Year and a Day with the Elements

Talk, spells, rituals, and questions about the four elements.
Kyrie
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Year and a Day with the Elements

Post by Kyrie »

Based on CharmingPixieFlora's suggestion of doing more than one year and a day study on different areas on Wicca, I've decided to do a year and a day with the elements, to connect with them on a deeper level.

My idea is to work with one element throughout their corresponding season, starting on Yule.

This is my study plan:

Earth (winter): Yule to Ostara
Air (spring): Ostara to Litha
Fire (summer): Litha to Mabon
Water (fall): Mabon to Yule

Just thought I would post this here in case anyone else thinks this would be a good idea to try. If you'd like to try this with me, feel free to post what you're studying here and we can discuss things as we move through each element.
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Firebird
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Re: Year and a Day with the Elements

Post by Firebird »

We do it this way...
Air..Imbolc to Bealtaine
Fire...Bealtaine to Lughnasdh
Water...Lughnasadh to Samhain
Earth..Samhain to Imbolc
:flyingwitch:
FF
“There are things known and things unknown and in between are the Doors.”
― Jim Morrison
“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”
― RWEmerson
:mrgreen:
Kyrie
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Re: Year and a Day with the Elements

Post by Kyrie »

So pretty much the same, just different starting dates.

What sort of things do you do to get in touch with each element? I figure I'm going to be doing a lot of meditating, among other things...but it'd be nice to get some fresh ideas. :)
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Firebird
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Re: Year and a Day with the Elements

Post by Firebird »

If you think about it as in slices of pie,... the center of each of the quarters are the height of that element. The Equinoxes and the Solstices are the Quarter days, and the Holidays in between are the cross quarter days. Here's a great chart you are probably already familiar with:
Image

In some traditions Initiations happen at Yule but some have theirs at Imbolc, both represent birth and re-birth. I have thought of the event like a baby that is taking their first breath. So breathing exercises would relate to Air, as would meditation. You might like to sample some aromatherapy, and see how different fragrances effect you, keep a diary. Scents are very important and can heal many things. (foot note) use only essential oils or real plant material (fresh or dried). Artificial oils are just an assault to the olfactory, not to mention they can make you ill. Another thing that is a fun Air project is... mixing up incenses. I like to keep an incense diary now, because I have made so many blends that were lost due to my bad note taking. :oops: Other air exercises are; flying a kite, blowing bubbles, leaning into the wind, taking care of a bird, making a fan, paint a feather, learn an air instrument.
Welp, that's all I have on Air for the moment, maybe someone else has some input...we'll check back in when we get to Fire, (please remind me!)
BB, Firebird
“There are things known and things unknown and in between are the Doors.”
― Jim Morrison
“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”
― RWEmerson
:mrgreen:
love beats all (;
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Re: Year and a Day with the Elements

Post by love beats all (; »

Just a quick note on air, if you have any tarot experience you can take time to meditate on the suit of swords since it is representative of air. Mental ability is strongly tied to air, so take some time out to learn something new! During the latter half of the season, craft windchimes that include feathers on the end... I really like this idea as a whole and I think keeping a regular Journal on what you do and what you discover about the element, yourself, and how they both relate. (:
L&L!
FoundMyCalling

Re: Year and a Day with the Elements

Post by FoundMyCalling »

I would love to do this as well. I have little to no money :cry: and I would like ideas that do not involve a lot of money please. But otherwise I would really love to do this.
Kyrie
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Re: Year and a Day with the Elements

Post by Kyrie »

I'm doing this based on each elements corresponding seasons. So during winter, I will be studying earth. And since the change of the season is marked by the quarter sabbats, I just naturally chose those particular sabbats to start and end my study with each of the elements.

I will be studying with earth until Ostara.

Scott Cunningham's book, Earth Power, has been very helpful for me when trying to connect. This is what he has to say about the element of earth:

- Earth doesn't necessarily represent the physical earth, but that part of it which is stable, solid, and dependable
- Earth is the foundation of the elements. It is the realm that most of us live a good part of our lives
- When we walk, sit, stand, crawl, eat, sleep, work our jobs, tend our plants, balance our checkbooks, or taste salt we are working within the element of earth
-Earth is the realm of abundance, prosperity, and wealth
- Earth "rules" all spells and rituals involving business, money, employment, prosperity, stability, fertility, home and garden, and so on
- A ritual of this element could involve burying an object representative of your need, walking while visualizing your need, or drawing images in dirt

These are some of my own ideas and suggestions:
- Walking and hiking
- Tending to our home - yes, cleaning can be magical!
- Any form of exercise. If you don't exercise, this would be a great time to get started
- Stone and plant magic
- Grounding
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Aceso
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Re: Year and a Day with the Elements

Post by Aceso »

I am interested in starting a year and a day with elements as well. I have already started studing but I want to incorporate this as well. I am pretty sure I bought Cunnigham's Earth power book. Can I join in?
Kyrie
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Re: Year and a Day with the Elements

Post by Kyrie »

Aceso wrote:Can I join in?
Absolutely! Anything you'd like to discuss? Maybe some of the things you've learned or things you'd like to try out?

One of the things I'm doing is incorporating my tarot study with my study of the elements. While I'm working with earth, I'm also going through the suit of pentacles.

Also, just trying to incorporate as much earth magic into my daily life as possible: grounding, stone magic, growing herbs, and simply trying to take better care of my body and my home.
Kyrie
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Re: Year and a Day with the Elements

Post by Kyrie »

Oh, and another BIG thing for me while going through this element..... Getting my finances in order! I've made a lot of progress here, but there's still a lot to be done. My goal that I would like to hit before I finish up with earth is to have all of my debt paid off.

Other people may set different financial goals (larger or smaller than mine), such as saving money for emergencies or putting a down payment on a house. This is the perfect time to work toward these types of goals!
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Aceso
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Re: Year and a Day with the Elements

Post by Aceso »

Funny you should talk about finances. I was thinking on that heavily today. I need to put money away. So that will be a goal and todo alot of grounding. I grow plants, but did not try herbd yet so that can be something to do. I know this journey is going to very enlightening for me.
As far as me using tarot, I am still shacky on that. I seem to pick up things better on people, if I thinking on them allot. images and thoughts spontaneously come. So i am hopeing to hone this skill.
Kyrie
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Re: Year and a Day with the Elements

Post by Kyrie »

I think it's kind of interesting that this post is starting to pick up right around New Years. I know most people are setting their goals for 2014 and it just seems to go hand in hand with what we're talking about here. A lot of the things mentioned here seem to be pretty common New Years resolutions. Maybe by focusing from a spiritual standpoint, as opposed to a cultural tradition with no emotional merit, we can get an extra hit of motivation!
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Firebird
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Re: Year and a Day with the Elements

Post by Firebird »

ack, maybe I won't be of any help...I was projecting into Air...in my Trad. we are almost done with Earth.
sorry
“There are things known and things unknown and in between are the Doors.”
― Jim Morrison
“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”
― RWEmerson
:mrgreen:
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Aceso
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Re: Year and a Day with the Elements

Post by Aceso »

We are doing earth from December to March right?
Kyrie
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Re: Year and a Day with the Elements

Post by Kyrie »

firebirdflys wrote:ack, maybe I won't be of any help...I was projecting into Air...in my Trad. we are almost done with Earth.
sorry
You can still post here if you want. Maybe some people would prefer your schedule to mine. If so, you would be more helpful to them than I would. :) I just wanted to open up the idea to other people. However they choose to follow through is up to the individual.
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