Grand tidings! Join me on the first foray into my Elements Series: over the next five weeks, we will discuss and relate to all of the elements. This week, we start in the East and work our way through legend, lore, and correspondences.
Instagram: @beyondtheseaspodcast
Tarot Collaboration: @thefeatherwitchnyc
Ticket Link for "Route 66" @ Actors Theatre of Indiana: atistage.org
Podcast website: https://beyondtheseas.buzzsprout.com/
More info: https://www.kierandanaan.com/beyond-the-seas
Subscribe for all the mythological and folkloric episodes, posted weekly.
Sources
-Calista. “The Air Elementals—Breathing Life with the Sylphs!” Calista Ascension, https://www.calistaascension.com/air-elementals-breathing-life-sylphs/. Accessed 7 February 2024.
-Chowdhury, Rohini. The Three Princes of Persia. Penguin Books India, 2005.
Music
"The Swiss Alps" by Ben Winwood
"Intimacy" by Ben Winwood
"Wallking in Forests" by Ben Winwood
"It'll Be Alright" by Ben Winwood
"Irish Mountains" by Ben Winwood
Cheers,
Kieran
Grand tidings! Join me on the first foray into my Elements Series: over the next five weeks, we will discuss and relate to all of the elements. This week, we start in the East and work our way through legend, lore, and correspondences.
Instagram: @beyondtheseaspodcast
Tarot Collaboration: @thefeatherwitchnyc
Ticket Link for "Route 66" @ Actors Theatre of Indiana: atistage.org
Podcast website: https://beyondtheseas.buzzsprout.com/
More info: https://www.kierandanaan.com/beyond-the-seas
Subscribe for all the mythological and folkloric episodes, posted weekly.
Sources
-Calista. “The Air Elementals—Breathing Life with the Sylphs!” Calista Ascension, https://www.calistaascension.com/air-elementals-breathing-life-sylphs/. Accessed 7 February 2024.
-Chowdhury, Rohini. The Three Princes of Persia. Penguin Books India, 2005.
Music
"The Swiss Alps" by Ben Winwood
"Intimacy" by Ben Winwood
"Wallking in Forests" by Ben Winwood
"It'll Be Alright" by Ben Winwood
"Irish Mountains" by Ben Winwood
Cheers,
Kieran
With the new dawning of the day, may we arise with the Elements.
To Air in the East, we turn our beatific gaze.
As the slow maturation of light glows on the horizon,
We stare longingly for the rising of the Sun.
Our Great Father.
As his rays pierce through the horizon’s veil,
And enter our world and spirit-yearning eyes,
His children, on and as the wind, fly with him.
The Spirits of Air.
Their gossamer and ghostly forms flow through and beyond,
Traveling on etheric highways that no mortal man has touched upon.
Yet, within our deepest sense of self,
We see and know them.
Connect with them.
Through our minds and hearts—
And spirits.
For we know them to be our Kin,
Our cousins and Ancestors,
Who have made the greatest journey of all,
The Journey into the Beyond.
And with the dawning of the new day,
And the light from the Sun, Our Father,
We know that our work…
Has only just begun.
(transition music)
Grand tidings and welcome to you on this, the sixteenth episode, of Beyond the Seas. My name is Kieran and here we are again, back at it for another week. Sixteen episodes, can you believe it?? I am absolutely in love with the process of writing, recording, editing, and publishing the podcast. It keeps me engaged, focused, and hungry for more knowledge—and to connect all those otherworldly threads together, for all of you. So, as always, thank you for hitting that play button today; and if you have not yet already, give the show a review and a rating—and most importantly, a share. Go to Instagram and give the show’s profile, @beyondtheseaspodcast, a share and a follow, so you stay up to date with all things behind the scenes and onstage. You all know how thankful I am for your tuning in.
Route 66 is open at Actors Theatre of Indiana! Our opening weekend was absolutely spectacular and the audiences love the show. On a personal note, I love hearing the audience sing along to these well-known songs—and the moment they first start, hearing them all laugh or joke or nudge the person next to them and say, “Do you remember when this first came out? I love this song!” It warms my heart that myself and my three castmates get to bring joy through memory and song in this show. And for the physical and vocal workout it provides because, good heavens, the stamina you need to make it to the end. If you have not yet already bought your tickets to the show, go to atistage.org to pick up some of the few remaining seats in the run—and get ready to snap your fingers and sing along with us. It is an absolutely amazing time.
And now, the Card of the Week! Claudia has pulled the, wait for it…..waiiiiiiiiiiiiitttttforrrrrrritttttttttt….The King of Swords. Now, I went to two of my favorite decks, The Ghosts and Spirits Deck and The Wildwood Tarot, and pulled the two cards that are the King of Swords. In the former, it shows the legend of the Headless Horseman; in the latter, the card as known as the King of Arrows, and shows the Kingfisher bird flying over a tranquil inlet, surrounded by trees. How then, are these two cards in anyway shape or form related? Think about our dear, dear buzzword of the podcast: liminality. When traversing the line betwixt here and there, then and when, we must use our heads and rationality as a compass—alongside our intuition—to traverse the unknown. There may be presences lurking only just beyond sight and it is our perfect balance of head and heart that saves our spirits. Or rather, guides our spirits. There may be a strong leader who presents him, her, them, or itself to you this week—someone with an incredibly strong intellect. So watch out for tough conversations that involve highly rational and factual knowledge at hand. Never forget, the perfect balance of head and heart will guide your spirit.
And now, the wine of the week! So folks, whenever I have the chance to go home and spend time with family, we always dive our way into a good ol’, tried and true, trusted friend: the Carlo Rossi jug of wine. Now, before you roll your eyes or issue forth a sigh of disgust, I do have to say that an affordable jug of vino is not too bad. Is it great? It is terrible? It is actually neither, hahahahaha. It simply does the trick. So this week, let us take a look at Rossi’s rather affordable jug of Cabernet Sauvignon: it is very light, so not too many tannins there; it is rather sweet for a hearty cab, but you still get the notes of oak and pine that makes a Cab sing. It is paired best with roasted chicken, Garden Salads, roasted potatoes, and talks around the dinner table.
And finally, this week’s topic. So folks, here is the deal for the next five weeks: I am so proud and happy to introduce and share my Elements Series with all of you. We will take a deep dive into one of the five elements each week, with various myths, creatures, and magick included. This week, we start in the East, the realm of Air. It is abundantly appropriate to work at the dawning of the circle and work our way deosil to the center. So, what myths surround the wind and air? What creatures are summoned when we conjure Air? When we Call the Watchtower, what might we expect? What associations and correspondences does Air hold for us—and how might we work with them today?
For now, grab your favorite bottle of red, find a comfy chair, and close your eyes as I tell you the tale of The Element of Air—and take you…
Beyond the Seas.
(transition music)
Air. Element of the East. Traditionally, the first element to invoke when casting the circle, as it heralds in and represents the Dawn of the Day. It is the realm of the intellect, the mind, and rationality. The loftiness of high mountain peaks, and the shifting and tumultuous nature of the sky and its clouds. Think about it: we all have experienced the whistling of the wind before, yes? We are able to recall specific moments where we have felt those intangible flows of energy brush across our face as we close our eyes instinctively, knowing that cool caress as a brush from the Divine.
Imagine, then: the sun rising in the east, beyond the mountain peaks. Snow blowing around you, a steaming mug in hand. The air is thin here, the air is all-present here. It is the element that surrounds and nurtures you, in the high places of the world. You feel its icy chill sweep into your body as you breathe in slowly, and feel your own breath mingle with the world’s air as you exhale. You are a part of this system, this macrocosm of give and take. The exchange of energy, between you and the world, begins at your first intake of breath—and ends as you give that gift of life back with your final exhale.
Air, to me, has always represented the beginning and the possibilities associated with the initiation of any task. It is the embodiment of hope and lofty ideals, that are ultimately not insurmountable. They are our great expectations, our deepest and most magnanimous of dreams—the ultimate goals we strive to reach in our daily lives and why we walk this path on this Earth. Air is the beginning, the heights of which we dare to climb.
There is a particular legend that is all about the beginning, the initiation of the wind into our world. It comes from The Aleuts, the indigenous peoples from the Aleutian Islands and the western coast of Alaska. It comes from the Long, Long Time Ago website, as originally found in Rohini Chowdhury’s The Three Princes of Persia. So, sit back as we head into our first tale of Air and the Wind.
“Long ago, there was a time when the world was still new. In that time there were no winds. Everything was still.
“In a little village by the mouth of the Yukon, there lived a man and his wife. The man and his wife had everything in the world to make them happy, but they did not have a child. ‘If only we had a child,’ they would sigh.
“‘If it were a son, I would teach him to hunt seals and whales,’ the man would say. ‘We would walk over the ice, and set traps and snares.’
“‘And if it were a daughter, I would teach her to weave the finest baskets in the world,’ the woman would sigh.
“And so the man and his wife wished for a child.
“One night, as the woman lay fast asleep, she had a dream. She dreamt that a sledge, pulled by dogs, drew up at her door. The driver of the sledge called out to her, and beckoned that she should ride with him. The woman climbed into the sledge, and all at once the sledge rose up, up into the dark night sky.
“The sledge flew faster and faster, through the black sky. The snow-covered earth shone white beneath, and the stars twinkled bright above. But the woman was not afraid, because she knew that the driver of the sledge must be Igaluk, the Moon Spirit, who comforts those who are sad.
“All at once, the sledge came down to earth and stopped. The world lay still and silent. There was nothing to be seen in all that white and glittering plain of snow and ice, except for a small tree that grew out of the frozen ground.
“‘Look,’ said Igaluk pointing at the tree with his whip. ‘Take that tree, and make of it a child. And you will find happiness.’
“Before the woman could ask him more, or question him, Igaluk vanished, and the woman awoke to find herself in her own warm bed.
“The woman kept thinking of what she had dreamt. The dream had been so real that the woman believed that Igaluk had in truth come down to her. She woke up her husband, and told him about her dream. ‘Go,’ said the woman. ‘Go at once to find the tree that Igaluk showed me.’
“The husband grumbled at being woken up like this. ‘It was only a dream,’ he said. ‘And it’s the middle of the night right now!’
“But the woman insisted. ‘Igaluk himself came down to me,’ she said. ‘You must go now to find that tree.’
“At last, the husband got out of bed, and putting on his warmest furs and shouldering his axe, walked out in search of the tree. As he came to the edge of the village, he saw before him a path, lit as if by moonlight, and leading straight ahead. The man knew then that Igaluk the Moon Spirit was showing him the way. Now believing in his wife’s dream, he followed the moonlit path over the snow till at last he came to the very tree his wife had seen in her dream. The man took his axe and cut down the tree, and carried it home.
“Next day, in the evening, the man carved a little boy out of the tree. His wife made little sealskin clothes for the wooden child and lovingly dressed him in them. Out of the remaining wood the man carved a tiny spear and a tiny knife, and a set of little wooden spoons and dishes. He set the weapons in front of the wooden child, while his wife filled the tiny dishes with food and water and placed them by the child as well.
“The man and his wife then went to sleep.
“In the middle of the night, the woman was woken by a strange sound. She looked around and what did she see? The little wooden child was alive! It had eaten all the food, and drunk all the water. The woman woke her husband and the couple ran to the child and hugged him and called him their son. After a while, they carefully put the tiny child to bed and went to sleep again themselves.
“In the morning when they awoke, they found that their child had gone, as had his spear and knife. They could see his tiny footsteps in the snow, leading out of the village. But suddenly the tracks stopped, and there was no trace of the child. The couple hunted high and low in the snow and ice for their child, but they could not find him. Weary and heartbroken, they returned home.
“Now, though the man and his wife did not know it, the child had taken the same moonlit path as his father the night before. On and on went the child, along the path lit by Igaluk the Moon Spirit himself. At last the child came to eastern edge of the world, where the sky touches the earth. And there the child saw an opening in the sky wall, covered over with a piece of skin. The covering bulged as though something was pushing at it from the outside. Curious, the child took his tiny knife, and cut the cords that kept the skin covering in place.
“All at once a great wind rushed in, bringing with it animals and birds. The child let the wind blow for a while and then covering up the opening in the sky wall said:
“Blow Wind blow,
Sometimes strong,
Sometimes slow,
Sometimes do not blow.
“And securing the cover firmly in place, the child went on his way.
“After a while he came to the southern edge of the world, and there found another opening in the sky wall, covered up with a piece of skin and bulging as before. As before he slashed the cords that held the covering in place, and in poured a warmer wind, bringing with it more animals, birds and bushes. After a while, the child covered up the opening, saying to the wind as before:
Blow Wind blow,
Sometimes strong,
Sometimes slow,
Sometimes do not blow.
“At the western edge of the world, the child found a similar opening. When he removed the cover, in poured a wind with rain and storm. The child quickly covered up the hole, and instructing the wind as before, went on his way.
“Finally, he came to the northern edge of the world, where it was immensely cold. Here too he found the hole in the sky-wall, covered up with a piece of skin. As soon as the child opened the hole, in whistled a furious gale, howling and blowing and whirling snow and ice. The child quickly covered up the hole, and instructing the wind as before, went on his way.
“The child now moved inwards, away from the sky-wall, and to the very centre of the earth. There he saw the sky, arching over the earth like a vast canopy. Now he was sure that he had travelled everywhere, and seen all that he needed to.
“So the child decided to return to the village from where he had come, home to his parents. The man and his wife were overjoyed to see him, for they had given up all hope. The child told them all about his travels, and how he had let the winds into the world.
“With the winds came the birds of the air and the animals of the land. The winds stirred up the sea so that seals and whales and walruses could be found all along the coast. Hunting was easy and food was plentiful. The people of the village honoured the wooden child for the happiness he had brought them just as Igaluk the Moon Spirit had said he would.
“Ever afterwards, the Aleut people make wooden dolls for their children, knowing that happiness will come to those who care for them.”
What a beautiful legend and story. I love how it survives on in the Aleuts today, with the creation of wooden dolls. Now that the wind has come into our world, what creatures have come along with it? Beyond the birds, animals, and storms that the legend describes, Paracelsus—a German Renaissance medical leader and philosophical thinker—associated four different beings with each of the four elements. It just so happens that, combining myth and philosophy, he associated Sylphs with the element of Air. Thus, these flighty, airy, and ethereal beings come to represent the mind, truth, knowledge, and ideals we strive for in our daily lives.
But what exactly are Sylphs? From whence do they come? How might we interact with them today? And furthermore, what magickal correspondences are linked to Air itself?
Refill your goblets, your drinking horns, your chalices, for the second half of the Elements Series of Air, after this brief break.
(transition music)
Sylphs. The magickal Air Elementals that populate our world. They arise within ourselves and without when we breathe each and every day. They live on in our psyches and spirits, as we are connected to the winds and air of the world through our breath. They are life itself, because they flow in and out of our bodies as we inhale and exhale. Sounds like I am beating the dead horse here, right?
The following information comes from a wonderful blog post, made by Calista, on her website. “Air elementals make up the mental plane of the Earth and serve to balance and maintain our weather systems. They also help to look after our mental bodies too. They help to inspire our thinking, bring solutions to problems and assist in alleviating stress through stimulating positive thought and creative ideas. Air beings also assist in aligning both hemispheres of our brain so we can be both intuitive and rational at the same time. This helps to bring in intelligence and knowledge of the higher realms of existence without the interference of our ego, which can often get in the way of our spiritual embodiment.
“There are many different types of air elementals that exist including the most well-known, the Sylphs and their male counterparts, the Zephyrs, as well as certain types of Faeries, Griffins Gargoyles and the Pegasusians – the race of white, winged horses often featured in Greek mythology who we can call on to help enlighten our Soul’s path. There are also many legendary stories of giant elemental Fire-birds, including the well-known Phoenix. The Chinese culture has the Fei Lie; the Greeks, the White Eagle of Zeus; the Persians, the Simurgh and the Arabs, the Ruhk/Roc.
“…Sylphs…often appear as tiny sparks of light or transparent wispy beings moving rapidly from place to place. Sylphs, which come from the Greek word, ‘silphe’, meaning butterfly, can appear as graceful, slender beings when the winds are calm, or vital and forceful in storms and fast air currents. You can easily see Sylph activity above water where the air tends to be clearer. When you are ready to see Sylphs for the first time ensure you feel relaxed, and mentally ask for them to show themselves to you. It helps to relax your eyes, half closing them as if you are about to fall asleep. Open your heart to the experience as you take your gaze to the air just above the water. You may start to see flickers of light or darting whites, grays and blacks of energy as it passes in front of you. I often liken that seeing the Sylphs is similar to when you stand up too quickly when you see small flashes of light in front of you.
“The Sylphs look similar but on a grander and more palpable scale. The more you allow them to come forward to you, the more you will see and attune yourself too. Each of us is assigned a guardian from each element from the time we were born. From the element of Air, we all have a Sylph guide, or collection of them. Those that have much Sylph activity tend to work as teachers, writers, dancers, singers or artists who inspire others in what they do. These individuals may not care too much for the physical things in life, especially sexuality. Instead they may place their drive and focus in to their creative works. But everyone can consciously access the healing, creating energy from Sylphs perhaps to spark new ideas, uplift ways of thinking, for helping through change or to get things moving in life when we feel stuck or stagnant in situations.”
After we have invoked these Elementals into our lives and daily practices, we then apply knowledge of Air correspondences to our magickal wisdom, in order to manifest change. Air is the Element of the East and again, traditionally speaking, is the first element to invoke when casting the circle or treading the compass round. It is associated with the Dawning of the Day, with colors of Yellow, Light Blue, and White. Spring is its season of the year, with Mercury, Jupiter, and Uranus as its associated planets. Use Smoky Quartz, Lapis Lazuli, Kyanite, and Topaz, as well as Rosemary, Lavender, Frankincense, Myrrh, Dandelion, and Poppy—to invoke its energies. Its Tarot Suit is Swords and is linked to the Athame and Incense on the altar. Those who are Gemini, Libra, or Aquarius are ruled by the Air element and it is known to be projective and outwardly moving. Think flying and flowing, blowing and breezing with your magick and meditations when conjuring the element of Air into your circle and your work.
What types of magick, then, are best used with the Air element? When seeking to unblock mental pathways, free the psychic senses, open communication, travel among the higher ethereal realms, open the pathways within your spirit to meet Self with Self; to do well on exams or courtroom proceedings; to expel and drive away negative energies and forces from your life or space; to cleanse your body, spirit, and mind; to invite in inspiration for clarity and creativity; to heal from the mental traumas and associations of the past—all of these are good foundational components for magick with this element.
If doing any acts of magick that focus solely around the Air element, it is best to burn the aforementioned herbs as a cense, to cleanse and consecrate the space. Surround yourself and your circle with the aforementioned stones, as well, to further invoke the element of Air. Again, under the ruling planets—and best it be when they align with the Dawning of the Day—construct and make manifest your intent within your sacred space. I know all you magickal practitioners and wise persons know these things—but it is simply too juicy and fun to talk about.
Now, back to the King of Swords. He is the ruler, the head, the ultimate of the Air Element within the Tarot System. He represents the idealization and manifestation of our mental goals, ideals, and faculties. Like Claudia said in her latest reel, he gifts us with the sword to cut away the mistruths and mental stagnations from our lives, as to clear the way to a brighter and more fulfilling future. There is a constant reminder within this card: you have the power within yourself to cut away the damaging and debilitating habits and thoughts from your spirit. The power of the Sylphs and other Air Elementals flow through you when you enact these moments of inner healing and transformation. The King of Swords is their ruler, and he instructs them to heal our world as much as our inner worlds. Never forget that the sword of truth lies within your grasp, ready to use whenever you need its healing weight and might.
Grab your tarot deck and pull out the King of Swords. Stare at its image for a few moments before placing it in your hands, which you fold into your lap. Close your eyes and mediate on its meaning, seeing that sword lift from the card and into your mind. It settles into the rock of your spirit, becoming the metaphysical Sword in the Stone. You are now your own King Arthur—The King of Swords—ready and willing to withdraw Excalibur, the Sword of Truth, from the stone of your being whenever you so desire. It is the very breath of life within you, that connects you to everything in our world. It is the mental clarity and faculty you possess. It is the very sense of you.
Journal freely on this meditation, noting any new perspectives and feelings that may have arisen within you. What physical sensations did you notice, and where in the body? What thoughts of the future came forth? Specific images and glyphs that arose within your third eye?
For the denotation of what Air brings is the definition of who we are, as individuals.
As the mind is our leader, our heart is the guide.
And the spirit is the map.
Air invites us to light our lamps of truth, with perfect love and perfect trust.
Guiding the footsteps we are destined to take.
And knowing the way forward is illuminated with hope and possibility.
For that is what Air is:
The embodiment of Hope.
The Beginning.
The Dawn.
The New Day.
The endless amount of possibility.
And the only enemy of Air is our own minds,
Our own inner critics and voices
That silence the Divine and Intuition.
So may we today remember the power and inherent right within us all:
The power of Air given to us at birth.
The power of balance between Rationality and Intuition,
As to guide our footsteps forward.
And into the Beyond.
So hail and welcome the Watchtowers of the East, Powers of Air and Invention,
May you be welcome to our sacred circle this day,
To guide us ever onwards and inwards.
As we travel…beyond.
For our magick will always be stronger….
Because of it.
(transition music)
The stories, research, and production elements were done and edited, respectively, by me, Kieran, with sources attached in the description. Be sure to hit the follow button, on whichever platform you enjoy the podcast, and look forward to more content next week. Until then, seek the veil between the worlds and allow yourself to travel Beyond the Seas….