YIN/YANG SYMBOL This Asian symbol is a circle divided into
half-white and half-black by a curving S. It represents
perfect balance.
Colors and Elements
Most world cultures recognized the elements of Earth,
Air, Fire, and Water, and used their colors and powers in
magickal and spiritual practices. These elements were
usually connected with the cardinal directions—north,
east, south, and west. The elements are forces and
energies that make up the universe and everything in it.
They also influence human personalities and are
employed in the practice of magick. When used
singularly, the proper elemental color is placed in the
appropriate direction. When used all together, the
elemental colors are arranged in the appropriate
directions at the edge of a sacred circle.
The Celts, particularly those in Scotland, used red in
the east for the rising sun, white in the south for noon,
gray in the west for twilight, and black in the north for
midnight. In Scotland, they were called the Four Airts or
Airs and were based on the prevailing winds in Britain.
The Scottish Gaelic words for the cardinal directions
were aiet, east; deas, south; iar, west; and tuath, north.
The Druids said that the center was ruled by nyu, or
spirit. In later Western cultures the correspondences
became Air, yellow, east; Fire, red, south; Water, blue,
west; Earth, dark green or black, north; and Spirit,
white, center.
In this tradition, the east represents knowledge,
harmony, the intellect and ideas, freedom, revealing the
truth, finding lost things, travel, and psychic abilities.
The south signifies change, perception, spiritual
illumination, cleansing, sexuality, energy, authority,