Elemental Spirits of the World: A Complete Guide

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Elementals are beings embodying one of the four primary elements of our world: earth, water, air, and fire. They can’t be seen through normal human eyes, but clairvoyants can see them.

Most of them are shapeshifters and can appear human-like or as waves, butterflies, or lizards playing with fire.

Together, they maintain our world’s balance by guarding it and harmonizing with each other. They can do that as spirits or as attachments on natural living things.

They usually live where nature is untouched by humans. This could mean in the deep forests, secluded rivers, volcanic areas, and mountain tops. They could also be among plants, trees, beaches, deserts, or wide and open spaces.

The thought of elemental spirits originated from the belief that elements are the building blocks of nature. This then progressed into elementals being defined by the gentiles as unknown but powerful forces that affected men and the surroundings.

Humans vs. Elementals

What differentiates the elemental beings from humans? Elementals only have one element while humans are a mixture of five parts.

This means that while they may be powerful, elementals have limited ability and diminished capacity compared to humans.

Humans can feel and love because of water, appreciate art because of air, strive to reshape the world because of earth, combat the limits of their self-expression because of fire, and are whole beings because of having a soul.

Types of Elementals

Elemental beings are separated into four groups. Gnomes are earth spirits, undines are water spirits, salamanders are fire creatures, and sylphs are air creatures.

Earth Elementals

All earth spirits are classified as gnomes. These creatures are nourishers and investigators of anything that is on land.

They feel the life force in trees, flowers, and other living things and have a strong urge to care for them so they can watch them either thrive or be healed.

They also like studying the natural earthly material found among us and transforming those into valuable things or working with the magic precious stones contain.

Brownies, dryads, durdalis, elves, hamadryads, pans, pygmies, sylvestres, satyrs, and any other earth spirits are gnomes.

The gnomes that appear to us are usually brownies, elves, or grotesque little creatures in brown or green clothes that are eight to twelve inches high. These spirits look ancient and often have long white beards, and their overall figures are also more rounded than not.

Earth spirits can be seen popping out of holes in the stumps of trees and sometimes going into trees. They reside beneath the ground, under tree roots, or by the rocks or soil.

Gnomes are known the help humans who have established a connection with them and have been treating nature well. If they choose to help you, their forte is bone healing.

Water Elementals

Water spirits are referred to as Undines. They watch over bodies of water and even direct their flow and course on this planet. They also observe how water’s movements affect souls and human emotions.

Mermaids, sea maids, limoniades, naiads, oceanid, oreads, and potamides are undines and they reside in coral caves, lakes, rivers, seas, marshlands, waterfalls, fountains, and beneath lily pads.

They look like humans except for those who live in tiny streams and ponds. They like shimmering green or blue garbs and are beautiful, graceful, and highly emotional. Undines are known as friendly and approachable spirits that gladly work with humans.

Fire Elementals

All the spirits of fire in this world are classified as salamanders. Fire would be nonexistent without these beings, as their presence is needed to light even just matches.

They also work through our liver, bloodstream, and emotions alongside keeping us warm. These spirits are highly knowledgeable with magic and always need feeding or absorption of outside energy to fuel their power.

They can reside anywhere and they appear as tongues of fire or fiery balls and peer in houses or run over fields. They are erratic and intense, too, but they are open too helping humans as well.

Air Elementals

Sylphs are the spirits of the air. Silfides are also sylphs. They can control the weather and they send off the highest vibrations among the four elementals. They can also affect human thoughts and are responsible for inspirational art and inventions.

Their primary habitat are the tops of the mountains. Compared to the other elementals, sylphs are the most beautiful. They usually have wings and appear like a crossbreed of an angel and a fairy, but they can also assume human forms for short periods.

It is believed that they leave astonishing green rings in meadows and fields as they pass by while dancing in circles. They are known to be sympathetic to humans and the proponents of significant creative ideas.

Missions of the Elementals

Being from and one with nature, the elemental spirits of this world’s main mission is to look after everything in nature.

The therapeutic experience you get when you are on beaches, seas, lakes, ponds, rivers, waterfalls, forests, nature reserves, parks, and bushlands are credited to them.

Elementals avoid the cities but are otherwise highly active in the countrysides or provinces and natural areas.

Air spirits control the wind, the flow of air currents, and atmospheric conditions. They also help birds migrate and flowers pollinate.
Water spirits influence the tides, climate, and oxygenation and precipitation. They also work on cleansing the bodies of water that had been exposed to toxicity and pollution as well as carry human’s emotional pollution.
Earth spirits cause earthquakes, floods, gales, thunderstorms, and wildfires. They also create, sustain, renew natural things, and process the waste products found in nature. Tasked heavier than undines, they clean up the imprints of man’s negativity that mark this world.
Fire spirits ignite fire and sustain life in this world. They are in charge of keeping everything going, from creation to transformation to destruction. They also absorb mankind’s hatred and crimes as well as the toxicity of nuclear energies.

It is the elemental spirits of this world that oversee the most basic to the most complex processes of the earth.

We may barely notice it and even take things for granted, but elementals have influence over our food and drinks, air supply, heat supply, weather, and every natural process that occurs in this world.

However, be warned that while they contribute to nature, some of them may be malicious.

List of Elemental Spirits

Abatwa: They reside in anthills or grasses and hunt in groups using poison arrows. They are human-like, resembling South African Natives in appearance, and are as small as insects.
Ballybogs: They are mud-covered, neckless, and round-bodied faeries from Ireland who love living in mud holes or peat bogs.
Bean-nighe: Also known as banshee or the washing woman, this water spirit appears and can be heard keening when someone is about to die. She usually wears a grey cloak with a hood or a winding sheet and can take the form of a maiden, a matron, or a hag.
Basilisk: Poisonous fire creatures that dislike humans. They are a combination of a snake and a rooster. Their bodies are scaly and slithery while their heads boast rooster combs and their arms are feathered wings.
Bean-Fion: The water woman in England and Germany known to drown children who get too close to the water.
Bean-Tighe: An earth creature with a love for strawberries and cream, she is also known as our housekeeper, who loves watching over-friendly human’s houses. She found even do the unfinished chores the house’s mother forgot about.
Boggarts: Malicious two-feet tall earth spirits with dark eyes and long thin noses from Scotland that are stocky, deformed, and bearded. They usually target children to bite and pinch them. They also spoil food, destroy furniture, and drive families out of houses.
Brownies: Earth elementals that do house chores in exchange for food. Any other thing would send them packing out of the house. They don’t have noses, but they have black eyes and beards and are a foot tall.
Brown Men: Fire creatures with bronze-colored hair who avoid humans but protect animals fiercely. They are shorter than average men.
Buachailleen: These earth spirits are also known as the herding boys. They are master shapeshifters but can be identified with their red hats. Their favorite place are the pastures, where they have been known to torment animals.
Cailleac Bhuer: A water elemental seen as an old woman, she bears a cowhead-tipped walking stick and walks the forest at night. There, she seeks children and kills them.
Changelings: These earth creatures can be actual fairy children, senile fairies who used glamor to look like babies or inanimate objects, or deformed fairy babies. They are swapped for the human babies without the household’s knowledge and they bring bad luck to the household.
Clurichaun: A fairy who looks like a leprechaun, this earth spirit inhabits and guards wine cellars. He is cheery and aloof, but mistreating or ignoring him means you are inviting chaos.
Corrigans: Water creatures whose appearances change from deformed old women to extravagant maidens by day and night. They are problem solvers.
Dinnshenchas: Earth spirits that avenge women harmed by men as well as guard cattle.
Dryads: Prankster air elementals that resemble wispy lights.
Duergar: Bitter earth elementals that kill humans. Their skins are leathery and they are 20 inches tall.
Dullahan: Death herald that summons dying persons’ souls around the end of August to early September. He is feared, but his fear of gold can act as a repellant against him or his call.
Elves: Earth creatures than could be light or dark. The light ones are translucent and blueish, while the dark elves are grey, brown, red, or black.
Ellyllon: Water elementals that enjoy cleaning but vanish when seen.
Erluitle: Earth spirits that resemble dwarves if it weren’t for their duck feet. They used to help humans in the fields, but are now nowhere to be found.
Fig Darrigs: Water creatures that are also known as rat boys, they reside along polluted bodies of water and are most active in winter. They look like rats, with their dark and hairy skin as well as long snouts and tails.
Formorians: They are ill-tempered but dumb and misshapenly-shaped sea monsters that rise to the seashores at night.
Gancanagh: A lone male fairy and air elemental who carries an Irish clay pipe and seduces lonely females who would eventually die for loving him.
Geancanach: Playful spirits of fire that can be seen as lightning bugs or flickering lights.
Gitto: Malicious air elementals with horse heads and goat bodies that are thankfully slow-witted to not know how to effectively cause physical damage. They can fly and use the human language, and their goal is to steal harvests.
Glaistig: Deceptive water creatures that aid women, children, and the elderly but despise and kill adult men. They resemble beautiful young women is seen from afar, but are actually made up of animal parts.
Goblins: Sleep goblins cause nightmares especially to women and children while domestic goblins play pranks on those sleeping but also help men in domestic households.
Grants: They look like small horses yet walk like humans, and they warn people about danger.
Gremlins: Air spirits that look like a mixture of some sets of animals and a human.
Grogochs: They are old men covered in dense red fur, who usually live in caves.
Guagach: An old woman who tests people, walking around towns asking for food. Giving her food means she will protect your livestock while refusing means she will steal them.
Gwragedd Annwn: These water spirits are cold wives but are perfect when it comes to being mothers.
Imps: They look like goblins but they are bound to humans and not houses.
Jimaninos: Winged earth elementals that appear and act like children.
Kelpies: Malicious water spirits that lure humans into their lair to either eat them or mate with them. Their appearance is that of a horse, waterfowl, and wildcat mixture, but they have the ability to shapeshift. These days, they are rarely seen.
Knockers: They look like dwarves and usually seen by miners, who then leave them food and drink in exchange for them pointing out ores.
Kobold: Helpful creatures of the earth that are two feet tall. They do house chores but when offended, can cause intense poltergeist activity. Smoking them is a way to make them leave.
Leanansidhe: Water women that are vampire-like in nature.
Leprechauns: These creatures are always drunk but not too drunk to be unfunctional. When caught, they try to offer you their pot of gold when set free. They always carry two pouches with them, one with a magic coin that never leaves the wallet even after payment and the other contains a gold coin that will turn into ashes after some time. Never take your eyes off them because they can vanish.
Lesidhe: Prankster forest guardians disguised as foliages.
Lorelei: Dangerous water elementals with the goal of destroying humans.
Lunantisidhe: Blackthorn tree protectors and air spirits who dislike humans
Ly Erg: Water spirits that look like Scottish soldiers except for their bright red right hands. They challenge humans to battle and accepting their challenge causes death within 24 hours.
Massariol: These are two feet tall earth elementals that look like neat and bearded old men. They tend to livestock ad obsess over young women.
Menehunas: They appear as three to twelve-inch earth spirits that help lost travelers and fight sharks and major storms. They use birds for transportation and they resemble native Hawaiians in appearance.
Merrows: Water elementals that could be male or female. The males or mermen are scaly and pig-like with long and pointed teeth. The females appear like humans except they have flatter feet and webbing between their fingers.
Moerae: They are a set of three earth spirits that appear as a symbol of predestination.
Monaciello: They are Italy’s wine cellar guardians and they look like miniature monks.
Mother Holle: She is an earth elemental that commences divination in exchange for gold.
Murdhuachas: They are also known as walrus people or sea cows, and are different from merpeople because they have fish-like lower bodies connected to upper bodies of other animals.
Nixen: Dangerous water spirits that are known to be master fiddlers and killers. They have green teeth and usually appear as young and handsome men.
Nymphs: They are known for their excessive sexual contact with men and their artistic expression, and their element depends on where they live.
Pamarindo: These earth spirits are usually covered in whatever they last ate. They are known to be lazy, mean, malicious, and fat. They can’t kill, so they maim people or animals and chase them off of cliffs to eat their corpses after.
Peg O’Neill: She is a water spirit that looks like a frozen female corpse and demands a sacrifice every seven years.
Pixies: They have large eyes, red hair, wings, pointy ears, and big eyebrows. They are friendly but they despise lazy people and would pinch and poke them.
Pooka: Shapeshifting fairies that bring terror throughout Ireland.
Portunes: Prankster earth creatures that are one inch-tall and are usually around horses and farms. These tiny old men will grant you a wish in exchange for freedom when captured.
Red Caps: They are fire spirits that look like hairless old men with long claws and sharp teeth, and they always carry sharp axes to attack their victims. They wear beret hats and stand three feet tall. Showing them crosses shoos them away.
Rubezahl: Earth elementals with black capes and high collars that are responsible for getting travelers lost.
Sylphs: These winged air spirits look like two-inch humans. They are also transparent and appear like floating glasses.
Tengu: They are air elementals that are six inches tall. They have beaks for mouths and wear red robes. They are also master sword fighters.
Vilas: These are earth spirits that resemble beautiful women and help animals.
Well Guardians: These water elementals reside in wishing wells. They shapeshift into humans they wish to look like and offer help in exchange for a huge price.
Wilde Frauen: Female earth creatures that guard Germany’s forests.
Will ‘O’ Wisp: These are air spirits that guide people into looking for others who are lost in a ravine or who have drowned in rocky pools.
Yan-An-Od: He takes the form of an old man wearing shepherd clothes, but approaching him causes his disappearance.
Zips: They are earth elementals that help forest creatures and fear humans.

How to Connect with Elemental Spirits

Believe in them and keep a positive attitude.

To connect with elementals beings, you need to believe in them first. Belief heightens your awareness of their existence. You also need to adapt to the attitude you want the elementals to have, like positivity if you want the friendly spirits or negativity if you wish to meet malicious creatures.

Invite the elemental spirits into your house or someplace you love.

To get to know them, invite them over. Make the effort you would normally do if it were a human that you invited into your space. Clean, decorate, and prepare food. You can also give them gifts.

Clear your mind and focus on gaining a higher state of awareness.

You can do this whether at home or outdoors by meditating. You may not see or hear the elementals in the beginning, but you may feel them or notice other odd signs like hearing ringing bells or seeing animals approach you.

Thank the creatures after interacting with them.

Showing gratitude for them sparing some time to connect with you helps build trust and appreciation. Like any other being in the world, showing appreciation for another’s efforts can go a long way.

Best Places to Find Elemental Spirits

Earth Spirits

Depending on the type of gnome you wish to find, you may find them in rocky places, quarries or mines, caves, cliffs, forests, dark places, under bridges, within tree centers, and near vegetations.

Most gnomes can be found in rocky places while others can reside in normal households.
Dwarves usually vacate mines and quarries, while trolls like cliffs, caves, and dark places or bridges.
Fairies, being close to nature and natural nourishers, are usually within tree centers.
Elves have the same calling and so stick to forests and parks. These types of gnomes are seen less than other types of earth elementals.
Meanwhile, pixies can be found anywhere where there is vegetation, whether the vegetation are decomposing or not.

To connect with them, focus on your intention to meet them. You can touch the soil, tree, grass, rock, or any natural thing they are known to interact with.

Water Spirits

If you seek undines like water nymphs, mermaids, sand spirits, oceanids, and merrows, research about their preferred place of dwelling and meditate there.

Water nymphs love streams, so focusing while on a rock in the middle of a stream would be a good start.
Mermaids live in the sea while sand spirits are like beaches, so meditating there would be ideal.

Once safely near the bodies of ocean, focus on your intention of connecting with the water elementals. Stare at the water and let the sounds of its waves wash over you. Feel its energy and work on feeling the other spirits’ energy flowing with it. You can even touch the water as you concentrate.

Fire Spirits

These spirits are the hardest to find despite their presence almost everywhere. You can find them in hot places or you can feel their presence anywhere. Focus on your goal of connecting with them and feel the fire burning in your heart as well as the heat of your body around you, then work on feeling their energies.

Air Spirits

Mountain tops and open spaces like the meadows or fields are their favorites, but they are also present everywhere. To interact with them, meditate and invite them over.

Elemental Hauntings

Elemental spirits of this world, while generally helpful and crucial to nature and all living beings, can also be malevolent.

This could be because they have been triggered by certain humans or their actions and felt like they had to defend nature or themselves, they were naturally malicious, or they have progressed into maliciousness from all the negativity around them.

Some signs that an elemental is malevolent are when they appear as a deformed mix of a human and an animal or have decomposing flesh, when a bad odor permeates the air while they are present, and when they look at you with piercing eyes.

Famous Hauntings

One famous elemental haunting happened in Leap Castle, Ireland, where a deformed, human-looking creature terrorized its residents.

Another famous haunting that involves a malevolent elemental was the Bell Witch Haunting, where John Bell Sr. said he saw a creature that looked like a cross between a rabbit, a dog, and something unidentifiable. Things went downhill for the whole family soon after that.

Difference Between Elemental and Residual Hauntings

Elemental hauntings should not be confused with residual hauntings, where a thought form left behind by dead persons who had committed evil deeds manifests as odd voices, scents, or recurring thoughts.

These cause people to change personalities and pushes them to do things they would not have normally done, but they are not caused by elementals. Elementals are spirits and not leftover thoughts or residual matter. An example of this haunting is the Amityville Horror case.

You can be haunted by an elemental for any reason, which includes being seen and targeted by the elemental or being followed, having the creature hate humans or specific genders or types of people, or triggering the spirit into haunting you by causing offense with or without your knowledge.

In-Depth Guide about Elemental Spirit Hauntings

If elemental spirits haunt you, the things that happen usually resemble a light poltergeist haunting. Prankster fairies may move objects around your house and you may see bright lights hovering in places.

A more in-depth look into the process of elemental hauntings is:

Pre-requisite Stage: Young elementals may first appear to you as a normal person like a young child or an old person to make plans and judge whether to commence haunting or not.
First Stage: The elemental spirit will supply you with unnerving manifestations. These are harmless. They can then progress into bad dreams.
Second Stage: You will start seeing fading shadows, losing objects, and electrical disturbances. This is the part where the elemental decides to ramp up the haunting and do more complex manifestations, and it usually happens once the elemental had gotten feedback from your reactions.
Third Stage: The elemental spirit will attempt to mentally project thoughts and emotions to you. You may be confused and in a state of fear by now with its antics, and this will make the elemental realize that fear is the best and most satisfying emotion they can get out of you.
Fourth Stage: This is the part where the haunting will continue until the spirit is driven out.

How to Get Rid of Unwanted Elemental Spirits

If you are being haunted by elemental beings of this world, you will want to get rid of them, especially if they are more malevolent than simply bothersome.

Humans have experienced elemental hauntings throughout the years, so they have by now established some things that drove out these malicious spirits.