Air Studies - Connecting with Birds

There is a strong (and obvious) connection between the Air Element and Birds.  Most people, on initial thought, might think that birds are connected with the Air Element because they fly and travel through the skies.  While this is true, there are a few much deeper connections to the Air Element with our winged and feathered friends.  Below are some common Air Element associations and how they are connected with the world of Birds.

Communication
Birds are among the most vocal animals on the planet.  If you take some time to observe birds you will notice that they are almost constantly communicating.  They chirp "hello's" to other birds, sing songs to attract a mate, give warning cries to alert birds of predators, warn other birds away in territorial disputes or fights over a mate, and have various different songs and sounds for different moods, times of day, and seasons.  Birds can teach us a lot about communication and the power of words and music or song.

Spring
Many types of birds are strongly associated with Spring, the season commonly associated with the Air Element.  This is because in the spring the activity of birds becomes more apparent as they return from the southern areas where they have spent the winter months, search for a mate, build their nests, lay eggs, and bring food back to their nests for their young.  The spring symbolizes a time of rebirth, renewal, and fertility and the vibrant energy and activity of birds during this season can remind us to embrace our own time of renewal, rebirth, creativity, spring cleaning, fertility, romantic encounters, and more.

Intuition and Empathy
Birds need to be highly aware of their environment and their immediate surroundings in order to survive.  They have the advantage of being able to fly into higher branches, housetops, or telephone poles in order to get a different perspective or view of what is going on.  Even when they are not high in the branches, (and including flightless birds) they are always looking around, listening to the sounds around them, watching and observing.  They seem to have a strong sense of intuition as well... probably gained from this heightened sense of awareness.  Birds can teach us awareness of our environment and those around us which can lead us to a heightened sense of intuition and Empathy.

Divination
Many legends tell of Gods, Goddesses, Saints, Shamans, Priestesses and great "Seers" receiving messages from birds.  Birds would be messengers of the Gods or Angels, bringing warning or foretelling of some future event, visiting people in their dreams with some kind of message.  Birds were also thought to be able to travel between the earth and spiritual realms, to bring messages from our deceased loved ones. Because of their association in Myth and Legend with Divination and messages from the Divine, and because of what birds teach us about intuition and empathy, birds can help us in our endeavors to learn about and practice Divination.

Observing and Connecting With Birds

No matter where you live; somewhere rural or in a busy city.... there are plenty of birds in your home environment to observe and learn about.  Spending some time observing the birds that live in your neighborhood can help you develop a deeper connection with the nature and land on which you live.  Many who live in the city can feel disconnected from nature, and observing birds can help you regain a sense of connection with nature around you as well as helping you see that even in a city there is an ecosystem - and you are a part of it!
Take some time to observe the birds around your home.  What kinds do you see and hear frequently?  What trees do they favor?  What are they doing in the morning, vs their behavior in the afternoon or evening.  Watch how they interact with other birds in the area.  Listen to their song and voices until you can begin to recognize what bird you are hearing, even when you can't see it.  Also familiarize yourself with what the different bird sounds might mean... if you don't know.... Guess!  Use your intuition to tell you what the birds are saying to each other.  If you want, keep a journal of your bird observations.

Different birds have different spiritual meanings and we can learn a lot about the spiritual energy of our home environment by learning about the birds that live and interact around us on a regular basis. Occasionally, one of these birds might have a special message for you.  If a bird is watching you, chirps at you, flies or lands closer to you or your home or window than normal, swoops past you, etc... you may want to look more deeply into that birds' spiritual meaning and lesson.  As you develop a closer connection to the nature of your home habitat through observing birds, you will more easily notice when a Bird Spirit is speaking to you.  Also, when you notice a bird that is not commonly seen in your immediate area, this bird could be bringing you a special message as well.  Pay close attention to these messages, meditate on them and journal on them.

One of my favorite websites for looking up the Spiritual Meanings of birds is Animal Totems.  There are many different books and websites about the spiritual messages of animals, do some research and see what meaning seems to resonate with you and the birds you interact with.  Also, if you are keeping a journal of the birds you observe, you may begin to come up with your own personal meanings for birds in your life based on your intuition and what is going on in your life.

Spirit Guides and Animal Totems

There is a difference between your Spirit Guide Animals and your Animal Totems (and yes, you can have more than one of each).  Your Totem Animal might be an animal you have never physically seen or interacted with, but have always felt a strong connection to.  If there are certain animals and birds that you have dreamed about, thought about, had a desire to see or learn about, or an animal that you like to draw or write about, or collect images of (and generally have a strong connection with or a strong "draw" to this animal) these might be your Animal Totems.  You can do a meditation and ask your Animal Totem to reveal itself to you...relax, deepen and steady your breathing, imagine yourself sitting in nature and wait for your Animal Totem to reveal itself.  It may come to you and speak to you, or lead you down a path and show you something.  Afterwards, thank your Totem Animal for revealing itself to you and giving you a message.
Your Spirit Guide Animal would be an animal that comes to you for a specific reason or a certain time in your life.  This will most often be in the form of an animal you actually see, or an animal you dream about.  Your Spirit Guide Animals can be multiple, and change from time to time.  Last Spring I had several Mockingbirds nesting in trees in my neighborhood.  They would swoop down and land in my front yard right in front of me and chirp at me.  At that time, I needed to learn the message of Mocking Bird Spirit, and they were my Spirit Guide Bird for a time.  This spring, there have been no Mockingbirds in my neighborhood, but there have been Wrens and Ravens.... doing the same thing; landing in my yard and watching me or chirping at me, so currently my Spirit Guide Birds are Wrens and Mockingbirds.  This is an example of how our Spirit Guides can change and come to us at different times.... whereas our Animal Totems will hold a special place in our hearts and minds for a lifetime, even if we only see them in art or dreams.  Being observant of your environment and the animals around you, wherever you go, will help you see and notice your Spirit Guides.

Since we are studying the Air Element and specifically Birds, make a short list of birds that might be your Totem Animals.  Are there birds you have always been fascinated with?  Birds that you collect images of and figurines of?  Or, try a quiet meditation and imagine yourself in a meadow.  Ask specifically for your Bird Animal Totem to reveal itself to you and wait.  In your Journal or Book of Shadows make a list of Birds that you feel might be your Animal Totems, and also a list of birds that have from time to time appeared to you as Spirit Guides.

Wind Magick - Dust on The Wind

Dust, Powder & Ashes on The Wind

Have you ever wondered what to do with the ashes left over from burning herbs and incense after a spell, ritual, or smudging?  A very simple way to boost the power of your magickal working and dispose of those ashes is to place them on a plate or a shallow dish, take them outside and hold them up where the wind will catch them and carry them away.  Say a simple prayer or blessing to ask the Air the carry the remnants of your spell away on the winds to be purified and blessed.  If it's not windy, you can use your breath to blow the ashes out of the plate or out of your palm.  Or, you can simply leave the plate outdoors and wait for the winds to rise and carry the ashes away in their own time.

Setting a mix of crushed herbs outside for the winds to blow away can be a spell or blessing ritual within itself.  Choose herbs based on the type of energy you wish to add to your spell.... and dry them and crush them.  Stir them in a clockwise direction with your dominant hand and feel the energy of your desire flowing into the mixture, visualize light flowing from above you, into the crown of your head, down your arm and into the mixture of herbs and spices, then take the mixture outside and release it to the wind.  Let go of your worries about how and when things will happen, and just trust that the winds will carry your desire to the right person or place to set things in motion.

Cascarilla Powder can be added to any of these blends of spices, herbs, or ashes to help carry the energy of the herbs to the Astral Realm.  Cascarilla Powder is made of Egg Shells.  Legend has it that Witches used to travel through the air in egg shells, and Cascarilla Powder is a very simple yet old ingredient for powders that are said to promote Astral Travel.  Simply save your egg shells, place them on a cookie sheet and bake them in the oven at 350 degrees (F) for 10 minutes until they are lightly browned.  Wait until they cool and crush them into a fine powder, stirring clockwise and asking for/ visualizing blessings of Astral Travel being contained in the eggshell powder.  Mix some cascarilla powder with any of your ashes or blends of powder and release it to the winds as described above.

Wind Magick - Easy Wind Sock Craft!

Wind Sock Craft

You can make a simple yet beautiful "Wind Sock" to hang in your garden or on your front porch.  Watching it sway and blow in the wind will help you be more aware of the wind and breezes, or the sometimes subtle presence of Sylphs and Wind Sprites or other Air Elementals.  It can be a beautiful addition to your garden or porch, and also an aid in simple wind awareness meditation.

You need;

Construction paper or colored cardstock (scrapbook) paper.
Optional markers and stickers to decorate the paper however you want.
A Stapler and staples
Yarn or string
Streamer Paper (the long ribbons of crate paper used for decorating for parties)

Step 1:  Decorate the paper however you want.  I drew a simple cloud and swirls to represent the four winds, and decorated with stickers of birds, butterflies, fairies and flowers.

Step 2: Roll the paper and use the stapler to fasten it together into a cylinder shape.

Step 3: use a hole punch and put four holes around the top of the cylinder.  Tie the yarn or string into each hole (equal lengths) to make the part you will hang the wind sock up with.

 Step Four: Cut equal lengths of the streamer paper for the "tails" of the wind sock.  Use the stapler to attach the lengths of streamer paper to the bottom portion of the wind sock.

Step 5: Hang your wind sock in your garden or wherever you want and watch it blow in the breeze!

Wind Sock Magick

You can also bless or enchant your wind socks for magickal purposes.  I made a smaller one and decorated it with Air Element Symbols.  I will keep this one inside and hang it over my altar when I am doing Air Element type spells or rituals, when the moon is in an Air Sign, or when I am doing Air Element meditations.  I can open a window or turn on an indoor fan to help it move and bring wind energy inside my home.  You can make different variations for indoor wind socks if you want... get creative and you can make some fro home protection, creativity, fresh air, blessed communication, whatever purpose you desire and hang them inside of windows or where they might move or dance from the air of room fans, vents, ceiling fans, etc.

Wind Sock Wish Spell

Make a wind sock and use it in this simple Wishing spell.  Go back to step 1 of creating your wind sock.  After you have decorated your wind sock, preferably with Air element representations, turn the paper over.  On the side that will be the inside of the cylinder, write your wish.  Be specific because the Air Elementals tend to be very literal.  Write your wishes, take a few deep breaths and visualize those wishes coming true.  Continue with the other steps of making the wind sock.  Then take your wind sock outside and say this prayer as you hang it up;

"Elementals of the Air,
Hear my wish - it is clear!

God and Goddess Blessed Be;

The Wind shall carry my wishes to Thee!

Wind that blows set my wishes free

to return threefold to me!
As I will, so it shall be

An it harm none, So Mote It Be!"

Spend some time sitting and watching your wind sock blow in the breeze.  Visualize the wind blowing through the center of your wind sock, where your wish is written, and taking your wish and carrying it away on the breeze to be granted.  Thank the Air Elementals for helping to carry your wish out to the Divine Spirit.  Every time you see your wind sock blowing in the wind, trust that your wish is in the process of coming true and will be apparent to you soon.

Wind Chime Magick

WIND CHIME MAGICK

As a continuation of our study of the Air Element and the Winds, I thought I would share with you some info and ideas about using Wind chimes for Magick.

Hanging wind chimes around your home and garden is considered very good Feng-Shui, as the sounds of the chimes help clear the energy of negative vibrations and attract positive energy to your home environment.  You can bless and enchant a set of wind chimes to hang outside and transform the energy of the wind into whatever you need!  Look for a set of wind chimes that has a pleasing sound to you, place it on your Air Element Altar, light a few candles and visualize and/or meditate on your desire.  You can bless your set of wind chimes for home protection, communication, clear-thinking, good luck, prosperity, or to invite faeries and sylphs to your home and garden.  If you can find a set of wind chimes with birds, butterflies, dragonflies, or fairies, this can be even better for inviting air-element types of energies (renewal, spring, fresh beginnings, clear thinking and communication, music, divination, etc) but any set of wind chimes will do.  The ringing of the bells from the chimes is a music created by the movement of the winds... which can clear, purify, and transform the energy in and around your home with it's gentle frequency and vibration.  Below are a few ideas for spells and blessings for wind chimes around your home:

Wind Chime Spell for Home Blessing
Here is a Wind Chime spell by Ellen Dugan from the book "Elements of Witchcraft".  Say this prayer as you hang your wind chimes outside after you have blessed them and empowered them with your intentions for home protection and good luck;

"Magickal wind chimes, now be for me

a charm for good luck and prosperity.

As the chimes ring out, a spell they'll weave,

all dread and negativity now must leave!

By the power of the sylphs and faeries,

as I do will it, so now it shall be."

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Spell to Attract a Wind Sprite
This is a spell to attract a Wind Sprite to visit your home and garden, from the book "The Fairy Bible" by Teresa Moorey.

"Wind Sprites are the carefree gypsies of fairyland.  Storm-riders, whisperers, and mischief-makers, they bring the balm of the fragrant breeze and the rousing blast of the tempest.  They teach that all is light and changeable, yet they also bring clarity and sharpness of mind.  You may invite Wind Sprites into your life, but do not attempt to bind them to you -- that would destroy the gifts they bring.  You will need wind chimes and a length of ribbon.  Wind chimes of bamboo will invite a gentle, thoughtful sprite who will encourage reflection.  Crystal chimes will attract a highly evolved sprite to help you achieve greater detachment.  Metal chimes will attract a creative sprite who will help you achieve change.  Choose a windy day and hang your wind chimes securely in a tree or near a window.  Close your eyes and visualize the gifts you would like to receive from your sprite.  Feel the breeze blow on your face and say;

Wind-Sprite flying light and high,

I call to you, draw nigh, draw nigh

My chimes a home for you shall be,

Ever welcome, ever free

Listen for your chimes to ring to alert you that your sprite has arrived.  Welcome the sprite by tying the ribbon to the upper string of the chimes, being careful not to restrict their swaying and ringing.  Thank your sprite for being present.  Whenever you feel the need  of the gifts of the wind-sprites, stir the chimes with your hand or sit near them and listen to them blowing in the breeze, let them refresh your spirit and mind with their breeze and music."

My wind chimes hanging over my fairy garden.  I added yellow ribbon, yellow feathers,  & painted on some runes

another shot of my chimes above my fairy garden.  Runes & air element symbols painted on it, feathers attached, and a fairy door charm hanging from the ribbon.

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Wind Chime Spell for Bringing Good News to Your Door

From "Magical Spells For Your Home" by Ann-Marie Gallagher.  For this spell, you will bless your Wind Chimes at your altar, calling upon Athena - Goddess of Communication and then hang them outside your front door.   You will need three feathers, some yellow ribbon, lavender oil and a yellow candle.

Put some lavender scented essential oil in an oil burner with some water, light a yellow candle and say;

Athena, Goddess of Communication, 

Empower and bless my spell

to bring good news to my door,

with the swiftness of a bird in flight, 

Good fortune to ensure.

Using one length of ribbon, tie the first feather securely to any thread of the wind chime and say;

Happy news, find your way

to my home, begin today!

Tie the second feather to another thread of the chime with ribbon and say;

Bright music, sacred sound

Evil here is never found

Tie the third feather to another thread of the chime with ribbon and say;

Lucky Breeze, happy din

Summon light to flow within

Hang your wind chime over your front door or on your front porch near the door where breeze or wind will frequently stir it to action.
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Air Blessing Protection Wind Chimes

I found this spell at Pebble's Spiritual Cave, as well as different variations on the spell using the same prayer on a couple other websites as well.  Find, make, or buy a new set of wind chimes.  Before you hang them up, charge them and empower them with protection using the following spell.  Place the chimes on your altar and see them in their still and motionless state.  Wave your projective hand or wand over them, visualizing bright white light flowing into the chimes until they are glowing with power.  Say;

"Wind Chimes,

Spell Rhymes,

Spell Chimes,

Wind Rhymes,

Air Primes,

Spell Chimes,

Nine times Nine"

Hold them up in front of you and blow on them or sway them to activate the ringing and activate the spell.  Hang them outside and visualize the sounds reflecting the white light around them, driving away negativity and attracting positive energy.

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Wind Chimes for Good Dreams
I found a set of wind chimes made with dream-catchers.  I bought them to hang outside my children's bedroom window and I wrote this blessing prayer to empower the chimes and dream-catchers to help my children sleep soundly and keep away the bad dreams, and keep them safe at night.

All through the night,

help us sleep tight.

Chimes that ring,

sweet dreams now bring.

Winds that stir,

bring blessings here.

Good Dreams through the night,

until Morning's Light!

The beautiful dream catcher wind chimes I found!