In week five of the Reclaiming class Honouring the Land: Elements of Magic, we explored Spirit, the breath between elements, the force that binds everything together, and the numinous presence that we feel but cannot grasp. Spirit is the unseen current that moves through the world, the moment of transcendence, the deep knowing that exists beyond logic. Some call it the Divine, others the web of life, the mystery, the great unknown. Whatever name we give it, Spirit is the pulse of magic, the animating force that makes our craft more than just a series of actions.
Spirit in our lives
Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle introduced a “fifth” element beyond the classical quartet of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. Observing that the celestial sphere did not undergo the same changes as the terrestrial, he concluded that the stars must be composed of a different, unchangeable, heavenly substance. Although Aristotle did not name this material “aether”—a term previously associated with fire and the composition of the heavens—it became the enduring word to describe the breath of the gods and the substance believed to fill the universe.
Alchemists thought the quintessence— “fifth essence”—was the purest, most refined form of matter, existing beyond the four earthly elements. Medicinal alchemists sought to isolate it, believing that its divine and celestial nature could be distilled and consumed to heal illness and extend life.
In Hindu cosmology, akasha is an independent, all-pervading, eternal substance that underlies and sustains the cosmos. Some schools of Hindu philosophy describe akasha, or aether, as the substratum of sound, the intangible framework upon which the universe is built.
I do not subscribe to a strict division of the Four Elements existing solely in the material world while Aether remains above in the heavens. Instead, I see Aether, or Spirit, as both the void and the potentiality of all things—the force that bridges the seen and unseen worlds. The element binds and harmonises the others, embodying divine will and the interconnectedness of all existence. Spirit is the breath of life, the whisper of the divine, and the unknowable essence that sustains the cosmos.
Spiritual alignment with Spirit
Aether is without the winds of Air, the heat of Fire, the cool flow of Water, and the firmness of Earth. It is the essence of emptiness and potential. It is experienced through presence, through connection, through the ways in which we weave meaning into our lives. It is the shiver down the spine when stepping into a sacred place, the breath of inspiration that strikes in moments of clarity, the sense of being guided when standing at a crossroads. Spirit is found in deep ritual, in moments of devotion, in how we honour the sacred in ourselves and the world around us.
Aligning with Spirit means entering into relationship with the unseen. It dwells in liminal spaces, in the silence between words and the pause between breaths. To align with Spirit, we cultivate awareness, hone our intuition, and develop a practice of deep listening—to the land, the ancestors, the gods, and our inner wisdom. It is an ongoing process between seeking and allowing, knowing and unknowing.
Correspondences
Due to its ethereal nature, Spirit does not have as many fixed correspondences as the Four Elements. While Fire, for example, is commonly associated with red, Spirit is more elusive. The following correspondences reflect my personal experience of Spirit.
Qualities: Connection, transcendence, unity, mystery, presence.
Direction: Centre, above, below, all directions. I perceive Spirit in movement, spiralling through the circle and extending upward and downward from the centre.
Season: The Wheel of the Year in motion, embodying continuous transformation.
Time of day: Time itself, the ever-flowing progression of existence.
Tools: The veil of the Oracle or shamanic practitioner.
Platonic solid: Dodecahedron, which, according to Plato, the divine used to arrange the constellations.
Colours: White, which reflects and scatters all visible wavelengths of light; black, the absence or absorption of light; and iridescence, shifting in colour depending on the angle of view.
Astrological signs: All.
Crystals: Crystal Quartz, a conduit for spiritual insight and divine connection; Amethyst, for its ability to enhance spiritual awareness and intuition; Labradorite, known for its iridescent flashes of colour and ability to strengthen intuition; and Selenite, for its associations with purity and spiritual awareness.
Plants and herbs: Mugwort for its enhancement of dreams and visions; frankincense, which elevates consciousness; and lotus, a symbol of transcendence and enlightenment.
Tarot: The Fool for its boundless potential; The High Priestess, the guardian of intuition, mystery, and deep inner knowledge; and The World, which signifies wholeness and cosmic harmony.
Spirit is not traditionally part of the Witch’s Pyramid, but it is sometimes associated with “To Go”, signifying the movement of magic. Spirit appears at the apex of the pyramid, supported by the four pillars: To Know, To Will, To Dare, and To Keep Silent. Similarly, Spirit is sometimes drawn at the top of a pentacle rather than at its centre and is also connected with the Cone of Power.
Activities
I perceive Spirit as the connection with ourselves, each other, the land, spirits, and so forth. Spirit bridges and aligns the different parts of ourselves, whether you want to call that the Higher, Middle, and Lower Selves, the Three Souls, the Three Cauldrons, Mind, Body, and Spirit, or something else. Therefore, activities involving Spirit can be almost anything in the spirit of connection.
I perceive Spirit as the thread of connection—linking us to ourselves, each other, the land, spirits, and beyond. Spirit aligns the different aspects of our being, whether we frame it as the Higher, Middle, and Lower Selves, the Three Souls, the Three Cauldrons, or Mind, Body, and Spirit. Thus, any activity that fosters deep connection can be a way to engage with Spirit.
Meditation: Meditation refers to various practices to train attention and awareness to calm the mind and then investigate the nature of reality.
Alignment exercises: Exercises that align the various parts of ourselves include the Three Cauldrons of Poesy and the Feri practice of aligning the Three Souls. Orisha practitioners may consider the ritual to cleanse and fortify the Orí (rogación de cabeza).
Journeying and trance work: Enter altered states to commune with Spirit.
Dreamwork and dream incubation: Keep a journal to track messages and guidance from dreams.
Chanting and sacred sound: Use voice or instruments to create resonance and deepen connection with Spirit.
Spending time in nature: Deepen connection with the land and its spirits.
Offerings and devotion: Honour ancestors, spirits, or the divine through regular practice.
Divination: Engage in practices that are more fluid and less structured, such as scrying, automatic writing, and throwing divination (e.g. bones, cowries, or lithomancy).
The web that connects all things
If Spirit is the web that connects all things, then environmental concerns are deeply spiritual concerns. When we see the Earth not as separate from us but as part of an interconnected whole, the destruction of ecosystems, climate change, and biodiversity loss become more than just practical issues.
Spirit reminds us that we are not isolated individuals but part of a vast, living network that includes the land, waters, skies, and all beings. Caring for the environment is an act of honouring Spirit, of tending to the unseen connections that sustain life. Whether through mindful consumption, ecological restoration, or rituals that acknowledge and respect the spirits of place, our actions can weave a stronger, more harmonious web. To walk with Spirit is to recognise that what we do to the Earth, we do to ourselves.
But the spiritual work of caring for the Earth is also political. Environmental destruction is deeply tied to colonialism, capitalism, and systemic inequality. The exploitation of land and natural resources is inseparable from the exploitation of people, particularly Indigenous communities, people of colour, and those living in poverty. Many of the frontline defenders of the environment—those fighting against deforestation, pollution, and climate change—are persecuted or killed for protecting their ancestral lands.
Honouring Spirit means not only making personal choices but also engaging in collective action. It means supporting Indigenous land rights, advocating for climate policies that prioritise justice, and challenging corporate and governmental practices that exploit the Earth for profit. It calls us to be in solidarity with those whose voices are silenced and to recognise that environmental harm disproportionately affects the most vulnerable.
To truly honour the web of life, we must ask: Who benefits from environmental destruction? Who suffers? And how can we shift the balance toward justice, restoration, and healing—not just for ourselves, but for all beings?
My week with Spirit
Each of my weeks with the elements unfolded at the perfect time, shaping my experiences in ways I hadn’t anticipated. My week with Earth arrived as I focused on building stability and balance for the year ahead, grounding myself for future challenges. Air swept in with the intensity of a presidential inauguration, bringing a whirlwind of information, sharp actions, and hasty reactions. Fire ignited a much-needed sense of transformation and renewal. Water carried me through deep emotional processing—forcing me to sit with fear, doubt, loss, and trust without resisting or rationalising them.
Then came Spirit.
During my week with Spirit, I completed an assignment reflecting on my lifelong journey in spiritual care. As I wove it together, I saw patterns and connections I had never fully recognised. I recalled visiting an elderly neighbour as a child, offering her companionship. As a teenager, I volunteered in a hospital and homeless shelter. As a community manager, I managed online communities for vulnerable people. I had been engaged in spiritual care for most of my life without realising it.
I also became more attuned to omens and synchronicities. I noticed how when one door closed, another opened, and I thanked my spirits, especially Eleggua, for the direction and Ogun for his protection. My dreams spoke more clearly, and I consciously deepened my connection with Hekate.
During my week with Spirit, I also decided to stop eating meat at breakfast and lunch. My feelings about vegetarianism are complex, and I hold conflicting thoughts and emotions on the subject. However, I do know that I don’t need to consume as much meat as I did, and any reduction is a step in alignment with my values. Cutting back on meat, even in a small way, feels like an act of connection—honouring animals, reducing my environmental impact, and acknowledging the spiritual dimension of my food choices. Whether or not it improves my physical health, I know that this shift supports my spiritual well-being, bringing greater mindfulness to what and how I consume.
Spirit is the element that moves through all things, the unseen thread that connects past, present, and future, the whisper of wisdom carried through generations. Unlike the other elements, it is not bound by form or function but exists in the spaces between—where intuition stirs, synchronicities unfold, and presence deepens. To embrace Spirit is to trust in the unseen, honour the sacred in all aspects of life, and recognise the interconnectedness that binds us to the world, the divine, and ourselves. In the end, Spirit is not something we summon—it is something we learn to notice, something we remember has always been there.
