THE ELEMENTS

Twenty-two sounds and letters are the Foundation of all things: Three mothers, seven doubles and twelve simples.

The Three Mothers are Aleph, Mem and Shin and they correspond to the primordial elements of the matter: Air, Water and Fire. 

In relation to the dimension of time, the three "Mother" letters correspond to the seasons of the year and are divided in the following manner: Alef represents Spring and Fall, Mem represents Winter and Shin represents Summer

Water, Mem, is silent, Fire, Shin, is sibilant (producing a hissing sound) and Air, Alef, derived from the Spirit as the tongue of a balance standing between the two; reconciling and mediating between them. 

Air - א • ALEF 

Water - מ• MEM  

Fire - ש• SHIN