Wind Observation / Meditation

For this meditation, you will need to be outside.  It doesn't matter if there is just a light breeze, or a strong wind - actually you should do this observation in all kinds of weather and wind strengths to "get to know" the different moods and voices of the wind.  Air is all around us, constantly moving.  It is constantly changing and moving with the temperature, the seasons, and the type of terrain that it travels over and around.  Wind is a great process of the living earth, much like the circulation of our own blood.... it carries storms and clouds across the land, clears storms away from other areas.  It moves the seeds and spores of the plants to fertilize the earth, and it lifts birds to fly and travel.  It can be peaceful and refreshing; yet it can also be destructive.  Just observing how the wind moves, where it comes from, and how it is affecting the world around you is a powerful exercise in itself, and will empower your connection to Air Energy.

Wind Observation / Meditation

by Starhawk, from "The Earth Path"

 "In your home base, or wherever you happen to be, ground and come into your senses.  Now focus on the air and the wind.  Notice what you can smell and taste on the breeze.  Where has it come from, and what does it carry with it?
Notice the feel of the air on your skin.  Is it gentle or powerful, moving or still?  What is the temperature?
Listen to the sound of the wind.  The wind is telling you what it's moving through, and how fast.  The wind has a  voice that sounds different through trees or around corners of houses.  It can tell you how much moisture it carries, and whether or not there is a storm coming.  What does the wind say to you now?
Look around you and notice what is responding to the wind, and how.  Are branches bending and swaying? Are there trees and bushes or earth that show signs of having been shaped by the wind as they grew?
How does the wind respond to obstacles?  Does it move differently through swaying branches than it does encountering a wall?
Get up and move around now, and find the places where the wind is stronger, and the places that are wind-sheltered.  What makes the difference?  Feel what happens when the wind hits a hard surface or a soft surface.
What can the wind teach us about movement and change?  About responding to obstacles, or about softening the great forces that impact us?
Is there something in your life that you'd like to let go of?  Imagine that you hold it in your hand.  Raise up your arm, open your fist, release it, and let the wind carry it away."