Working with the elements and quarters, A year and a day

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Luna87
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Re: Working with the elements and quarters, A year and a day

Post by Luna87 »

Yes meditation is always important to study, and the more you do it the better you become :) Sorry to ask but what is wind socks? :oops:
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Re: Working with the elements and quarters, A year and a day

Post by Aceso »

Sorry for late response. The way I work with air is first I meditate and then I say into the air my morning dedications. I know I told you all I live by the beach, So I also watch the seagulls soar on the wind.
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Re: Working with the elements and quarters, A year and a day

Post by SnowCat »

Wind socks are sort of like cloth funnels. It's like a sock shaped flag. They can be put on a flagpole, and when the wind blows, it fills the sock. Wind socks used to be standard equipment at airfields, to alert pilots to wind direction. I hadn't thought about wind socks in years, but as soon as I read the posts about them, the images and information popped up in my head.

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Re: Working with the elements and quarters, A year and a day

Post by Firebird »

oops sorry Luna, I'll post a couple sample pics of wind socks :)

Hey Aceso! there you are!
yes :D watching soaring birds ...what a way to dream in the wind, under the wings of the flying ones :flyingwitch:

Thanks Snow smiley_dance

WInd Socks:
we would make ones similar to these...
Image

this is the kind for an airport, it enables the pilots to see the direction of the wind flow.
Image
images from wikipedia

BB,
sockbird
“There are things known and things unknown and in between are the Doors.”
― Jim Morrison
“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”
― RWEmerson
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Re: Working with the elements and quarters, A year and a day

Post by Luna87 »

Thank you both, they are called something else in Norway :) I have never made one would be nice to try with my child :) Hos do you make it?
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Re: Working with the elements and quarters, A year and a day

Post by Firebird »

...

Windsocks & Windcatchers
Here's a link to a quick and easy wind sock...though I would call this one more like wind catcher. You can use ribbon, strips of cloth or strips of paper. In the past we have made wish hoops. Everyone writes a wish on a ribbon or strip of cloth, tie them to the hoop, charge it up...then hang from tree. Your messages are dispersed in the wind.
http://www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-for-k ... ock-craft/

BB, windcatchingbird
“There are things known and things unknown and in between are the Doors.”
― Jim Morrison
“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”
― RWEmerson
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Re: Working with the elements and quarters, A year and a day

Post by Luna87 »

Thanks Firebirdflys ;) What a great idea to write wishes on the ribbons,. I think this makes a great project for working with the element of air.
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Re: Working with the elements and quarters, A year and a day

Post by Firebird »

...
East Workings

Guided visualizations or Pathworkings are great tools for transformation, relaxation or for gaining insight. In the shamanic aspect of what we do, we can view the world through the eyes of others, be they plants, insects, animals, people or the Gods. Once we become good at the above breathing exercise we can start with other meditations. In the work I do we use two different meditations frequently.
1. Guided meditation= meant to invoke another way of thinking or another way of feeling. The journey generally takes you to several places within the meditation designed to accommodate and work with the time of year or holiday utilizing symbols that are important to us. You will be prompted though all that is encountered in the meditation. Ideally someone is reading the meditation to you, but you can read it and then imagine the journey you just read.
2. Pathworking meditation= meant to bring about realizations of unknown truths. This is a journey that guides one to different places within the meditation and then leaves you before certain symbols or Gods/ Goddesses...and pauses for a moment... for your own brain to fill in the blank. These also can correspond to the time of year or be specifically designed to uncover hidden potential or heal from old wounds.


Birds of course are considered one of the creatures of Air. Uniquely designed with compatible parts made for taking flight. Hollow bones, feathers, wings, and tail that can turn like a rudder, owls have special down on their feathers that gives them silent flight...stealthy Goddess she :wink:
We use Red Tail Hawk symbol as our air totem in the East. The Red Tail is very prominent in this area and can frequently be seen in the residential areas. Red Tail is the dawnbringer and we are reminded by her red tail that was singed by the Sun. She brings the fresh new potential of every day and sees beyond that which the light has yet to touch.


.........MEDITATION WITH HAWK

Create sacred space, (it can be simple like burning incense or sage, casting a small ring around yourself and asking the powers that be to bless you with a safe journey), get settled either sitting or I find laying down is best.
Begin with the breathing exercise for a few minutes then continue to:
relax...breath...relax ...breath...
let you body get heavier as if it were sinking in to the ground, with each breath, heavier...heavier...
relax...breath...relax ...breath, become acutely aware of the earth (or floor) and the contact points on your body.
Feel your back on the ground, where your butt touches, legs...arms, feel the surface that holds up the weight of your head. Breath...relax...breath...
Close your eyes and imagine you can see the place you are laying, see your self laying there on the flat surface or the couch, are you are you indoors? outdoors? See the circle you have cast. Now sense a dense fog moving in, it begins to obscure everything in your vision, you stay with this for a moment as you are able to sense the moisture and coolness associated with this cloud that obscures, it even smells different...breath in the the rich damp air. Now sense that your body is rising up, you wish to get to the East edge of the fog, waving your hands does little to move the cloud away, yet you swat at the air back and forth in attempt to gain sight. Slowly, gently the air begins to clear, a path is becoming vaguely visible and you start out towards it. The path is gravel and crunches under your footsteps...listening to the sound as each foot hits the ground make a soothing sort of rhythm and you find it memorizing and fail to notice the fog has become nearly absent, at last you can get a look at your surroundings and see the path is along the edge of a mountain and is harshly cut out sheer rock that juts out of the side of this mountain. This path becomes more rocky and winds up the craggy outcropping to the top. Being the curious one, you find yourself fearlessly forging onward, carefully continuing up... and up... along the trail that is becoming more and more riddled with boulders, some that have to be climbed over, but the top is now just a few yards in the distance. Scrambling over one last large rock you arrive at the peak of the mountain, the air has cleared to a reveal a crystalline sky tinted in reds with puffy clouds drifting along the far side of a very large valley, the Sun has just rose up across this valley and rays of light are streaming through the air. Gasping at the beauty and giving the self kudos for trekking up this risky path, you sit to let it all soak in. You are feeling incredibly exhilarated at this point but nothing could compare to your surprise as a large Red Tail Hawk swoops up and perches on a rock just feet from you. The bird settles by ruffling it's feathers a few times, twitching her tail left and right she hunches down slightly and looks over at you. The bird cocks her head back and forth and rubs her beak on a dead twig sticking out of the rock, and looks back at you again. The bird suddenly speaks up, "you have come a long way, overcome fear and trusted in your desire to seek, finding this Sacred peak was no mistake" This huge beautiful red tail hawk is speaking yet it is not with its beak, ...still she relays more of the message to you... " Your time to view the world from my eyes has come" You telepathically think back at the bird that you don't quite understand what she means..., and she says " watch me and do what I do".
She turns to the East and raises up her wings and flaps them furiously, she looks back at you to see if you are following her lead, feeling a bit foolish you flap your arms in the air a few times. She jumps on the rock a few times flapping her wings all along, you jump up and down flapping your arms. You look at the hawk and mouth the word, Really? She stops and suggests you are not ready for this lesson. Sensing you are letting the bird and yourself down, you apologize and promise to be serious. The bird shakes her tail feathers and settles to sit, you shake your booty and sit on the rock. She scans the horizon, looking left then right stretching her neck out at times then drawing it in as if she didn't like what was viewed. You look out at the view as well, then begin to notice a strange shift, suddenly you can see better! You look left and right, as the hawk did mimicking her moves. She continues to stare out into the open as if there is something very far away, you do the same and feel a warmth come over your whole body. The hawk turns her head down to fix a feather, and when you turn to do the same are astonished to discover feathers are covering your body! ahhh, this is why you are warmer, the bird ruffles up her feathers and demonstrates how to take full advantage of this warming technique, you follow suit, ummmm how cozy you think... "isn't it"? the bird answers. The hawk turns to the dead branch and scratches her beak a few times and when you go to do the same, find there is a fine golden beak running down from your furrowed brow. You have taken the shape of the hawk. The teacher turns to you and says, "perhaps now is a better time", and she begins to flap her wings. So you spread out newly formed wings and flap several times, the sensation of lift is immediately apparent. She begins to jump you do the same, now you can really tell the lift ...She flaps and hovers for a moment and as you jump up to do the same the hawk screams, "NOW!" and jumps off the rock, since you are already in the air you glide right behind her over the edge, Fear fills your stomach, until you see your teacher curve her wings in a manner that drew her up up into the air, following her movements the sensation is like a roller coaster as you catch a draft and begin to soar, you want to scream out of sheer joy, and she senses your desire and screams out Keeeeeeeeaarrr! you answer, Keeeeeeeeaarrr! The Sun is beaming light far across the land at this time and the teacher shows you how to hone your sight to focus for miles beyond. You take the opportunity of this enhanced vision to take in sights never before imagined from this perspective. She shows you how to focus and dive, and you realize how this can be used in your mundane world. The two of you fly about the sky over the large valley for some time, dipping and diving chasing each other in some sky tumbles, doing a few tricks...you at last scream out to the bird, "Thank you! I have had so much fun!" She lets me know I should come back and visit frequently, she will teach me how to get perspective. We glide to the bottom of the large hill where I met the Red Tail hawk, she demonstrates a perfect ground landing and I follow touching down with a slight thud, ..trip. "you'll be better at that next time" and she effortlessly lifts off and fly's away. Woah, you shake your tail feathers and watch her fade in the distance. You try to turn and walk upon your sharp talons and find this not possible, so you shake again and flap your wings several times, until your vision fades and you're flapping your arms, your feather have disappeared and the lovely beak had faded into a nose. You see the path that took you up the hill and make your way to it and back the way you came, listening to the gravel crunch under your feet, take a moment to reflect upon your journey and the pride you felt when working hard and taking a chance, remember the freedom felt and the potential to gain a better view and focus, the crunching trail is becoming obscured by the returning fog, yet you sense your circle is just ahead and with several more steps you see the perimeter of your circle and you enter in the East side getting comfortable once again in your own body. Squeeze your hands and wiggle your toes stretch and take a deep breath, sense the ground you are laying upon ( or couch) Again make fists and then open your hands, take several more deep breaths and open your eyes when you are ready. Thank the deity you asked for a safe journey, and undo your circle. So mote it be.
By Firebird

Please give me credit if you plan to use this for other than personal use.

This can be modified to become a Pathworking
many blessings, Redtailbird
“There are things known and things unknown and in between are the Doors.”
― Jim Morrison
“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”
― RWEmerson
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Re: Working with the elements and quarters, A year and a day

Post by Seraphin »

I like these FF. I'll print your words out and follow the meditation. Always ready to try something new.
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Re: Working with the elements and quarters, A year and a day

Post by SnowCat »

Sometimes when I see our local Ferruginous hawks hunting, I slip just a bit of myself into on of them for a minute. I feel the air currents, see the prairie dogs below, feel the freedom of the sky. I only stay for a very short time, as I don't want to disrupt the bird, but it's quite an experience.

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Re: Working with the elements and quarters, A year and a day

Post by Firebird »

Let me know how it goes Seraphin :)
Those are beautiful hawks Snow a bit larger than the Red Tail :) ...


WORKING WITH AIR

MAKING INCENSE

Another great project for the element of Air is making incense...of course you can make incense anytime of the year but since this is a tutorial through the year, it is an excellent way of getting in touch with Air.
We really can't see Air (haha unless you lived in L.A. in the 60's and 70's!) but with this practice we can see how Air effects us and flows around us.
Making incense is a rewarding way to express your craft in an outward manner. Incense sticks are fine, but most are not breathable...too many unnatural ingredients are included...there are ways if you wish to make natural sticks, but this study will be for loose incense to be burned on a coal.

In researching the correspondences to a goal in your magical working or making a blend for the moons or Sabbats, you will find an overwhelming amount of things that can be used. If you are just starting out, I have found a blend of three herbs and/or resins to work well. Also in working with three, you are invoking the triple Goddess energy. When you get a sense of what works well together you can get more complex and creative.

A very simple "Air" incense is a blend of these three things:
the following items have energetic correspondences directly related to the element of Air, making this an incense that specific to Air. When ever you have work that needs Air energy , like new endeavors or where you need that intellectual boost or to bring about a fresh perspective, burn this incense.
1 Tbs-Benzoin resin
1 heaping Tbs-Lavender buds (flowers)
1-Dandelion puff ball

Lightly crush the benzoin in a mortar just making the pieces about pearl barley size, in a separate bowl hand crush the lavender buds, pull the puffs from the dandelion head and add to the lavender, pour the lavender mix in the the mortar and gently blend the mix together...it can remain some what chunky or you can try to make it a powder. When you are through I like to charge it by presenting it to the quarter and asking the the energy of East and Air to bless the blend and charge it to it's highest good. Light your charcoal in a fire safe thurible, sprinkle small amounts on at a time.

AIR EXERCISE

Moving Air

part 1
This exercise can be preformed indoors, as outdoors presents more of a challenge, but I suggest you try this in both places. You can do this standing or sitting.
Once you have a nice cloud of incense billowing off your charcoal, observe the patterns it makes. Is it shooting strait up or does it twist and curl?. Is there a draft?. which way does the draft take the smoke, is the direction significant to you? Is there repeating patterns, what are they? Do you notice the smoke swirling in one direction or does it go both deosil and widdershins, which way is more frequent? Do you recognize any particular shapes, do you see faces or places or animals? What are they? You may need to add some of your blend in order to have a good smoke gazing session. You can use this method to skry for answers. Present your question, then put a scoop of your blend on the coal, take into consideration the above questions.

part 2
This exercise is also indoor/outdoor. Lite your coal and once it's red place a small scoop of incense upon it. Place the thurible on the ground/floor about arms length in front of you and then take 2 steps back, once you have a nice cloud rising up take one step forward with your dominate leg and begin to lunge forward (if you are right handed you are probably left footed) at the same time gently push the air with your hands. Repeat the process several times. See if you can get the cloud of smoke to move in the direction you are pushing, try changing legs, which one feels best? works best?. Try moving the air with on hand over the other, sort of caressing the air in the direction you wish it to go. (does this make sense? it's easier to describe in person..) Add more incense as needed and position your self far enough away each time. Try getting on the other side of the incense burner and repeat the process. This is especially fun outside when you have a tiny breeze, the smoke will go with the breeze. Position yourself in the smoke plume and see if you can stop it by repeating the lunge and push. If it is just too much breeze, position yourself to the left and/or right of the plume and see if you can change the direction. Repeat practice on all sides of the censor. This exercise is a visible way of seeing energy move.

Keep practicing both exercises, like any art...practice, practice!

Blessings, Smokingbird
“There are things known and things unknown and in between are the Doors.”
― Jim Morrison
“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”
― RWEmerson
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Re: Working with the elements and quarters, A year and a day

Post by Aceso »

I wanted to get this out before we end the wind.

I had cast a spell to keep a friend away. Well I consider him a friend he consider it to be more.

You will need a piece of paper with the name of the person on it. A white and red candle.

I said: Oh goddess hear my plea, to keep this friend away from me. A misunderstanding came about, clearity in(say the person's name)mind, there should be no doubt. I ask this with the purest intentions, take away (the person's name)affections. So it is said, so it shall be.

Rip the paper with the person's name and toss it into the wind.

I recieved a responce that my request was heard. A sea gull came to me and stared at me directly into me eyes for at least three breaths and flew away.

Later that night I lit the candle and said my normal thank you to the goddess.(you can say it to your god)Let it burn completely out on it's own.

I hope this could help someone else as well. { I said candle because I make my own candles so I made a red on top of white. } Blessings
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Re: Working with the elements and quarters, A year and a day

Post by Firebird »

Hi Aceso!
Thank you for that.
I would like to critique a little if you don't mind...

I am one of those who would suggest leaving out any words that conjugate the word no in any form.
The line where it says..
..."there shall be no doubt"
Could be rearranged to read
..."all doubt shall be gone"
Or
"Away from his mind is doubt"
Something along those lines. It has been said the universe is unable to hear the word no.
The other thing I would change up a bit, in the interest of the environment, would be to write your words on dry leaves, then crush them and let them fly in the wind/air.

You also might want to try being invisible to him, like Jedi mind trick.
These are not the Druids you are looking for...however they used the word Not... hummmmmm
Maybe something like, "you see right past me, and away from me you flee.
You can put a sheild around yourself that is a bubble he can't see through.

I really appreciate your contribution Aceso, please let us know if this person does indeed stay away
blessings, Firebird
“There are things known and things unknown and in between are the Doors.”
― Jim Morrison
“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”
― RWEmerson
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Re: Working with the elements and quarters, A year and a day

Post by Aceso »

Thank you firebird. I will take your advice :D
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Re: Working with the elements and quarters, A year and a day

Post by Firebird »

...
:D I'm here to help!


TOOL OF AIR

This particular tool of Air is used to move smoke (as in a smudge bath) around ones self or another person, or send messages to the Ether. They are used to move thick energy away from celebrants, like you would with a scourge, so that the aura is free of debris when entering circle. Feathers can be used in healing, to remove energy away from afflicted area.

FEATHER CRAFT
This is a fun tool to make...good for the kids too, I found painting them with symbols that mean something to you and using colored feathers for specific work to be a nice touch to your magic. The one in the picture is for prosperity, it utilizes the pentagram for earthly riches, the feather is green to represent growing abundance, the pentagram and decoration is painted in gold acrylic paint to reflect the bounty gold would bring. I used gold and green ribbon with a dab of Elmer's glue to on the shaft, I ran the green one strait down the quill and the gold one was wrapped around and around with a small bow where the feathers start. A bead can be added on the end of the quill to snug down the ribbon. Tie a loop on the other end of the green ribbon to hang your creation until needed. Into the breeze!
Featherbird
Decorated Feather
Decorated Feather
“There are things known and things unknown and in between are the Doors.”
― Jim Morrison
“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”
― RWEmerson
:mrgreen:
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