As part of the Elemental topic of the Priestess Path course, Emily suggested some exercises for deepening our personal connections to the individual elements. I decided to use the prompts instead of thinking of keywords within a certain time because I can get easily distracted.
I went through each element with the prompts and discovered some interesting things about my relationships with them all.
Air
I experience Air as travel in an aeroplane, as wind when it is abundant or as stillness when there is a lack, but I also experience Air as music as the sounds travel through the air to be heard.
When I stand in the wind, I feel the wind blowing through my hair and clothes as well as feeling like it wants to blow my cares and worries away in a cleansing way.
The winged creatures that I have the strongest relationships with are wyverns (like a dragon but with two legs not four) and birds, particularly crows and red kites - both birds live in my area so I get to see and/or hear them daily. I do associate Wyvens with all of the elements though as they can live on earth or in water, they can breathe fire like a dragon but they can also fly.
When I breathe, I notice that I can feel my lungs filling entirely as well as how clean it feels when I'm inhaling but when I exhale, the air feels much heavier and more dense.
A memory I have about Air is possibly related to a past life because I was standing on a craggy cliff with wind making my dress and cloak billow while my hair streamed wildly.
Fire
I experience Fire as my emotions (especially when I am feeling certain emotions), as the heat of the weather (as an abundance during summer or a lack when it's cold), through the light of candles or fires but also through the warmth in my home.
When I stand in fron of a fire, I feel the warmth, flowing as the flames do but if I stand too close, my clothes and skin can be scorched or burned. However, if I don't stand close enough, I don't feel the benefit of the warmth or light.
The creatures that represent fire to me are Salamanders as they live in fire and dragons for their ability to breath and direct fire.
When I dance (which is rarely), I notice how I flow like a flame - sometimes quicker and with more passion, while sometimes slower with less passion.
A memory I have about Fire is at Christmas when we would have a gas fire lit in the front room where the tree and presents where. The gas fire filled the room with warmth and a sense of comfort it wouldn't normally have.
Water
I experience water as my emotions when I allow them to flow instead of controlling them, as well as rain- or bath-water, both of which feel cleansing to me.
When I float in the water, I feel free and like I am weightless. I also feel as if water cleanses me from the inside out.
The water creatures that I have the strongest relationships with are Salmon. They go with the flow but they also overcome obstacles when they do have to go against the flow. Salmon are also sacred to Druids and are believed to hold sacred wisdom.
A memory I have about Water is seeing the ocean and how vast it is, and remembering how it flows with the phases of the Moon as well as the flow of the tides, crashing on the rocks.
When I allow myself to surrender, I notice that I am more able to go with the flow and that face fewer or "lesser" challenges.
Earth
I experience Earth as plants, gardens, food and crystals.
A memory I have about earth is an old fruit tree in my childhood garden that would also be climbed on but would also yield fruit at its own right time.
When I lie down on the Earth, I feel like I am spinning whilst at the same time I feel like I am completely still. It also feels like times stops as well as continuing to pass.
The earth creatures that I have the strongest relationships with are dogs and goats. Goats because of their contrariness and the equal possibility of them being friendly or otherwise (headbutting and other shenanigans).
When I allow myself to ground down and connect with Earth, I notice that I feel lighter and cleansed by the energy that is exchanged.
Spirit
I experience Spirit as minor headaches or tingles in my fingers and teeth (none of these are related to any medical conditions). I also experience Spirit during rare interactions between my cats and one of my rune sets (the rose quartz one is their favourite).
A memory I have about Spirit is when a friend gifted me my first rune set saying that when she saw it in the shop, she thought of me and that I had to have them for some unknown-to-her reason.
I know that I am connected with Spirit when I experience tingles, headaches or toothaches that are not what I normally experience. Also, when I am doing divinations or anything magickal, at least one of my cats is drawn to the energy of the activity so they join me.
The deities/ancestors/guides I have the strongest connection with are Diana, a Phoenix and my cats. Diana is a multi-faceted goddess who has called to me for a long while now, while my cats have given me messages using runes about situations I have faced. I was told last year that a Phoenix was one of my spirit animals/guides - this was confirmed when I participated in a meditation, during which I felt like I was one, complete with flying and fire which felt painless, natural and empoweringly tranquil.
When I am connecting to Spirit, I feel a timeless connection but also like I am connecting with something that is much bigger than just me.
This was interesting as I hadn't thought about a lot of this before so it has helped me to learn more about how I interact with the elements. I look forward to deepening my relationships with the elements further as time goes by.
I hope my musings are helpful for you and your own elemental relationships.
Love and peace to you all!!
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