fire, South = Earth and West =Water.

[Firebird]

Funny, I started in a group that had earth in the south and air in the north, and fire in the east, water in the west, and I had the hardest time understanding this at first. After all most trad's. are of the E-air, S-fire, W- water, N-earth way of thinking. But after working with them for awhile it all began to come together, ...and it can be regional, if you have an ocean or lake in the east then that would make sense from that standpoint. For about 7 years I worked with 2 groups, and let me tell you ...I had to think pretty long and hard in the beginning, to remember which direction to call WHAT!, depending on which group I was with After a while it was second nature, and both groups had their reasons for the elements being where they were.
In the group I'm in now we have occasionally approached this dilemma with calling elements from the center since we are already in the presence of all the elements at ALL times. Now we have called you to be aware of them, rather than "calling them in". (seems a little silly since they are already there) The Quarter calls are for the energies they embrace, like East! the dawn sun rising!, all things new and in their infancy! bring forth the energy of spring!...like that.
The main thing is to go with the flow, and just do what feels right. The magic is within, and how you perceive it. One very important lesson is ...You get out of ritual, what you put into it.

[ashuriixinfallible]

Thanks for the responses. ^.^ And that's quite interesting, Firebirdflys. I've never really thought about calling to be aware of the elements before, though that sounds like an interesting way to do it.