Air is one of 4 elements that we talk about in astrology. In her book, The Missing Element: Inspiring Compassion for the Human Condition, Debra Silverman, my teacher and mentor, blends psychology and spirituality, examining the elements in depth and offering ways to embrace and make peace with ourselves so that we can become more powerful and effective human beings.
I LOVE studying the elements!
The elements - Water, Earth, Air and Fire - are an integral part of our lives. Right from the moment of conception when we grew in the watery depths of our mother's womb, to when we took our first breath at birth, to when we started to eat, cry, crawl, walk, run, talk... the elements are so much a part of our lives.
And our personality.
To describe them briefly...
In one word, the elements are:
Fire = Energy (red)
Water = Feelings (blue)
Earth = Practicality (green)
Air = Intellect (yellow)
Last week we talked about Earth; two weeks ago, Water; 3 weeks ago, Fire. Today, let's take a closer look at AIR...
How do you think? Are you talkative or do you prefer to be quiet? How do you communicate?
AIR is the mind. It's the ability to put words to things. It's the endless curiosity. It's having an unquenchable desire for books, newspapers and magazines and watching the news. It's reading and writing. Air people pay close attention to detail. They can be clever and witty. Other words to describe Air people: comforted by books, libraries, book stores; love the mail; love the internet; love conversation; great listeners; charming; pleasing; photographic memory; visionaries; motivate/encourage new thoughts and ideas.
The problem with Air people is that they think too much; they don't feel.
The low road of Air... is talking and talking about nothing and anything. Our words have no meaning. We use so many words to distract, to build walls, to keep others at a distance, to stay detached, to keep others from getting too close. We find it difficult to socialize. We may use our words to gossip, to hurt others. The low road of Air...we forget where we put things; our minds go in many directions at the same time; we can't finish a book; we can be messy and unorganized; we may even have the organizational tools that we need, but can't find them when we need them. The low road of Air...we value peace and harmony at all costs, even at the expense of ourselves and what our heart wants or needs.
Be aware of the shadow of Air...
- we lie by not telling the whole truth
- we may take a slight and not very serious interest in a subject or activity for a short period of time, never mastering that pursuit or interest, yet pretending to be the know-it-all on that subject
- we may stay in unhealthy relationships because we don't like being alone
- we may have lots of ideas, but never put them into practice
The low road of Air for me...
is when my mind goes in so many different directions. And I can get so caught up in the thoughts in my head that I can't feel. That's why I find it difficult to just speak from my heart. I feel more secure when I write my words down. That helps to keep me focused, to remember things, and to carefully choose my words. You know this if you've watched my past videos.
I'm also reminded of a time when my Air was very low. I was upset with things going on at work, and I was talking with someone, complaining about another colleague. Well, wouldn't you know it? That person walked into the room and heard some of the things that I'd said. I was mortified! So embarrassed! Here I was gossiping, doing the very things that I hate seeing others do. Instead of going and talking to the person directly about my concerns, here I was talking about them to someone else, and not in a very favourable light. I was so ashamed.
The high road of Air is the poet.
It's using our emotions to inform our thoughts, so our words have meaning. It's using our words to tell the truth, to inspire, to share wisdom, to build bridges, to heal, to bless, to pray, to unite people. The high road of Air...is writing love letters; it's using our words (spoken and written) to connect deeply with others, to build harmonious, peaceful relationships.
The high road of Air is knowing when not to talk. It's gracious and understanding; it's wise and inclusive. It's the mediator, the diplomat, the teacher, the Sage, the Elder, the Wisdom Keeper, the ambassador.
The high road of Air is being honest and sharing our feelings with others...not to hurt, but to mend and to heal. It's saying, "I'm lonely", "I felt hurt/angry/jealous/scared when...". It's being able to say, "I'm sorry" and ask for forgiveness.
The high road of Air for me...
Remember the story about the person I was gossiping about and how that person heard me? Well, I was so ashamed. I finally had the courage to go speak directly to the person and to say that I was sorry, and to ask for forgiveness. Thankfully, that person was gracious and forgave me. I was sooo grateful. I've never forgotten that experience.
The high road of Air for me is knowing when to stop talking and to listen...not just listening to others, but to also listen to my heart...to slow down my mind...to stop the chatter in my head...to be still and meditate...to feel my feelings...to be honest with others and with myself...to be my authentic self...to be the best that I can be in a loving, healing way...to bless others.
I am a great cheerleader. I love to encourage and support others.
I am also good at "being" with someone who is suffering...holding a hand...being a presence so that they're not alone. That's often when I don't have the words...
So "being" is so important. I always remember the time when my husband ...we were just starting to go out together, and a friend of his was in the hospital and was very sick and was dying, and he didn't want to go. He was afraid to go and to be with that person and so I said, "I'll go with you." And so we went together and spent a few moments...the person wasn't feeling well so you don't want to spend a lot of time, but we were there. I held that person's hand, introduced myself, chatted a little bit, but basically was just there. What words do we have to say? Words seem so meaningless at times like that and so often it's just being there that's important. So it's knowing when not to talk.
When my father passed away and friends were coming, I was in a state of shock and grief, trying to be polite to people. I had one friend come up to me who -I never forgot this - this friend came up to me and said, "If there's ever anything you need, give me a call; let me know." That was so helpful. I ended up calling him and asking him to give me a ride to the airport because I needed to fly from Sault Ste. Marie back to where I was living at the time here in Thunder Bay. And so I called him. I remembered those words.
And recently, I had a friend whose husband passed away, and I put off calling. I didn't want to call. I thought, "What do I say?" There are no words. And I waited almost eight hours and I thought, "I cannot send an email! I need to call." So I called and she knew that it was me right away, and the words came, "If you need me, give me a call. I'm here for you. I'm so sorry." Those are always the first words but ...to be able to say, "If there's anything that you need, let me know. I'm here for you." May our words bless others!
That's the high road of Air.
If you'd like to discover more about the elements in your life, I can help. By completing Debra Silverman's Elemental Survey, we can discover your relationship to each of the 4 elements right now, at the present time. Then we can look at ways to help you balance those elements. We learn to see ourselves and others with eyes of compassion, understanding and love. What a wonderful gift! If you're interested, please send me a personal message for details. You can also send me an e-mail at mcevero@shaw.ca
or comment in a post below this video (if you're on Facebook).
For our gift today, let's take a look at the Suit of Air in Colette Baron-Reid's "The Good Tarot" card deck.
Colette says, "we relate the Suit of Air to the way we think, the results of that thinking, and where our thoughts could lead us.
Therefore, in this deck, the Air suit represents the mind, our thoughts, our attitudes, and our subconscious. We're asked to remember that our thoughts are like powerful seeds.
What seeds will we plant? What thoughts will we rehearse? What perspective do we take for the highest good of all?
If we are intelligent creatures, how best can we use our minds to align with the highest good and the best outcome? How can we find value in our suffering as we shift from reactive and victimized to be response-able? Can we find freedom through radical acceptance and the right use of reason and intellect? That answer is yes if you're willing to allow the Suit of Air to reveal the deep truths of your mind."
So I pulled a card from the Suit of Air asking, "What do we need to know about our thinking for the highest good?" and was gifted with...
King of Air
which is about Intellectual authority, reason over instinct, intellect over passion, successful negotiation, rules, laws
The affirmations are:
"Truth is everything."
"I think before I act."
"I work the universal laws with clear intention."
"Do I see how the foundations of the past affect the present and future?"
The King of Air reminds us of discipline; reason over intellect; that we need to think things through, and to use our thoughts responsibly, to think before we act.
Just before I go...
To know when I'm going Live on Facebook, be sure to like my Facebook page so that you can find it in your newsfeed and make sure that you have indicated that you would like to receive all notifications. You can also subscribe to my site on Many Chat.
I'll post a link in the description above this video and I'll also include a link to my website at www.martinacevero.com where you can learn more about me, the work that I do, and the readings that I offer.
If you would like to discover more about the elements in your life, and you would like a personal reading, please send me a message or an e-mail for details by using the links at the top of this page.
And I have a favour to ask...
If there is someone that you know who we can help with today's reading, please be sure to share it with them. We never know the difference that we can make in someone's life by a simple act of kindness.
Thank you so much for listening.
Remember that you are AIR...be still, focus, decide.
To quote Mary Davis,
"May I quiet my words and listen. May I calm my thoughts and be. May I soften my heart and be open. May I still my soul and receive."
and from Dr. Wayne W. Dyer,
"Change your thoughts. Change your life."
May we use our AIR to bless ourselves and others!
Talk to you soon.
'Bye!