Fire 

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You are a being capable of infinite creation and destruction; a being of birth, death, and rebirth. Of fiery passions which ignite the soul, and of the light of awareness within the dark of nothingness. Your body renews and regenerates itself constantly. You are the fire in your belly; the result of your passions, the creative source of and for yourself and the co-creator of your reality.  Because fire energy both creates and destroys, it shows us the value of being both creator and destroyer at the same time. In understanding what fire teaches us; that there are no finite things and that everything changes constantly, we understand that the fire within us is continuous, everlasting, and transformative. 

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Candle meditation on fire energy and its power to transform

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Fire is action, movement, and the breaking of inertia. Without a strong connection to our inner fire we can remain stuck in the stagnation and struggle of passivity.

 

The transformative power of fire can be harnessed to take what you already have and make it into so much more in the same way that fire transforms matter into heat, light and energy.

 

Light a candle.

Let your gaze rest upon the flame.

Find a comfortable seat

Back straight 

Chest open

Spine long

Shoulders back and broadened

Crown of the head lifting weightlessly upwards

Feel your spine lengthening, creating space between each vertebrae. 

Breathe through the nose. Connect to the rise and fall of your breath

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As you gaze into the transformational flame of the candle, immerse yourself in the energy of fire.

Bring the life of that flame into the centre of your being, letting it ignite at your solar plexus. With each inhale of breath, watch the flame grow a little brighter within you until it fills your whole being, extending beyond your physical body and all around you. 

Now ask that the fire you are immersed in burns the things that no longer serve you, the beliefs, attitudes, relationships, ideas, experiences, memories, or perceptions which you need to let go of, turning them to ashes and letting them float away. What have you been carrying with you that weighs you down? What is holding you back? Remembering always that some things must be let go of many times before we are truly free of them. 

Fire teaches us that true power comes from easefully allowing transformation and letting go gracefully, not from fighting, forcing, and dominating. 

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Fire is warmth, light in the darkness, protection, cleansing, the fuel of passion, and the creative spark. Fire is the Phoenix rising from the ashes and the renewal of new growth from what has been destroyed. It is the life-giving sun and the source energy of life. Fire is constant change and motion as it transforms and transmutes all it touches; it is alchemy in action. 

A life without fire is a life of dullness and stagnation; a fruitless, lacklustre existence. Fire can give life to all things, however, the destructive transformational energy of fire must be harnessed positively so that it does not become a parching and all-consuming inferno desolating everything in its path.

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Drinking the sunlight

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To feel the manifestations of fire, go out on a sunny day and feel the warmth and light of the sun. Feel the sunlight with all the senses and experience it fully. The benefits of being outside in the sun are vital to health and fulfilment. Sunlight makes us happy, it helps us to produce vitamin D and serotonin, can improve sleep through hormonal regulation, and is beneficial for the health of the skin.

Bask in the sunlight, allow it to cleanse your being and nourish your soul.

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The act of making fire sacred through smoke and smudging is an ancient, ordinary and yet ritual practice. Fragrant, cleansing, and medicinal smoke has been used by humans for many thousands of years. The use of smoke, or smudging, as part of everyday ritual is a manifestation of fire energy and its ability to cleanse, clear energetic space, renew, and is made as an offering to the element of fire. 

The destructive aspect of fire should not be seen as negative. Natural forest fires, for example, are beneficial to their environment, clearing away underbrush and awakening seeds lying dormant inside the Earth to burst forth into new life. In the same way, if we can use the destructive element of fire to inspire renewal and growth and to clear away the things that are holding us back then we can go forth in a new way, rising from the ashes of that which has been destroyed. In a smudging ceremony, we are harnessing the transformative power of fire to turn our herbs into smoke which cleanses and clears our spaces, our air, and our energetic bodies.

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Smudging ceremony 

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Mugwort is my main herb of choice for this practice. This magical herb helps us connect with nature, aids in lucid dreaming, cleanses, and protects. When harvesting and making smudge sticks it is good practice to offer thanks to the plants and to the Earth. Set the intention for cleansing or clearing space and ask permission to harvest and use the plant in this way. Be sure to respect any answer you may receive. 

Smudging ceremony.

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The act of making fire sacred through smoke and smudging is an ancient, ordinary and yet ritual practice. Fragrant, cleansing, and medicinal smoke has been used by humans for many thousands of years. The use of smoke, or smudging, as part of everyday ritual is a manifestation of fire energy and its ability to cleanse, clear energetic space, renew, and is made as an offering to the element of fire. 

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The destructive aspect of fire should not be seen as negative. Natural forest fires, for example, are beneficial to their environment, clearing away underbrush and awakening seeds lying dormant inside the Earth to burst forth into new life. In the same way, if we can use the destructive element of fire to inspire renewal and growth and to clear away the things that are holding us back then we can go forth in a new way, rising from the ashes of that which has been destroyed. In a smudging ceremony, we are harnessing the transformative power of fire to turn our herbs into smoke which cleanses and clears our spaces, our air, and our energetic bodies.

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If you intend to make your own bundles then harvest fragrant herbs like lavender, garden sage, thyme, mugwort, rose, or chamomile. Allow the herbs to dry for a day or two before forming into small bunches and wrapping a few times around at the base with a natural string. Once your base is secured you can wrap up the bundle and then back down again, so the herbs are bound together. Allow this bundle to dry for at least a few weeks before using it. You can of course use commercially available herb bundles for this ceremony, but it really is best to use local, abundant herbs. There are many responsible sellers of herb bundles for this purpose. 

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Mugwort is my main herb of choice for this practice, and often makes up the bulk of my bundles. This magical herb helps us connect with nature, aids in lucid dreaming, cleanses, and protects. When harvesting and making smudge sticks it is good practice to offer thanks to the plants and to the Earth. Set the intention for cleansing or clearing space and ask permission to harvest and use the plant in this way. Be sure to respect any answer you may receive. 

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For the smudging ceremony. Collect the things you will need, your herb bundle, a lighter or matches, a fire-proof bowl. I also like to open the windows of my house and sweep the floors to allow the space to be more fully cleansed during the ceremony. 

Sit quietly for a few minutes and set the intention to cleanse your space, ask that the herbs you will burn will assist you in this cleansing and purification ritual. When you are ready, light the end of the bundle, holding the bound base. Allow the flames to ignite the herbs until they are smouldering. You can then place the smoking bundle into the bowl to prevent falling ash. Blow on your bundle to create more smoke if the smoulder is waning.

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Now move around your space with your smouldering herb bundle, allowing the smoke to cleanse all corners and nooks, all open spaces and objects. As you do so remember your intention to cleanse the space and your request to the herbs and to the power of fire and smoke for assistance. 

Once you have cleansed the whole of your space then place your bundle down and again sit quietly for a few minutes, noticing the difference in the energy of your space.

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Journaling exercise

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How does the element and energy of fire affect the mind, how does it affect the body? What do you feel when you consciously engage with your fire, your passion, and the element of fire? 

What aspects of creation and destruction are you grateful for? How can gratitude for this element and all it represents inform your practice of connection and transformation? 

What ways will you connect with fire? What will you assimilate into your daily practice of connection, gratitude and reverence for life?

Write in your journal the experience of these observations.