Connecting with the Elements
When seeking connection with the Faery realm and its elusive inhabitants, it is important to keep the perceptive qualities of the mind grounded in the reality of the world around us, in order that we open ourselves to the deeper levels of that reality and not create a substitute illusory reality through excessive, unrooted mental visualization. Imagination is a powerful tool, and when honed, it can become a sense through which the invisible is perceived. Too often, though, it is misused and its strengths turned against the individual’s spiritual awakening through too much well-meaning “guidance.” It takes more than a quick attunement or fifteen-minute visualization to build a true connection, but the resulting awareness and opening to wisdom is worth the effort and commitment.
By increasing our awareness of the world and the elements around us, we may start to gain the level of perception necessary to connect with the realm of Faery, which is not so far removed from our own. The following contemplations may be performed on a regular basis, and though they can be performed as visualizations if it really isn’t possible for you to get to a suitable location (for example, if you are hundreds of miles from the sea), try to do as many as possible in the locations described. If possible, they should be performed over a period of time—preferably a month (or even a year, concentrating on a different exercise each month), in the order as they are written.
Each of the elements has been divided into three qualities: primal, living, and still. These may be compared to the astrological terms used for the division of the elements within the signs of the zodiac—cardinal, mutable, and fixed—but are more transparent in their meaning. Using this system, we can take it to its logical conclusion and connect different natural states of each element with each zodiacal sign, and even extend it to creating a Faery zodiac, which we will look at as a key to personal identification with the elements later on in this section.
from left: air, fire, water, and earth symbols
Contemplations of Air
Primal
Find a comfortable, peaceful place to stand, sit, or lie, with your legs uncrossed and back straight, anywhere outdoors where you will not be disturbed. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. This is our most primal awareness of the element of air. Breathe in deeply, savoring the sensation…breathe out once more. Consider how with each breath you are connecting to your surroundings. Air is one moment external, then internal, and then, transformed, returns to an external state. Consider the plants and trees around you, and how this air has already been a part of them as it becomes a part of you. Continue to breathe deeply and then slowly release. Consider any animals and other people who share your air, and how by sharing breath you are all not only physically but spiritually connected.
If you can, hold an image of the alchemical symbol for air, the upward-pointing yellow triangle with a bar across the point, in your mind. The more you practice this, the easier it will become to hold it for longer. Stay with this process for some time until you feel ready to return to normal breathing. Try to maintain your enhanced awareness in your normal waking state.
Anna Simon performing the contemplation of air
(photo courtesy of Studio Lotus: www.studiolotus.co.uk)
Living
Choose a high and open place for this contemplation. On a windy day, stand and face the wind, letting it rush and bluster around you. Close your eyes and focus on sensation. Feel the pressure of the wind on your face, on your skin, and as it blows through your hair. Open your arms wide as though you would embrace it, and feel it sweep away any cobwebs of tiredness or worrying thoughts. As the wind grows and wanes, you may lift and lower your arms, physically linking you to its actions and energy. The more you do this, the more in tune you will become. Is it possible the wind is also responding to your intent? Listen closely to the wind as you feel its power…do you hear any notes, any words? Can you feel any sentient awareness within its actions? Imagine yourself being carried away and swept up by the wind, riding the eddies and currents…feel the exhilaration of freedom inherent in the wild wind. This is the realm of the sylphs. Hold this sensation for as long as you wish, and then bring yourself back to earth by lowering your arms and thanking the wind for your experience.
Still
Choose a peaceful sheltered or indoor space for this contemplation, where the air is still. Sit upright in a comfortable position. Look around you. Air touches and interacts with everything you see, even though it is invisible. It fills all spaces. It is liminal, between all things; when it is still, it is barely detectable, yet all life depends upon it. Close your eyes. See if you can feel the very gentle pressure of air upon your skin. Think of the unknown places that air can reach, and all the places on earth the air that is now with you may have been. Is there an impression of those places remaining? Does air have memory? It permeates so much of the world. Let the stillness and wisdom of air still your mind. Be at peace and at one with the stillness of the air around you. It is in the stillness that inspiration may come… Hold this sensation for as long as you will, and bring the peace and clarity with you into your daily life.
Contemplations of Fire
Primal
Choose a sunny day for this contemplation, either outside in a peaceful location or in a room where you can sit in sunlight. Either sit, stand, or lie comfortably within direct sunlight (avoid looking directly at the sun). Keeping your eyes open at first, consider that before humankind harnessed the power of fire, our only
