Obsidian

From where do you call the element of Fire (that is, if you even call the Quarters at all)? Most Wiccans™ (and most other neopagans) call Fire from the South, Earth from the North, Air from the East and Water from the West. People have been doing this for many years — right around fifty, I figure — but I don't know if they really know why.

So first, here's mine, and here's why I've chosen to associate them where I have, going deosil from East:

• EAST (Water, Spring, Morning, Infancy, Blue) is the direction of beginning. It is the sunrise. It is the ocean (or Lake Superior). Water represents the amniotic fluid in the womb from which we are born. Spring is the beginning of life. It is a perfect association to me.
• SOUTH (Earth, Summer, Midday, Maiden, Green) is the direction of plenty. It is the midday. Summer is the season when everything is in full bloom. It is when people romp around free. It is the summer of drive-ins and post-movie back-seat excursions. I associate South with Earth because the Earth is most plentiful, lush and green during this time. South of us, where it is always summer (between the tropics), it is perpetually green and warm and plentiful. Oh yes, and from the British Isles, there is more earth to the south than to the North. North of the Isles is the Atlantic ocean; south of them is the Continent. It is a perfect association to me.
• WEST (Fire, Autumn, Evening, Mother, Red) is the direction of maturity. It is the sunset. It is when the virility of the day ebbs into a more serene, wise disposition. It is when the day catches up with the frolicking animals and plants, and they all tire. I associate this with autumn for many reasons: Autumn is the hottest time of the year, in both the UP and Pennsylvania. Autumn is when mothers rear in their young and protect them for winter. Autumn is when the leaves look like they're on fire, and indeed by November litter the ground like burnt embers. Personally, Autumn is when I was born, and I was born a Sagittarius (Fire). Fire is also the opposite of water (pouring water on a fire will douse it (for the most part, anyway)). It is a perfect association to me.
• NORTH (Air, Winter, Night, Crone, Black/White) is the coldest and most desolate direction. It is the night, and the borealis. The coldest, bleakest winds come from the north. The wind is the North's greatest weapon, which is why I associate it with Air. Air is the element of wisdom. Notice that in most mythologies, the wisest of beings are surrounded by air, usually on a mountain...where it is cold...cold like the North. North is the Winter's domain. In the UP, one of the northernmost regions of the contiguous states, the winter is vicious and severe. In the North in Winter there is very little colour to be seen, for the earth is white and the sky is grey with clouds. Even when it's not, you can't see the sky for the brilliant white sun. The Winter seems without colour. Air is also the opposite of Earth, which I have associated with the South. It is a perfect association to me.

Another bond that strengthens this system over the traditional view, in my opinion, is the fact that when you draw these correspondences on a piece of paper, they look more realistic to the mind than the traditional ones. The Earth is drawn at the south, or the bottom, which is the ground. Air is at the north, or the top. It looks right when drawn on a piece of paper, when the Earth is on the bottom and the air is on the top. Fire in the Southwest, representing the Arizona desert, Water in the East, representing the Atlantic. Fire and Water exist between the Earth and Air. Fire is completely dependent upon both Earth upon which to spread, and Air with which to sustain. The vertical Earth-Air axis is integral to all life, for without either life would die. After all, even aquatic life have gills to filter out oxygen (an integral component of air) to function.

This is the system which most logically fits in my head.

Now, I didn't write this to say "This is how I do it; I'm right and you're wrong, you fluffy piece of shit." Although I would probably gain much pleasure from that, that isn't going to help you nor me. I wrote this because I've noticed that most people only give (at best) a half-assed attempt to discover the why behind what they believe — regardless of religion, but it seems to be a cancer amongst fluffbunnies, and even among some non-fluffy canars as well. This, the correspondence between cardinal directions and elements, is just one of the many things about NWO-brand Wicca™ that I have questioned, reevaluated and come up with a better answer than the standard.

So one of the common theses of the Mirror comes to bite you in the ass again: Question everything. Examine every facet of your belief system. You never know what you might find to help you better how you revere the Divine.

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