The Elements

From Ways of Knowing, taught by Jude Todd in Spring 1996 at UCSC and The Women's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets by Barbara Walker.

Water Fire Earth Air Aether
Sanskrit roots: Va Ra La Ya Ma (Kali) unified mother intelligence
Kali-Ma symbolism: bowl of blood/​blood scepter/​lightning/​heat lotus wheel/​solid body sword/​breath
Tarot card suits: cups/​bowls wands/​rods/​scepters pentacles/​coins/​disks swords trump cards
modern card suits: hearts clubs diamonds spades jokers
Tantric sexuality: female (red) male (black) female (red) male (black)
opposed to: fire water air earth
Princes of Heaven
(China/​Japan)
animal: white tiger red bird blue dragon black warrior
direction: west south east north
Christian icons: serpent lion bull eagle/​angel/​man
Zuni element: water fire earth wind
direction: west south east north
season: spring summer autumn winter
activity: peace tillage magic war
color: red white yellow
Aztec/Mixtec: cane flint house rabbit
natural disaster: tsunami/flood wildfire earthquake/​quicksand hurricane/​tornado
destructive force: deluge/​wave rain of flames earthquake wind vacuum
dead body disposal: burial at sea cremation burial eaten by birds
spirit creatures: undines salamanders gnomes sylphs angels
nurturing fluids: water blood honey milk
gemstones: sapphire/​lapis lazuli ruby gold silver/​crystal/​diamond
Stoicism/​Roman Circus colors: blue red green white
season: autumn summer spring winter
element: water fire earth air
planet: Saturn/​Neptune Mars Terra Mater/​Venus Jupiter
other: heaven flowers zephyrs
medieval humours temper: sanguine phlegmatic choleric mercurial
organ: blood liver heart spleen
fluid: blood phlegm yellow bile black bile
planet/god: Mars Jupiter/Jove Saturn Mercury
Scthian: bowl ax plough yoke
Platonism element: water fire earth air aether
solid: octahedron (8) tetrahedron (4) cube (6) dodecahedron (12) icosahedron (20)
modern physics: liquid plasma solid gas spacetime/​aether