← Home
cosmology

Elemental Beings

Naturally-existing, non-human intelligences native to a single element — earth, air, fire, or water — rather than the fourfold-composite human nature: Paracelsus's gnomes, sylphs, salamanders, and undines; the Deva Kingdom or fairy kingdom of Western occultism, forming their own parallel kingdom capable of incarnating in or forming relationships with humans. Distinct from artificial_elemental (a manufactured thought-entity deliberately created by a single operator, not a naturally-occurring species) and animism (the general doctrine that nature-places host indwelling spirits, of which this is one specific taxonomic system organised around the four elements rather than locality).

35 passages · 6 traditions
theosophy: 25 passagestheosophy25christian_mysticism: 3 passageschristian_mysticism3neoplatonism: 3 passagesneoplatonism3renaissance_hermeticism: 2 passagesrenaissance_hermeticism2jewish_mysticism: 1 passagejewish_mysticism1western_esoteric: 1 passagewestern_esoteric1
theosophy25
The Secret Doctrine | Page 9 (part 8)
“There are two esoteric schools -- or rather one school, divided into two parts -- one for the inner Lanoos, the other for the outer or semi-lay chelas beyond the Himalayas; the first teaching a septenary, the other a six-fold division of hu…”
The Secret Doctrine | Page 10 (part 5)
“The reader must bear in mind that, according to our teaching which regards this phenomenal Universe as a great Illusion , the nearer a body is to the U NKNOWN S UBSTANCE, the more it approaches reality , as being removed the farther [[Vol.…”
The Secret Doctrine | Page 12 (part 3)
“To return to "Esoteric Buddhism." It is there stated with regard to the enormous period intervening between the mineral epoch on Globe A, and the man-epoch,* that: "The full development of the [[Footnote(s)]] -------------------------------…”
The Secret Doctrine | Page 12 (part 6)
“" The Dhyanis ( Pitris ) are those who have evolved their BHUTA ( doubles ) from themselves , which RUPA ( form ) has become the vehicle of monads ( seventh and sixth principles ) that had completed their cycle of transmigration in the thre…”
The Secret Doctrine | Page 14 (part 3)
“These, Tsanagi-Tsanami , descended into the Universe by the celestial Bridge (the milky way), and " Tsanagi , perceiving far below a chaotic mass of cloud and water, thrust his jewelled spear into the depths, and dry land appeared." Then th…”
The Secret Doctrine | Page 14 (part 4)
“I am merged in Sekten." This last sentence gives the corroboration of, and repeats the doctrine of, esoteric Buddhism, for it alludes directly to the fifth principle (Manas), or the most spiritual part of its essence rather, which merges in…”
The Secret Doctrine | Page 14 (part 10)
“** The so-called "Spirits" that may occasionally possess themselves of the bodies of mediums are not the Monads or Higher Principles of disembodied personalities. Such a "Spirit" can only be either an Elementary, or -- a Nirmanakaya. [[Vo…”
The Secret Doctrine | Page 15 (part 9)
“198, of the same Vishnu Purana it is written, "in this manner were the seven forms of nature (Prakriti) reckoned from Mahat to Earth" (?). Between Mahat or Maha-Buddhi and "Water, etc.," the difference is very considerable. ** According t…”
Show all 25 →
christian_mysticism3
The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme | Chapter 6 (part 7)
“That which Sol (the sun) is spiritually becomes corporeal in Luna (the moon)." ( Signature , ix. 24.) After the world of stars had begun to exist, the sidereal life appeared by the power of the former—that is to say, that living organisms…”
The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme | Chapter 9 (part 10)
“The conditions of these animal elementals in the constitution of man are some of those causes of his bodily ills of which modern medical science is entirely ignorant. 191:1 This is the way in which the "personalities" mentioned in the Book…”
The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme | Chapter 10 (part 5)
“The wrath must kill and consume the external image that has grown in the wrath, but from its death springs forth the eternal life." ( Mysterium , xxviii. 14.) "Abel, representing an antitype of Christ, who was to suffer death for humanity,…”
neoplatonism3
Iamblichus: On the Mysteries | Chapter VII
“Moreover, in the manifestations there is an indication of the order which the powers that are seen possess. For the Gods are surrounded by either Gods or angels; but archangels have angels either preceding or coarranged with them, or follow…”
Iamblichus: On the Mysteries | Chapter VI
“These things also admit of another explanation of the following kind. The theurgist, through the power of arcane signatures, commands mundane natures, no longer as man, nor as employing a human soul; but as existing superior to them in the…”
Iamblichus: On the Mysteries | Chapter VIII-c
“The fifth according to body, which is called corporeal-formed. And the sixth according to matter, and this is denominated material.” Olympiodorus adds, “or after another manner it may be said, that some of these are celestial, others ether…”
renaissance_hermeticism2
Agrippa: The Philosophy of Natural Magic, Chapter VIII — How the Elements Are in the Heavens, in Stars, in Devils, in Angels, and lastly in God Himself | Chapter VIII, Section 1a
“CHAPTER VIII. How the Elements Are in the Heavens, in Stars, in Devils, in Angels, and lastly in God Himself . It is the unanimous consent of all Platonists, that as in the original and exemplary World, all things are in all; so also in t…”
Paracelsus: Coelum Philosophorum, or Book of Vexations | Section 1h
“These and the like, whereof there are some very far-fetched in Alchemy, are mere incumbrances of work; since even if Sol and Luna could be made by them they rather hinder and delay than further one’s purpose. But it is not from these – to…”
jewish_mysticism1
The Book of Concealed Mystery (Siphra Dtzenioutha) | 1g
“The four wheels are their correlatives under the second Sephira, on their four sides--namely, the four elements of the air, fire, water, and earth, which are the abodes of the spirits of the elements, the sylphs, salamanders, undines, and g…”
western_esoteric1
Psychic Self-Defence (Dion Fortune) | 7. The Pathology Of Non-Human Contacts-b
“In all cases the physical, etheric and astral bodies are involved; the vortex therefore always reaches as far as the astral plane; a soul upon the astral plane may be drawn into this vortex if it is ripe for incarnation, and thus enter the…”