Elementally Speaking – Air

The pessimist complains about the wind; The optimist expects it to change; The realist adjusts the sails ~ William Arthur Ward

Connected to the soul and breath of life

The start and inspiration in the manifestation cycle.

Communication, Wisdom, powers of the mind.

Carries away your troubles, blows away strife

The Air element encourages communication.

People with their sun signs in air tend to be social and enjoy connecting with others.

In Ayurvedic traditions, we are made of three doshas – Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. We typically have a dominant dosha, and those with a dominant Vata are most aligned with Air. Vata controls motion in the body and helps to stimulate vitality and creativity. Ayurvedic experts teach that when Vata is out of balance, it can cause fear and anxiety. Other signs of an imbalance may include rough/dry skin, feeling restless, waking up exhausted, or joint pain.

When our Air is out of balance, we may feel anxious, nervous, or even bored and apathetic. Here are some ways to bring it back into balance.

• Reduce Caffeine

• Earth – by standing barefoot on the ground

• Reduce your screentime… Take a social media break

• Work in the garden, get your hands in the dirt.

• Do some breath work or a breathing meditation. You can find some on YouTube.

In Hindu writings, the word for Wind is Vata, which means to blow. A second word, Prana, symbolizes the breath of life. Prana is a father God, and his breath is one of the five sacred elements in this religious tradition.

Classical Greek philosophy separated the Air element into the atmosphere where we live and a higher region above the clouds. When they wrote about Air it was the lower form.

Direction: East

Gender: Masculine

Charge: Positive

Energy: Active, swiftly moving, Mercurial, changeable, projective

Qualities: Abstract. Ethereal

Aspects: analytical thought, rational mind, communication

Colors: Yellow, white, Scarlet, Peach, sky blue, midnight blue, shades of grey, Colors of dawn

Tarot: Suit of Swords (swish), knights, The Fool, The Magician, The Lovers, The Hermit, Hanged Man, Justice, The Star

Runes: Ansuz, Radio, Eiwaz, Algiz, Tir, Mannaz

Astrological Signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius

Planets: Jupiter, Mercury, Urans

Day of the week: Wednesday

Time of Day: Dawn, early morning,

Moon Phase:1st Quarter

Time of year: Spring

Life Cycle: Infancy, Childhood

Sabbats: Beltaine

Locations: Mountain tops, sky, clouds

Wind: Boreas

Witch’s Pyramid: To Know

Wiccan Tools: Athame, Boline, Sword, censer, incense, bell

Magical Uses: Air is involved in the burning of incense and in smudging rituals. Breath-work and ritual movements and dance also utilize the energy of Air. The direction of the wind can be used to enhance certain types of spellwork.

Think of the fairies flying on the wind – creatures of pure intuition that go where the air whispers. The Air Element is the one to work with when endeavoring to see or contact such creatures. It is also a good helpmate to communing with ghosts and determining the presence of spirits that may lurk in previously unknown haunts.

Incense: Sandalwood, Storax, Mastic, frankincense, myrrh

Instruments: Woodwinds, bagpipes

Sense: Smell, sound

Careers: Accounting, acting, advertising, executive, astronaut, computer programmer or technician, con-artist, gambling, judge, lawyer, mathematician, public speaker, sales, most kinds of science, singing, teaching, writing

Positive: witty, intelligent, communicative, inquisitive, inventive, literary, social, idealist, clarity of thought, rational, technical, scientific, logical

Negative: aloof, cold, dispassionate, eccentric, scattered, unfocused, ambivalent, indecisive, deceptive, untrustworthy

Body Parts: Brains, nervous system, lungs

Bodily functions: Breathing, thinking, speaking, singing, coughing, whistling, belching, flatulating

Chakra: Throat

Herbs: Acacia, almond, anise, benzoin, bergamot, bistort, bittersweet, borage, bromeliad, broom, caraway, chicory, Citron, Clover, dandelion, elecampane, endive, eyebright, fenugreek, goat’s rue, hazel, hops, houseleek, ivy, lavender, lily, linden, mace, male fern, maple, marjoram, marigold, mastic, meadowsweet, mint, mistletoe, nutmeg, palm, papyrus, parsley, peppermint, pine, pistachio, rice, sage, saffron, slippery elm, thyme, vervain, wormwood

Metals: Mercury, aluminum

Minerals & Gems: Agates, aventurine, amethyst, ametrine, angelite, blue tourmaline, celestite, clear quartz, Desert Rose, jasper, mica, moldavite, pumice, sodaline

Animals: bird, flying insects, spiders, bats, foxes, primates, gazelle

Mythical Creatures: Gryphons, Harpies, Hippogriffs, Pegasus, Sphinx

Elemental Beings: Sylphs, faeries, djinn

Archangel: Raphael

Gods: Allah, Amergin, Anu, Apollo, Ascepius, Baal, Buddha, Ganesha, Hermes, Jupiter, Mercury, Mimir, Odin, Quetzalcoatl, Thoth, Tyr, Uranus, Zues

Goddesses: Arachne, Arianrhod, Athena, Hera, Ishtar, Juno, Ma’at, Minerva, Mnemosyne, Morrigan, Muses, Neith, Nike, Nuit, Phoebe, Sarasvati

Pentagrams:

Themes & Energies: Beginnings, clairvoyance, clarity, cleansing, communication, concentration/focus, creativity, divination, education, enlightenment, expression, fairness, freedom, harmony, imagination, inspiration, intelligence, intuition, justice, knowledge, learning, logic, memory, the mind, movement, motivation, order, organization, power, protection, psychic ability, purification, relationships, release, spirits, spirituality, thought, travel, truth, visions, visualization, willpower, wisdom

Activities: Breathwork, meditation, writing, journaling, burning incense, making music, singing, studying, yoga, divination.

How does Air work with the other elements?

Air with Fire: Air can breathe life into Fire, helping the flames grow and spread, or Air can snuff Fire out when removed or if blown too hard.

Air with Water: Air can hold Water in the form of humidity or clouds, blowing Water around the world. In their more powerful forms, they can also create hurricanes and thunderstorms.

Air with Earth: Air can erode Earth and carry particles of it away, while Earth can remain steadfast, even in the toughest of winds.

Types of Air Magic Rituals to Perform

• Travel

• Freedom

• Knowledge

• Communication

• Mental Clarity

• Intuition

• Psychic Abilities

• Creativity

Ways to Connect with the Air Element

• feel the wind on your skin

• cloud watching

• fly a kite

• practice divination

• awake with the dawn

• put out a bird feeder

• burn incense

• perform visualization meditations

• hang wind chimes

• start something new

• practice deep breathing

• movement practice like yoga and dance

• sit outside on a windy day and just listen

• listen to music

• read something that inspires you

• trust your intuition

• make a change you have been pondering over

• hike up a mountain and appreciate the change in air up there

• travel somewhere new

• enrich your mind

• start your day with positive affirmations

• inhale deep the beautiful scent of flowers or your favorite meal

• reduce the ways you contribute to air pollution

Breathing practices

When doing these simple breathwork practices it is best to connect the air element and your breath – to your life force. Recognize that each breath is keeping you alive! Thinking of the breath this way connects you to the spiritual aspects of air.

Engage with sound

Sound carries on the air. We can either explore the air and atmosphere by extending our own voice OR receive sound (and air) to make it part of us.

Here are several ideas where you can connect with air through sound:

• Singing – Use your voice to explore from your being out into the environment. Make sure to keep your words and thoughts positive, to keep the interaction with the elements of positive and uplifting Or choose not to use words! Just let sounds move through and out of you. It can just be tones and humming. Let the focus be a joyful expression of your soul and exploring the air around you.

• Sound as your focus of awareness in meditation – Explore the air element by working with sound in meditation. Place sound in the foreground of your awareness. Be fully present with each sound you notice, without judging how important or pleasant it is. Allow it to penetrate into your ears, into your consciousness, and become part of you.

• Sound healing – An in-person sound bath with a practitioner who does singing bowls is a lovely experience. If this is not available to you when you need it, you can listen to binaural beats instead. Regardless of how you’re experiencing the sound vibration, it is helpful to be an active participant. You aren’t just spacing out, but actively listening and absorbing the sounds. Stay open, porous, and receptive.

Practices to tune into the Air Element

Touch: Feel the wind in your hair

One of the ways to connect with the elements is to simply tune into the sensations of nature around you. This could be the warmth of the sun on your skin, the earth beneath your feet, or the wind on your skin.

The next time you’re out in nature – or on your balcony, or in your garden! – pause for a moment and tune in: Notice the feeling of the wind on your face or hands. Does it feel cold or warm? Is it gentle or forceful? Which direction is it coming from? These subtle cues are a wonderful way to become present and engaged with your surroundings instantly.

Taste: Bitter and astringent

According to the ancient health system of Ayurveda, each taste is made up of a combination of the elements. Air is present in the bitter and astringent tastes. These tastes can help cultivate a sense of lightness, help repair wounds, remove excess swelling or water retention, and ‘dry out’ congestion from phlegm or mucus.

Opt for kale and collard greens, brussels sprouts, and cacao for the bitter taste. For the astringent, choose something like pomegranates, black tea, legumes, and artichokes for the astringent taste. These foods can all help impart a sense of cooling and grounding, so are good to eat in hot and humid weather.

Sight: Watch the world move

We may not be able to see air and wind itself, but we can certainly see how it moves the world around us. From the impossible to miss movements of tornadoes and hurricanes, to the smallest breeze on a Summer’s day – wind and air are the energy behind much of the movement around us.

Step outside and notice how the air is moving plants, leaves, and clouds. Do these things move erratically and playfully? Is the movement smooth and slow? How do you feel when the weather is windy and blustery outside?

Smell: Fresh air

An invisible yet important factor of feeling well and healthy at home, is the air quality in which we live. When we walk into a room, we’re affected by the colors, shapes, and textures around us. But scent also plays a huge role when it comes to our emotions.

Take a moment to breathe in the air in your living room, bedroom, or kitchen. Does it smell old and tired? Are there scents of last night’s dinner, or do you simply get a sense that the room needs a little life breathed into it? As often as you can, open the windows and let fresh air circulate the room. This is especially important in your bedroom, as fresh, cool air can help improve sleep quality too.

Sound – The vibration of sound

Air may not make sound itself, but without it, we wouldn’t be able to hear anything! Air carries the vibration of sound waves, allowing us to hear our favorite song or the voices of our friends. Close your eyes and notice the sounds you can hear. Millions of soundwaves around you – from the hum of the refrigerator to the meow of your cat – are all being carried by air. When you walk in the park or through a forest, stop to listen to the sound of the wind moving through the trees. Pause and enjoy this completely natural soundscape.

Breathwork

Breathing is perhaps the most direct and intimate way we can connect to the air element. Try practicing a few minutes of simple Sama Vritti (equal breathing) before you get out of bed in the morning.

This practice involves gently breathing in and out for an even count (try starting with a count of five), and observing the subtle sensations of life force energy moving through your body.

Take the practice a step further by using your observation of the breath as a tool for meditation. Focus on the breath intently, and if your mind wanders, return it back to your point of focus. Start with five minutes and work your way up to twenty minutes of meditation per day, time permitting.

Yoga postures & movements for the air element

Anything that helps open the heart, lungs, and the front of your body can aid the connection to your breath and the air element. Try gentle backbends like a restorative supported bridge pose, cobra, and upward-facing dog. Practice yoga sequences that encourage more flowing, light, and playful movements. The next time you practice yoga, experiment with focusing on your breathing even more; are there certain postures that facilitate calm, steady breathing? Or do you find yourself holding your breath when approaching a challenging asana?