What Is Elemental Magic?

Elemental or natural magic is the most grounded of the three types. It works through the occult virtues hidden in physical things—plants, stones, animals, metals, scents, fluids, and the human body.

According to Agrippa:

“All things which are in the world, are clothed with such a veil of secrets, that they cannot be understood without their principles being opened.” (Book I, Ch. 2)

Natural magic opens those principles.

It is not “supernatural”—it is preternatural, drawing on laws of nature unknown to most people.

⸻

The Four Elements: Earth, Water, Air, Fire

Everything in the material world is composed of these four primordial principles. Agrippa teaches that:

• They exist in both material and spiritual forms.

• Every thing—including plants, animals, and humans—has a dominant elemental balance.

• Understanding this balance lets the magus influence health, emotion, energy, and transformation.

Elemental Qualities

Each element has two qualities:

• Fire: Hot + Dry → Passion, energy, courage, willpower

• Air: Hot + Moist → Intellect, joy, imagination, speech

• Water: Cold + Moist → Emotion, intuition, dreams, healing

• Earth: Cold + Dry → Stability, strength, form, memory

These qualities are used to diagnose magical conditions. For example:

• Is a person angry and inflamed? Too much fire.