Fire has the ability to transform and purify. It symbolizes power, protection and passion. It is a medium for conveying messages and offerings heavenward. Fire invokes the twin aspects of warmth and light. In alchemy fire is the central element, unifier and stabilizer. Fire is inspiration. Optimistic, cheerful, vital, straightforward, extraverted, impressive, and confident are meanings Fire brings in an astrological interpretation to the personality.
The flame has come to signify a spirit which illuminates and transcends. A flaming sword which turns, guards the entrance to the Garden of Eden from the East. Some speculate that it symbolizes the sacrifice that must be made in order to reenter the Garden, surrender of the ego that believes itself separate from Gd.
In traditional Chinese medicine, Fire corresponds to the season of Summer. Everything is in bloom and begins to bear fruit. The earth is full. To this system, the same processes occur simultaneously in thought, experience, body and emotion. The Heart is one of the main organs associated with the season in the ancient healing science of accupuncture. Classical sources say the heart is the root of "life and causes the versatility of the spiritual faculties".(1)
It is joy and happiness that are the bounty of this time, but the key is to find balance. The emotion of joy in excess is as destructive as an excess of anger. Fire is our warmth. It is our ability to make connections and relationships with one another. An imbalance of Fire in the emotional sphere of a person will affect one's relationships. Interestingly, the power that Fire grants us, is the capacity for sadness and grief.
Laughter is the sound of Fire.
Some practical advice for the Season of Fire, ask yourself what gives me joy? Think about what working from the heart means for you. Eat bitter tasting vegetables like spinach and watercress. Enjoy some dark chocolate, black coffee and red wine. Bitter feeds your Fire. Acknowledge your losses. Only then can you experience the depth of your Joy!
Sources
"Mood and Movement" a catalogue of Himmelreich's Dance Photographs from The Museum of Israeli Art, 1936-61 "Fire," Gertrude Kraus, early 1940's
"Acupuncture, Energy Balancing for Mind, Body and Spirt" by Peter Mole
"Traditional Acupuncture, The Law of the Five Elements" by Dianne M Connelly, PhD (1)
"Meridians" Vol 6, No 2 Summer 1999 - the Magazine for TAI, Traditional Acupuncture Institute
"An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Traditional Symbols" by JC Cooper
"The Secret Language of Symbols" by David Fontana
