Originally as I was writing this post, it was about practices that involved the use of candles, however the more I got to thinking the more apparent it became to me that spell work involving candles can’t truly be expounded upon without a rudimentary understanding of the incandescent force we know as fire. Much like our journal post that breaks down and describes the properties of water, this entry on fire will be following more or less the same format. My goal as I write these journal posts is to give each and every one of you who visits our small corner of the web, the opportunity to partake in what is becoming a digital book of shadows, or a tool for both the novice and the experienced to be able to reference at any point during their journey.
The Basics of Fire:
Fire is an unruly element, its very nature is highly unpredictable, dangerous even, and with the proper understanding/fire safety protocols, this unique force is an excellent tool to add to your arsenal, and though it can share similar applications to water there are some key differences that I think should be noted.
Properties of Fire:
What is the first word you think of when you think about fire? If some of these words crossed your mind, you're on the right track:
- Passion
- Destruction
- Courage
- Bright/Illuminating
- Active
- Fast
- Inspiring
So though fire may be fast acting it can also be difficult to direct because of that, it differs greatly from water in this sense in that water naturally wants to assume whichever form you put it into. Unlike water, fire cannot be put in a cup, fire needs space, oxygen, and some kind of flammable material to stay alive, and it can easily be snuffed or put out if not properly managed. Add all of this together and you have a surprisingly tricky element to tame, however this should not dissuade you away from using the properties of fire in your spellwork.
How to give Fire Direction:
So, we now know fire can be a bit fickle to work with, meaning naturally your next question will be how to channel or tame the flame. There are a few ways this can be done, and neither way is better than the other; it's simply going to come down to which method is going to work best for you. Firstly, and this requires a bit of common sense, what is it you are trying to ignite, is it paper? Something in a cauldron? A candle? Etc. Depending on what medium you are choosing to summon your fire through will determine in some ways the means by which you go at giving the flame direction/purpose, but a general rule of thumb still applies in that you must have strong intentions because fire is highly reactive, if there is uncertainty within your practice that fire will pick up on that. If there is doubt, the fire will pick up on that too.
It must be getting quite redundant to hear me drill the importance of having clear set intentions in our spellwork, but it is something that I will continue to drill, as I’ve observed in my practices and the practices of others that a spell is always more potent if we have a clear set purpose for what it is we desire, and because fire is so highly reactive it responds nearly instantaneously to wherever the spellcaster is mentally or physically. In this way fire is a mimic of our deepest wants and needs, hence the saying “flames of desire”, because fire is so passionate it easily connects to our innermost needs and can often act as the spark, we need to further ourselves in our practice.
How to imbue our Spellwork with Fire:
Fire can assist us in so many ways, and similar to how water cleanses and heals fire can also act as a purifier, but in a much more aggressive sense. Whereas water is the nurturer, fire is the motivator and if there are any places in your life where you feel stuck or uninspired, fire is an excellent tool to reignite you or clear away old habits.
Fire symbolizes the naturally occurring drive that is within all of us and is famously the element that changed the course of human history forever. Think of the tale of Prometheus in which he gave man fire, symbolizing our spark and need for ingenuity. Fire is an ingenious element and there are so many ways we can channel it through our spell work. For instance, if you're someone who loves to cook or bake, using fire to enhance your food is an excellent way to make use of its abundant properties, and it's often considered by many in our community that cooking was some of the first magic that humans began to engage in.
Utilizing the essence of fire through the sun, which can be done by simply basking in a few sun rays or doing spell work on particularly sunny days is another albeit more subtle way to invoke fire without having to ignite anything. Our crystals can also be cleansed in direct sunlight in the same way our physical bodies, and it’s keen to note in this way that fire can also act as a cleanser in a similar sense to water.
Conclusion:
The main points I want to leave you with is that by tapping into the element of fire in our spell work we can essentially speed up results and more easily clear away or reignite habits within us that we wish to leave behind or carry forward, and though fire can be a destructive element it can also aid us in revealing what we no longer need to carry forward. In this sense, fire can often help us shed the parts of ourselves that are heavy and weighed down to reveal the spark of something new. This is especially helpful if you're someone who works in a creative field and often struggles to find that stroke of inspiration to push you forward. Spiritually fire represents our inner drive, and it's the part of ourselves that allows us to push and persevere through the unknown, so if there comes a time in your practice or in your daily life where you feel stagnant or uninspired it may be time to sit down and feed the fire within you to get you moving forward in your day to daydreams and aspirations.
