The Elements: Air

**Inspired by today’s wind gusts of up to 50 mph**

Air.  It’s around constantly, outside, inside, sleeping, waking.  Our very lives depend on being able to breathe in air.  We can go a while without food or drink, but most of us can’t go more than a minute without breathing.

The alchemical symbol for Air

Of the four elements, Air is one of the masculine elements (the other being Fire).  In most tarot decks, Air is associated with the swords suite.  Generally Air is also associated with the cardinal direction East and the spring season.  Its color tends to be yellow.  The sun signs Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius are Air personalities.  (Of course, other traditions may draw other associations and other meanings for the elements, so please keep in mind that these are only one way of looking at the world.)  In Greek, there are two words for Air: aer, meaning the lower atmosphere, and aether, meaning the bright upper atmosphere.  Aristotle explained this difference by saying that aether was an almost divine substance in the heavens and remained unchanged.

Constantly changing, this element is considered the most unstable, the most temperamental.  I’ve always thought of Air as a temperamental child that on some days is gentle and kind, on others playful, and on other days throws a temper tantrum.  It isn’t an easy element to work with, partly because of its nature and partly because this is the one element that can’t be seen directly.  We can hold Earth in our hands, drink Water, and feel the heat of Fire, and all three can be seen with our plain eyes.  But we cannot see Air, only the effects of the Air’s passing.  We can’t grasp it, we can’t hold it or carry it with us.

Air can be useful for cleansing, though it isn’t the element most used for cleansing.  We can use Air to cleanse our own bodies, similar in the way we use our breathing as a calming technique.  I have done this before and found it beneficial: close your eyes and find a calm place.  Then breathe in “good” air and breathe out the “negative” air with steady, even breaths.  “Bad” air can be negative emotions you feel you should let go of, emotional hurts, negative thoughts, and/or pain.  After five minutes of this you not only feel calm, but cleaner and lighter.

Weekly Deity: Helios

Helios is the Greek god of the sun.  Many people get him confused with Apollo because both are associated with light and the sun.  But in Greek mythology, Helios is actually the god of the sun and in some cases he is the sun.

Attributes

Helios is normally shown with the rays of the sun around his head in a kind of halo.  He is also depicted with horses, even when he isn’t in his chariot.  He is considered a younger god in physical appearance, beardless, and muscular.  But the image of Helios is most often as above, with him riding in the chariot pulled by four white horses (which aren’t always winged).

Mythology

The son of Hyperion and Theia, Helios took up with the Oceanid Perse.  Their children were Aeetes (father of Medea), Circe (the sorceress from The Odyssey), and Pasiphae (mother of the Minotaur and Ariadne).  With other women Helios fathered Phaethusa, Lampetia, and Phaeton.

Helios has no direct myths of him, but rather appears in the mythologies of his children.  The most well-known tale involving Helios is that of his son Phaeton.  Phaeton was the son of the nymph Clymene, but he didn’t know his father.  When he asked his mother to tell him his father, he at first didn’t believe her when she told him it was the sun god himself who fathered him.  When she told him to go in search of Helios and ask the truth, he did so, and traveled to the palace of the Sun in the east.

Phaeton approached his father and explained what brought him there.  Helios confirmed Phaeton’s paternity and granted him a boon as proof and to allay Phaeton’s last doubts.  Helios allowed Phaeton to ask for anything he wanted, and he swore an unbreakable vow for a god.  When Phaeton asked to drive the chariot for one day, Helios regretted his promise, for he could not take back his word yet he knew his son was asking for a dangerous and deadly thing.  Helios begged Phaeton to change his mind, choose anything else, but Phaeton remained stubborn.

Finally Helios had to relent, his oath having been sworn.  He led Phaeton to the chariot and put him in it.  Dawn came and it was time for the Sun.  Helios gave Phaeton instruction on the horses and the road, telling him not to go too high nor too low, and let him go.  At first Phaeton managed to keep the horses in check.  But as he neared the apex, he lost control, and couldn’t keep the horses in their proper line.  He went too high, and scorched the gods’ abode, then went too low and set the world aflame.  The Earth herself prevailed upon Zeus for aid.  Zeus looked down and saw Phaeton driving instead of Helios.  Unable to call rain and cloud because of the heat, Zeus instead struck Phaeton with a thunderbolt, and Phaeton fell to his death.  Helios and Phaeton’s sisters, the Heliades, lamented for all their days.

For a more in depth version of the myth, see here: Sacred Texts.

Helios was also considered all-seeing, and so was called upon by witnesses.

Light Side

The sun is a life-giver.  It’s part of the (scientific) reason that life on this planet even exists.  He is kind and wise, and loving to his family.  He is also a god of balance by nature, as seen in the myth of Phaeton–too high kills the gods, too low kills the people.  A balance of his power is necessary if life is to survive.

Dark Side

In the desert, the sun can kill.  And even today the sun’s rays can be deadly in the way of skin cancers.  Too much of a good thing can sometimes be deadly, and that, I think, is part of the sun’s dark side.  If the sun were to go out, humanity would perish.  But too much sun can be just as deadly.  If Helios goes out of balance, and it could be argued that his hasty promise to Phaeton was Helios out of balance, then the world suffers.

Also see: Encyclopedia Mythica.

News: ‘American Religious History Week’

Congress could entertain the possibility of passing this bill, House resolution 397, as early as next week.  The text of the bill can be found through the link:

Text here

Basically the premise of the bill is to set up the first week of May as “American Religious History Week,” and would supposedly do this:  “Affirming the rich spiritual and religious history of our Nation’s founding and subsequent history and expressing support for designation of the first week in May as `American Religious History Week’ for the appreciation of and education on America’s history of religious faith.”

Sounds fairly benign, right?  Read further.

For a shortened opinion of the resolution, read here: Short article.

I can’t support this at all.  I think it would turn into a shoving-religion-down-peoples’-throats, “Christianity is the One True Way” Week.  And that, in my opinion, goes against the many religious freedoms we have in this country.

Working With Gods

This was a topic briefly discussed at my last PSU meeting, and I know I’ve also mentioned it in previous posts (do I remember which posts?  nope!).  It’s an important point that deserves more discussion.

Most pagans tend to be former members of other religions, most commonly Christianity.  The differences between these other religions and between Paganism are smaller than tends to be suggested, but there is one difference that many new pagans do not grasp immediately: the difference between worshiping Deity and working with Deity.

I myself didn’t grasp this at first.  And even now, even knowing as I do the difference between the two, I still use “worship” in conversation when what I mean is “work with.”  The first term simply is more familiar to my tongue, and so that’s what comes out even if that isn’t what I mean (and then I have to remind myself that just because I know what I mean it doesn’t mean everyone else understands me!).

Worship means that a person is serving a deity.  The relationship is not a balance, but a kind of master-servant dynamic.  The servant (human) would like something from the god, for example, protection, riches, favor, etc.  Or the servant would like to give reverence to the master.  Either way, the servant is placing him/herself below the master.  The master (deity) then accepts or rejects the servant’s pleas and offerings.

This dynamic is not what exists in paganism.  Instead, pagans work with the gods, either a patron god/dess or a deity of their choosing.  We don’t necessarily place ourselves below the gods in a power dynamic, but place ourselves on a more equal footing on which there is an equal exchange.  Some pagans have patron gods, and usually these pagans are in covens and routinely do god/dess work to improve themselves and their connection with the divine.  Patron gods come to you–generally you can’t choose.  You can, however, choose gods to work with who are not your patron if there is a specific need for that divine personality.  This kind of work is very taxing and very deep, and is generally suggested only for those people who have the guidance and oversight of a more experienced pagan(s) to help guide in deity work.  (This is why most people who do deity work are in covens.)

Many pagans believe that the divine is within us all.   We are all a divine spark and there is little difference between us and the gods other than that we now have chosen to inhabit a human body.  The question then arises, how could we be below the gods as servants when we ourselves are divine within?  This is part of the reasoning behind the difference between “worship of” and “working with” the gods.  Working with the gods could translate into working with that facet of ourselves.

(I hope all this made sense.  Please post questions/comments/criticisms if you see anything you are confused or questioning of, and I’ll do my best to answer.)

Paying Attention is a Good Thing

This is probably going to be one long ramble.  I’m sort of in that kind of mood today!  Sorry about this, but here we go.

As I was walking into work this morning, I noticed a lot of people walking around with headphones in their ears, music turned up loud, even reading books while walking.  This is usually the norm–it’s a college campus, after all.  But as I was walking in to work I pondered this matter.  Why wasn’t I listening to music while I made my merry way to work?  My music player was in my backpack within easy reach.  I could reach around and grab it and stick the earbuds in and turn it up loud.  It’s not like I haven’t done it before either.

But if I did that I would miss the sound of the wind in the trees.  I would miss the chatter of conversations, the whirrrrr of the cars, the flapping of the flags nearby.  I wouldn’t hear the sound of my footsteps, my flat-soled boots tapping on the sidewalk.  I would be deaf to the sounds of the world going on around me.  And why would I want to cut that off?  Not only is it a safety issue (if I can’t hear the car coming at me as I cross the street that’s not exactly good), but it’s a pleasure and a connectivity issue.  I like the sound of the wind, especially when I can hear it move the trees.  It’s peaceful and comforting and makes my heart light.

The same would be true if I were to make myself blind to what is happening around me.  Walking around with my nose stuck in a book or newspaper or paper (no matter how enjoyable) robs me of the sight of those same trees swaying in the wind, or the sight of people scurrying like squirrels to get to their places.  I don’t really enjoy watching the cars go by–far less interesting than watching people.  But I would also lose the enjoyment of watching birds and squirrels and other animals.

I think the point of this is, why cut myself off from the world?  It’s enjoyable to see and hear what happens around me most of the time.  And if there are unpleasant moments, as there are bound to be, then take joy in the nice moments.  One of my favorite times of year is spring on campus, when I can walk down the mall and watch the tall trees sway in the same wind that tugs at my hair, and see that particular shade of emerald green that grass turns in spring.  Watching the world around me is almost infectious.  Even in winter there is some joy to be found in my surroundings, even if I do hate the cold.

This is more than a pagan thing.  Everyone should take joy in the world around them.  There’s so much beauty and joy if you only take the time to look.  Stop once in a while and appreciate it.