View source for Water (classical element)

{{Short description|One of four primary substances in antiquity}}
{{classic element}}
'''Water''' is one of the [[classical elements]] in [[Pre-Socratics|ancient Greek philosophy]] along with [[Air (classical element)|air]], [[Earth (classical element)|earth]] and [[Fire (classical element)|fire]], in the [[India|Asian Indian]] system ''[[Classical element#Classical elements in Hinduism|Panchamahabhuta]]'', and in the [[China|Chinese]] cosmological and [[Traditional Chinese Medicine|physiological]] system ''[[Wuxing (Chinese philosophy)|Wu Xing]]''. In contemporary [[Western esotericism|esoteric traditions]], it is commonly associated with the qualities of [[emotion]] and [[Intuition (knowledge)|intuition]].

==Greek and Roman tradition==
Water was one of many ''archai'' proposed by the Pre-socratics, most of whom tried to reduce all things to a single substance. However, [[Empedocles]] of Acragas (c. 495 – c. 435 BC) selected four archai for his four roots: air, fire, water and earth. Empedocles' roots became the four classical elements of Greek philosophy. [[Plato]] (427–347 BC) took over the four elements of Empedocles. In the [[Timaeus (dialogue)|Timaeus]], his major cosmological dialogue, the [[Platonic solid]] associated with water is the [[icosahedron]] which is formed from twenty equilateral triangles. This makes water the element with the greatest number of sides, which Plato regarded as appropriate because water flows out of one's hand when picked up, as if it is made of tiny little balls.<ref>Plato, ''Timaeus'', chap. 22–23; [[Gregory Vlastos]], ''Plato’s Universe'', pp. 66–82.</ref>

Plato's student [[Aristotle]] (384–322 BC) developed a different explanation for the elements based on pairs of qualities. The four elements were arranged concentrically around the center of the [[Universe]] to form the [[sublunary sphere]].  According to Aristotle, water is both cold and wet and occupies a place between air and earth among the elemental spheres.<ref>[[G. E. R. Lloyd]], ''Aristotle'', chapters 7–8.</ref>

[[File:water symbol (alchemical).svg|thumb|upright|▽, the alchemical symbol for water]]

In [[Medicine in ancient Greece|ancient Greek medicine]], each of the [[four humours]] became associated with an element. [[Phlegm]] was the humor identified with water, since both were cold and wet. Other things associated with water and phlegm in ancient and [[Medieval medicine of Western Europe|medieval medicine]] included the season of Winter, since it increased the qualities of cold and moisture, the phlegmatic temperament, the [[Femininity|feminine]] and the [[west]]ern point of the compass.

In [[alchemy]], the [[chemical element]] of [[mercury (element)|mercury]] was often associated with water and its [[alchemical symbol]] was a downward-pointing triangle.

==Indian tradition==
{{Main|Ap (water)}}
{{Confusing section|date=January 2025}}
'''Ap''' (''{{IAST|áp-}}'') is the [[Vedic Sanskrit]] term for water, in [[Classical Sanskrit]] occurring only in the plural is not an element.v, '''{{IAST|āpas}}''' (sometimes re-analysed as a thematic singular, ''{{IAST|āpa-}}''), whence [[Hindi]] '''{{IAST|āp}}'''. The term is from [[PIE]] ''h<sub>x</sub>ap'' water.

In [[Hindu philosophy]], the term refers to 
water as an element, one of the ''[[Classical element#Classical elements in Hinduism|Panchamahabhuta]],'' or "five great elements". In [[Hinduism]], it is also the name of the [[deva (Hinduism)|deva]], a [[personification]] of water, (one of the [[Vasu]]s in most later [[Puranic]] lists). The element water is also associated with [[Chandra]] or the moon and [[Shukra]], who represent feelings, intuition and imagination.

According to [[Jainism|Jain]] tradition, water itself is inhabited by spiritual [[Jīva (Jainism)|Jīvas]] called apakāya [[ekendriya]].<ref>{{cite journal|title=Journal of the Department of Letters|volume=5|journal=Journal of the Department of Letters|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BDxQAQAAMAAJ&dq=Ekendriya&pg=PA352|page=352|author=University of Calcutta: Department of Letters|date=1921|publisher=Calcutta University Press, originally from [[University of Chicago]]}}</ref>

==Ceremonial magic==
Water and the other Greek classical elements were incorporated into the [[Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn|Golden Dawn]] system.<ref>Israel Regardie, ''The Golden Dawn'', pp. 154–65.</ref> The [[magical weapon|elemental weapon]] of water is the cup.<ref>Regardie, ''Golden Dawn'', p.322; Kraig, ''Modern Magick'', pp. 149–53.</ref> Each of the elements has several associated spiritual beings. The archangel of water is [[Gabriel (archangel)|Gabriel]], the angel is Taliahad, the ruler is Tharsis, the king is Nichsa and the water [[elemental]]s are called [[Ondine (mythology)|Ondines]].<ref>Regardie, ''Golden Dawn'', p. 80.</ref> It is referred to the upper right point of the pentagram in the Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram.<ref>Regardie, ''Golden Dawn'', pp. 280–286; Kraig, ''Modern Magick'', pp. 206–209.</ref> Many of these associations have since spread throughout the occult community.

==Modern witchcraft==
Water is one of the five elements that appear in most [[Wicca]]n traditions. [[Wicca]] in particular was influenced by the Golden Dawn system of magic and [[Aleister Crowley]]'s mysticism, which was in turn inspired by the Golden Dawn.<ref>Hutton, ''Triumph of the Moon'', pp. 216–23; Valiente, Witchcraft for Tomorrow, p. 17.</ref>

==See also==
* [[Water]]
* [[Sea and river deity]]
* [[Cancer (astrology)]]
* [[Scorpio (astrology)]]
* [[Pisces (astrology)]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.friesian.com/elements.htm Different versions of the classical elements]

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[[Category:Classical elements]]
[[Category:Water in culture]]
[[Category:Esoteric cosmology]]
[[Category:History of astrology]]
[[Category:Technical factors of astrology]]
[[Category:Concepts in ancient Greek metaphysics]]