Elemental Spirits

Elementals are part of our human reality. Nothing captures the imagination more than the idea of elves and fairies and other supernatural creatures. Learn about elementals, both benign and evil.

Elementals Have Been Around a Long Time

Fascinatingly, from the time of centuries-old paganism and occult philosophy, there has been a debate over the existence of elemental beings.  Not surprising, the elementals beings, which are only visible to children and shamans, are recognized as presences. These presences either cohabit the astral planes – the living realm – with humans or reside in another dimensional emplacement. In essence, an ‘elemental’ is a mythic being as described in occult and alchemical works during the European Renaissance.

More to the point, according to folklore and legends, the ghost elemental is claimed to be a vicious, terrifying, and unpredictable creature. They are said to be entities that have existed long before mankind and are frequently connected to ancient places of burial. In the 16th century, Paracelsus – a Swiss physician – further studied their origin and elaborated the elemental hauntings.

Elementals Are Not Demons

The elementals are often confused with demons; however, they are different from demons. Demons are spirits who do try to possess the humans.

Elementals are usually found in nature. In fact, elementals are also known as Nature Spirits. An earth elemental is earth energy in physical form and shares a strong connection to the four elements.  Leprechauns, fairies, dwarves, trolls, elves, and fairies are all closely related to earth spirits. They are believed to be the life force that inspires all living things. This is in addition to earthly elements of air, earth, water, and fire.

Elementals Can Shape Shift

According to several claims, whenever an elemental makes an appearance, the temperature of the place falls in a drastic way. Also, they are accompanied by a suffocating sickening odor. The odor is said to elicit a deep sense of dread and evil.

Evil Elementals Look Like Humans and Animals

More often, evil elementals take on the appearances of a bizarre mix of an animal with human-like facial features. Additionally, elementals of the astral realm are said to have bodies that change into mischievous and deceptive forms.

The rudimentary concept of an elemental is the idea that elements are vital building blocks of nature. In the system prevailing in the Classical world, there were four elements: fire, earth, air, and water.

The paradigm became exceedingly popular in medieval natural philosophy. A man named Paracelsus brought a lot of mythological beings into the paradigm by classifying them as fitting to one of the following four elemental categories:

  1. Gnomes – Earth Elements
  2. Undines – Water Elements
  3. Sylphs – Air Elements
  4. Salamanders – Fire Elements

Elementals Are Seen Worldwide

Globally speaking, people have reported seeing creatures resembling the characteristics of elementals from different parts of the world. Different societies give different names usually know elementals, yet the phenomenon attribute to them shares an uncanny resemblance. Curiously, the sightings of elemental creatures seem to occur most commonly in remote country areas and seem to be attached to a particular place. Markedly, one instance of an elemental making an odious appearance is Leap Castle, located in Tipperary, Ireland.

History of Elementals

The Paracelsian concept of elementals traces back its history from the ancient traditions of mythology and religion.

Most believed, according to the chronicles of folklore, the history of elemental creatures dates back to Greek Mythology. In the 16th century, Paracelsus identified mythological creatures in reference to the four elements in his book ‘A Book on Nymphs, Sylphs, Pygmies, and Salamanders, and on the Other Spirits.’ After reading the works of this Swiss physician, many paranormal investigators accept that the concept of elementals. And, that it was conceived by Paracelsus even when he did not make use of the term ‘elementals.’

Moreover, he considered the elementals not so much as spirits but as entities between creatures and spirits, commonly invisible to human beings but having physical and hominid bodies, along with eating, sleeping, and wearing clothes like humans. Paracelsus further categorized the creature into four categories – Gnomes, Undines, Sylphs, and Salamanders.

Undines Surprisingly Human Sized

As per his observation, undines were almost the same in size as humans, while sylphs were rougher, bristlier, longer, and stronger. On the other hand, Gnomes were short and small; and salamanders were long, slender, and thin. The elementals can transfer through their own elements as human beings pass through the air. For example, the gnomes can walk through rocks and walls.

In addition, Paracelsus suggested that every elemental can stay in good physical shape in its specific mythological void state but dies in the other states. Interestingly, he also speculated that human beings are comprised of three parts: an elemental body, sidereal spirit, and an immortal divine soul. However, in his opinion, the elementals do not have the last part, which is a soul. With that said, it is also believed that an elemental can marry a human being, and then an elemental’s offspring can acquire a soul.

German Polymath Explains Elemental Types

Apart from Paracelsus, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, a German polymath, physician, legal scholar, soldier, theologian, and occult writer, also spoke about four types of elements in reference to the four classes of spirits in his De Occulta Philosophia. Agrippa’s book was published in 1531, long before Paracelsus’s Philosophia Magna. But, unlike his successor, Heinrich Agrippa did not give names to his narrowed-down classes. He merely described the classes as fiery, watery, aerial, and terrestrial; and gave an extensive list of various mythological beings.

Elemental Marriages

According to a French satire of occult philosophy Comte de Gabalis, the particular concept of elemental marriages as discussed by Paracelsus made sense. In a similar manner, the book ‘Count of Kabbalah’ explains that the Paracelsian order held back from getting married to human beings to preserve their free will to bequeath elementals with souls.

Also, read about the “great fairy” scandal.

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