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AIR ELEMENTALS: THE SYLPHS
Jul. 25th, 2024 08:59 am Paracelsus, Swiss alchemist, first named the Elementals. He said they were the “invisible counterparts of visible nature…inhabiting worlds of their own.” Each Elemental is engaged in the harmonies and functioning of the world. Sylphs (Air Elementals) are the presence of motion in the Cosmos, since they both advance and recede, expand and contract. According to Manly P. Hall, the noted occultist, Sylphs are the Mind Born, Storm Angels, Wind Born and Riders of the Night. Various occultists have said that the Muses are Air Elementals, since They gather around the mind of the dreamer and inspire them.
Air Elementals are involved with communication, creativity, and thought. At best, they are mercurial, since they are changeable, eccentric and mirthful. Light and playful, Sylphs can inspire wild but practical fantasies in people. Moreover, they will make the unknown known to those who wonder
Inhabiting mountain tops, Sylphs are the breezes that rustle the tree leaves and the gales that scour the land. Air Spirits such as Wind Knots control the weather. In China, the Chi Spirits will aid a family provided they live in an uncluttered home. (These Air Elementals need to move freely about.) Meanwhile, the Tengu of Japan are master sword fighters.
In the Twentieth Century, Gremlins (Sky Bogies) were sighted on airplane wings. Gremlins like to destroy planes, and will often chew through the metal. These Air Elementals can be a pilot’s worst nightmare. A noted Australian ace, Mark Sheldon observed that they were not figments of the imagination. He cautioned, “if you fly good, they (Gremlins) will treat you so.” Charles Lindberg wrote in his autobiography that his plane’s fuselage was filled with ghostly presences. He found them to be friendly. Famed aviator Ernest Gann believed that these Air Elementals were to balance the Ying and Yang in human life.
Some Air Elementals live around trees. Dryads appear as wispy lights flickering in older trees. Since they like to play among the leaves, the Greeks asked the Dryads to communicate with the Gods. Meanwhile Lesidhe live on tree branches as leaves to protect the trees from harm. They will mislead people since these Elementals dislike humans for chopping trees down. Furthermore, the Lunantisidhe will protect the blackthorn trees from people.
The Cardinal Winds have the authority of holding up the four quarters of the sky. Consistent engagement with them will provide the person with daily guidance. The Wind of the East governs the mind and mediates between the physical and spiritual worlds. Heading into the East Wind is a call to adventure. The Wind of the South is the wind of the emotions. While it is the wind of hope and harmony, the South Wind is the most difficult to navigate. The Wind of the West governs the body, and is a harbinger of death. It serves as the catalyst of the dark night of the soul. The Wind of the North is the wind of the spirit, acting as a gateway to the deeper spiritual realms. When the North Wind blows, it is a call for courage and patience.
Manly P. Hall said that Sylphs had much to do with the “Oracle of the Ancients.” In Dodona (Greece), the Oracle there would relay messages from Zeus. Priests revealed the will of the God from the whisperings of the leaves from a sacred oak. (Later, the oracles came from the sound of a gong.) Remaining active from the Fifth Century BCE to the Fourth Century CE, Dodona was a destination for oracle seekers.
Other forms of Air Divination (aeromancy) are many. Austromancy is listening to the wind or examining the direction of the wind for information. Chaomancy concerns seeing visions in the air. Nephomancy is divining by the clouds. Ask the Air Elementals a question and wait for an answer. The Sylphs will speak with winds or clouds to those who wonder.
It is difficult to pin down an Air Elemental. It is best to let them whisper in your ear. Wind chimes will entice them to come and sing to you. Taking a wind bath will help you feel them around you. Let the Air Elementals be free to roam and play.
Suggested Reading:
Renee Baribeau, “Winds of Spirit”
Alexandria Chauran, “Faeries and Elementals for Beginners”
Taylor Ellwood, “Walking with Elemental Spirits”
Manly P. Hall, “The Elements and Their Inhabitants”
