E is for Earth

(Source: http://www.elfwood.com/~pleiades/Element-Earth-Dance.3123838.html)

I struggled with getting this post done, I am not entirely sure why - other than school work and life keeping me insanely busy.  Maybe it was because I wasn't quite sure how to incorporate earth into my life over the next month like air.  Yes, I talked of doing a painting board for each element - and I will still do that - but I didn't connect enough with that last time so I wanted to come up with something that really brought the element into my life a little more.

I feel somewhat disconnected with earth lately.  You see I live in a townhouse, we have no yard and our balcony gets full sun all day and is not conducive to anything I attempt to grow surviving - including Rosemary and a Mediterranean Lavender.  So I've given up trying to get anything to grow out there which depresses me because I love gardening and I love having plants around me.  I have some indoor plants but I have to be cautious with those because I also have a fairly young and mischievous cat who like to play with the plants and knock them over.  I'm not even game to try some hanging pot plants, I have visions of coming home to see my cat swinging from them.

I have crystals throughout  my house which helps somewhat, and my bedroom is very earthy toned but it isn't enough.  When we were living in New Zealand we would go to the beach very regularly, we would go hiking on weekends and basically get out in nature and explore.  Now that doesn't really happen.  One, there aren't a lot of easy access hiking places.  Two, I'm working full time and doing school and my husband and I are on opposing schedules (he is also working full time and doing school) so there is little time to explore.  Maybe I'm making excuses, I definitely don't feel the connection I did back in Australia or New Zealand.

So what did this lead me to as a solution?  I still don't have one - so I'll take any suggestions.

So this post isn't totally a personal reflection here are some details about the element Earth.

(Source: http://enlightenyourday.com/2011/04/21/earth-day-quotes-mother-earth-quotations/#.T1jgocAgeeY)

Earth: A feminine element earth is associated with ideas of stability and nurturing, strength and endurance.  Earth is what holds us firm, it is what gives us our foundations.

Direction: North
Colors: Green, Brown, Black
Tarot: Pentacles or Coins
Zodiac: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Elementals: Gnomes (King Ghob), Dwarfs, Trolls
Plants: Red Poppy, Roots, Mosses, Lichens, Ivy, Comfrey, Patchouli, Sage, Vervain, Barley, Corn, Wheat, Rice
Symbols: Mountains, Caves, Gems, Fields, Rocks, Salt, Wheat, Clay
Stones: Dense & Opaque stones, Obsidian, Coal, Emerald, Malachite, Agate, Jet, Onyx, Jasper, Azurite, Amethyst, Quartz
Animals: Burrowing animals, Buffalo, Wolves, Horses, Sheep, Earthworms, Turtles, Cows, Horse, Ants, Bears

A is for Air

The Element Air

Part of my journey this year is to get to know and work with the elements more in my life.  To this end I decided that the first ‘A’ blog for the Pagan Blog Project would be a good opportunity to work on the element of Air. I am not going to post a bunch of correspondences - there are numerous books, blogs and sites out there that can give you all the nitty gritty of what colors, stones, symbols and gods you can call upon.  I will give a little run down of what the element is though.

Air is the element of the mind.  Associated with the directional point East, Air represents the soul and breath of life.  Without Air we would not exist, we draw Air’s energy within us with each breath.  Being associated with the east dawn is the time of day associated with Air and Air helps ideas rise within us as the dawn brings the rising of the sun.

Air is movement and with its movement it can carry away our troubles or it can carry a message to those we love, it can cleanse our body and heal our soul and it can bring on the wind messages we seek.  Divination is associated with the element Air given its connection with the powers of the mind and concentration.  Enlightenment is the key of the element Air – it brings wisdom, and fulfills the part of the witches’ pyramid ‘To Know’.

I personally love the energy that is contained within Air – not only the balance that a simple deep breath can give the body but the way it can be playful or destructive, the emotions if can bring out and the energy it can raise within the body.  One of the most amazing experiences with Air I have ever had was during a very minor cyclone in Auckland, NZ.  Perhaps foolishly (although no more so than about 30 other people) the hubby and I decided to head down to the beach during this natural event and I braced myself against the ragging wind (you could lean forward at quite an angle if you wished without falling) spread my arms wide and allowed the energy of the winds to cleanse me completely.  I made sure I was nicely grounded so that I didn’t fill myself with the over abundance of energy available but I allowed myself to take in enough energy to feel complete revitalized like I’ve never felt before.

So in order to work with air for this month I think I will attempt to set up an Air altar in my house and meditate at it as often as I can.  I will try to get pictures up here of what the altar looks like when I am done.  For now I leave this post with a short poem that I wrote when meditating on the element of Air.

Air

A gentle breeze caresses my face

I feel it enter this sacred space

A feather falls from the sky above

The goddess is showering me with love

Sylphs and fairies dance in the breeze

Alight themselves upon the trees

Watching as the flutes I play

Welcoming the lords of Air this day

Eye close, mind open, arms held wide

Cast my troubles to the skies

Lords of the air carry them away

Cleanse my mind, let no fears hold sway.