Healing with the Element of Fire by Jen Frey
Fire is one of the primal elements and needs to be balanced in our daily lives. Too much fire can show up as anger and volatility. Too little Fire can lead to depression and lack of desire for anything, especially life.
In various traditions, Fire corresponds to Passion, Creativity, Activity, the Courage to Act, the direction of South, the Sun, Volcanoes, Coyote, the colors Red and Orange, and Connection.
Balancing Internal Fire:
If you are feeling that your Fire is depleted, it is wise to look at areas where you may be overdoing your input. Are you working too much? Partying too much? Are you exercising excessively? Are you burning the candle at both ends? Or have you done this for a long time and now find it difficult to muster any energy? If you are answering yes to these, then you may consider how you can make adjustments in your life.
Simple Recommendations for increasing Fire:
Light a candle
Make a sacred Fire
Dance
Eat warming foods, especially ginger and cinnamon
Spend time in the Sun- (an abundant source of Fire)
Engage in an activity that increases your zest for life
Plants for Recovering the Inner Fire
Many plants are associated with the element of Fire. Two plant spirits that I work with are Saint John’s Wort (SJW) and Monarda (Bee Balm).
I see Monarda as lighting the spark of Fire when the internal flame is low. Each of our cells has a tiny light or fire in the center. When we are feeling strong, these fires are vibrant, they are in alignment, creating a beam of light and filling us with vitality. When we are depleted, our fires are running low and our light is fragmented (we often feel scattered). Monarda helps to rekindle these sparks, helping our fires ignite. She is exceptionally good at increasing our creativity, helping us feel invigorated again to follow our path and take action.
Saint John’s Wort can help ignite the internal fires. When you are feeling depressed you can call on the Spirit of Saint John’s Wort. There are two acupuncture points on the rib cage, Kidney 24 and Kidney 25, which are called “Spirit Burial Ground” and “Spirit Store House”. These are especially receptive to the brightening energy of SJW. You can find these points using the chart and ask SJW to go there, igniting you, adding fuel to your fire. I prefer to have my fingers on these points (which are often very sensitive) when I do this practice. You can put a few drops of SJW oil on the points, making sure to include both sides of the body, or over this whole area.
SJW also helps to seal an aura, repairing holes. Having holes in the aura contributes to feeling depleted and exhausted because our energy is leaking out, and we do not have a good protective barrier around us. Some causes of holes in the aura are radiation (including from cell phones and xrays), air travel, television, recreational--and sometimes pharmaceutical--drugs. To help seal the aura, I imagine SJW pouring light into my auric field and my body. I become so full of light that it is oozing out of me into my aura and my aura surrounds me with golden light from SJW.
Interestingly, both Saint John’s Wort and Monarda are used herbally to treat burns. As they brighten our lives, they help us to find balance with the element of fire.
