Water Magic

Each of the five elements (Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit) may be called in when doing ritual work or magic. It’s a question of understanding what each of them does, what they serve, and how they can best support your efforts.

The Element of Water is closely aligned with the suit of Cups in the Tarot. Cups represents our emotions, our spirituality, our sensuality, and sense of wisdom and wonder.

We use the element of water to represent the idea of becoming.

The astrological signs of Cancer, Scorpio and Aquarius are all Water Signs.

Cancer: Lunar (Mooon) energy, the month that includes the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, Ruler of the 4th House including our roots, lineage, heritage and often highlighting our relationships with the mothers in our lives. Cancer is tender, nostalgic, affectionate, but perhaps hypersensitive and temperamental.

Scorpio: Martial (Mars) and Pluto energy, a highly receptive sign taking place during harvest and days where the veil is thinner such as Halloween and Dia de los Muertos. Rules the 8th House of the Zodiac including Sex, Death, and Secrets. Scorpio is stable, passionate, goal-oriented, but often illogical and even ruthless.

Aquarius: Saturnian (Saturn) and Uranus energy. Aquarius is the most outward focused of all astrological signs, which rules the 11th House of the Zodiac including friendships, global awareness, and collective consciousness. Aquarians can be original, peaceful, independent, or they might be willful and unstable!

A reminder that all astrological signs have both positive and potentially negative traits. This is not to indicate that these three signs are inherently any more negative than the others.

The Element of Water is called upon when we intend to cleanse, to purify, and to embody. Water is used in rituals that are very emotional, that draw upon our most feminine abilities and is more powerful than most people imagine. Just picture the strength of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami if you want to understand a fraction of the power that water has. Water is also very closely aligned with Earth energy and not surprisingly – 71% of the earth is water and on average, 60% of the human body is water as well.

We have a highly symbiotic relationship with water. We absolutely need it to survive. We must drink water, and we must eat plants that grew in water not to mention the animal life we choose to eat which also sustains through water sources. We cleanse in water, we play in water, and we are born in the liquid of our mothers.

Here are some of the ways that you can incorporate water into your rituals, spells and other day-to-day activities.

RITUAL BATHING: Reconnect with the goddess, while indulging in some absolutely necessary self-care. Pour in your favorite essential oils, or drop in a bath bomb, light candles, scrub away the yuck of your day and reconnect with the water parts of your self. And if you don’t actually have a bathtub, there is no reason you cannot do a ritual bath in the shower or in your nearby lake or stream.

BREWING TEA AND MOON WATER: The simple act of brewing your favorite herbal or green tea becomes something entirely different when you use moon water. Moon water is simply water that’s been placed beneath the moon to absorb the energy of that particular moon phase. New moons for starting new chapters, full moons for bringing projects to completion. You can simply put a mason jar with spring water outside at dark, and drink it at midnight, or you can use that water and infuse tea or herbs or slices of citrus within. And don’t forget about the Sun – I’m a big fan of summer Sun Tea. Why use the stove when we have a blazing hot sun to heat our tea with?

SCRYING AND DIVINATION: If you do enjoy loose tea, you might enjoy the act of scrying after you have finished drinking your cup. Just let the remaining leaves settle to the bottom, give the cup a gentle twirl, and see what shapes and symbols appear to you. Like cloudbusting, this act lets you see beyond the pale into your own fullest imagination. And again, the Tarot suit of cups is closely associated with the element of water, so anytime you are working Tarot and you draw Cups, take that as a sign that you should be working with Water.

MOVEMENT LIKE YOGA: Yoga is not just an athletic activity, but it’s a way to become more fully yourself. The poses are not intended to stretch you beyond your capabilities, but to stretch you into the fullest expression of self that you are. The movements of yoga sometimes seem to mimic that of a river. And of course with any physical activity, you should drink plenty of water as well.

HERBAL TINCTURES AND ESSENCES: There are millions of plants around the world with absolutely magical and healing abilities. From turmeric (a powerful anti inflammatory) to the cleaning power of lemon, the Earths abundant plantlife is a laboratory for us to play with. Here I have my wild orange and sandalwood blend in almond oil, and this is distilled water with drops of lavender that I spritz on my sheets after I launder them.

COLLECTING SEASHELLS, RELEASE WITH AN INTENTION: I’m not a big swimmer, but I love to be beside the ocean and admire all the life within. A great personal act is to gather a bit of sand into a seashell, write an intention on a slip of paper and imbed it into the sand. Then set the shell upon the water to drift away. I especially enjoy doing this with an intention to release something and stop dwelling upon it. It feels very satisfying to let it go into the great sea.

KITCHEN WITCHERY: Anytime you putter in your kitchen, there’s a chance at some kitchen witchery! I always have a few things brewing including my ginger bug. This is diced ginger and equal parts sugar, in water. Every day I’ll burp the lid to release air, while letting the bacteria within eat the sugar. In a few days, this will be lightly effervescent, like a ginger soda, and if I let it go longer, it’ll turn into ginger beer. Kitchen witchery lets you be a bit of a chemist, while also creating delicious and absolutely magically powerful concoctions for yourself, friends and loved ones.

DRINKING WINE AND OTHER SACRED SPIRITS: Speaking of kitchen and edibles, nothing wrong with enjoying a ritual glass of wine or the sacred spirits of your choice.

BANISHING RITUALS LIKE FREEZING SPELLS: Every element has it’s means of offering a chance for a magi to banish something or someone that no longer suits their best intention. If you want to ‘put someone on ice’ for a short time – meaning you may not wish to get rid of them altogether but you don’t really want to deal with their nonsense right now, just write their name on a piece of paper, put it into a Ziploc bag with water, and then stick it in the freezer. There’s something rather gleeful about seeing their name, under ice, and knowing they are powerless and can not harm you.

MAKING SNOW ANGELS: This is a personal practice of course, not a magical one, but it certainly feels magical to step back into the mindset of a child and lay yourself down in the fluffy snow and make angels.

WATER BIRTHS: There is nothing more magical or sacred or emotional perhaps than giving life. Water again (and Cancer energy in particular) connects us back to our mothers, to their mothers, to their mothers, and to our daughters, and their daughters, and their daughters. It’s truly like waves in the ocean, connecting us to every woman that we are related to. Many women today choose water births, because it is relaxing, it is often offered for those choosing home births, and it reconnects us with the womb we came from, as we prepare our wombs for another new life.

Just like with Fire, we must be cautious when using Water energy. I mention that tsunami – water can get away from us very quickly so if you are using large amounts of water, do so within baths or natural springs and make sure that you have plenty of towels nearby to mop up any spills.

Next, we will be back at the blog to talk about the Element of Air in Magic. In the meantime, please follow Divinely Designed at Facebook and Instagram.