There are five elemental realms which the Western Magician uses. In most magickal circles you may only see four being worked with, but somehow, somewhere, the fifth is active. The elementals are named after the elements the ancients believed were in all things: Earth, Air, Water, Fire and Spirit (also called quintessence or the fifth essence).
Earth: The most "dense" of the elements, it represents all "material" things. It is considered to be cold and dry. The direction it takes is North when working on the lower levels, and South when working on the higher levels. Elemental Spirits are Gnomes.
Air: The most "light" of the elements, it represents all "mental" things. It is considered to be warm and moist. The direction it takes is East when working on the lower levels, and West when working on the higher levels. Elemental Spirits are Zephyrs.
Water: The most "feeling" of the elements, it be cold and moist. The direction it takes is West when working on the lower levels, and North when working on the higher levels. Elemental Spirits are Undines.
Fire: The most "passionate" of the elements, it represents all "higher aspiration" things. It is considered to be hot and dry. The direction it takes is South when working on the lower levels, and East when working on the higher levels. Elemental Spirits are Salamanders.
When working with elementals it is wise to cleanse your space both before and after your operation. Always thank them for attending and look for signs of imbalance in your working. I have seen many circles(even mine) when the water was spilled, candles tipped, salt spilled and incense clouding the room far more rapidly than it should. These are signs that something is out of balance and you should work with that element to find the imbalance and correct it.
Elementals are generally friendly, but love to play pranks, especially the Earth elementals. You may find missing objects, especially jewelry and metallic objects. They often will turn up months or even years later. Don't let this frighten you, I have never seen any one harmed by their pranks.
