Elementals, These Creatures of the Invisible

European occult traditions teach that alongside the realm of angels and demons exists a third order of spiritual beings connected to the natural elements. These creatures, called elemental spirits (although this contemporary term is actually a mistake), or more commonly Elementals, are said to inhabit the four classical elements - Earth, Water, Air, and Fire - and to lack an immortal soul. Here is an explanation.

Nature and Origin of the Elementals

The Swiss physician and alchemist Paracelsus (16th century) was one of the first to describe them systematically: according to him, God populated each element with beings suited to it, spontaneously generated by the element itself. Paracelsus thus asserts that Earth produces underground dwarves, Water gives birth to nymphs, Air shelters spirits called elves, and Fire gives rise to salamanders. These entities supposedly have an almost human appearance and a subtle material existence, composed of the purest parts of their element of origin. Possessing neither a rational soul nor a divine spark, they are mortal - their lives supposedly span several centuries, after which they fade away like animals.

Despite lacking an immortal soul, the Elementals are not considered fallen or diabolical beings. They are separate creatures, occupying an intermediate rank between humanity and the angelic realm. From an esoteric perspective, their existence bears witness to the fullness of Creation: “This immense space between Earth and Heaven has inhabitants far nobler than birds... the element of Fire, nobler than the other three, was not made to remain useless and empty.” In other words, every corner of the universe is alive, populated by invisible entities responsible for the harmony of the elements.

Several authors believe that early humanity knew and associated with these nature spirits. The Abbé de Villars (author of Comte de Gabalis, 1670) writes that Adam before his Fall was the natural king of these beings, in familiar contact with them, but that original sin veiled this knowledge from humanity. Likewise, Paracelsus maintains that Elementals may sometimes seek to form an alliance with humans. His doctrine - later taken up in occult literature - asserts that if an elemental marries a man or woman, it then acquires the soul and immortality it lacked. This paradoxical idea, in which love between a human and a being of the elements “redeems” the latter, appears in several Hermetic authors. Thus, it is claimed that a nymph (undine) who becomes the wife of a sage gains an immortal soul, or that a gnome marrying a mortal woman ceases to be a perishable spirit. These allegorical tales illustrate the occult conviction that the human spirit, endowed with the five elements (the four elements plus the spiritual Quintessence), possesses a divine spark capable of elevating purely elemental creatures to a higher plane.

The Spirits of the Four Elements and Their Correspondences

Classical esoteric tradition divides the Elementals into four categories, each linked to one of Empedocles’ four elements. Paracelsus established their now-canonical names:

• Earth - Gnomes: spirits of Earth, depicted as small underground beings, guardians of hidden treasures in mines and beneath mountains. They are said to be ingenious, friendly toward humans, and easy to command. “The earth is filled almost to its center with Gnomes, people of small stature, guardians of treasures... They are ingenious, friendly to man, and easy to command.” Devoted servants of the “Children of the Sages,” they could provide the adept with the metallic and mineral riches he needs. Their wives, the gnomides, are described as small and very graceful creatures dressed in curious garments.

• Water - Undines: spirits of Water inhabiting rivers, lakes, seas, and fountains. Also human in appearance, they form a predominantly female people - they are sometimes called nymphs or naiads. The Comte de Gabalis notes: “The seas and rivers are inhabited just like the air; the ancient Sages called this kind of people Undines or Nymphs… There are few males among them, and the women are numerous; their beauty is extreme, and the daughters of men have nothing comparable to it.” These undines, with faces of supernatural beauty, are believed to enchant humans with their songs and dances. However, lacking immortal souls, they supposedly seek to obtain one through marriage to a mortal, according to Paracelsus’s teachings.

• Air - Sylphs: spirits of Air, invisible and intangible like the wind. They are portrayed as winged beings with an ethereal humanoid appearance, mostly male. “The air is full of an innumerable multitude of peoples [the Sylphs] with human forms, somewhat proud in appearance but docile in fact: great lovers of the sciences, subtle, helpful to the wise, and enemies of fools and the ignorant. Their wives and daughters are masculine beauties, like those in depictions of the Amazons…” Sylphs are therefore associated with intellect, esoteric knowledge, and subtle inspirations. Well disposed toward the sages whom they teach lofty secrets, they scorn ignorance and vulgarity. Their proud yet benevolent nature makes them the preferred interlocutors of magicians and philosophers seeking truth.

• Fire - Salamanders: spirits of Fire, also sometimes called vulcans or fiery spirits. They are said to inhabit the element of fire - both earthly flames and the more ethereal region of Fire. They are represented as bright lights or blazing silhouettes, sometimes likened to fire reptiles (hence the name salamander, by analogy with the mythical animal that survives flames). The Abbé de Villars describes them as “the flaming inhabitants of the region of fire, [who] serve philosophers.” Indeed, in Hermetic symbolism, salamanders embody the transformative power of fire and reveal to sages the mysteries of energy and metamorphosis. Less inclined to associate with humans, “they do not eagerly seek their company,” and their queens rarely reveal themselves to mortals. Nevertheless, their role is to animate celestial fire and exercise a purifying power; according to certain occult cosmologies, they invisibly fuel the sun, electrical storms, and volcanic fire.

Each category of Elementals thus corresponds to one of the four Elements and shares its fundamental qualities. This correspondence also extends to the cardinal points, astrological signs, and human temperaments. Éliphas Lévi assigns the north and the sign of Taurus to the gnomes, the south and Leo to the salamanders, the east and the Eagle (an esoteric symbol of air) to the sylphs, and the west and Aquarius to the undines. Likewise, gnomes are commonly associated with the melancholic temperament (earth, dry and cold), undines with the phlegmatic temperament (water, cold and moist), sylphs with the sanguine temperament (air, hot and moist), and salamanders with the choleric temperament (fire, hot and dry). These correspondences illustrate the idea that the Elementals influence human moods and dispositions, each in their own way. The sylphs’ lively air may inspire joy and imagination, while the gnomes’ earth confers gravity and reflection, the undines’ water brings calm or nostalgia, and the salamanders’ fire ardor and passion.

Cosmological Role and Interaction with Humanity

In occult cosmology, the Elementals play an essential role as guardians and agents of the forces of nature. They invisibly preside over natural phenomena: sylphs are credited with the movement of winds and clouds, undines with the flow of waters and the generosity of rainfall, gnomes with soil fertility and crystal formation, and salamanders with the heat of telluric and celestial fires. Thus, ancient magicians saw storms as the joint action of air sylphs and fire salamanders, or earthquakes as the work of irritated gnomes and subterranean spirits. Rather than mere metaphors, these correspondences reflect an animistic vision of the universe in which humans can enter into dialogue with the living forces of creation.

Elementals are neither fundamentally good nor intrinsically evil - they follow their own nature and may alternately help or challenge human beings. To the sage who approaches them with respect and purity, they generally show themselves well disposed, even helpful. Numerous occult legends tell how an adept who has mastered the arcana of the corresponding element can obtain the cooperation of these spirits: gnomes will reveal hidden veins and buried treasures, undines will protect worthy sailors on the waves, sylphs will inspire poets and philosophers by breathing subtle ideas into them, and salamanders will fan the fire of his alchemical athanor or hearth. In Le Comte de Gabalis, the teacher even claims that gnomes willingly provide gold and silver to the “Children of the Sages” in exchange for the glory of being commanded by them. These nature spirits seek the company of virtuous humans, whose divine spark they admire, and they flee from or mock the “fools and ignorant” whose coarse aura repels them.

Conversely, the imprudent or impure person may attract the pranks, or even mild hostility, of the Elementals. Numerous accounts in esoteric tradition hold them responsible for poltergeist phenomena or nighttime pranks: moved objects, fleeting lights, laughter in the wind... Rather than truly malevolent demons, these may sometimes be mischievous nature spirits amusing themselves at the expense of intruders. Allan Kardec, founder of Spiritism, moreover classifies “will-o’-the-wisps, goblins, gnomes, and imps” among low-level frivolous spirits, portraying them as “ignorant, cunning, inconsistent, and mocking,” always ready to cause minor annoyances to deceive credulous humans. This Spiritist view, rather disparaging, reflects the nineteenth-century moral perspective on these entities: yes, they exist, but in his eyes they are merely poorly evolved spirits, mischievous and lacking spiritual depth. Occultists, for their part, generally adopt a more respectful and nuanced tone, seeing Elementals as neutral forces of nature that should be tamed rather than ridiculed.

More profoundly, the interaction between humans and Elementals belongs to the framework of Natural Magic and Hermetic philosophy. The magician who manages to communicate with the spirits of the elements is thought to recover some of the powers humanity possessed during the mythical golden age. To master the Elementals is, for him, to reconnect with the harmony of the world and restore the alliance broken since the Fall. Éliphas Lévi thus states that when the operator knows how to master the elements within himself, “the entire world will be at the service of the sage.” He allegorically describes the advanced adept as capable of walking through rain without getting wet, crossing fire without burning, braving the storm without his cloak being disturbed, and even seeing through earth as through crystal. Behind these images lies the ideal of the mage-king, sovereign through wisdom over elemental creatures: humanity reconciled with Nature to the point of freely commanding its spirits, thereby fulfilling the ancient promise of a regenerated humanity in which “the elements obey” the righteous.

Ritual Approaches to Invocation and Communication

Ceremonial magic grimoires and occult treatises have developed over the centuries a whole range of methods for approaching, invoking, or banishing the spirits of the elements. Although these methods vary according to period and school, they share certain constants. The process is always marked by solemnity and requires rigorous preparation by the magician, both materially and spiritually.

Before any attempt at evocation, the operator must purify himself and enter a state of harmonious receptivity. Tradition recommends purification rites (ritual baths, fasting, wearing white, etc...) and prayer or mental concentration in order to reach a high vibrational level. The aim is to dispel every coarse or malignant influence and attune oneself to the element in question. The masters also insist on prior moral mastery: “To tame and enslave elemental spirits, one must never surrender to the faults that characterize them,” warns Éliphas Lévi. A light and unstable character will be unable to control the fickle sylphs of the air, a cold and apathetic nature will fail to command the undines of the water, blind anger will irritate the fiery salamanders, and a miserly and coarse spirit will become the plaything of the mischievous gnomes of the earth. Instead, the magician must cultivate within himself the qualities proper to each element: be quick and mentally agile like the sylphs, adaptable and imaginative like the undines, energetic and strong-willed like the salamanders, and hardworking and persevering like the gnomes. This inner harmony of the four elements is the condition that enables the adept to impose his natural authority upon the Elementals - the human being, microcosm of the elements, then makes them obey.

Meeting an elemental requires the creation of a protected ritual space. Grimoires recommend drawing suitable protective figures on the ground, generally the magic circle (a circumference at the center of which the magician stands), reinforced with symbols drawn at the cardinal points. Éliphas Lévi advises drawing the Star of Solomon and the perfectly regular sacred pentagram on the ground, using consecrated charcoal or pigments mixed with magnet powder. The circle and these geometric emblems form a vibrational barrier that prevents any malevolent intrusion and channels the energy of the summoned element. At the threshold of this consecrated area, symbolic instruments connected to the four elements are also placed (a lamp or brazier for Fire, a cup of lustral water for Water, smoking incense for Air, salt or earth for Earth), creating an environment conducive to the spirit’s manifestation.

In the classical operation, the magician holds his pantacle or talisman (a sign of authority), as well as the ritual weapons appropriate to each spirit in succession: the sword to command the gnomes of Earth, the wand (sometimes forked, or a trident) for the salamanders of Fire, sacred pantacles (consecrated disks or pentagrams) for the sylphs of Air, and the libation cup for the undines of Water. Each of these weapons is associated with the virtues of the element it controls - for example, the steel sword, emerging from the mineral kingdom, represents coercive power over earth; the wand of fire commands through light and heat; the pantacle engraved with airy signs (such as the sigil of the eagle or Aquarius) dominates the spirits of air; the cup filled with holy water or wine consecrates the alliance with the spirits of water.

The evocation itself is performed through consecrated formulas in a sacred language (Latin, Hebrew, etc.), invoking the divine names associated with the elements and commanding the spirit to appear. Lévi gives a Conjuration of the Four in which the practitioner successively calls upon the great archangelic rulers of the elements - Michael (Fire), Raphael (Air), Gabriel (Water), Anael (Earth) - as well as the mystical names of the living God in each element (Elohim, Tetragrammaton, etc...). He then adjures the spirit being sought with imperative words: “Angel with blind eyes, obey, or flow away with this holy water! Winged bull, work, or return to the earth... Chained eagle, obey this sign, or withdraw... Moving serpent, crawl at my feet, or be tormented by the sacred fire...” These images of the bull, eagle, and flaming serpent are symbolic figures of each category of elemental, which must be constrained by invoking the higher powers. The tone is imperious: the magician, relying on his spiritual authority, orders the entity to manifest without malice and lend its assistance, under threat of being repelled and punished by the invoked divine forces.

In addition to words and symbols, occultists use various physical aids to facilitate communication with the invisible. These may include mirrors, crystals, or bowls of water to see the spirit, or objects imbued with the corresponding element to attract the entity. One method cited by Kabbalists consists of preparing an elemental “magnet”: “to command the sylphs, undines, and gnomes, one fills a hermetically sealed glass globe with air, flame, or water and exposes it to the sun for a month; each of these purified elements thus becomes a magnet that attracts the spirits belonging to it.” This advice, drawn from ancient texts, suggests that the quintessence of an element concentrated in a receptacle can serve as a focal point for bringing the corresponding elemental intelligence to oneself. Likewise, grimoires advise going to natural “power places” to contact spirits more easily: for example, one might evoke undines beside a spring or lake during the hour of Apollo (the setting sun over the water in the west), sylphs atop a windy hill at dawn, gnomes in a cave or stone circle at midnight, and salamanders before a blazing fire or volcano at midday. The material presence of the element in abundance strengthens the entity’s manifestation, providing a familiar environment in which it can densify.

Unlike infernal spirits to which bloody sacrifices were once offered (a practice condemned by occultists), Elementals require rather pure offerings connected to their element. One may honor undines with a libation of spring water or wine poured into a watercourse, satisfy salamanders by burning aromatic woods or fragrant incense in the sacred fire, attract gnomes by burying shining stones or milk and honey in the earth, and call sylphs by suspending light ribbons in the air or making silver bells chime in the wind. All these offerings are symbolic and bloodless, demonstrating the magician’s benevolence. They aim to establish a relationship of mutual trust: the elemental feels welcomed and respected, and in return is more willing to reveal itself and cooperate.

Finally, throughout the ritual, the magician remains alert and observes the signs of manifestation. A shiver in the air, a flame flickering abnormally, a murmur or shimmer on the surface of the water, a stone moving by itself - all are subtle indications signaling the presence of the summoned spirit. If it appears visibly (sometimes in an idealized human form, or in the guise of a symbolic animal), the operator welcomes it calmly and respectfully, avoiding misplaced fear or arrogance. Communication may then be established through clairaudience (direct perception of the spirit’s voice), visions, or a medium (magic mirror, pendulum, automatic writing, etc.). The content of the exchange depends on the nature of the elemental: a sylph may reveal intellectual or cosmic secrets, an undine offer insights into feelings and the unconscious, a gnome give practical advice about plants and minerals, and a salamander inspire courage or an alchemical understanding of fire.

When the operation is complete, it is crucial to license the spirit courteously, that is, to dismiss it ritually by breaking the spell. The magician pronounces a dismissal formula, thanks the entity for its help, and orders it to return peacefully to its domain. He then closes the circle and performs a final purification of the place (sprinkling holy water, erasing the markings, extinguishing the candles in the reverse order of lighting, etc...). These precautions ensure that no residual influence remains after the elemental’s departure and that the elements’ original balance is restored.

Traditional Names and Hierarchies of the Elementals

Several esoteric authors have developed precise nomenclatures for designating the Elementals and their possible leaders. While Paracelsus was content with generic terms (gnomes, undines, sylphs, salamanders) and a few synonyms drawn from Antiquity (nymphs, elves, pygmies, vulcans,...), nineteenth-century occultists expanded this taxonomy. Éliphas Lévi, in his Ritual of High Magic (1856), assigns each elemental people a spiritual Sovereign or King whose secret name may be used for invocations. He states: “Their respective sovereigns are Gob for the gnomes, Djîn for the salamanders, Paralda for the sylphs, and Nicksa for the undines.” These names became classic in later Western occult literature. They appear in the teachings of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn at the end of the nineteenth century, and later in the writings of occultists such as Aleister Crowley and Franz Bardon. Spellings may vary slightly - one finds Ghob or Gob, Djin or Djinn, Nicksa or Niksa - but these are indeed the same ruling entities. Each of these names is sometimes associated with a particular “royal” spirit: for example, Gob is master of the gnomes of the northern lands, Paralda governs the sylphs of the East from his aerial palace, Nicksa (or Nicksaï) rules the undines of the West in his underwater kingdom, and Djîn (or Djinn, Jin) commands the salamanders of the South from the hearth of the world.

In addition to these sovereigns, tradition mentions other secondary categories of Elementals. In particular, it distinguishes specific female spirits, often given different names: gnomides for female gnomes, sylphides for female sylphs of the air, undines or nereids for water nymphs, and salamandrines (a rarer term) for female salamanders of fire. Some popular or alchemical traditions have added their own designations: for example, earth spirits are sometimes called goblins or kobolds, water spirits are called undines, mermaids, or nixes, air spirits are confused with the fairies or elves of the clouds, and fire spirits are associated with will-o’-the-wisps or ethereal dragons. However, for the sake of clarity, esotericists generally prefer to retain Paracelsus’s classical quartet, with each term designating the entire corresponding elemental realm.

The Elementals appear in turn as the children and guardians of Nature, potential allies of the person of desire on the path to wisdom, and amplifying mirrors of human qualities and faults alike. Those who, through knowledge and will, manage to communicate with these elemental spirits thus claim to reconnect with primordial harmony and sacred respect for living Creation - achieving within themselves, in Lévi’s words, “the quaternary balance of the elements” that marks the advent of the true magician.