Water Element - Meaning, Characteristics and Spirituality

Life begins in water. We spend our first nine months in the womb, surrounded by a warm liquid. Water is vital; without it, nothing can live. Only earth and water can give rise to a soul. The energy of this element is not only essential for life, but it also contains the essence of love. Love is the fundamental reason for all magic. The grandeur of water is so great that spiritual regeneration is impossible without it. Water is the element of emotion and wisdom, especially the wisdom of old age. It represents a time beyond the peak of sustenance, on the path toward the end of the cycle.

Water purifies, heals, and transforms. Our thirst naturally draws us to its life-giving power, and our soul finds solace in its energy, like rain, mist, ocean waves, or the murmur of a river. In nature, water flows to lower elevations, concentrating its force and nourishing life. As a divine guide and companion, water teaches us to recognize the power of our soul and to become a nurturing presence. The message: learn to let go.

Water is a purifying, healing, spiritual, and loving element. It embodies the feeling of friendship and love that washes over us when we are with our family, friends, and loved ones. When we swim, it is the water that sustains us; when we are thirsty, it is the water that quenches our thirst. Other manifestations of this element are the rain that soaks us or the dew that forms on plants after sunset.

The power of water energy can be felt by tasting pure spring water or by running your hand through a stream, lake, pond, or other container of water. You perceive its freshness and fluidity; it is a soft and comforting touch. This movement and fluidity are the qualities of air in water. This water energy also resides within us, since our bodies are composed primarily of water.

Water is a feminine element; it is also the element of emotion and the subconscious, of purification, intuition, the mysteries of being, compassion, and family. It possesses a psychic dimension; water can be used as a means of divination or as an object of meditation. It is important in spells and rituals for friendship, marriage, luck, fertility, healing, pleasure, psychic powers, and mirror spells.

Properties of the Element Water

Whether you’re looking at a Water Planet, a Water Sign, or a Water House, the element has certain important characteristics that distinguish it from the other elements.

Nutritious

Water sustains life, and its energy nourishes us. Energy is essential for renewal and well-being. It is linked to feelings such as compassion, love, and emotional connection. We can communicate through air, but we experience meaning through water. The profound joy of shared intimacy comes from the energy of water.

Creation

From an evolutionary perspective, life arose from the ocean, from water. A child grows in the womb, in an aquatic paradise, and it is the mixture of fluids that creates human life. Liquids form the basis of paints, which are used to create art and allow us to express emotions in powerful and beautiful ways. As a source of biological life, it is also a source of creativity.

Transformation

The energy of water adapts and transforms. While it can find its way where an opening or a different route is needed, over time it can erode even the most solid stone and alter any landscape. The birth of a child, the sudden loss of a loved one, a new love, or a promotion are just some of the transformative moments imbued with the powerful energy of water.

Feel

While Air energy reflects, Earth energy strives to be practical and cautious, and when Fire energy acts, Water energy feels it. People with strong Water energy navigate life by making decisions based on their feelings. Life is a constant ebb and flow of experiences, containing emotional moments that will accumulate throughout their lives to weave a rich tapestry that will ultimately become their incredible story.

The Energy of Water and the Human Experience

Each elemental group processes different life experiences through the nature of its element. Water signs rely on emotions, feelings, intuition, and vulnerability to navigate life.

Love

Water signs can be intense, protective, empathetic, and dramatic in love. They thrive on vulnerability, sharing, generosity, and sacrifice. To win the heart of a water sign, it’s essential to share memorable experiences that reveal the love they feel for someone and the love they receive from that person.

Work/career

Water signs prefer to start a family in whatever professional environment they choose. If they work in residential construction, they want to build families, not just houses. They want their home to be a place where the family can enjoy life and share beautiful memories.

All professions are based on emotions, close relationships, and needs; and Water signs will want to take on those familiar roles in order to get the most out of their work and career.

Family

Family life will be a profound experience with a Water sign in the family. Water sign individuals desire that family be an emotional refuge for everyone. Families should share and support one another.

Holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries will be especially important. As parents, Water signs prioritize nurturing (water) over independence (fire), logic (air), and material concerns (earth).

Finance

For Water signs, money is a means to provide for others, and they know how to manage it and make the most of both their own income and that of their families. These signs want money to serve to care for and protect their loved ones, as well as to provide for their own sustenance.

The Element of Water in Astrology

The element of water symbolizes the web of mystery that connects us all. Water signs are ruled by their emotions and are often very intuitive. They are sensitive and protective. Tend to be more interested in the intangible, such as mysticism, intuition, and spirituality. They are naturally empathetic and attuned to the unspoken and often unconscious emotions that surround them. This ability to perceive the emotions of others can be a great advantage in both their personal and professional lives.

The element of water represents the feminine or yin energy of emotion. Receptive and sensitive to the subtle currents of interconnectedness, they flow through everything and connect at a deeper, more unconscious level than logical thought. Aquarians are attuned to a deeper, more subtle reality than other signs. Their emotions range from fear and disgust to unconditional acceptance and love for the world and the beings they encounter in it. They are often security seekers and respond well to the stability, direction, and structure that others provide. At their best, they cultivate a powerful connection to the divine within themselves and those around them.

Cancer is the cardinal water sign. Cancerians care for and protect others. They love their home and family above all else.

Scorpio, a fixed water sign, is the most intense of the zodiac signs. They are known for their passion, assertiveness, determination, and decisiveness.

Pisces, a mutable water sign, is dreamy and imaginative, easily influenced by everything around them, as they are very sensitive to the emotions of others. Furthermore, they possess an artistic temperament that allows them to express these feelings in creative and innovative ways.

Add up the number of planets in the air element of your birth chart and compare it to the number below to learn more about your zodiac sign:

A chart with 0-1 planets: Having a planet in a water sign doesn’t mean the person lacks feelings. Perhaps they are simply disconnected from them. They seek situations that provide the necessary time and space to feel and express their repressed emotions.

A person with 2-4 planets: Planets in water signs are very sensitive and emotional. They possess strong intuition and may experience psychic abilities.

A person with 5 or more planets: Planets in water signs are so emotionally sensitive that they tend to repress themselves. They may appear distant in their attempts to isolate themselves.

Water as an Element in Spirituality

Water is the element of emotion and the unconscious, as opposed to the conscious intellectualism of air.

This is one of the two elements that possess physical existence, capable of interacting with all the senses. However, it is considered less material (and therefore superior) to Earth because it possesses greater movement and activity.

Planets

The Moon (Earth’s satellite), Neptune (planet), and Pluto (planet) are the water points. The Moon rules Cancer and the 4th House; Neptune rules Pisces and the 12th House; and Pluto rules Scorpio and the 8th House.

The moon represents our soul’s journey, how we give and receive love, and what we share when we feel we can trust others.

Neptune represents our spirituality, our connection with the divine, and how we must surrender in life to feel fulfilled.

Pluto represents death and rebirth, expulsion, devastation, and power.

Witchcraft

The energy of summer’s hustle and bustle slowly fades as the fruits of hard work are ready to be harvested. The fresh energy of autumn floods our lives, inviting us to prepare for the darker months ahead and to gradually let go of what no longer serves us.

Water is a relatively easy element to work with. If you’re stressed, simply rinse your hands to release that energy. By heating the water, you incorporate the element of fire. Once released, cool the water to obtain regenerative and revitalizing vibrations.

Our tears are salt water and an excellent transmitter of spiritual intention. You can mark personal ritual objects with your tears, use them in potions, or as an anointing. Remember that the emotion you felt when you shed your tears will become part of your work.

It’s essential to remember that human beings are naturally connected to water. Therefore, our entire being already resonates with it; it’s simply a matter of recognizing it more intimately. This element fills us with love, and the magic that arises from love is incredibly powerful.

Other purposes for which the element of water can be metaphysically useful include compassion, higher mysteries, psychic development, community, intuition, healing, and relationships.

Dreams

The appearance of water in your dreams can have various connotations depending on the color, whether it was calm or agitated, and even its state.

For example, ice can represent a static or “frozen” situation. Murky water foreshadows problems or hidden issues. Being splashed with water is a wake-up call about something you’ve been ignoring.

Feng Shui

In Feng Shui, water is fundamental. This is especially important for understanding the Feng Shui elements, as each possesses a controlling and protective quality. This makes some combinations more compatible. Each element has a shape, a color, and a vibration that reinforce its place in the hierarchy of energetic vibrations.

Water is vibrant. Its playful nature can be the foundation for expressing your individuality. Whether creating blocks of different shades of dark blue or black to evoke a deeper connection, or combining sky blue and white to visually expand spaces and create a more spacious atmosphere. This is especially relevant when a room is filled with light or has a water view.

The Water element in the Bagua chart represents the gateway. It opens doors to your career and life. It flows from the outside in. This element is naturally atmospheric and ready to welcome you each morning. Think about how often we start our day at work unaware of this wonderful exchange taking place around us, and how much we miss the opportunity to participate and be part of the planet’s dawn.

Any wavy, fluid, or sinuous form brings the element of water to life in spaces.
In Feng Shui, the color of water is black/very dark blue and pale shades of white, sky blue and white.
The archetype of the water element in Feng Shui is the philosopher, whose calm and gentle nature helps to explain the mysteries of the world.
Objects that evoke water create a pure reflection: mirrors, glass and crystal bring to mind the element of water in the home or office.
In Feng Shui, water represents winter in the cycle of seasons: the darkest season in the southern hemisphere.
In the creative cycle, water feeds on metal.
Water, in turn, nourishes the wood element.
Water is controlled by the Earth throughout its life cycle. The Earth controls water by creating barriers or dams to regulate its flow and by making it turbid to slow it down and reduce its force.

Guessing

On a night when the moon is low over a bowl of water, this is the perfect time to try water divination.

The moon governs the tides. The water’s surface becomes a mirror. If you don’t focus your gaze, the glimmers will spin endlessly until the photos look like they were taken with a crystal ball. It’s easier to do this with a question in mind, so the symbols make sense afterward. Keep in mind that if there isn’t a lake or ocean nearby, a simple container of water will do.

Another method of divination with water involves observing the movement of floating objects. Diviners might use, for example, a bay leaf. The leaf is placed in the water before asking a question. If the leaf sinks, the answer is yes.

Tarot

In the Tarot, the element of water is represented by the suit of Cups.

As the element of water, Cups focus on our conscious feelings and the relationships we choose. Each card reflects a distinct way of expressing ourselves through words and actions, as well as the inner workings of the complex entity we call love.

Other symbolic meanings of the cups include our inventive nature, the ability to imagine, self-expression, and a feminine/receptive energetic vibration.

Numerology

The element of Water is associated with the master number 22. In numerology, the master number 22 is the builder of numerology. It takes our dreams and ambitions and helps us manifest them, just like the element of Water.

The inherent success of the master number 22 lies in its strong intuition combined with discipline. The saying “water always finds a way” certainly reflects these characteristics. Like the billions of drops of water in the ocean, the potential of 22 is limitless.

Water as an Element in Witchcraft

Water, along with the other elements, sustains life on this planet. Consider how it interacts with them: water extinguishes fire or evaporates with it, nourishes the earth, is created from the air, and is transported by it. We need water to live, and our bodies are composed of at least sixty percent water. The planet is mostly water. Water is our great mother, the creator, and yet, in the blink of an eye, it becomes a great destroyer. But remember: where there is destruction, there is creation.

As a witch, you communicate and connect with the five elements throughout your life. Sometimes, you may feel a greater affinity for one element than another. But you should explore them all equally. Study the magical properties of water with the element of water. Write them down in your grimoire or Book of Shadows.

Collect and collect water from storms, the moon, the sun, etc. Dedicate time to connecting with water through ritual baths. Understand the essence of water. You can consume foods associated with water. Wear colors that evoke water. Study animals and plants associated with water.

If you are a water sign, your most powerful magic will involve helping the water element bring about change. Water magic spells don’t have to be complicated, unless you want them to be. Here are some simple ways to perform water magic spells and channel the energy of the water element:

Ritual baths and bath spells.
Preparation of magical waters: rose water, moon water, sun water, etc.
Send the remains of the spells into a flowing river/stream.
Purify by sprinkling holy water on a person, place, or object.
Messages/phrases in a bottle that are sent into the ocean.
Storm magic: Harnessing the waters of the storm for magical purposes.
Working with gods and goddesses of the sea.
Prepare tea, soup and other infusions.
The preparation of oils and ointments infused with herbs.
Cleansing/purification ritual by swimming in the ocean/river/lake.
Collect rainwater, ocean water, river water, snow, ice, etc. for use in spells.
Use various magical waters as offerings on altars.
Preparation of herbal sprays for purification.

Water Element Color Therapy

Of the four elements, water is considered the most calming. It represents a sense of cleanliness and purity and symbolizes emotional well-being. The color blue is often used to represent these qualities, although pastel shades are also frequently incorporated into a water-inspired room. With its cool undertones, blue is typically a relaxing and peaceful color, making it an ideal choice for a bedroom. Like blue, pastel shades such as lavender and mint green have a calming effect and can be combined with blue tones to create a delicate atmosphere.

Water as an Element in Antiquity

Thales of Miletus concluded that water was the origin of all things, the first of all the elements and the most powerful because of its dominion over the others. Pliny wrote: “Water swallows the earth, extinguishes the flame, rises and, spreading like clouds, defies the heavens, and as it falls, becomes the cause of everything that grows on earth.”

In ancient Greek medicine, each of the four humors was associated with an element. Phlegm was the humor identified with water, as both were cold and moist. Other factors associated with water and phlegm in ancient and medieval medicine included the winter season, as it accentuated the properties of cold and moisture, the phlegmatic temperament, femininity, and the western point of the Southern Hemisphere.

In alchemy, the chemical element mercury was frequently associated with water, and its alchemical symbol was a downward-pointing triangle.

Abundant opportunities, relationships, health, and well-being are important components of the water element. Consider, for example, the Alhambra and the Taj Mahal, where water and shelter are fundamental pillars of Islam. They represent the promise of water and shade for a long journey.

How Strong is the Water Element in You?

A short questionnaire will help you determine if your water element is weak or strong. Answer yes to the statements that are true for you at least 50% of the time and no to those that are true less than half the time.

I cry easily.
I am sentimental and I like to keep sentimental objects.
I am speechless when I am upset.
My body reacts immediately, viscerally, to people.
I doubt myself.
My internal dialogue is mostly negative.
I really value my alone time.
I can be hypersensitive, emotionally or physically.
I am fascinated by the supernatural.
Music is a necessity in my life.

If you answered yes to seven or more questions, your personality is Water. In this case, consider integrating this element in a healthier way.

If you answered no to five or more of the statements above, you probably need to cultivate this element more to regain compassion for yourself and others. Emotional numbness is the result of an underdeveloped Water element.

Healthy water not only makes our lives easier, but it also opens doors to success by working in harmony with the other three elements. It fosters self-awareness, opens our hearts, and reminds us of the importance of love. Everything begins with self-love. Nothing is more important than that. Here are some tips for balancing the Water element.

Set boundaries more often. Practice saying no and confronting people when necessary.
He showers her with compliments, kindness, and compassion.
Ask yourself what you need.
Practice the art of forgiveness and acceptance.
Practice mindfulness and become aware of your emotions.
Pay close attention to your intuition and listen to the messages of your body.
Open up emotionally and talk to a friend.

At their best, a Water person enjoys silence. They are comfortable experiencing their emotions. They listen to their body’s subtle signals and practice self-care naturally. Water personalities enjoy massages, spa days, and quiet moments alone.

Of course, water can be calm or turbulent, clear or murky. People who haven’t developed their water element can easily become depressed, anxious, withdrawn, negative, or overwhelmed as a result of neglecting their sensitivity. Some struggle with addiction and seek solace in negative distractions.

Water Element – Meaning, Characteristics and Spirituality