The Tree & Cross of the 4 Elements…
schematic of creation ex nihilo through the four elements
4 Elements 4 archangels 4 Quarters
Above the cross, at the very top of the diagram, the Hebrew word “Ein Sof” (אינסוף) is written, meaning “Infinity.” In the upper-left corner appears the name “Raphael” (רפאל), while in the upper-right corner is the name “Ruyel” (רויאל). In the lower-left corner stands “Tzadkiel” (צדקיאל), and in the lower-right corner “Yophiel” (יופיאל). Inside the elemental circles of the cross, the top circle contains “Esh” (אש, “Fire”), the left circle contains “Avir” (אוויר, “Air”), the right circle contains “Mayim” (מים, “Water”), and the bottom circle contains “Eretz” (ארץ, “Earth”).
- Top circle: אש (Esh) – Fire
- Left circle: אויר (Avir) – Air
- Right circle: מים (Mayim) – Water
- Bottom circle: ארץ (Eretz) – Earth
- Upper left: רפאל (Raphael) – guardian of Air
- Upper right: רויאל (Ruyel / Uriel) – guardian of Fire (Kircher sometimes uses variant spellings)
- Lower left: צדקיאל (Tzadkiel) – guardian of Water (here assigned differently than modern systems)
- Lower right: יופיאל (Yophiel / Jophiel) – guardian of Earth
Fire is the first element, from it is born Air and Water, and finally Earth.
"17. ALL THINGS FROM THE 4 ELEMENTS. All things consist of the four primary Elements, Even those which you consider to be pure Elements. For nothing is found pure. The Creator of the World Mixed all the Elements with a skillful hand. From here our Phoebus [Sun] and our Cynthia [Moon] arise, And from here our maiden [the work] derives her origin."
The Formation of the Four Elements
"To fully understand how the elements formed, it is necessary first to discuss their qualitative combinations and to examine their particular natures. Hotness is neither wet nor dry, but simply hot in nature, fluidic, expansive, dynamic, dilative, and positive: it is the origin of the masculine principle. Wetness is neither hot nor cold, but naturally volatile, subtle, attenuating, moderating, vaporous, and fleeting: it is the origin of the feminine principle. Coldness is neither wet nor dry, but naturally cold, fixative, inert, conservative, and concentrative: it is the origin of the principle of fixation and atony. Dryness is neither hot nor cold, but naturally desiccating, sterile, arid, reactive, erethitic, and irritative: it is the origin of the principle of retention and opposition. The element Fire (🜂) is born of exaltation, from the action of the dry on the hot, which concentrates it and makes it violent and active. Fire in isolation is naturally violent, active, destructive, combustive, and diffusive. The element Air (🜁) is born of the action of the hot on the wet, which exalts, dilates, and volatilizes it. Isolated Air has a harmonic, generative, temperate, and maturing nature. The element Water (🜄) is born of the action of the cold on the wet, which condenses, retains, and weighs it down. Water in isolation is naturally passive, attenuating, unstable, disintegrative, dispersive, and receptive. The element Earth (🜃) is born of the action of the dry on the cold, which divides it and opposes its coagulation due to its reactive nature. Isolated Earth is naturally neutral, inert, concentrative, arid, and absorptive. Fire is the dynamic principle of the generative process, which it furnishes with spontaneous impulse. It generates motion and action and is imbued with igneous soul. Air tempers the violence of Fire, harmonizes motion, and measures action. It fertilizes Earth and Water, giving rise to putrefaction, a process which always precedes generation. Water volatilized by Fire falls as rain upon Earth to circulate and corrupt upon it germs fertilized by Air and animated by Fire. Water causes putrefaction on Earth through the intermediation of Air. Earth receives the animation of Fire by means of the dry and the fertilization of Air through the agency of Water, which causes putrefaction upon it, as in a matrix. Earth is the receptor for fertilized germs. The process of generation therefore takes place in Earth and in Water, putrefied by Air and animated by Fire. Such is the origin of the constituent principles. They alone directly engender the substances of mixed bodies, which are neighbors to matter." — Jean Mavéric, Hermetic Herbalism
Library of Light Edition 1.0 — Last revised: April 2026