Element

In Weyard there are four Elements that exist: Mars, Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter. These elements represent Fire, Earth, Water, and Wind respectively. It is said that the elements are the building blocks for everything in Weyard. Each Element also has an Elemental Star and an Elemental Lighthouse. The Djinn and the forms of Psynergy correspond with one of these four elements. The elements are the base for all Alchemy and are the driving force behind the events in the Golden Sun games.

Sol and Luna are technically not listed as elements, although they are featured in Weyard's mythology.

Traits and Abilities
While each element is associated with one of the four classical elements of earth, fire, wind, and water, each element has additional attributes that are often seen within the psynergy spells of said elements:


 * Mars is the element associated with fire, and as such can manipulate both flames and heat, but it also includes spells that manipulate magma. Spells that raise and lower defense also typically belong to the Mars element. Healing spells in Mars are often somewhat potent, but on the whole the element is known for being an offensive powerhouse. Some fire-based monsters are also capable of resurrecting the dead.


 * Venus is the element of earth, and as such can manipulate soil and rocks. Venus is also tied heavily to plants and life, being able to bring forth plants, heal allies, and even revive those who have fallen. On the flip side, Venus also has deep ties to death and mortality, with several abilities capable of causing instant death. As a result, most undead creatures and demons are closely associated with Venus. Venus also carries a slight association with steel and other metal alloys.


 * Mercury is the element of water, and as such can manipulate all of water's forms, including both water and ice and sometimes even bubbles and steam. It is also heavily tied to the cold, and can utilize frigid blasts in many cases. Water is also closely associated with healing and life, with the most potent healing abilities almost always coming from Mercury. It is also the only element to possess spells capable of removing undesirable status effects like poison.


 * Jupiter is the element of wind, capable of manipulating air flow. Beyond this though, Jupiter is also shown to be deeply tied to lightning and storms, as well as the weather in general. It also has abilities relating to the mind and spirit, and has been shown to be able to reveal hidden truths, peer into the minds of others, and even see across time. Its repertoire also includes the power to affect attack power and elemental resistances.

Element relationships
Each element has a relationship with each other element. For example, Mars and Venus are aligned together, as are Jupiter and Mercury. When the lighthouses of those elements are lit, the Psynergy of any Adepts aligned with that element will have their power restored. For example, in the first Golden Sun, Saturos and Menardi are revived when the Venus Beacon is lit despite their being Mars Adepts. Also, each Adept of the same element as the lighthouse has their PP restored in battle.

It is said that the elements also conflict with each other, such as Mars and Mercury. According to facts in Golden Sun, when the player defeats Saturos on the Mercury Lighthouse, Saturos admits that his Mars Psynergy was limited by the power of the Mercury Lighthouse.

This conflict of elements also plays a role in the weakness and power of Adepts and most monsters in the game. Almost all monsters are aligned with a specific element and take the most damage from the opposite element. For example, monsters in Mars Lighthouse are aligned with Mars and are resistant to Mars based Psynergy, but very weak to Mercury Psynergy.

Combining elements
It has been debated that combining elements to create new Psynergy is the best way to create a powerful team, but others beleive keeping each element pure will bring the most powerful Psynergy. Both can be true, based on how it's used. You can combine elements using the elemental Djinn found around Weyard to change a character's class. By combining elements, you can create new Psynergy that otherwise would not be available to your characters. For example, by giving Mia a Mars Djinni, her Mercury Psynergy changes to a "warmer" theme. Instead of being ice based attacks, they're water based. While there's not much of a difference here, by adding more Mars Djinn, her attacks will continue to change and become more fire-like. Some of the most interesting Psynergy can only be found by combining all four elements in certain combinations (although these classes in particular require assistance from special items). For example, by setting 3 Djinn of each element onto an Adept equipped with the Tomegathericon will create the powerful Necromage class. Note that you can only set a maximum of 9 Djinn to one Adept, so the 3 missing Djinn are replaced by the Adept themselves. For example, Isaac or Felix (being Venus Adepts) would need 3 Jupiter Djinn, 3 Mars Djinn, and 3 Mercury Djinn.

Combining elements to make new Psynergy plays a small role in progressing through the game too. There are a few places where the Psynergy Growth is needed to pass certain areas, but, prior to Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, this ability is not learned by any character without mixing elements. Mars and Venus Adepts (with the exception of Himi) can learn Growth by equipping one of the complementing Djinni (ex: Venus Djinni on Mars Adept) or by combining Venus Djinn on other Adepts. There are other combinations that will create Growth, but all of them include some level of the Venus element. Also, Mia will not learn Douse unless she has a Mars Djinni equiped, but she loses Frost in the process. (Later in Golden Sun players obtain items that, when equipped, allow the Adept to cast Frost or Douse no matter their element.)

Other information
It should be noted that, while all elements have access to some healing Psynergy, Venus and Mercury Adepts are more skilled at healing than others. Although Mercury's healing is easily the most powerful, Venus has the ability to revive those that have been downed in battle. While Mars and Jupiter are not as good at healing, they do have other specialties: As Mars is the element of power, it can also help to boost the offensive abilities of allies; most Jupiter Adepts tend to possess psychic powers ranging from reading minds or predicting the future to seeing things that are invisible.

Adepts can share the effects of some Psynergy by making physical contact while it is being cast. This is demonstrated in Vault when Ivan holds Isaac's hand and allows him to read Garet's mind.

It is also said that non-Adepts cannot see the casting of Psynergy, only the effects, which is why most people can't tell when someone is reading their mind, why Isaac and Garet were surprised that Mia could see their Psynergy when they used Move to move the statue in front of Mercury Lighthouse, and why no one notices the Psynergy being used during Colosso to make shortcuts for Isaac.