Element cycle

Fire Water Lightning Air Wood Earth
There are six major elements that make up the magical tapestry of the land. Magic can be nonelemental as well, and in addition to an element any mote of magic may be lunar aligned or solar aligned.
Every element has at least one species that regularly produces it, and at least one species that regularly consumes it.
Fire (Ruby) Eater - Emitter - Salamander
Water (Sapphire) Eater - Mermaid Emitter - Naiad
Lightning (Opal) Eater - Storm rider Emitter -
Air (Diamond) Eater - Gryphon Emitter -
Wood (Emerald) Eater - Deertaur Emitter - Wildling
Earth (Citrine) Eater - Emitter -
Several species are aligned with more than one element, but those listed above are the purest of each element.
Each mote of a particular element has the same amount of power in it. A mage's personal strength rarely affect the pure potency of the magic, and is more about how clever they are in using what they have.
Eaters and emitters do not necessarily have uniform production or consumption. One mermaid may consume as much magic as a single naiad produces, but another mermaid may need three times as much to remain healthy. Gryphons are well known as complete gluttons, as they often will eat as much as they can possibly consume, regardless of whether or not it's actually needed. Other species tend to be more careful about consumption, especially those that are civilized. Civilized societies often form treaties and trade agreements with their counterparts in order to ensure themselves.
Elements tend to cluster, and tend to be in areas exactly what you'd expect. Fire magic is most commonly found in areas with active volcanoes, while water magic is most common in deep ocean. Trade paths and towns tend to accumulate a mass of mishmash elements, motes blending together into a sort of sludge that it takes concentrated effort to sort out. Because of this, many towns actively recruit eater-type species to stay nearby in order to keep the areas 'cleaner'.
Many civilized emitter-types have learned to harness gemstones and gold jewelry to control the flow of magic around them and concentrate it into a sellable form. Gemstones of particular cuts can hold a discrete amount of magic, and a 'full' gemstone of the same cut and clarity will hold the same number of motes. A full gem has a particular type of hum to it, and it does not shed motes without someone deliberately tapping it. Full gems are often used in placement of currency in many Mother's children tribes.