Where did the idea of the four (or five) elements in Wicca come from?

Question

I asked a friend in real life this and she did not know, so i'm wondering if any Wiccans here know. Where did the four elements (or five) used in Wicca in modern times come from. I know it was created mostly by Gerald Gardner, but where did he get the idea or correspondences. Did it come from an established magical tradition, did he pull it out of the air, or some other means?

Answer 1

As far as I know, Gardner was heavily influenced by Ceremonial Magic, so that probably where they come from.

Also, they come from alchemy.

http://wicca.timerift.net/elements.shtml

Answer 2

Like most everything in Wicca the concept of the five elements came from Alchemy/Ceremonial magic and Kabbalahism.  

Answer 3

Gardner borrowed it from ceremonial magic, probably most directly from the Golden Dawn, which was influenced by Renaissance occult beliefs (which includes alchemy), which in turn was influenced (in this case) by Neo-platonism which in turn was influenced by Platoism - i.e. the beliefs taught by Plato in ancient Greece.  At least the four elements date back to Greece.  I believe so does the concept of Spirit, although that might have started with the Neo-platonists.

Answer 4

It came from alchemy...

Ziggy why do you interject on subjects you know nothing about?

Answer 5

The fifth element is Akasha (or spirit). Akasha is a sanskrit word meaning meaning 'to radiate, to shine'.

My understanding is that it is from alchemy  .

Answer 6

Gardner's initial circle casting used only two elements. It actually was Valiente's influence that led to the four, and the four+one. (Everything else, see Nightwind, above)

The basis thereof comes from John Dee, and from classical alchemy.

Strangely enough, the majority of Wiccans these days are only taught one type of circle casting, and it has a major flaw from the POV of magic.

Answer 7

I assume you mean Fire, Earth, Water, and Air.

Those are in nature....and all around us.

I may be wrong because I'm not a wiccan...but those are the only 4 elements I heard of when I studied wicca.

Answer 8

The idea is very old and existed in some form outside of Europe (China and India, etc).  

Answer 9

Merry Meet,

The Elements in the Craft came from several different sources. Two of the oldest sources are Alchemy/Science and Ceremonial Magic. Some of the earliest references on the elements can be found in Greek mathematics and sciences. Though, you can find similar references through Hindu, Chinese, Japanese cultures, etc. The primary formula we use for the four or five elements in the Craft derives from the Greeks.

The correspondences to the four or five elements cross many cultures, philosophies and sciences throughout the world. Way to much information to put here.

I hope this blurp has helped out some

Blessed Be

Nyjh

Answer 10

Astrology uses earth, air, fire, & water signs.  Greek philosophy used a lot of these kind of break down as part of their scientific explanations of the world.  

I image then, there are many other sources she could have drawn on.

Answer 11

well way back in the day (long before wicca) the greeks thought that the elements were earth, wind, fire, water, and that we( we as the natrual world) were made up of those (instead of atoms and the elements we have today). that's just one thought proccess.

no ideas are new, we just reuse them.

Answer 12

I knew a wiccan, I will ask her,  small town

Answer 13

It's a very old idea indeed. Where it truly originated is beyond my guess.