Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard

72 Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard

Lesson 7: Fire

I am the Fire around you

I am the spark of life within you

I am the flame burning through you

I am all that I am!

—Abbi Spinner

Fire has always held a special fasci-

nation for us, since our ancestors first mas-

tered its use, setting our first foot on the road to be-

coming human. Fire meant not only warmth and light,

but also the difference between life and death. Fire

plays a special role in the relationship between man

and the Otherworlds, between inner and outer reality.

Fire is an Elemental force of Nature, but it is also the

natural bridge between the worlds, linking the natu-

ral and the supernatural, the sacred and the mundane.

In our modern world, Fire is everywhere. It drives

our cars, gives us electricity, and propels our planes.

It is the central active principle in our world of com-

bustion and incandescence. Light, directly related to

Fire, is becoming more and more the basis of our com-

munication networks. In magickal symbolism, Fire

stands for movement, action, release of energy, and

transformation. It has been said that Fire is locked in

wood; hence trees, wands, or sticks represent its po-

tential. The power of Fire is to burn, to consume, to

radiate heat and light. Transformation comes in real-

izing that something can rise like the Phoenix from

the ashes of its self-consummation. Thus Fire can act

as an agent of transformation in ourselves and soci-

ety. Fire is a good place to burn away your anger and

problems, and help improve your personal energy. The

heat of Fire can be associated with qualities like pas-

sion, ardor, fervor, intensity. Through the action of

light and radiance, these qualities can be transmuted

to a higher octave of themselves as compassion, car-

ing, commitment, intention, purpose, and resolve.

In my personal journey through the Elements,

Fire has been a very important part. I can use flint

and steel, a firebow, or a magnifying glass to light a

fire without matches. I have built more campfires than

I can count and learned to cook various meals over

them. I have learned how all the different kinds of

wood burn. Every Winter Solstice it is my task to build

and light the Yule fire. I have also fought forest fires

that burned on the land where I lived for many years.

And in making ceramic sculptures, I have worked with

the intense fires of the pottery kiln. I have also walked

barefoot over burning coals in several different tradi-

tions of firewalking—but I warn you not to try this

without expert supervision of an experienced teacher!

Quest: The Fires of Transformation

(by Farida Ka’iwalani Fox)

Whenever you find yourself deeply con-

cerned over something, resolutely deter-

mined to follow a course of action, com-

mitted to a cause, or making and carrying

out decisions, you can assume that the Fire

Element is at work in your life. Frequently

you may see Fire manifesting as anger,

and you are frightened by the uncontrol-

lable behavior that can result in irretriev-

able loss. It is helpful to remember that one

purpose of angry feelings is to impel you to take

action, to move out of a bad situation.

On the other hand, you may feel passive and in-

different about people and events. Boredom and cold-

ness may seem to be your major responses to life. In

this case, Fire is lacking, and while seeking it out,

you may also want to consider that there may be a

core of deep hurt at your center that has caused you

to dampen down your inner Fire. At other times, you

may be consciously aware of personality traits you

would like to change. You may find yourself plagued

with envy or jealousy, frequently tormented by fears,

indecision, and anxiety. The glacial quality of depres-

sion may have frozen the heat of anger (and life as

well) into a bleak and meaningless inner landscape.

At these times, how may Fire serve you? How

may you invoke the presence of this Element into your

life in a safe yet intimate manner? Assuming you have

access to a fireplace or open fire pit, make an appoint-

ment with the spirit of Fire. Lay in your tinder and

wood for burning with care (see following: “Build-

ing the Campfire”). This fuel is the nourishment you

provide for feeding the fire. You would do the same

for any other creature committed to your care. When

you are ready to ignite the materials, think for a mo-

ment of the miracle that is about to happen. With the

strike of a match, the flame will spring into being.

You may want to greet the flame with a blessing, such

as “Blessed be, thou creature of Fire.” Watch as the

little salamanders eagerly lick the meal you have pre-

pared for them. Observe the nature of Fire as it gains

strength and crackles merrily—or snaps angrily. Imag-

ine that the popping and snapping is a form of com-

munication. What might Fire be saying to you? Tell

the Fire your deepest secrets, your hidden desires and

passionate longings. Watch the directions of the danc-

ing flames. As time passes and the Fire matures, gaze

into the glowing coal caverns. What shapes do you

see there, in that fantastic Fire world?

Allow yourself to view your own passions. Do

they consume you with rage and fury, or do they radi-

ate warmth and light that sustains you and others

around you? Does this trait tell the truth about who

you really are at the center of your being? Does it

reflect the Divine Light within you? Or is it a lie and

a pretense, reflecting what you or someone else might

think you are? Would you be willing to sacrifice that

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