Introduction to Magic: Working with Magical Correspondences

Learn how to work with magical correspondences—the spirit-realm energies. Discover how to choose the elements, planets, deities, and archetypes that align with the purpose of your spell.

[Updated October 2025]

This post is about the second stage in using magic. Each stage is outlined in Introduction to Magic, and the first stage is Choosing Your Purpose.

Bridging the Seen and Unseen

Once you’ve defined your magical purpose, the next step in spellcasting is choosing the energies that will help you bring that purpose to life. These energies are referred to as correspondences—the symbolic connections between the spiritual and physical worlds.

Think of them as the vocabulary of your magic. The way colors, herbs, stones, and symbols “speak” to the spirit realm entities. When chosen thoughtfully, they create harmony between what’s inside you and what’s around you.

This post will help you understand what correspondences are, how they function in witchcraft, and how to work with different kinds of spirit-realm energies—from elements and planets to ancestors and archetypes.

Whether you’re new to magic or refining your craft, correspondences are where energy begins to take shape.

🌿 What Are Magical Correspondences?

At their core, correspondences are energetic associations—the relationships between physical objects, natural forces, and spiritual energies. They help bridge the material and immaterial, giving your intentions tangible form.

• Carnelian corresponds to Fire and transformation.

• Rose corresponds to Venus and love.

• Circle corresponds to cycles and completion.

When you include these symbolic connections in your spells, you’re not asking them to do the work for you—you’re aligning your energy with the broader patterns of the universe.

The idea of correspondence comes from an ancient Hermetic principle: “As above, so below; as within, so without.” Everything reflects and resonates with everything else. A crystal or color isn’t magical on its own—it’s a mirror, amplifying your intention through the universal web of connections.

Related: The Principle of Correspondence

Correspondences give your magic context, structure, and direction. But the true power always flows through you.

🔮 Types of Correspondences (Spirit Realm Energies)

Correspondences can take countless forms. Some are elemental, others celestial, ancestral, or conceptual. Each offers a way to communicate with the unseen world and focus your magical will.

Below are some common correspondences you’ll encounter in witchcraft—and how you can start working with them.

🔥 Elements — Fire, Earth, Air, and Water

The four elements are the foundation of both life and magic. They exist not just as physical substances, but as energetic archetypes that shape everything we experience.

• Fire: passion, transformation, courage, creativity, motivation

• Earth: stability, abundance, protection, fertility, endurance

• Air: clarity, intellect, communication, inspiration, movement

• Water: emotion, intuition, healing, connection, cleansing

To incorporate the elements into your practice, observe how they already exist in your life. A flickering candle, a potted plant, the sound of wind, or a cup of tea—each can represent elemental power.

✨ Example: To invite clarity before decision-making, light a yellow candle (Air + Fire) and meditate while the smoke rises, visualizing confusion dissolving and clear thought emerging.

🌙 Planets — The Celestial Powers

Planets act as the clockwork of cosmic influence, each governing a different aspect of life and personality. Witches often work with planetary energy by aligning their spells to the day, hour, or qualities of each planet.

• Sun (Sunday): vitality, confidence, personal power

• Moon (Monday): intuition, dreams, emotions

• Mercury (Wednesday): thought, speech, learning

• Venus (Friday): love, beauty, attraction

• Mars (Tuesday): action, strength, willpower

• Jupiter (Thursday): expansion, success, growth

• Saturn (Saturday): discipline, boundaries, structure

✨ Example: If your purpose involves career growth, try a spell on Thursday using Jupiter’s energy—burn a green candle, anoint it with cinnamon oil, and visualize doors opening to new opportunities.

♈ Zodiac Signs — The Rhythms of the Sky

Each zodiac sign represents a distinct energetic pattern—a personality of the cosmos. By aligning your spells with zodiac energy, you can tap into seasonal cycles (when the sun is in the sign) and celestial moods.

For example:

• ♈️ Aries (March-April): beginnings, bravery, bold action

• ♉️ Taurus (April-May): stability, sensuality, patience

• ♊️ Gemini (May-June): communication, curiosity, duality

• ♋️ Cancer (June-July): nurture, home, emotional depth

• ♌️ Leo (July-August): self-expression, vitality, leadership

• ♍️ Virgo (August-September): service, detail, refinement

• ♎️ Libra (September-October): balance, love, beauty

• ♏️ Scorpio (October-November): transformation, power, secrets

• ♐️ Sagittarius (November-December): expansion, faith, learning

• ♑️ Capricorn (December-January): structure, ambition, longevity

• ♒️ Aquarius (January-February): innovation, change, community

• ♓️ Pisces (February-March): spirituality, compassion, dreams

✨ Example: A spell for self-expression during Leo Season channels confidence and charisma, perfect for performing, presenting, or simply shining your light.

You can also pay attention to when each of the other planets is in a zodiac sign to align your magic to these combined energies.

🕯️ Deities and Godforms

Deities personify universal forces—archetypes that have been elevated to divine status. Working with them is not about control but a relationship. You honor their energy, and they amplify yours in return.

Common examples:

• Hecate: transitions, crossroads, and wisdom

• Brigid: creativity, healing, inspiration

• Apollo: clarity, truth, and light

• Freya: love, magic, and war

✨ Example: Light a white candle and recite a short invocation to Brigid before a writing session, asking her to bless your words with inspiration and purpose.

Working with deities is deeply personal. Some witches build long-term devotional relationships; others call upon specific godforms for short-term guidance. Both are valid—always approach with respect.

🪞 Archetypes — The Patterns Within Spirit and Self

Archetypes are the inner templates of energy that exist across all cultures—the Healer, the Warrior, the Lover, the Trickster, the Seer. When you call on an archetype, you activate that quality within yourself.

✨ Example: Before starting a challenging project, you might invoke The Warrior, visualizing courage and persistence burning in your chest like a flame.

Archetypes are powerful because they live inside you. They remind you that every spell is both a spiritual act and a psychological one.

🌳 Ancestors and Spirits

Your ancestors—biological, spiritual, or chosen—form an energetic lineage that continues to support you. The spirits of the land, too, hold memory and magic.

Honoring them connects your practice to something older and wiser than yourself.

✨ Example: Before performing a protection spell, offer a few drops of water or a pinch of salt to your ancestors, thanking them for watching over your home.

🌺 Plant, Crystal, Animal, and Land Spirits

Look to nature for inspiration in every type of spell. The spirits of herbs, stones, animals, and the land all vibrate at distinct energetic frequencies that mirror your intentions.

• Plants: basil (prosperity), lavender (peace), rosemary (clarity)

• Crystals: clear quartz (amplification), amethyst (intuition), citrine (abundance)

• Animals: raven (transformation), deer (gentleness), cat (independence)

You can also connect with the land itself—trees, rivers, and mountains carry potent energy if you listen.

✨ Example: In a love spell, you might combine rose petals (Venus), rose quartz (love), and the energy of a dove (devotion).

These spirits help ground your magic—reminding you that spiritual power often flows through the natural world.

💫 Abstract Concepts and Forces

Not all correspondences are tangible. Many witches connect with concepts like Justice, Change, Freedom, Truth, or Compassion as living energies. These ideas carry power because human consciousness has imbued them with significance for millennia.

✨ Example: A spell for courage might invoke the spirit of Freedom—visualizing yourself breaking through self-imposed limits.

You can treat these energies as archetypes, speaking to them as you would a deity or muse.

🌕 How to Choose Your Correspondences

Once you’ve clarified your purpose, the next question is: Which energies best support it?

There’s no fixed rulebook—choosing correspondences is both intuitive and experiential. Lists and books provide a starting point, but your personal connections give magic its potency.

🔍 Tips for Choosing Correspondences:

1. Start with energy. Think of who or what you’re inviting into your spell: the Moon, Fire, Venus, or your ancestors.

2. Follow your intuition. Notice which energies feel active or aligned with your goal.

3. Observe patterns. Which elements or archetypes show up repeatedly in your dreams or rituals?

4. Work with what feels reciprocal. Choose energies that want to work with you, not those you think you must control.

5. Refine over time. Your personal system of correspondences will grow and change as your practice deepens.

💭 Questions to Ask Yourself:

• What element or planet mirrors my intention?

• Is there a deity, ancestor, or archetype that embodies this goal?

• How does this energy appear in my environment?

• Does it feel harmonious or forced?

🔮 Using Correspondences in Spellwork

When you cast a spell, think of correspondences as ingredients of resonance. Each one echoes your intention through a different layer of reality.

✨ Ways to work with them:

• Layer energies. A pink candle (Venus), rose petals (love), and Friday timing (Venus day).

• Use physical materials. A feather for Air, a bowl of saltwater for Water.

• Create personal rituals. Let intuition guide how you combine them.

As you continue in this Magical Framework series, you’ll learn more about the different layers of a spell and how they overlap.

Mini Example:

• Purpose: Self-confidence.

• Correspondences: Fire element, the Sun, Leo

• Materials: Citrine crystal

• Timing: Sunday, especially in Leo Season

Light a golden candle, hold citrine in your hand, and affirm, “I radiate warmth and assurance.”

🌙 Bringing It All Together

Correspondences are the language of magic. They translate your intention into forms the universe understands. When you weave them thoughtfully, you harmonize your inner world with the greater cosmos.

As you experiment, remember: your intuition is the best reference book. The more you listen, the clearer your magical language becomes.

✨ Ready to Deepen Your Practice?

You’ve learned what correspondences are—now it’s time to uncover your own.

Download your free Personal Correspondence Journal to explore the spiritual energies, archetypes, and elements that resonate most deeply with you.

Inside, you’ll find reflection prompts, discovery pages, and space to record your personal correspondences—your unique magical language.

Build relationships with the energies that empower your craft and create a living map of your magical allies.

Next in the Witchcraft 101 Framework: Choosing Magical Timing — how to align your spellwork with moon phases, planetary hours, and natural cycles.

🔗 Read next: Choosing Magical Timing →

This post is part of a series. Follow the entire Witchcraft 101 collection:

🌸 Reflection Prompts

Add these to your grimoire, discuss them below, or in the Mumbles Academy Forum:

• Which correspondences or energies do you feel naturally drawn to?

• How do you sense energy from objects or symbols?

• What traditional correspondences resonate—and which feel off?

• How can I build my own system of spiritual connections?