Air is the most essential element for life as we know it. And yet, we don’t have to think about it much. Our breathing is autonomic and it is only when we divert our attention to it, that we can breathe more consciously, more slowly, and more deeply. Human beings can live for only about three minutes without air. The air that we breathe is often saturated with the putrid additions from our modern way of life. Air pollution from automobiles, airplanes, trains, buses, machinery, factories, and factory farms – not to mention, cigarette smoke – violate our lungs on a daily basis.
Wind is the movement of air around our planet. It carries with it, rain and snow, seeds and pollen. It can be so cold that it seems to penetrate our very bones, or warm and soft with the lightness of a feather. It can be a friend to us if we choose to fly a kite, dry our laundry, or simply cool us off in summer’s heat. Combined with rain and lightning, in tornadoes and hurricanes, it can uproot trees and re-arrange entire neighborhoods. It can be a friend or foe, depending on its preference at any given moment. I have never cared for wind. My very resistance to it has landed me in one of the windiest places in the country. (What we resist persists.) I am trying to make friends with the wind. Sometimes, it is so strong it seems to take my breath away. Still, I would choose wind any day over air that does not move at all. I keep my window open at night in order to feel the gentle breeze across my face. Like the trees, I am learning to bend and stretch with the wind.
One quarter of the population was born under a sign ruled by air. I have been surrounded by these “airy” individuals. My mother, my first husband, two of my three daughters, and several of my grandchildren and friends were all born under the influence of an air sign. They each emit an exuberance that can be a bit much for my slower nature. They are intelligent, but operate more from their heads, than from their hearts, and can often appear detached due to their sense of freedom from emotional attachments. Perhaps there is something I can learn from them. Clearly, the air and the wind have something to teach me. They have something to teach all of us.
