Page 200 - 2nd Sword of Gilead Interior

The Sword of Gilead & The Book of Angels

Jesus Christ the Bearer of the Water of Life
A Christian reflection on the “New Age.” Pontifical
Council for Culture Pontifical Council for
Interreligious Dialogue.

Study References / Glossary

Elemental
An elemental is a mythological being first
appearing in the alchemical works of Paracelsus.
Traditionally, there are four types: [Carole B. Silver,
"Strange and Secret Peoples: Fairies and Victorian
Consciousness"p 38 ISBN 0-19-512199-6]
*gnomes, earth elementals
*undines, water elementals
*sylphs, air elementals
*salamanders, fire elementals.

The exact term for each type varies somewhat
from source to source, though these four are now
the most usual. Most of these beings are found in
folklore as well as alchemy; their names are often
used interchangeably with similar beings from
folklore. [C.S. Lewis, "The Discarded Image", p135
ISBN 0-521-47735-2] The sylph, however, is rarely
encountered outside of alchemical contexts.

The basic concept of an elemental refers to the
ancient idea of elements as fundamental building
blocks of nature. In the system prevailing in the
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