Air corresponds to the mental plane, to the intellect, and when our intellect is darkened we must try to find out where this darkness comes from. In nature, clouds are formed by the water vapour rising from the surface of lakes, rivers and oceans. Water represents the astral plane, the heart and feelings, and when evaporation is too heavy, that is to say, when a person has allowed themself to be dominated by their sentimentality and emotions, clouds begin to gather within them and block out the sun.

What should they do when this happens? The very first thing they have to understand is that they should purify their inner atmosphere, his sky, their air. Instead of passively accepting the grey sky, they should concentrate so as to break up and scatter the clouds or rise above them, to where the sky is a clear, bright blue. Most human beings never think of moving into a different region; they are content to wallow in their misery and wait for the conditions themselves to change. Is it any wonder that the clouds remain?

There is no reason why these conditions should remain for years and years. Whereas a disciple tells the clouds, `It is all the same to me if you are there or not, because I am going to go up above you.’ And up they go. No one can stop them, and once up there above the clouds, they find bright sunshine. In other words, when you rise above your trials and tribulations, above all those things that worry you and make you unhappy, you can always find the Lord. He is always there, high up above you, and it is up to you to seek him out. You must not just sit and wait. Do something to find him and draw closer to him.

When you sense that clouds of negative thoughts are beginning to pile up and overshadow your faith or love, and blind you to the glory of God, the splendour of the teaching, or the merits of your instructor, then it is time to concentrate and project the purest rays of light in the direction of these clouds. You will soon see that they begin to disappear, leaving your sky clearer, purer and brighter, and your heart will be filled with gratitude to heaven. There. These were just a few things I wanted to say to you to stimulate you to work better and better.

It is by means of thought that one rises above the clouds. Thought is like a rocket or a beam of light. You can focus it on a given point – the source of life, the eternal sun, your inner centre, or the Lord himself – and within a few minutes it will pierce the clouds, however thick they may be, and you will find yourself up above, bathed in crystal-clear light.

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov
Complete Works Volume 10. The Splendour of Tiphareth – The Yoga of the Sun