Fire

"O! for a muse of fire, that would ascend the brightest heaven of invention."

~William Shakepeare

Part of my intention at The Reiki Coach is to help promote balance in every area of our lives. One of the ways to promote balance is to look to the universal elements for inspiration -- fire, water, air, earth, and spirit. We can incorporate aspects of these elements to promote positive characteristics in our lives and use the different elements to help balance out our lives.

Let's be inspired by the element of fire today. Fire has been on my mind for a few weeks now. At the beginning of December I went to temple and heard a rabbi speak about fire. It was the time of Hanukkah and she was imploring everyone to be more like a flame. She said that many world traditions preach that we should strive to be at peace and happy where we are. "Perhaps we're not meant to be at peace and happy with where we are," she said. She said we should be more like a flame -- flickering, inconstant, agitating. Let's not be happy with what is. Let's look around at what we don't like and be like a flame -- agitate and change things.

The other morning I went into meditation and began to ponder the rabbi's words on fire. I love what she said about being like a flame and seeking to be a positive force for change. But is fire really unhappy with where it is just because it's able to spread? In meditation the thought came to me that those states of moving/growing/changing and being happy with where you are are not inconsistent. If a flame is limited to a candlestick, it dances where it is until it burns down and can dance no more. If the opportunity comes for fire to spread, it takes it. It is always seeking to expand and as it does, it changes what it comes in contact with. It brings light, heat, and change. But that energy is not necessarily unhappy. Even when it is contained, it continues to dance.

We too can be like a flame. Where ever we are (until the time comes for our own light to go out), we dance. When given the chance and the right conditions, we grow and expand. And wherever we go we bring light, warmth and transformation. Some might see this transformation as destructive and bad. While it can destroy what is there, it is not necessarily bad. Fire helps brings about an often necessary transformation. "What the caterpillar calls the end, the butterfly calls the beginning." It may not always be welcome -- growth, expansion, change often aren't -- but our higher power is always smiling upon us.

As I meditated, I came to see what had bothered me about that sermon. The dichotomy she drew was a false one. We can be happy with where we are and at the same time take every opportunity to grow and expand. The flame does not lament its lot. Wherever it goes (or stays) it's dancing.

So today as we go about our day, strive to be like a flame -- determined, expansive, and seeking opportunities to grow. But whatever condition you find yourselves in, be a bright light and dance.