Elemental

This article is about elementals in alchemy and myth. For other uses of the term, see elemental (disambiguation).

In mysticism, mythology and alchemy, an elemental is a creature (usually a spirit) that is attuned with, or composed of, one of the classical elements: air, earth, fire and water. The elements balance each other out through opposites: water quenches fire, fire boils water, earth contains air, air erodes earth. The concept of elementals seems to have been conceived by Paracelsus in the 16th century. Paracelsus' elementals were:

Element	Elemental	Source
Air	Sylph	invented by Paracelsus
Earth	Gnome	traditional creature from Germanic folklore
Fire	Salamander	invented by Paracelsus
Water	Undine	water goddesses from Homeric myth

Elementals are commonly mentioned in grimoires dealing with alchemy and sorcery and are usually called by summoning.

In modern occultism the word "elemental" can also be used to mean any simple or only partly sentient spiritual entity. These entities can be entirely natural (for instance, the spirit of a group of trees) or can be created by magicians or sorcerers to perform a task for them. The latter type are called Servitors. This kind of "subservient" or "man-made" elemental can be found mentioned in the works of Austin Osman Spare or Aleister Crowley. They are a vital concept in modern Chaos Magic.

Anthroposophy is also known to have knowledge of elementals.

Elementals are also a common concept in fantasy fiction and fantasy games; see elementals in fiction for more information.

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