This is the second of my series of posts on how I connect to the elements from a Southern Hemisphere perspective living on the western coast of Australia. Previously, I called in Air, in the East.

I now turn to the North, and call in passion, creation, desire, heat: I call to you, o Fire! Standing in the circle, we have already established a sense of presence in the breath of life, the whisper is on the winds, the intention is set, the inspiration has arrived. Fire is called next as it now has the Air to breathe, to ignite a sense of drive into what we do in this space, a flurry of sparks: let's turn that whisper into a roar. 

When calling in Fire, I can hear the sound of a match being lit. I can feel the warmth spread from my hands, spreading across my chest and then catching on to the circle behind me. And fire is catching. To the far north of this place lies the red hot Pilbara region, where the dirt is red and the land expands for hundreds and hundreds of kilometres like a Martian landscape. There is no where else like it on Earth. If the elemental creatures of myth such as the salamanders had a home, you can easily imagine them being conjured from such a place. When you are up North, the red dirt gets into everything: your car is covered, the washing on your line is tinted, sometimes it even feels like your lungs are coated in red dust.

The lizards of the outback are fascinating creatures. Resourceful and cheeky, one of my favourites is the thorny devil, also known as moloch horridus. Such cute! 

The geranium, with its hardiness and flowers that come in a multitude of colours (but my favourite is the deep reds) suits Fire workings well, as does pepper and citrus, and resins such as dragon's blood and benzoin. For ritual food offerings, plenty of chilli and garlic as well as curries are involved, and healing tonics such as fire cider can be concocted to cure ails that crop up during the winter.

In the circle, Fire represents courage and the drive in your engine that gets things going, the spark that can move and shake things all around. In Fire we celebrate with dance, drums and ecstasy, Fire imparts a sense of celebration and merriment and accepts challenges with gusto and endless energy. Fire gives us passion and can feed desires, we feel this element closely when we move in rhythm whether in a circle or in bed with a lover, when we burn with rage at a protest or when we stay up all night researching injustices. In Fire we can find healing as it burns away the past, but in Fire we can find destruction. Fire does not discriminate, and the cleansing that war can bring is not something to be taken lightly and is important to remember when dealing with Fire workings; everything can burn. 

At the same time if your inner flame is guttering, it is important to look to the other elements. Flames require tending and so does our inner spark. Learn what your Fire needs to keep it healthy and in control lest it burn through you, or burn out. Temperence is key.

I call you, element of Fire. Hail and Welcome!