Spirit Island · Board game rules
Where do elements come from to trigger Innate Powers?
Quick answer
Elements come from Power Cards you play this turn (gained the moment you pay for them) and from any "bonus Element" spaces revealed on your Presence Tracks.
Details
When you play a Power Card during the Play and Pay step of the Spirit Phase, you immediately gain the Elements shown on that card — this happens regardless of whether the Power is Fast or Slow, and even if you never use the card's text effect [p.8 — Spirit Phase][p.16 — Powers]. These Elements are then checked against your Innate Powers' Elemental Thresholds to see if you can trigger them [p.14 — Elemental Thresholds].
Some Spirit Panels also have "bonus Elements" printed on their Presence Tracks. As long as the space is uncovered (i.e., you've placed Presence from that spot on the track), it constantly provides that Element every turn. A space marked "+Any" lets you choose which Element you get, but once chosen it can't change until next turn [p.14 — Anatomy of a Spirit Panel].
Elements do not carry over between turns — they exist only while the granting Power Card is in play (i.e., until Time Passes clears it) or while the Presence Track space remains uncovered [p.16 — Powers][p.10 — Time Passes]. Repeating a Power does not grant its Elements again, since Elements come from playing the card, not from using its effect [p.19 — Repeat].
Watch out: If you Forget a Power Card mid-turn, you immediately lose the Elements it was providing, which may cause you to no longer meet a threshold you were counting on [p.18 — What Power Cards Can I Forget?].