Let's Begin With Air, and Acclimation.
The beginning of the year started in a place that I don't call home - 4,533km away (or a 48 hour drive) on the other side of the continent called Australia. It is a different country to what I am used to - the birds, the insects, the plants are all different, and they definitely speak a different language. My usual routine of cleaning and doing readings for the year ahead at home were off the agenda, so instead? I sipped tea, noticed the wind, practiced with breath, and listened to the birds. Sometimes listening and breathing with intention, and logging birds on your bird watching app, can be a practice. As I continued to travel, I had the opportunity to add layers and explore and map out new landscapes, both internal and external.
Now that I'm home, I've decided to come back to blogging by resurrecting an old favourite - the Pagan Blogging Project. I can't remember who originated it, but the notion was to write something every two weeks, for 26 weeks using the letters of the alphabet for prompts. Given my preoccupation with the Elements (just for something different) I decided to begin with Air for the letter A. At the same time, I've been pondering my travels, and how we adjust to new places and new situations - the process of changing climates, or acclimation, and how this can affect our magical Practice.
The acrylic painting above is one I did a few years ago, one answer to the question 'who is there?' for the Quarters of my magical circle if they were populated with Elements.
In my circle, I always begin with Air, for this is the place of beginnings, for me. The sun rises from the East where my windows face, and as it does, it brings bird song and the inspiration of a new day. I look out the window, and notice the slight breeze this morning caressing the eucalypt branches, the leaves hanging languidly in the height of summer's heat. The element of Air is closely felt in my 'witchy room' here, where I do magical stuff - dreaming, art, and magical circles - layers and layers of them. Silly dances and trying new incense blends. Prana Yoga and talking to friends online. Through it all, representation of the East, and Air, is there for immediate contemplation.
For this blog post, feeling apprehensive about writing stuff again, I decided to divine for guidance. I used the Rosebud Tarot, and I was quite tickled by the draw (photo is guest starring Percy the Glitterfoot).
The Youth - 0 - is there to remind me that yes, I am starting a new thing. The only step I had left was to take the leap, but this first card affirmed my question and my intention. Strength - 8 - loans another little push to lock in & connect. The guidebook, written by Diana Rose Harper (whose work as an astrologer I very much enjoy) had a beautiful offering about the flow between exertion & rest present in Strength. And finally, Curiosity of Air was a cute little nod to the Page of Swords who has been a bit of a guest character in my life in the past two weeks, so I found this reading to be a cheeky, assertive confirmation of my intentions. And a bit of a "gee, I love the tarot".
Finding faith in flow, and acclimatising to the process that I'm in, has been something I've been sitting with for much of 2024. My witchcraft practice has undergone some shifts that didn't leave behind all that I was, but rather folded it back in on itself - like the lemniscate snake of Strength card. The practice of Knowing - sometimes the axiom 'To Know' is aligned with Air - is not always clear until you do the go-around again and find yourself back where you started - in Practice. I've also found a lot of nourishment in the idea of curiosity - a key trait of Air. To start something new, to be out of routine like I have been, means a lot of sitting in curiosity in order to be more open to learning how to be in different spaces. How does a magical circle change when you take to a different country? How does my practice change through time - beginning from when I first stepped into community with other witches, to now? How do the ongoing impacts of colonization impact our relationship to land? How can we listen and be open in new spaces - or old ones? What are some touchstone practices that will be useful in the future?
Beginning with the breath has been helpful. I am really looking forward to continuing my relationship with Air as I acclimatise to how my practice is evolving - with breath, with curiosity, and with openness.