Swan Sanctuary

I have a rather hyper-respect for fire. I was around the age of three and living with my grandmother and her second husband, when I witnessed her being engulfed in flames. It was a terrifying experience. She was a strong woman though, and by the grace of god, survived and lived into her eighties. Prior to that experience, when I was still living with my mother and father, I decided to iron my doll’s clothes while my mother went into another room. The resulting burn scar on my arm can still be seen. There have been other incidents since those early childhood ones; which incite me to remain vigilant when confronted with anything that becomes hot enough to burn. While water and air are necessary for our survival, fire can be one of the deadliest elements, if not handled carefully. The sun, that is so vital to people, as well as plants, can also burn. Fire can be a mysterious thing. It can appear with the simple strike of a match or disappear in a strong gust of air. The water vapor from our lungs coupled with carbon dioxide when we blow out a candle, deprives the fire of its fuel.

Like us, fire requires oxygen to survive. With its dependence on air, it is not surprising that those born under fire signs are often compatible with air signs. I like to credit myself for having encouraged my three daughters to be best friends as well as sisters, but it’s possible that their bond is simply the compatibility of the air and fire influences under which they were born. Fiery personalities tend to be impulsive, optimistic, exuberant, and fearless. They bring color to what might otherwise be a grey or colorless world.

It is easy to see how we can have a love/hate relationship with fire. Too little of its warmth leaves us cold and miserable; while too much can harm or even kill us. Water may not at first seem to be threatening, but enough of it can put fire in its place when it gets out of hand. A person born under a water sign may appear pale in the shadow of a fire sign’s radiance, and they may actually repel one another; but the compatibility of zodiac influences is surprisingly similar to companion planting in the garden. Some plants are protective to other plants, such as basil, which protects tomatoes from tomato hornworms. Marigolds help to repel beetles, nematodes, and other animal pests from most garden plants. Nasturtiums will lure aphids away from your beans, making them an excellent trap plant. Dill, parsley, cilantro, and other members of the carrot family, offer food and hosting to numerous butterflies while attracting beneficial predator insects. Some plants have a distinctive dislike for one another, like anise, which will stunt the growth of carrots. Rue and basil do not like each other and some other plants, when planted next to one aother, simply will not thrive.

Sometimes human beings are forced into situations with others with whom they do not get along. This can be a brother/sister relationship, or a co-worker relationship, or a child and a step-parent. Whether it is due to our astrological differences, or more subtle innuendo, we must find ways to adapt. Many plants will survive in unsavory conditions, but until they are among beneficial companions, they cannot truly thrive. Human beings can survive in the company of those they would prefer not to be with; but when surrounded by friends of like mind, their potential is immeasurable. While I am not particularly drawn to those people with fire sign traits, the fire of their passion can often be contagious. Like the color red, our eyes are naturally drawn to it. If we are to live in harmony with fire, we must establish our boundaries, whether it is physical fire or the fire emanating from someone we know. Fire is vital to our survival, but it commands our respect. Its burn can be merciless, yet, even when it has reduced all to ashes, new life will spring forth. Oak forests will re-grow and emerge from the rubble, an humans will be reborn.

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.

Soil needs water to hold it down or it would simply blow away in the wind. The Dust Bowl of the 1930’s seems to have migrated to this town. In fact, in the town where I am living, the smell of dirt is in the very air. The relentless wind blows it in through the crevices, filling the window sills with an inch or more of silt in only a few months’ time. Soil depletion and degradation has been occurring all over the planet for decades. Of course, too much water can wash top soil away completely, depositing it into rivers miles away, when there are no plants to hold it in place.

When did we decide that tilling up the earth and leaving vast numbers of acres exposed, was a smart thing to do? Nature does not disturb the soil where she intends to grow. She allows the leaves to fall and to lay upon the soil surface where the worms, the ants, and other decomposers can do their job of breaking them down into nutrients. The nutrients, with the help of underground mycelium colonies, are later taken up by plant roots. It is a complex, perfectly designed symbiotic relationship between the soil and the microbial life contained within it, the plants, and the indispensable water.

People born under the influence of earth signs are generally compatible with water signs. In a harmonious relationship, earth signs can provide grounding and stability to the sometimes emotional water signs. Perhaps a lasting relationship is similar to the harmony that exists between earth and water. Two people have managed to work out a system of mutual support whereby each person is simply there to share in the experience of the other.

Soil and water could probably not exist without each other. An average soil can hold an average of 10% to 45% water. The water aids in moving minerals through the soil so that they are available to the billions of microorganisms living underground. Without these organisms, the soil dies and it can no longer support the plant life that we attempt to grow in it. We can feed plants with chemically derived fertilizers in an attempt to simulate what the soil would do, if it could – if we had not killed it. We can produce food that is nice to look at, but lacks the life giving nutrients upon which we depend.

A good relationship requires harmony and balance. Like soil and water, the individuals must nourish each other, if the relationship is to survive. The earth provides the space needed by the water, which in turn brings nourishment, so that both can thrive.

Water is the strongest of the four natural elements. If there is a crack in what is perceived to be a solid surface, water will find its way through it or around it. It can smooth away rocks over time, leaving them hollowed out and smooth. An unrestrained wall of water can wipe out everything in its path, as in a tsunami; or like in the Big Thompson Canyon flood of 1976. It was the deadliest flash flood in Colorado history. In spite of its ability to take lives, water remains a great attraction to many. Who doesn’t love the soothing sound of a trickling stream, or sitting next to a placid lake? Millions of people are drawn to the ocean and to lakes to spend their holidays. Others relish the excitement of kayaking or tubing White Water Rivers. Our own bodies are made up of something like 70% water. We use it to shower every day and to clean our homes and wash our laundry.

Three of the twelve signs of the zodiac are associated with water. It is not surprising that, being a water sign, I have a natural affinity with water. My zodiac sign is considered to be the strongest sign in the zodiac. I don’t often feel strong; although I have felt this power surge through me on occasion. I have felt the force of my natural element moving through me with intensity so strong that it felt like I was possessed.

 My innate need for water cannot be denied. My craving for rain and humidity is much like the flora that has taken center stage in my life. Sometimes, my frustration at having been born and lived much of my life in a semiarid climate, is palpable. Like a fish out of water, I keep struggling to find my way back home. My life has taken me on a journey as a river, coming up against many obstacles on my way to the sea.

For the past few days, we have had unusual, copious amount of rainfall which has caused my heart to respond with great joy. Not having a rain barrel, I have used every bucket I could find in an attempt to save some of the precious liquid for my plants and seedlings. I must be satisfied with water in whatever forms I can get it. Water is my drink of choice most of the time. There is always a glass sitting on my nightstand should I wake up thirsty in the night. I do not leave my house without a water bottle in tow. A long soak in the tub must suffice since I cannot submerge myself in a natural body of water. My humidifier is a good friend. As I meander through my final years, months, and days, I know that I am getting closer to my Source. I am in no hurry. I am a drop of water and one day I will return to the sea. I will be welcomed home.

I always loved the idea of May Day. Traditionally, you go to the home of a friend, ring the doorbell, set a basket of flowers on their doorstep and then quickly leave before the door is opened. Unfortunately, in this part of the country there are few flowers in early May, so I have never known the thrill of delivering a surprise bouquet to a mystified recipient; nor have I ever received such a gift. The first of May has been celebrated throughout the centuries, in many different traditions. Some of the earliest known celebrations were the Festival of Flora for the Roman goddess of flowers. In early Gaelic and Wiccan traditions, it was known as Beltane, a festival in which the element of fire was used to symbolize the bringing forth of new life. The Phoenix rises from the ashes. Today, scientists have recognized the importance of fire in forests, as this also brings forth new growth. Dancing around may-poles and bonfires, and the appearance of the Green Man in English country celebrations, symbolizes fertility and new life. This may very well be the most exciting day of the year, but sadly, it hasn’t received the public popularity that Christmas and Easter are afforded.

Maybe it is time to begin re-imagining what we believe to be worthy of celebrations. I believe the old traditions of Christmas and Easter have worn themselves out. They have become gross and distorted versions of themselves through capitalism. A couple of weeks ago marked the fiftieth anniversary of Earth Day, but it remains a day that goes by relatively unnoticed. People put up monuments to mark 9-11, and to commemorate wars and fallen soldiers, but not nearly enough attention is given to our earth and the many natural cycles that we should revere. Today will probably go by unnoticed by most people, but I will find a way to celebrate the new life that is all around me. Blessed be!