Passion. Anger. Industry. Inspiration. Fire devours what’s green and growing, leaving ash behind. From that ash, new life and growth quickens. Fire can warm and protect a home as well as destroy entire towns. Fire flickers and dances, kindling the imagination, hypnotizing us with its movement. Fire is associated with both the profane and the sacred in more than one religion. Dragons breathe fire, destroying many a fantasy landscape while salamanders embody its elemental power. Many a weapon is forged in fire. Food is cooked over flames, flames which transform its flavor. Concoctions such as tea and coffee are created by heating up water.
I fear fire, yet I cannot live without it. It’s water’s counterpart, its opposite. I’m still struggling to grasp its various meanings in myth, finding it appear in various forms.
I light candles when I pray, when I make a wish. I often find magic takes on a form involving fire, air, and color in stories.
What about you, dear reader? What does fire mean to you?