An alternate compass
I've never completely vibed with the classical elements. I mean, individually they're great and it's not like I've never worked with them, and I like them well enough in fiction; they just don't feel elemental to me more than many other things do, and assigning them to cardinal directions doesn't work for me, doesn't align with my paradigm.
But I see the use in a witch's compass. And after a bit of thought I realized that there is something that maps easily and intuitively onto cardinal directions, something maybe less substantial than fire/earth/water/air but not, for me, less elemental. Here it is, with a helpful diagram:
Because I'm in the northern hemisphere, north is the top here, but it'd work just as well rotated to the south if I ever found myself on the other side of the earth. Clockwise from top: Dark, Wake, Bright, Fade.
Dark: midnight, winter, dark moon. Passive, static. Black. Shelter, comfort, acceptance, rest, mysteries, dreams, death, the unknown. I might call on Dark for divination, certain kinds of wards, certain kinds of healing, sleep spells, grief spells.
Wake: dawn, springtime, waxing moon. Active, changing. Red, or green, or all colors. Growth, birth, strengthening, sprouting, attracting, germinating, newness. I might call on Wake for any sorts of attraction or healing spells.
Bright: noon, summer, full moon. Active, static. White, searing. Fullness, completion, aggression, conviction. I might call on Bright for aggressive wards, curses, baneful magic, banishing, cleansing.
Fade: dusk, autumn, waning moon. Passive, changing. Gray. Calming, slowing, diminishing, age. I might call on Fade for gentler than banishing spells to reduce or let go of one thing and make way for another, or for any sorts of slowing or weakening spells, or certain kinds of wards.
