Yang Fire and Feng Shui
We’ve passed the halfway point of the Bing Shen Monkey year and as anticipated, it hasn’t been an easy one. You may have Yang Fire to thank for that. Unlike the warm glow of Yin Fire, Chinese metaphysics depicts Yang Fire as volcanic, untamed and explosive. Change comes swiftly and sometimes without warning under this influence since Fire’s nature is to consume energy, leaving scorched earth in its wake. The absence of the Water necessary to pacify excess Fire in the year’s chart succeeded in heightening tensions around the world and carved an indelible divide between otherwise cooperative groups. Flames that burned brightly, were quickly extinguished then smoldered just long enough for the wind to carry and ignite a spark in a new location.
Sound a lot like this year so far?
For those of us whose Four Pillars/BaZi charts require Fire energy for support and inspiration, we’ve had ample opportunities to grab the baton, pick up the pace and run with it. The upside of Yang Fire’s fast and furious path is that it is also generous, ambitious and warm. It illuminates those dark, dank spaces and exposes agendas that have been hidden away providing them with a chance to thrive in daylight. If your own element benefits from more subtle changes (i.e., the incremental growth of Wood, meandering Water or structured Metal energy) you’ve surely felt the glare of a harsh and unforgiving noontime summer sun. Just when you thought it couldn’t possibly get any hotter, it did. That’s Yang Fire.
In Feng Shui the Fire element can be found in triangle shaped lots, buildings with sharp angles and peaks, fireplaces, fire pits, stoves, ovens, heating systems, appliances, lighting, electrical systems and electromagnetic fields. Every building benefits from some amount of Fire energy – but its location is vitally important. Excess Fire energy can lead to arguments, instability, agitation, chaos, anxiety, zealotry, cardiovascular problems and a sense of overexposure. Insufficient Fire can lead to feelings of loneliness, introspection, timidity, sorrow, hopelessness, antisocial tendencies, lack of motivation and self-doubt. Buildings with the right quality and quantity of Fire energy in their proper locations help sustain all who live or work there.
As in nature, each of the five elements yield to each other in predictable patterns. Yang Fire cannot maintain its heat indefinitely and always subsides, leaving behind the seeds to nourish earth in remnant ashes. Before settling into Metal’s autumn energy we’ll first transition through Earth’s harvest – and a chance to catch our collective breath.
Notice the Yin/Yang symbol and the tiny circle of potential energy embedded in the larger half. It suggests there is a cell of opposing energy in each just waiting to grow and flourish. That is the wisdom of Chinese metaphysics – and Feng Shui. We’re supposed to change and grow and get pulled out of our comfort zone since that is where evolution occurs. It’s in the kernel of an idea, the new direction or the spark of innovation that the future is born.
Wishing you good chi,
Diane Gallin