AN ORGANIC LOOK AT ONE ASPECT OF FIRE by Richard Llewellyn

As you read this article, you are invited to imagine three different kinds of camp fire.

First there is the Aries fire with its Cardinal energy which is motivated to action. At the centre of this fire there is initially no stability, no heart, and to keep it burning there is a continual need to be "feeding" on new things to burn, so plenty of fresh twigs and small branches are demanded. Anything too big may be indigestible until the fire has had a chance to really get going. The energy generated flares up with great creativity and many sparks, so beware those who get too close! And there is a real passion in this burning process which can create extremes of joy or depression, love or hate, anger or calm acceptance.

Without being totally fed with new things to burn there may be a risk of this fire going out, and continual application of water may ultimately extinguish the flames completely. So part of the growth process of the Aries fire is to use the energy which it generates to create its own centre - a core of light and heat which not only gives it stability but also acts as a beacon of strength for others. As with all fire, Aries responds positively to a breeze, although too fierce a gale may blow it out, and it also appreciates burning on a firm piece of earth, though where this exists it may well be taken for granted. Unlike the other two kinds of fire, the Aries fire is self-motivated in that, initially at least, it burns for its own sake

Fire energy is impulsive and intuitive, and lurking in its shadow is the rational thinking of Air. Hiding in the shadow of the Aries fire is Libra and the message that it carries is the need for unity and contact, rather than just a focus on "self".

The Fixed Sign of Leo is a different kind of fire. It appreciates some stones around it to hold it in place and at its very heart there is a glowing log which is difficult to extinguish, so this fire has a great inner strength. It suffers from a fear that if people don't come and enjoy its warmth and dancing flames, and feed it with sticks to burn, it will go out. So it has to attract people around it to fulfil its needs. It is a generous fire and is happy to boil a pot of water or fry a sausage for anyone who asks. But be sure to ask!

The danger is in attracting too a big a crowd because if this happens the fire may be fed with too much combustible material, get out of hand, set fire to surrounding grass and woodland and threaten such damage that either the Fire Brigade is called out to extinguish the blaze, or it will finally burn out its own heart. The Leo fire has to learn to live contentedly with its inner heart, staying within boundaries without feeling a need be a spectacular blaze, and willingly and creatively serving those who can benefit from its energy. The shadow of Leo lies in the sign of Aquarius which emphasises Leo's need to ground its creative imagination and use it for the benefit of others.

Finally the evasive, Mutable Sagittarian fire searching for enlightenment in its own flickering flames. Fire was one of the earliest of mankind's benefits; it lights, it warms, it cooks and it can destroy. In the nature of fire, Sagittarius is capable of doing all these things. Like Aries it can be a sparky fire, creating excitement and joy, but occasionally, and usually unintentionally, the sparks can fly and burn those who gather around it.

Although, like Leo, it wants to light up what it imagines as the darkness of other people's lives, the Sagittarian fire is continually searching for new ways in which it can take energy, in the form of skills, knowledge and wisdom, to those who gather around it. It'll cook your meals for you, but not too many of them because it tends to get bored with the same routine and it really doesn't like to be confined for too long so it won't always want to stay where you lit it.

It likes to move around in search of new stimulation and it can run in rivulets of fire setting light to the grass around it in its search for something new to burn in its expanding process of creating more energy. It is true that this may be an escape from the tedium of being stuck in one place, but at its heart what the Sagittarian fire really wants to do is to create more centres of love, light and warmth for those who hold out their hands to them.

The shadow lies in Gemini, a Sign that uses its mental agility to juggle many balls in the air at the same time. Sagittarius has to integrate logical mind in order to ground some of those expansive fiery excesses

Back to Articles