Welcome, February! Today is Imbolc (the seasonal marker between winter and spring) and the moon is full in the FIRE sign of Leo (That’s MY personal moon, btw!) Coming up later this month is the Lunar New Year, which introduces the elemental animal of the FIRE HORSE. Lots of hot, igniting energy in the collective field—I’m sure you have been feeling it too. Above is a snippet my interview with Shannon Nicole, who shares her deep dives into this timely element of fire …equipping and preparing our spirits for a wild and safe year ahead! Exciting stuff! Check out the clip a preview, and come back in a couple days for the episode. And without further ado, here is our Alchemical Word of the Week: Ignis/Fire 🔥 “But what is passion, what are emotions? There is the source of fire, there is the fullness of energy. A man who is not on fire is nothing: he is ridiculous, he is two-dimensional. He must be on fire even if he does make a fool of himself. A flame must burn somewhere, otherwise no light shines: there is no warmth, nothing.” —C.G.Jung In the realm of Symbolic Alchemy, the element of Fire is the most fundamental, as it quickly transforms everything it touches. The alchemist was, above all else, a fire-tender, using various stoves, ovens, and bellows with which to control it, turning it up here, turning it down there. Fire brings warmth, it brings light, it purifies—and unchecked, it has the power to burn and destroy anything in its path. Only when Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to mortals, were they able to survive as individuals and build their own worlds. Fire is the element associated with energy, activity, creativity, assertiveness and passion. Rage, hate, and anger are considered “fiery” emotions. Despite it’s dangerous, wild nature, we need that inner fire to move us forward. And to keep the momentum going, the flame must be continually fed. The alchemists spoke of the fire as a baby that needed constant attention. This was the most important task of all, above any experiment at hand. Has your inner fire grown cold or is it thriving? What can you do to boost and sustain its energy? Some advice from the Sufi poet Rumi: “Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames.” And as always SAFETY FIRST. Allison This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit artandalchemylab.substack.com/subscribe
