Elemental Air & Fire

'dancing' with seasonal energy

Air is the element for spring. Fire, the element for summer.¹

And this week, we are in that dynamic transition between the two (and experiencing the Strawberry Full Moon), which might explain the fog and agitation I have been experiencing, which may have called in the spirit of this monster appearing in a puddle near my studio...Why am I seeing monsters?²

But what if it’s not a monster at all, but a friendly dragon that has been frightened by all that is going on in the world right now…and is revealing itself because it is scared and wants to feel safe, like me.

These images are turbulent and in motion, like my heart, racing, keeping me alive with every breath…and yet there are moments when it can be hard to breathe.

Throughout the spring, I’ve been exploring how to photograph air, to capture the essence of this extra-ordinary, ordinary part of our lives.³

How can I reveal the power of breath, the airy spaces between and the deep connections that air facilitates?

At the same time, how do I reconcile all that is good and beautiful about air with pollution, smoke haze from wild fires and extreme weather events caused by the motion of air?

Shadowland, Photos by Lyn Swett Miller

I breathe and keep showing up, again and again…

…and notice that even a broken web is, in fact, whole, because the natural order calls for things to fall apart and things to rebuild, for ongoing transformation and renewal.

During the kinship practice group I participated in this spring⁴, I started to explore what it feels like to hold this dichotomy of brokenness and wholeness in my heart…

…knowing that when we allow the elements to converge and play together in balance, there is such abundant beauty.

Today, for example, was stunning. It was clear, the temperature just right and there was a strong breeze that made the trees around our new home dance in such a way that the walls came to life.

And although I usually photograph looking down, my gaze turned up and out and I felt the joy of air and fire/light playing together, calling me outside.

In our new garden, shadows from the crabapple trees invited me to stand firm, to gaze at the round stepping stone, like a full moon, and to honor the bare sandy earth waiting for attention.⁵

Stepping Stone & New Ground, Photos by Lyn Swett Miller

During this turbulent time, when our President is disregarding the law and acting like a dictator, we have to remain grounded in place, connected with all the elements of air, fire, water and the earth herself.

When in that stance, try dancing with the trees and the light and the energy from above and below. My hunch is that if more of us lean into these connections, we will be able to give out and receive back the love, beauty and humor necessary to offset the current hate and anger radiating from our nation’s capital.

And as I say to anyone who will listen, we can always look to the compost pile for inspiration, for in those messy buckets lie the ingredients for the creation of nutrient rich compost that nourishes the soil and the soul.⁶

With gratitude for you being you,

Lyn

Lilly in Action Photos by Lyn Swett Miller

PS - - In the midst of it all, this flyer hungrily hung out in our rhododendron blooms. I have to admit that I’m missing our old garden these days (more on that in the coming weeks), but an filled with joy when I see creatures great and small enjoying what we are creating in our new space.

1. Between Winter (in the Northern Hemisphere) Equinox 2025 (March) and Winter equinox 2026, the Kinship Photography Collective is exploring what it means to live an ‘elemental life’ in relationship with the elements, air, fire, water and earth.

Although we are basing this sequence on the Celtic wheel of the year, there are many ways to explore and define the different energies that flow throughout the year.

We are just finishing our exploration of the element Air and Last night we had our final ‘circle back’ for the practice group I’ve been participating in called Bodies Connected by Air, facilitated by Frances Bukovsky.

2. Well, let’s see. If you live in the United States and care about and respect our democratic system, our current President’s dictatorial behavior might inspire visions of monsters…

3. The Bodies Connected by Air practice group went for five weeks between April 24 and May 22.

4. See footnotes #1 and #2.

5. Most of the soil around our condo is fill, a mix of rocks and sand and some dirt, but nothing all that nutritious. We’ve been sheet mulching (laying cardboard beneath the mulch) and amending the space with local soil and compost. We have lots more to go.

6. I’m in the process of re-framing my narrative to focus my work on motivational speaking and collaborating with Junction Arts & Media in White River Junction to help me create a 2-3 minute promo-video. To prepare for this, I watched all the talks I’ve given in the past year…and have to say, it was inspiring. Stay tuned for more about this evolution!