...Take a deep breath into your heart, and let it out. As you breathe in, take a moment to ponder the mystery of this ocean of air we live in. We and all the other animals breathe in the air and remove the oxygen so that we can live...we use it to extract energy from our food. The waste product is Carbon Dioxide, which we breathe out. Our cousins the plants take in the Carbon Dioxide and use it to trap the energy of the sunlight, so that when we eat them we extract this energy. The plants give off oxygen, which they breathe out...and the cycle of life continues...giving and receiving so that we all live...like your breath...in...and out...
Think of the joy you feel as the sky lightens in the East. Think of the sense of potential you feel as you see the clouds take on the glorious colours of the beginning of a new day. Of course, we feel the same sense of potential, of awe at the beauty of a life beginning when we hear the cry of a newborn babe, or when the winds of Spring blow the scents of the thaw and the bursting blossoms our way...
The element of Air is, of course, associated with the sense of smell. While there are scents we associate with each of the elements , the scents of Spring flowers come to mind. And the scents we use for cleaning the air...lavender, lemongrass, and pine. Incense is the magical tool of the Air.
Think for a moment about how scent can effect your mood... your state of mind. How does the memory of cinnamon make you feel? ...perhaps you remember apple pies your mother used to make...it can make you feel loved and nurtured. And roses...late summer evenings...romantic interludes. And lavender...your grandmother's house...a sense of age and cleanliness. Frankincense and Myrrh...churches...sacred spaces...
The element of Air is also associated with music. Of course, sound is transmitted through airwaves. But Air provides the songs of the wind rustling in the trees. Of all the songbirds. Of flutes and whistles. Of our own voices raised in song. Certainly, one can associate certain types of instruments with each of the elements, and we will, but Air is the element of that first creative urge to create beautiful sounds...
Some morning when you are awake early enough to greet the dawn, make a point of really listening to the birds as they sing their joy at the coming light of a new day. In fact, get up out of bed and go outside...before coffee or anything else. Listen to the riot of song around you, and take part if you wish. Call back to the birds. Maybe offer them some seed. Really feel the joy of interacting with these creatures of Air at the time when Air's energy is highest...
Creatures Associated with Air
Birds
Eagles, Hawks, Nightingales, Larks, Hummingbirds,
Wrens, Chickadees, Sparrows, etc.
Insects
Butterflies, Dragonflies, Bees, Ladybugs
Flying Creatures from Myth
Air Dragons, Fairies, flying horses
Angels are also associated with Air, although there are angels specifically associated with each of the elements. The Archangel often called as Guardian of the Air is Raphael.
Raphael's name means "Healer of God." He is robed in gold, yellow, and blue. He carries a caduceus, the wand entwined by two serpents used as a symbol of healing. He rules science, knowledge, compassion, and healing.
Another Being who carries a caduceus, of course, is Mercury, messenger of the Gods, who rules intellect, verbal expression, science, synthesis, and research. Mercury is another Guardian of the Air.
The realm of Air is the mind and mental activity. Air rules the ideas that come "out of the blue." It offers the gift of clarity...the ability to perceive what is relevent and useful in a given situation. It rules the process of sythesising ideas and concepts from many different sources or disciplines into something that is cohesive and comprehensive. It rules the communication of these ideas... writing and verbal expression. It rules teaching. And it rules poetry.
Some sunny morning, perhaps in the Spring...get up early and go to some point, perhaps a hilltop somewhere where you are near the sky. Sit for a moment and enjoy the view. Feel the wind on your skin and in your hair. And take out a large notebook. Ask for the guidance and help of Raphael or Mercury if you wish. Start with a word, any word, maybe "beauty." And let the wind blow ideas, images, and associations into your mind. Write them all down...just jot them down, maybe in little clouds like in the comics...bursting out from the original word. For now just make as many connections and associations as you can. Fill up a few pages. Then take a few deep breaths, read what you have, and use the ideas and images to construct either a story, paragraph, word picture, or poem, whatever is easiest to you. Then stand and read it aloud to the wind...and know that you have received the gift of inspiration from the element of Air...and returned the gift of your own creativity.
Psychological Qualities Associated with Air
Balanced Air
Clarity
Creativity
Diligence
Discernment
Flexibility
Independence
Joy
Optimism
Teaching Ability
Imbalanced Air
Arrogance
Boastfullness
Contempt
Dishonesty
Emotional Coldness
Frivolity
Gossip
Paranoia
Slyness
Herbs Associated with the Element of Air
Acacia Agaric Agrimony Almond
Anise Aspen Bean Benzoin
Bergamot Bistort Bittersweet Borage
Bracken Broom Caraway Celery
Chicory Clover Dandelion Dill
Dock Elecampagne Eyebright Fennel
Goldenrod Hops Lavender Lemongrass
Lemon Verbena Lily of the Valley Linden Mace
Male Fern Maple Marjoram Mastic
Meadowsweet Mint Mistletoe Mulberry
Parsley Pecan Pimpernel Pine
Pistachio Rice Summer Savory Senna
Slippery Elm Southernwood Star Anise
Air Incense
(from Cunningham)
4 parts Benzoin
2 parts Gum Mastic
1 part Lavender
1 part Wormwood
1 pinch Mistletoe
(mistletoe is toxic, if used, burn outdoors) Air Oil
5 drops Lavender
1 drop Lemongrass
1 ounce carrier oil
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