Summer’s Fire

Now that we’ve reached the halfway point of the year, I thought it would be a good time to check in with you. It’s been a busy, chaotic year in my world and I imagine much the same in yours.

How have you been managing all the Fire this summer? August is a Yin Fire Sheep month in the Yang Fire Horse year that is two years into a 20-year cycle of Fire, and you can’t miss the patterns everywhere on earth. Wildfires, volcanoes, earthquakes, flooding and unprecedented heat all signal an overabundance of the element already known for excess.

In Feng Shui and Chinese Metaphysics, Fire is the most energetic and expansive of the five elements, associated with the midday hours of 11am-1pm, the south direction, sharp angles and landforms, the planet Mars and the Sun itself. It is the spark that creates fusion, warmth and excitement and lends brilliance to our lives and surroundings. Fire energy is there when we are happy and explodes when we are mad. It is illuminating and revelatory as it entertains and ignites passions. Fire alerts us to danger and attracts a crowd. It announces arrival and promotes talent. Fire can be fueled to a fury or doused to embers. But always, fire energy emanates from the heart.

Fire’s association with the cardiovascular system is found in Traditional Chinese Medicine, where a person’s physical and emotional health are viewed as one. Not only is the heart responsible for moving life-giving blood through the body, but this complex circulatory system is also tasked with dispersing life force energy (chi) through the spirit. This is called “shen 神.”  A broken heart in Chinese medicine is a physical condition that robs Fire’s joy, the equivalent emotion of anger (Wood), fear (Water), grief (Metal) and melancholy (Earth) to the other four elements. Self-confidence, happiness and enthusiasm are gifts of a happy heart while emotional upset invariably leads to physical deficiencies that affect a person’s behavior, mood and energy levels. However, if the fire element is out of balance either in their physical constitution or surroundings, there are remedies to consider.

If you are feeling out of sorts, there will be signs (and you can do something about it):

EXCESS FIRE

If you are feeling hot, agitated, stressed, overwhelmed, anxious, restless or confused, it is likely there is too much fire energy around you and you’ll want to calm that influence with water.  Wear black or dark blue clothing, take a walk in the cool night air, soak in a bath or swim in a cool body of water. Turn the lights and temperature down in your home and office and listen to clear, soothing music. Avoid large crowds and noisy events until you feel settled and strong again (especially now when so many are affected.) Pace your activities so there is enough rest and relaxation time between demanding projects. Spend time alone or with peaceful people who restore your own equilibrium before offering to take on the burdens and distractions of others.

DEFICIENT FIRE

If you are feeling insecure, exhausted, cold, withdrawn, timid, melancholy, forgetful or speechless, you might benefit from having more Fire in your surroundings. Spend time outdoors during the midday hours to replenish fire energy at its very peak. Wear the colors red and orange and stay physically active, preferably during the day. Walk or cycle through a bustling city and absorb the energy of its sights and sounds. Mingle in crowds and try new activities for inspiration. Allow lots of natural light into your home and work environment and up the wattage of light at night. Listen to stimulating, up-tempo music and spend time with positive people who lift your spirits, not dampen them. Extend your hand to others then open your heart to allow them in.

As with all the five elements, there is both a yin and yang nature to each that changes with the seasons of the year. While Fire’s nature is to expand and grow, it must also be contained at times, especially during one of the hottest seasons ever on earth. Learning to harness the power of fire in your own surroundings can calm its influence and put you back in control. Autumn returns soon and with it the more contracted, structured, cool Metal element – and the cycle continues. I hope this helps you in transition.

Wishing you fire’s joy, calm shen and always, good chi,

Diane