About the lecture:
The Four Elements are a universal concept with roots in antiquity, symbolically defining a magical framework for understanding and dividing the world. Although Slavic witches most likely did not know the formal concept of the Four Elements in magic, they applied it intuitively and understood it deeply. In Slavic folk magic, this subject reveals the profound roots of our ancestors’ beliefs and practices.
During my lecture, I will explore the symbolism of air, fire, water, and earth in Slavic tradition and their role in everyday rituals, ceremonies, and magical practices. I will discuss how these elements were perceived as forces of nature capable of healing, giving life, but also bringing destruction. I will also present examples of folk practices and beliefs that have survived in culture to this day—from air, which could bring or carry away illness, through sacred ritual fire, water used in ablutions and purification rites, to the symbolism of grounding in protective magic.
This lecture will be an attempt to view Slavic folk magic as a system deeply rooted in the observation of nature and the harmony between human beings and the world of the elements.
About the speaker:
Aleksandra Seliga is a Polish writer, journalist, and literary scholar. She is the author of historical fantasy novels, popular science articles, and academic monographs, as well as a promoter of Slavic culture and a researcher of nineteenth-century literature. She holds a PhD in the humanities.
She is the recipient of the Special Award in the “Fantastycznie Utalentowani” competition, granted for “exceptionally Slavic fantasy literature,” and the winner of the SLAVNI award for Best Slavic Audiobook. She is also the creator of the Retro Slavic Fantasy podcast.
