I’ve always been embracing my “air” head, having always been drawn to the element of air. I love anything that flies, has wings, that soars. It’s early morning and I am again sitting in my kitchen looking out the large plate glass window in our breakfast nook. Outside, our bird feeders are standing room only. There are 20 or so mourning doves, a variety of chickadees, finches and sparrows. Occasionally one of the three blue jays that reside in our trees swoops down, squawking at the other birds. It pushes and shoves its way to the food, and generally plays the resident bully. As I watch, a ruby-headed hummingbird moves towards the hanging nectar, ticking at another heading the same way. The air stirs their feathers, holds them in flight as they move from perch to perch. Watching the birds fly I feel a twinge of envy, wishing I too could embrace the air.
Near our gargoyle fountain my sole surviving chicken pecks around the yard, disinterested in all the tiny birds eating the seed around her. Several birds splash in the brightly colored bird bath, not seeming to notice that it is 43 degrees outside. In the distance I hear a hawk cry out and watch as the birds take to wing en masse, frightened by the predator gliding overhead. It is then that I realize that this is my happy place, surrounded by the denizens of Air, feeling the wind in my hair and the breeze on my skin. I suppose I truly am embracing my “Air” head”.
Fond Memories
When I was a child I was always fascinated by birds. We had parakeets in our home from a very young age. I loved having them around but it always made me a little sad, seeing them in cages. Once a day or so they were taken out of the cage and allowed to roam freely around the house. As they flew around my head, then landed on my shoulders, I recall feeling positively giddy. These were my friends, my companions. How I envied them their wings and the ability to fly.
Many of my favorite memories involve birds, the wind and stormy weather. I’ve fond memories of standing and watching the winds whip the redwood trees that lined our school playground. Many hours were spent looking at the windows as the hawks dipped and swirled high overhead. One summer I got bored and left my sister’s softball game for a large open field. There, at dusk, I saw my first owl up close as it hovered over my head. It hadn’t expected the mouse that it was hunting to run across my foot, putting me in its flight path. The birds, the air, they were always my joy.
I can recall the feeling of exhilaration and joy a windy day brings and the kiss of a warm summer breeze upon my face. Is it any wonder that when I started exploring the Craft that the element of Air called to me? And it did so not with a gentle wind but with a gale force summons. So, I strapped on my wings and answered.
Answering the Call of Air
Even after I’d started on my path, Air never quieted. The element of Air joined me at some of the most unusual times. Air showed itself each time I cast circle, breezing around the perimeter. Air swept in and blew the herbs off my working altar even though there were no open windows or vents. At the workplace, Air kept pushing at me, begging me to pay attention. Try explaining to a muggle co-worker why when I got upset papers would blow off people’s desks. It would seem that I needed to pay attention and learn to work with Air. Soon!
Terry Pellegrini – Embracing my “Air” Head
Is it any wonder that when I started exploring the Craft that the element of Air called to me? And it did so not with a gentle wind but with a gale force summons. So, I strapped on my wings and answered.
Once I began exploring and working with the element of Air I began to see what an influence it had over my entire life. Air’s correspondence sounded like a recitation of my own affinities. My inquisitive mind and thirst for knowledge of all kinds has never waned. Birds, pardon the pun, flocked to me no matter where I was, sometimes to the point of embarrassment. My psychic abilities were always present although I didn’t truly embrace them until my twenties. As I worked more and more with this element, these affinities grew, becoming sharper and clearer. Air had blown away the fog, allowing my inner light to truly shine. Embracing my “air” head became second nature to me.
“Air Head” Syndrome
On the flip side, working with Air can make you a bit spacey, put your head into the clouds and keep it there. This is where the term “Air Head” comes into play. When you work almost exclusively with one element you become unbalanced, often loosing your magickal footing. Working with Air may bring out the intellectual, the cerebral, in you but it may also cause you to daydream and space out. You can lose your focus easily, become irritated and petulant. For every positive attribute an element has, there is an opposite, a negative attribute. Spend too much time with that element and it will show you all its sides.
If you spend all your time with only one friend, your other friends may feel neglected or even pissed off. The same goes with working with the elements. After spending so much time concentrating on Air, when asked to call in another element, they responded weakly or not at all. Once I understood this need for balance and began consistently working with the other elements along side of Air, my magick and my life became less wonky, leveling out my one-sided gait.
The lesson I’ve learned from all of this is to go ahead and embrace your element of choice, but don’t neglect the others. Balance in magick, as well as life, is crucial for keeping your path straight and steady, your mind clear and your magick strong. It is okay to be an “Air” head, just be certain to invite the other elements into your circle, and your life, as well.
Blessed Be!
