The Air Element
and those who inhabit it
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We need it to live, and it’s all around us, but we can’t see it, only its effects, the Element of Air. The same qualifiers apply to the spiritual realm. We have never been, are not, and never will be only material beings. We are infused with ruach. This Hebrew word means spirit and can also be translated as breath or wind, in effect, air. We need spirit to be alive, the metaphysical sense, just as much as we need air to be alive physically.
The element of air most accurately symbolizes the invisible realms of mind, thought, idea, imagination, communication, and spirit. All the things we interact with every day but cannot actually see with our physical eyes are part of the Air element. Plans, dreams, concepts, electricity, radio waves, electromagnetic fields, and Bluetooth technology all fall under the idea of Air.
While the idea of peering into the invisible spiritual realms, and traversing the depths of Air as an element and all that it contains can seem exciting, esoteric, and even magical, I like to remember that the principle of visible and invisible worlds moving in parallel, microcosm reflecting macrocosm, above and below on earth as it is in Heaven as simultaneous realities, that much can be learned by observing and working with the visible microcosm of the earthly world here below.
Very often, instead of trying to wrap my head around the invisible, secret, synchronous, Platonic “worlds,” I simply stay here, grounded and aware, observing the seemingly ordinary and then letting those experiences seep into my unconscious, and usually, some time later, an insight into the higher things is made known.
In nature, the air may be neutral, but spiritual forces most decidedly are not. They help or hinder depending on where their loyalty lies.
The actual air, or atmosphere, here on planet Earth is filled with an astounding array of creatures magnificently suited to the peculiarities of living in the ever shifting air currents. Birds, certainly, insects, and even a few mammals, I’m thinking here of bats and even flying squirrels (maybe a stretch, but I’ll allow it because they’re cute), make the air their home.
Mid-June is such a great time to observe birds because the early nesters have fledglings by now, and many others are feeding chicks or building nests. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been fascinated watching birds, creatures of the element of air, coming to enjoy the element of water in the birdbath. They’re cautious at first, assessing that it’s safe and that they have a quick escape route to leafy cover should they need to make a quick dash to safety. Some are more skittish than others. The mourning doves plop right in (not the brightest birds perhaps), the robins take a moment in the nearby tree and then come down for a long, vigorous bath, the smaller birds like the sparrows and phoebes are quite cautious, any sound or sudden movement, and they abandon the entire idea. I think a lot about creatures of the air and how they go about interacting with the element of water, and I wonder if it isn’t the same for us. If you're primarily an “air” person, most suited and comfortable with thought, mind, intellect, and reason, how challenging and how cautious are you when you need to wade into the water element, the arena of emotions? Do you scope out the situation, make sure you have a ready escape route if things get too intense, and are you easily scared off if the conversation takes an emotional turn? The birds do this for survival, and I suspect we do the same.
Another really fun observation this past week was watching a mama House Finch escort her brood of 4 or 5 fledglings out of the woods right into the crabapple tree above the birdbath. I could see how very excited the young ones were to be out in the wide world. They jumped from branch to branch and fluttered here and there. They eyed me curiously, and the birdbath too, but never came down to give it a try. After a few minutes, Mama flew on and took them to the woods on the other side of the property. They flew after her, dipping and darting, trying to keep up, and clearly enthusiastic to find something else new and exciting. In under a minute, they all dove into a thicket of witchhazel at the woodland edge. Later that afternoon, my dog Quinn and I were sitting on the back deck, and one of the fledgling house finches flew out of the woods and landed on a tray of strawberry seedlings right above where Quinn was lying. Now Quinn has absolutely no predatory instinct whatsoever, and so he completely ignored the entire situation, not even glancing up to take a look. I noticed, however, and leaned forward in my chair to get a better look. Suddenly, an instinct was awakened in the young bird, and sensing he might not be in the safest place, he quickly and awkwardly tried to turn and take off at the same time, and after a bit of fluttering and course correcting, he was able to take off back to the safety of the woods. Just a reminder from a young denizen of the air element that when you are new at exploring an idea, concept, belief, or matter of spiritual importance, it’s good to have an experienced guide at the beginning until you get your wings, so to speak.
Finally, I want to share about the bluebird. However, before I do that, I must give a shout out to the house wrens who once again are raising a family in the wren house that is right in one of my garden beds. This hardworking pair has been shuttling back and forth between the nearby woods and the house hundreds and hundreds of times a day. First, they were building the nest, and now for several weeks already they have been feeding a hungry brood. They do all this while singing the lovliest, longest, most complex song and completely unperterbed by my constant presence beneath their home, watering and weeding.
Now on to the bluebirds. Last year, a black rat snake invaded the house where the bluebirds historically nest, and the nest was predated. No bluebird or any other bird has come near that house this year. Fortunately, I have several bluebird boxes around the property, and they have been selected as nesting places this year. One is on the north side of the yard and faces south, a very favorably positioned piece of real estate. That’s been in use for weeks now. Just a few days ago another bluebird pair began building a nest in a second house that faces east. I’m unsure if the bluebirds abandoned the south facing house and began again in the east facing house, or if the bluebirds have already fledged from the south facing house, and this is another pair of bluebirds or the same starting a second brood. All this confusion stems from the fact that bluebirds are quite secretive when raising young. Even with having many nest boxes right in my yard and having many broods born and fledged from them, I almost never see the young birds emerge from the nest. Bluebirds, unlike the wrens, are skittish when I’m around and will wait until I’m out of the garden or off at another part of the property before they will approach their nest. I’m aware of this and will curtail my gardening activities near the nest boxes when I know they are building and feeding their young. Sometimes it’s best, especially when figuring out your spiritual path or building your spiritual life, to stay under the radar. Not everyone, and certainly not random people on social media, needs to know what you're doing or how your beliefs are changing, evolving, or expanding. Privacy can be a good thing. I certainly found this to be true when I recently converted to Catholicism and went through the nine-month Order of Christian Initiation for Adults, Rite of Election, and finally first communion and confirmation into the church at the Easter vigil. A totally life changing and beautiful experience, but not one I wanted everyone looking over my shoulder as I progressed through that transformation.
Here are the things we can contemplate from the birds of the air. First, it’s good to scope out the territory when moving between the elements. We go from thought, mind, and rationality (air) to the emotional realm (water), to the passions and ambition (fire), and finally to the practical here and now (earth). Birds routinely move between the elements, including fire, as they prefer their houses facing south or east to catch the sun's warmth.
Second, mentors, guides, and helpers can go a long way toward supporting you on your spiritual journey as you expand your horizons, move into new territory, and explore new experiences.
Third, keeping your personal spiritual journey private, at least for a time, can give safety and peace as you move forward.
Lastly, from the cheerful wren family, peaceful coexistence is possible and often creates a beautiful environment where all can prosper.
Enjoy every moment of the year. Each month is a gift, each season of life filled with goodness beyond measure.
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You are SO on my wavelength