Air As an Elemental Force or Power

[Corvus]

In the western system of elements air is identified as a primary element. The elementals of Air are referred to as Slyphs. The Greeks identified air as being made of the concepts of "warmth" and "moisture". The Air is associated with air currents, clouds, the sky, lightning and weather. I would like to know of traditions which regard the elements as powers or gods and in which what the characteristics of an air god would be, include deities of the air and wind as well. It would appear that gods of wind are associated specifically to certain winds (the west wind or the north wind for example) and not with all wind, or with the sky. There seem to be precious few gods who are identified with air alone or all aspects of air.
What are the characteristics associated with air or the gods associated with air?
do you feel elements such as air go beyond being personified as deities to being all pervasive powers that make up fundamental structures in the world?
what symbols are associated with air or wind(aside from the triangle bisected by a line)
The last thing I've been wondering about has stumped me the most when searching for an explanations (or at least similar accounts). What is the compulsion to follow the wind? what could this mean and does it sound familiar to anyone?

Thank you in advance for any information that you can provide.

[Aeran]

Re: Air As an Elemental Force or Power

Here's a link to an article written about the elements from a hermetic perspective. It's pretty long, but very informative:

forums.vsociety.net/index.php/topic,5141.0.html

And here's what Franz Bardon had to say about Air:

4. The Principle of Air ~

Another element derived from akasa is that of air. Initiated people do not regard this principle as a real
element, but they will grant it the role of a mediator between the fiery and the watery principles, so that
the principle of air will, in a certain way, establish the neutral equilibrium, acting as a medium between
the active and the passive activities of water and of fire. Through the interaction of the active and passive
elements of fire and water the whole created life has become motion.

In its mediatorship the principle of air has assumed the quality of warmth from the fire and that of
humidity from the water. Without these two qualities any life would be inconceivable. These two
qualities will also grant two polarities to the airy principle, which means in the positive outcome the life-
giving polarity, and in the negative aspect the destructive polarity.

In addition to that let me say that the mentioned elements are not to be regarded as ordinary fire, water
and air which would solely represent aspects of the grossly material plane but in this case universal
qualities of all elements are concerned

[thalassa]

Re: Air As an Elemental Force or Power

Oh...you inspired me to finish the last of my blog posts on the elements...Not sure if its helpful or not

[Corvus]

Re: Air As an Elemental Force or Power

Oooh Thal you made my day with that. I love it! *bookmarks to read the rest of the series later* That did help to clarify a few things I had thought about and now I do feel i have a better understanding of why I feel drawn to air (and earth which seems... contradictory). I actually didn't realize that air was associated with spring most often.. I agree with you, I've always considered it a fall element and water a spring element. This is probably because of the autumnal thunderstorms we have in the area and a vaguely remembered wizardry for kids book I read years ago. I'm not sure if I agree totally with all the quotes but certainly helpful. Again I really loved this post, I'll probably read all the others about the elements soon. Finding a god that personifies air has been difficult and I've yet to find one beyond the Kemetic god Shu so I'll be sure to browse that list of wind and sky gods too.

[Riothamus12]

Re: Air As an Elemental Force or Power

Oh...you inspired me to finish the last of my blog posts on the elements...Not sure if its helpful or not

There's just one error here. In most traditions, blades are associated with air and the wand is fire. You see, the wand though not lit, evokes the image of the torch.

[thalassa]

Re: Air As an Elemental Force or Power

There's just one error here. In most traditions, blades are associated with air and the wand is fire. You see, the wand though not lit, evokes the image of the torch.

More an oversight than an error... Wands and blades are both associated with fire and air...and one's preference is largely personal.

[Corvus]

Re: Air As an Elemental Force or Power

More an oversight than an error... Wands and blades are both associated with fire and air...and one's preference is largely personal.

I've actually never heard of the association of wands with fire. Everything I've read makes them to be air symbols. Same with blades and fire due to the double nature of fire and blades.

[thalassa]

Re: Air As an Elemental Force or Power

I've actually never heard of the association of wands with fire. Everything I've read makes them to be air symbols. Same with blades and fire due to the double nature of fire and blades.

I don't consider them that way...its never been an association I felt was useful in terms of my belief, but I've stumbled across it from time to time.

[Aeran]

Re: Air As an Elemental Force or Power

The air/fire wand/dagger thing is a contentious issue, the correlations can vary from tradition to tradition.