Lighting the Inner Fires

We continue our Autumn Blogs exploring how the natural elements of Fire and Water are actively involved with our psychological and spiritual paths.

We know from our growing spiritual awareness that, "As above, so below" - meaning that our physical world is a reflection of the Spiritual realms.  Everything here on Earth has a powerful counterpart in its original form, in higher vibrational realms that create the blueprint for the physical manifestation.  And it is the basic elements of fire, water, earth and air that are at the foundation and help us understand the processes of creation, formation, transmutation and destruction – of the physical world as well as with our internal psychological and spiritual worlds.

The elements operate at all levels, and in different ways. Starting with the most familiar realm, the Earth, let’s identify how the element of fire operates in our physical world.  We start by identifying its qualities, characteristics, abilities, and how it is experienced by our senses - sight, touch, smell, sound, and taste.  Descriptive words like hot, bright, flames, crackling and burn come easily to mind.  Then other words that commonly are associated include destructive or heat.  Yet another grouping includes types of fires such as cooking, bonfire, campfire, etc. ...or uses for fire such as melting, melding, soldering, or warmth.

A useful and interesting next step, is to pause here for a moment, and make your own list of words that come to mind for you personally, about fire.  This will help you gain a more meaningful understanding about how the element of fire operates in your life!  For some, this may include words like terrifying or romantic...dependent upon your own experiences.

It is from these basic lists that we begin to "play with fire" so to speak, to see how we dance with this powerful element psychologically and spiritually.  After you’ve completed your list let's develop an understanding of how the element of fire operates on the psychological level.  Use the list of words and phrases you created to see how they function in with your thoughts and emotions.  For example, ask yourself these questions:

How does my list of descriptive words (representing the element of fire) show up in my thoughts when I am creative?  How do these words describe my thoughts when I am forming new ideas? When I am changing, updating or transmuting old belief systems that are no longer useful?  When I am thinking negatively or destructively about myself, other people, or situations? In other words, using your word list, how are my thoughts and emotions "bright" or "burning"? How do my thoughts “melt” together within a team or partnership?  Or do I think destructive thoughts that keep me isolated or alone?  And then use the same process to understand your emotions...is my temper fiery like the fire of a spewing volcano?  Or is my heart full of warmth?  Am I often terrified or feeling a sense of danger?  ...you can begin to see how the element of fire plays a very active role!

Now let's have some fun and get creative! If, for example, you are feeling as though you have a cold heart...spend a few minutes each day "creating" a cozy, warm fire image in your heart by visualizing it there, and with your breath (the air element), breathing life energy into the image.  Or if you are feeling tense, tight muscles, or pain somewhere in your body, visualize a ball of warm sunlight right in the area of pain or tension. Allow yourself to hold your visualization in that area and use your active imagination to make the experience as real as possible. Play around with variations of this concept as you visualize differently through your days, have fun with it!  This is an example of the creative function of fire and over time, it penetrates into the tension or pain, bringing relief like a warm massage!  Or it transmutes the coldness of your heart, softens it and brings loving thoughts and emotions together in new form! This then becomes the bridge to the spiritual!  For Love carries a higher vibration and carries us into that vibration to marinate in it, soak it up, and bring us further on our spiritual journey!

Using a different example, suppose you found that your thoughts and descriptive words ran along the lines of terrifying, dangerous, or destructive.  And you could see that your emotions paralleled with intense fear or fiery anger.  The first step would be to notice where in your body you experience the sensations of these thoughts and feelings.  Perhaps there is a burning in your stomach, or an acid reflux or a feeling of waves of emotions moving through you much like the waves of heat coming off a fire.  Wherever you experience it, visualize the image of it right there, in that very physical part of your body.  Then remembering the functions of this fire element, again get creative with your active imagination and visualize a change...change the "burning" in your stomach into the burning of calories, or the "burning acid" of reflux as a release like the fizzes when opening a bottle of pop that quickly settles after releasing what had been pent up.  Focus on how quickly the fizz is gone and, over time, it can help your physical body adapt to a new energetic blueprint that you created!  Again, get creative...play with the images to find those that work for you!  Spend a few minutes each day over the next months, making changes and experience your thoughts and emotions changing subtly over time!

This introduction into the elements is only the beginning!  Our blogs and meditations expand on how to use the elements in other ways and in combination with the other elements giving you yet another way to co-create with the universal Spiritual realms, your most extraordinary life!

• May your fires burn brightly
• To bring warmth
• Dispel darkness
• Light a new way!

• Much Love and Many Blessings,
• Cheryl and Lynn