“If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.”
Steve Jobs
The fire element is a powerful life force that flows through every living creature and makes them come alive. It motivates us to live our lives and shows us the path we need to follow. The fire element is associated with our vision, giving us the energy of light and helping us see where we need to go, giving us the “fire in the belly.” In nature, fire heats things and consumes and transforms them. However, if not controlled, it can quickly become a destructive force that burns everything in its path. Fire sparks naturally in nature when dry branches rub together, lightning strikes or volcanoes erupt. Lightning strikes occur around 100,000 times daily on Earth, making it the most incredible natural fire generator.
The fire element has played a crucial role in human survival on this planet. By controlling fire, humans could move to colder areas and bring the warming fire with them. Fire also made it easier to heat food and water, making them safe from harmful bacteria and easier to digest. The sun, the most significant fire in our solar system, is closely linked to human survival as it keeps us warm and provides light for us to see our environment.
The element of fire exists in all living things and is responsible for Earth’s different and unique life forms. Although life might express itself differently in a bird, a flower, and a human, the life force is the same. Humans may have a more complex nervous system to express life, but it is ultimately just a more complicated expression of the same life force we share with all other living creatures. Each unique body expresses life in its own way, demonstrating the fire element’s transformational power.
THE TRANSFORMING AND RENEWING ELEMENT
To understand how the fire element works in ourselves, we can observe its behavior in nature. Fire is a pure source of power that can be fueled or dimmed, making it large or small. However, when fire becomes too intense, it can quickly spin out of control and consume everything in its path, transforming every substance into something else. On the other hand, too little fire can dampen and diminish life, leading to depression and a sense of meaninglessness. The fire element in our bodies operates similarly to a burning flame, flowing through us and manifesting our unique expression of life. A balanced fire allows the life force to be expressed freely without hindrance and diminishment. When your true nature is balanced, it can burn brightly for all to see.
Nature always seeks balance, but the fire element can quickly become imbalanced due to its powerful force. However, animals and plants express their life force naturally and harmoniously without hindering or diminishing their life force. Conversely, humans can quickly become frustrated, angry, or depressed, resulting in an unbalanced fire element. Fueled by too much frustration and anger, the fire burns out of control like a raging wildfire. On the other hand, if we don’t have enough fire in our lives, this can lead to a state of depression where we see no meaning in our lives. Sometimes, we might hold back our true selves because we fear being judged or criticized by others. Unlike humans, which have a complex biological system, this can create complex psychological issues that prevent us from being our authentic selves. Sunflowers, however, are a perfect example of expressing their life force freely without fearing being judged. They stand tall and proud among other flowers, without any trauma attached to them, and shine their life force freely and beautifully.
The element of fire has the power to transform and renew things in nature. Forest fires, although sometimes destructive, can be a natural and essential part of forest renewal in some areas. They can release important nutrients stored on the forest floor and allow new growth to flourish in the sunlight. Just like in nature, we can also experience transformation and renewal in our own lives through intense situations. Although these situations may be difficult and painful, they can lead us to new experiences and growth opportunities. The element of fire always leads us on an intense journey, but it illuminates the path we are meant to take and gives us the motivation to pursue it.
CONNECTING TO FIRE – YOUR SENSE OF SIGHT
The fire element is associated with your sense of sight. Vision helps you navigate and orient yourself in time and space and regulates your body’s sleep-wake cycle. Your eyes perceive light in your environment, which enables the body to know what time of day it is and function properly. When light enters your eyes, it is converted into electrical signals that are sent to your brain for processing. Your eyes are the only part of your body where light can enter and be detected.
The fire element relates to the light that enters your eyes and how it affects your nervous system. Your neural retinas, the only part of the brain located outside the skull, receive the light and inform your brain about the amount of light in your environment. This information then prompts physical changes in your body, such as making you feel alert or sleepy, depending on the amount of light. When we view sunlight and sunrise, our bodies produce certain chemicals that make us more alert and energized, giving a boost to our active life force. On the other hand, when we view sunlight around sunset, our bodies start to produce different chemicals that make us feel relaxed and sleepy. These changes occur automatically in our brains, even in the case of blind individuals who cannot perceive light. Our vision is so crucial to our bodies that our brains use 40-50 percent of their total space for it, which reveals the significant of light.
The light coming from the sun, which is the fire element, is an incredibly powerful force that significantly impacts your entire body. The light directly affects your nervous system and plays a crucial role in regulating your moods and awareness levels throughout the day. It also regulates your metabolism, dopamine levels, and pain threshold. This means that the light affects every single cell in your body!
BALANCING THE FIRE ELEMENT
The element of fire is a potent force that courses through every living being. When it flows through you in a balanced way, it can provide clarity and vision for the path ahead. This path becomes more apparent, defined, and free from shadows and distractions. You can increase your motivation and desires by fueling the fire element within yourself to pursue yours. However, it’s essential to balance the fire element so it doesn’t become too intense and consume you.
Wildfires can be unpredictable and terrifying. Fire is a destructive force that burns everything in its path, but it can also be exciting and comforting when appropriately contained, like a fireplace on a cold winter day. However, too much fire can be harmful, just like too much anger, passion, or enthusiasm can be destructive. We need to balance this powerful element in ourselves and our environment. A lack of fire can lead to depression and stagnation. Nature needs fire – the pure power that animates matter and produces life in all its forms.
To maintain a balanced fire element, we need to comprehend and manage it properly. Our planet is experiencing a temperature rise – both in terms of the physical environment and humans’ fiery frustration and anger. We observe outbursts of fire all around us as people search for ways to relieve the pressure. Heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, conflicts, and anger are consequences of an unbalanced fire element. Minimizing the damage this might cause is crucial, but we should also recognize that destructive fire is often necessary to bring about a renewal and a new way of life. Fire is a force that transforms one form into another – like the Phoenix rising from the ashes. Nature will always strive for balance, and we can hope that we won’t lose too much in the flames.