Air: Logic, Mediation, Communication The Magic of Air The magic of Air rules over the power of mediation, it is the magic of reconciling extremes or opposites into a unified purpose or into a relationship where they can work together without clashing. This concept of Air as the great mediator is often confusing to new students of elemental magic who are used to the more commonly talked about qualities of Air, namely intellect and reason. Nonetheless it is one of the key core components of the magic of Air and should be understood. It may be helpful in understanding this concept to look at a very basic version of our Aetherian creation myth. In the beginning, after the true elements of fire and water came into existence, they being equal in power but exact opposites threatened to annihilate each other. The understanding of the other and the ability to bring in a small piece of the other into yourself while remaining yourself or to establishing boundaries of space so there are no clashes belongs to the element of Air. The element of Air is not always considered a true element, but rather an element which arose between the interaction of Fire and Water and became their great mediator. By Air, like yin and yang, the elements of Fire and Water were able to take a tiny, nearly imperceptible piece of their opposite into their being. By Air, the Fire and Water elements were able to create a buffer between the elements so that they could exist and operate together without destroying each other. Out of the eventual accelerated interaction of the new three elements in creation, Fire, Water and now Air a fourth element was able to arise, being the product of the other three, it contained them and this was the element of Earth. Without the element of Air as the mediator between them, the final product of Earth would never have materialized. When working advanced Air magic, the element of mediation can help to work with opposites which would normally destroy each other. Apart from its role as mediator between Fire and Water, the element of Air is the element of intellect, reason and logic. It is associated with thorough analysis and the gathering of knowledge to enable decision-making based on evidence and facts. Just as air expands to fill the entire space of its container, exploring every crevasse and surface, air is also the element of curiosity. It is fitting that the axiom of air is to know. Related to knowledge and critical thinking is clarity of perception, another trait of the element of wind. Air bestows objectivity, the ability to discern truth and reveal differences. Common expressions for seeing the larger context such as viewing from above, getting a birds eye view and seeing from on high express the relationship between air and objectivity. If you cannot see a problem from all angles or need a better overall perception of the situation, the element of Air should be the power you summon to your aid. Gentle Breezes and Destructive Gales In its light aspects, the element of Air is associated with communication, diplomacy and learning. Air rules over the powers of knowing and finding. Similarly, learning new skills and knowledge are also related to the air element. As knowledge corresponds to the element of air, so too does memory. If something needs locating or has been lost, the ability to hone in on things, to lock on to them from a distance is ruled by Air. Both the written and spoken word are connected to Air and are examples of the creative and productive aspects of the element. This element is also related to the arts of discourse and persuasion. Finally Air, with its connections to both freedom and logic, is also connected to justice and the responsibility to safeguard our own freedom as well as the freedom of others. Since clarity of mind and the ability to make decisions based on evidence are also qualities of the air, justice and judgment are further related. As Air has the ability to gather many small pieces, or to recover small lost things and to reassemble them, in its darker aspects the element of Air has the ability to scatter and make things lost. This is in contrast to the element of earth which hides things via concealment. The powers of Air, like a raging tornado can rip assembled things apart and scatter their pieces to the ends of the Earth. When something is scattered to the four winds, so to speak, with the darker aspects of Air magic it may be nearly impossible to recover. Just as the physical winds may scatter objects, the winds of magic may stir up or scatter memories and, consequently, the dark side of the element of Air rules over the magic of forgetting. The Sylphs The spirits of Air, the Sylphs are some of the most elusive and least written about of the elementals. Even Franz Bardon seemed perplexed by these beings, choosing only to list a number of the spirits out of Abramelin and giving no descriptions of the spirits of Air. Nonetheless, the Sylphs have much to teach the Witch or Magus who can develop the right mindset for working with them. When summoning the sylphs listed in Bardons Practice of Magical Evocation we have asked them about their listing in Abramelin and why they may be considered demons. They have replied that their view as demonic is based upon peoples flawed perceptions of them and that their tasks are ones of logic and science, something that was looked on much less favourably in the time of Abramelin. When working with the sylphs one must approach them with a clear mind and purpose and be willing to think things out very deeply from all angles. One must also be on their best manners and always remain open minded. The Sylphs are easily offended by boorish, selfish, unthinking and uncaring behaviour and will react harshly to those they do not feel in tune with. The magic of the sylphs includes the magic of memory, learning, science, technology, mathematics, the mental plane and the technical aspects of magic. As a result they can teach one to enhance their cognitive abilities in all ways as well as how to enhance ones ability to navigate and manipulate the mental plane. Both remembering and forgetting are governed by the winds, as is the ability to recover lost memories. Lost memories can include memory both from the current incarnation as well as past lives. Telepathy also is ruled over by the sylphs and most can read thoughts with surprising accuracy, particularly in contrast to the crude and undeveloped telepathic sense of human beings. Attributes of the Air Element While balancing ones Aetheric self the virtues of Air include optimism, expertise, alertness, felicity and taking joy in ones work. An excess or deficiency of the Air element can also lead to negative traits in an individual which need to be rebalanced. Disturbances of Air are seen in the psyche as a tendency towards gossip, inattention, squander, conceitedness or an exaggerated self-opinion. Franz Bardon gives complete descriptions and methods of dealing with these issues of balance between the four elements within. Physical Air All four of the elements have a primal physical form associated with them in the physical world as water, flame, wind and stone. While it should be understood that fire, water, wind and rocks are not truly the elements but rather are strong representatives of these forces, they are nonetheless still strongly analogous the the elemental forces and embody the spirit of the elements as closely as physically possible on this plane of existence. Thus if one wishes to study Air magic, then learning about the physical element of Air is essential. In the natural world, the winds are the most prominent form of physical air you will encounter. Often when working Air magic, the sylphs will take on the form of wind, but it will blow with more intelligence and move with purpose. The gentle winds blowing across meadows or atop mountains exemplify the light aspects of the Air element. In addition the sky is also a very prominent example of the air element, and meditating on it is very useful when working with Air. The sky is expansive, a seemingly limitless canvas of wind and clouds, its colours changing with mood of the day. The wind can take on a variety of characteristics as well, from quick and playful to gentle and slow. Just as gentle breezes can offer the perfect character to a landscape on a beautiful day, the winds when angered can take on the form of tornadoes and hurricanes and rip apart the land, uproot trees and destroy buildings and homes. Anyone who has experienced a hurricane, tornado or even tropical storm knows the fury of extreme winds whipped up by storm conditions. In this state the storm perfectly displays the true might of dark side of air. Although the extreme forms of the elements may almost personify the various elementals both bright and dark, the element of air can be experienced routinely. One simple way anyone can do for getting in contact with the element of Air is to become aware of the winds whenever one is able. Determine which direct they are blowing from, take notice of the character of the wind that day. Is the wind fast or slow? Is it consistently still or blowing? Or is it, perhaps, a mix of gusts with periods of calm? Aetherian Witches and Magi are often able to hear the sylphs speak on the wind and if you have developed a relationship with a specific sylph or air familiar one of the best times to commune with them and to communicate more accurately is as the wind is blows into your face. Air, like water is essential to all living things and without a steady supply of fresh air most organisms will die quickly when deprived of their breath. Thus respiration is common to life and also reveals the Air element working within our bodies. Breathing can also be used to commune with the air and can be used for practical purposes as Franz Bardon lays out in many places in Initation into Hermetics, for example using pore breathing to fill the body with elemental fluid. Therefore make sure you pay heed to your breathing as a divine microcosmic expression of the Air element. Source: The Elemental Atheneum
Posted on: Fri, 04 Jul 2014 22:20:48 +0000
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