Air Element: Magick, Correspondences, Astrology

The air element is one of the elements people tend to forget about, but it’s powerful and beneficial for our witchy and personal life. This article will show the main features of this element, so you know what it’s about and how to make the most of it.

The Air Element: main features

The air element is the life energy that has been associated with the breath, what yogis call “prana” and Taoists call “chi.”

Air is the breath of life. It is the ether. It is that which envelopes, permeates and connects everything.

Air circulates and penetrates the Earth, causes Fire to burn, adheres to Water with which it mixes. It is fluid, impalpable, light, volatile, and diffused. It is free and available, exposed to all contacts and influences.

The Air element belongs to the zodiac signs of Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius.

Also read:

What is Aeromancy?

Vital Energy

It is, therefore, what envelops and permeates everything. It is the intangible space that unites everything. It is the vital energy that the Taoists call chi, the Hindus call prana (from the Sanskrit force-light), and we call ether. It is the invisible substance that pervades the entire universe and that we absorb from the surrounding environment through breathing. Its Seat is the Subtle World intermediary between Heaven and Earth.

The expansion world is filled with the breath necessary for Beings’ life. According to tradition, the first superior element (the lightest and most mobile) is fire. Air is the second upper element. The transformations involving the lower elements (water and earth) take place.

The medium is the water that is transported upwards by the air in the form of water vapor, and returning to the earth like dew, acts as a bridge between earth and sky between higher and lower dimensions. It is composed of the free Space towards Heaven, and its measure is the height.

Air is the vital breath, the cosmic breath, and identifies with the flow of the Word, which is, in turn, breath. (The breaths are, at the level of the subtle being, the five vital functions considered as different modalities of the breathing of the Air, the breath of life.)

The air element is a sensitive symbol of invisible life. It is the cleanser.

It is the principle of composition and fructification, intermediate between the two elements Fire and Water.

It is the first letter “A” of the composition of the divine Name, it is the universal Soul origin of the fructification of the World, and of the perception of colors and shapes to our eyes. It brings us back to the function of breath and passage of Air.

It represents the dividing line between Earth and Heaven. It is the point of contact between spirituality and matter; therefore, in a broad sense, it also indicates the sublimation capacity of materialistic impulses. Its nature The Air, the Breath, the Wind (chemically nitrogen) is the vital breath, the ethereal, gaseous, volatile state, movement, and space.

How to connect with the air element?

A Prayer

You can chant a prayer for air to bond and connect with this element. Use a prayer you like, or create your own. Do what feels to be the right thing for you.

Smudge

Light your Palo Santo or your smudge stick and turn off the flame immediately to let the combustion proceed slowly. It will be the smoke that derives from it that will accompany you in your ritual.

I start with myself, passing the smudge around me from head to toe with circular movements. The feeling of well-being is immediate, and all your anxieties and negative thoughts leave you.

Then continue dedicating yourself to your home. Start from the entrance, passing the smudge near the door, on the walls, without forgetting the floor. Dedicate yourself to the individual rooms. Also, concentrate on the corner. Your instinct will guide you to the areas you need to purify with greater intensity.

During the ritual, I see that the smoke fades, so I proceed with a new small flame that I immediately extinguish. Leave the Palo Santo in a saucer to finish the combustion when you have finished.

Every single stick of Palo Santo can be used many times, so don’t be afraid it will run out right away.

Related:
What to do With Sage Ashes or Stick after Smudging? [Guide]
Is Smudging Bad for Your Lungs? [Which Herbs To Pick?]
What is the Purpose of Smudging? [Finding the Right Herbs]

Mindful Breathing

As soon as we wake up, we can practice mindful breathing in the morning to loosen the stiff muscles and tension in the back and open the closed airways. Here is an easy way to do it: from a standing position, bend forward starting from the torso, knees slightly bent, leaving the arms dangling and the fingers touching the floor.

As we inhale slowly and deeply, we return to an upright position by unrolling, lifting the head last. We hold our breath for a few seconds in this position. We exhale slowly and return to the starting position, bending forward starting from the torso. We pay attention to how we feel at the end of the exercise.

Another exercise we can try is abdominal breathing. We put one hand on our belly and the other on our chest. We inhale, fill our stomachs with air until we push our hands away. We exhale slowly. We can also hold our breath by counting to four.

Why connect with air element?

Air is as important as Earth because we would not exist without it. Although the air is an essential element in the life of every human being, it is perhaps the least considered. In our land, you can see and touch every day when you go to work or school. You can physically see the trees, the flowers, and the surface on which you walk and drive, but we often don’t notice Air.

The Air is Invisible.

Polluted air also tends to be invisible to the eye.

The element Air is associated with the cardinal direction of the East and the color Yellow.

On the pentacle, it is at the top right point.

By working with the air element, you will discover its power to bring clarity of thought, acute intelligence, its ability to reverse situations and make radical changes. Air helps improve memory and create solutions to problems.

How to use all this in your practice?

• To perform rituals for education, study, freedom, knowledge, recovery of lost objects, and travel.
• To do visualization and positive aspects of thinking, blowing the breath, blowing light objects to make them float in the wind or throw objects into the air. Suspension tools in high places.
• To use the energy of these fragrant herbs like flowers with light airy or pungent hints, as in aromatic herbs such as dill; airy, finely veined.
• To use the energy of light stones, such as pumice or transparent stones like mica.
• To connect with deities. The Goddesses of the Air element are Isis, Nike, Arianrhod, and Aurora. The Gods are Mercury, Thoth, and Quetzalcoatl.
• One uses the magic of Air whenever one seeks inspiration, communication, or a well-focused mind. The simplest way to get in touch with this energy is to breathe as meditation and sing.
• To connect with sylphs, its elemental spirits.

Working With the Kingdom of Ideas

The whole world of archetypal ideas placed behind the veil of the physical world belongs to Air, the cosmic energy expressed in thought. The fire pushes to want something that already exists. The air concentrates on the theories and ideas that have not yet materialized.

In so doing it exercises its role in the realization of creation, since everything that exists must first be thought. The type of expression compatible with the air element concerns all the faculties of the intellect and mind: speech, art, abstract thought, imagination, music, singing, laughter, writing, poetry, and inspiration.

Consequently, the world of communication, sociability, cultural exchanges, mobility, expansion, change, play and joke, flexibility, and lightness in things triggers rapid reactions to any situation. It gives the Being lively nature and, at times, if in excess, it makes it inconstant or superficial.

With planets favorably influenced in the Signs of the element of Air, the individual is refined, artistic, and the creator of original ideas for himself and society. The air of Gemini is stormy. Those born under the sign of Gemini need clean air for the lungs. The air of Libra is mild and calm. His is the Venus of sensuality. The air of Aquarius is pure as it is the sign of knowledge.

Dawn’s Thoughts on The Air Element

According to Plato, the element of air is associated with the octahedron and is both hot and wet or humid. Air heated, becomes fire, cooled, becomes water, cooled more, earth.

The words spirit, inspire, expire, and aspire all derived from the Latin spirare (“to breathe”). Air is associated with all of these.

Air Element In Magic(k)

The element of air is one of the four (or five) elements of modern Western magical systems, the others being earth, fire, water and sometimes spirit.

The elements are usually invoked during ritual in order to balance the energy in the sacred space or the practitioner herself, but air may also be invoked independently to lend their energy to spellwork within its sphere of influence or to help the practitioner balance out an excess of earth energy.

Air energy supports the generation of new ideas and gathering of information, encouraging cooperation, communication (especially verbal) and friendlier Air Signs, contracts and agreements, stimulating mental capacity and strengthening the mind, travel and general luck. Keep in mind that the results of air spells tend to be short-lived and transient.

Air is sometimes evoked from the East in the form of spirit creatures associated with air, including Slyphs, Griffons, Djinns (more often Fire) or Sprites, or by calling upon divinities or other spirits associated with air, such as Aeolos, Amounet, Ba’al Haddad, Feng Po Po, Haya-Ji, Indrus, Jupiter, Marduk, Mercury, Nut, Njord, Perun, Shu, or Zephyrus. In traditions that incorporate Christian folklore, Raphael, the cherubum of Air may be called upon.

When creating sacred space or purifying areas, objects or individuals for ritual, air may be used as smoke or by fanning air over the thing to be purified with a feather or hand fan. A musical instrument, especially a flute or horn may also be used.

Air may be represented on an altar by a fan, feather, sword, arrow, incense, fragrant flowers, wand or a spindle. Colors used to represent air include bright pale colors and pastels, especially yellow and blue but also gray (or silver) and violet.

Healing Magic

Air is associated with the respiratory organs and tissues, with breathing, speech, the mind, and imagination and with the sense of hearing and smell. It is also associated with the arms, pelvis, calves and kidneys and circulatory system.

An imbalance of air within the body in excess is signified by frivolousness, boasting, absent-mindedness, excessive talkativeness, moodiness, gas, bloating and the inability to focus. Shortness of breath, mental blanks and a lack of understanding of simple concepts indicates a deficit imbalance.

Air Element In Alchemy

Air carries the archetypal properties of spirit to the physical world. It is associated with the operation of Separation. The alchemical symbol for air is an upward-pointing triangle with a horizontal line bisecting it.

Air Element Correspondences

Air Plants

Air is associated with wind-swept plants with finely-veined leaves and a strong fragrance in the leaf or flower- especially those plants that grow quickly.

• Acacia
• Agrimony
• Almond
• Alyssum
• Anise
• Bluebell
• Dandelion
• Eyebright
• Fennel
• Goldenrod
• Hazel
• Lavender
• Lungwort
• Marjoram
• Mint
• Mistletoe
• Monarda
• Nutmeg
• Oregano
• Parsley
• Peppermint
• Pine
• Sage
• Southernwood
• Sweet Pea
• Wormwood

Air Stones

Clear and lightweight stones are often associated with the element of air.

• Lapis lazuli
• Azurite
• Celestite
• Citrine
• Fuchsite
• Mica
• Muscovite
• Tin
• Turquoise

Metals

In classical alchemy, air is represented by iron. Modern associations include tin and copper.

Planetary Correspondences

Jupiter, Mercury

In Astrology

In Astrology the element of air indicates a strong emphasis on mental processes, intellectual pursuits, and communication.

Gemini, Libra and Aquarius are air signs.

Tarot

Air is associated with the suit of wands, though some associate it rather with the suit of swords owing to differences in magical traditions. It is also associated with The Fool.