(6) Vayu / Air (Duration 4)
Vayu is that which arises from the void, from the blackness of space that is akasha. It arises because of excitement, and it is thus the current that powers the spiraling of the elements within nature even while it remains formless. Each part of manifest creation is made up of the elements in different proportions, and vayu provides the creative turning, fast or slow, that propels the combinations into actuality. Vayu is also simply the wind that caresses us gently. It is too the tingles we feel on our skin every time we are reminded of a lover’s touch, and it is the life-force energy that carries us more deeply into the body, the means we have through which to know and experience the world.
Vayu is a sweet shaper of our intentions and a guide toward our dreams. Through vayu, we know the feel of the world. In our creation process, vayu is a time of heightened intuition, of flowing thoughts and ideas, of increased potentials for success, of heartfelt connections and of constant change. Because things may seem to be moving along quickly now and variance is a key part of the journey here, it is a good time for reflection on the patterns of our lives. As you meet others and interact in and with the world, stay focused and present to the constancy of your commitment despite the challenges of flightiness and diffusion that vayu can bring. As you sense the winds of change, allow the tingles of vitality you feel—vayu’s reminder of engagement—to enliven your efforts toward moves that best serve your creative process.
Reflection: What is it that distracts me or makes me lose focus? Do I need help or assistance now to stay on track with my efforts, centered in myself, nourished, and feeling vital?
Ritual: Find your breath. Take time to pause and be present for the thrill of the moment. You are alive and the world is turning. The moon, sun, and stars are all waiting. Open yourself now in a stance of gratitude and humbleness, awe and yearning, to the potentials that lay head. Allow prana—the vital energy carried on vayu—to fill you as you breathe. Send the breath from the tip of your toes to the crown of your head and back down again, relaxing into every cell of your being so that the vital airs that sustain you provide deep cleansing . As you perform this exercise, you may also wish to chant (silently or aloud) vayu’s seed mantram, YAM (pronounced yuh’-m). Use this seed syllable to get into those hard-to-reach places.
(7) Agni / Fire (Duration 6)
Increasing vibration next gives rise to perceptible light. Light shines through the darkness of the causal and then the subtle realm, giving us entry to new frontiers. It is at once static and traveling, particle and wave, here and there. Agni, or fire, is the awakening of light in this world, and it is a defining force. We welcome in this phase of the birthing mystery with an important recognition of wonder, as well as of the small self and its impact. This is relevant especially now because as we are able to discern by the power of sight selected forms arising from the energy put forth in the last phase by vayu, our spirits are moved and simultaneously, even more than before, we know a distinct “I.” The difference between us and the world seems to expand; if left unattended, ego can take center stage.
Other challenges are to be found here as well, such as anger and resentment. Agni’s light generates warmth, and this heat can fire up tempers. Mindful then of the challenges brought with the arrival of agni, we can harness the gifts offered to diligent travelers. Clairvoyance, for example, is among them. But whether extrasensory or pedestrian, the offerings of agni are all magnificent tools in the work of shaping destiny. Our ability here to put into our crucible the variety of boons bestowed and cultivated this far in the journey serves to render us humble and free—for we must remember that they are not our gifts alone.
Agni both consumes and radiates, all the while transforming, catalyzing and sparking something new. A guide into the darkness of our personal shadow, agni offers an opportunity now to move into and out of your pain, sorrow, fear, hatred, jealousy and rage. Allow the burning to cleanse and anoint yourself with the ashes. There is more than meets the eye to this phase of the journey.
Reflection: Who am I that gives rise to this creation? Am I the same person I was when I started? What has transformed, seen increase, or seen burning away?
Ritual: The yantra or sacred diagram associated with agni is a red downward pointing triangle. In embodied purification practice, it is situated between the heart and navel. At each point of the triangle, there are bhupura, or gates. Either seated or laying down, visualize this yantra within your own body. Now, imagine the ingredients of your life that have been with you since the beginning of this voyage as grains of sand filling it. Just as the filling completes, the yantra begins turning clockwise, gradually getting faster and faster. At the climax of the spinning, the bhupura open and grains are flung out, but not all. The ones that remain are the building blocks of your looking glass. Take time to see and reflect on whatever you put into the mix that lingers. Look deeply into that mirror and take in the gaze of the one who looks back.
(8) Apas / Water (Duration 8)
From time to time now, the structure of our creation has hints of borders, for in apas we find a perfect balance of order and chaos. Here, our excitement rises as the container is filled. The cells of our body feel the quickening. Although we realize things are not yet set or settled, we are readying. Our work is ripening and we anticipate the juiciness. We can almost taste it.
Apas is an element that can feel intimate. It is the stuff of our blood, our tears, our sex, our secretions. It is the fluid of life and in this sense, the magic of creation on Earth. Without water, nothing would be possible. Apas therefore tells us to soak, not bathe, and to make ablutions, not wash. It reminds us to play in fountains and slurp down rainbows. It says that if we wish to gain clarity, then we must cleanse and purify; that is, harmonize inner and outer reality .To do this, we must listen to the small voice inside that comes from a marrying of head and heart.
Apas here in this phase of our journey pervades everything, and consciously or unconsciously, we drink it in.
A time of heightened creativity and imagination, apas opens us to potentials for laughter, love, delight and healing. It invites us to listen to our intuition, for it may have meaningful messages. But at the same time that we feel a bounty of divine blessings, apas asks that we begin to feel the edges of practical concerns. For example, have we planted enough and tended enough, watered enough and weeded enough, to realize a good harvest? This is the time to balance fluidity with a measure of confinement such as the setting of goals and establishment of guidelines. Therefore, find the edges of your stream, and knowing the beauty of its source, seek to navigate safely toward its conclusion.
Reflection: Where do I flow and not resist? Where do I resist and wish to flow? Can I surrender as a stick upon a river to the currents of life while still surely placing footfalls on the path?
Ritual: Gather beads or make some of your own. Collect charms and amulets from broken bracelets and necklaces that have sat in boxes or drawers for years. Meditate on the gifts they brought you when actively worn, and on the ways they might serve you now. Gather these energies to you and consider a new piece of jewelry or altar adornment. String it together and let magic flow. Alternatively, make soup. Cut your favorite vegetables into chunks, add broth and seasoning, stir, simmer and let sit for thirty minutes before eating. In other words, find a way to nourish yourself soon.
Leave a Reply