Fire Element

Fire is light, warmth, dry, hot, ascending, moving and generating heat, death and life. This as a human energetic is active, dynamic, sparkling, and enthusiastic.

The sun is the fire in our daily lives, our activities and movements are energized by this element: we are active and vibrant during the day, day comes from our star, the sun is our fire.

There are so many a cautionary tales regarding its power, we are custodians of this fearsome energy and must ensure it has boundaries, as when out of control, it is all consuming and utterly destructive engulfing all that surrenders to its heat. The gift from Prometheus comes with a warning: with great power comes great responsibility.

When Daoist talk of the Heart they mean more than the singular organ, there is a whole host of biological & energetic associations, included in which is the brain; as such the mind, intention and personal spirit (Shen) is included. In the body, the Shen (Spirit) is ruled by the Heart which, in Chinese Medicine, is the “the origin of mental life,” and therefore the “monarch” of all other organs: the only one capable of recognizing, assessing, and truly feeling the spectrum of one’s emotional experiences. Although different emotions (anger, joy, sadness, fear, guilt, etc.) will affect the body’s organs in unique ways, those organs do not “feel” the emotion and, instead, reflect the impact of that emotion as perceived by the Heart in the form of physical symptoms. In that sense, the Shen is referred to as the Heart-Mind, giving the old adage the heart has a mind of its own, a ring of truth.

Colour: Red

Season: Summer

Animals: Monkey, snake, horse & the vermillion bird (Heavenly Beast)

Organs:  Heart (Yin) Small intestines (Yang) Triple Burner (Yang)

Time of Day: 11am-1pm (Heart) 1pm- 3pm (Small intestines)  7-9 pm (Circulation sex )Triple Heater ( 9 – 11 PM)

Direction: West

Taste: Burned/Bitter

Fluid: Perspiration

Face: Ears

Sense: tongue

Emotion: Joy

Sound: Laughting

Body: Blood vessels

External body: Complexion

Power: Sadness & Grief

Smell: Scorched

Climate: Heat

Dreams: Metaphorically predictable and accurate

Life aspect: Spirit (Shen)

The five Spirits: The Heart beholds the Spirit (Shen)

So many Fire organs…

The pericardium is a thin, two-layered, fluid-filled sac that covers the outer surface of the heart. It provides lubrication for the heart, shields the heart from infection and malignancy, and contains the heart in the chest wall. considered a yin organ paired with the yang organ San Jiao.

 San Jiao (“triple warmer/burner”, or “triple energizer”) is a concept in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and acupuncture. San Jiao is the meridian that controls our fight, flight, or freeze response. The “three burning spaces” or the “Triple Burner” refers to the division of the torso into upper, middle, and lower. The Upper Burner” corresponds to the area between the solar plexus and clavicle. It is the sixth organ of Fu, which is the hollow space inside the trunk (equivalent in western medicine) of our body.

THE SHEN ~ THE MIND

The Shen is the spirit of “The Mind” and represents our consciousness. It is the basis for our humanity and source from which all other spirits emerge from. The Shen is in charge of our identity and capacity for self-awareness, but also, how we view and interact with others: how we orient ourselves in the world around us. The Shen is essential for integrating our psychic and emotional life since it governs perception, insight, ideas, the ability to extend beyond the Self (form relationships), determine our values, morality, and wisdom. The Mind is what bridges our intuition and inspiration: it allows one to recognize their truth and callings so they can show up in the world as their most authentic self.

Qi gong movements that enrich and balance the Fire element:

Wu Qin Xi (5 Animals) – Monkey – https://youtu.be/EvCpnWWBCx0?t=232

5 Element Qi gong (Tai chi nation): https://youtu.be/35QER5t_luE   

6 Healing Sounds – Heart– https://youtu.be/C7OSQqT6yzE?t=257 https://youtu.be/VQzXaqP3r4o

6 Healing Sounds – Triple Heater (San Jiao) – https://youtu.be/C7OSQqT6yzE?t=321

Kuo-Deemer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdUmD1Kp798

References:

The Law of the Five Elements – Dianne M Connnelly

Qi gong Empowerment – Master Shou-Yu Liang

Five Spirits – https://empowerchiroacu.com/empowered-living-blog/the-five-spirits-supporting-the-soul-in-chinese-medicine

Five Elements: https://fiveseasonsmedicine.com/introduction-to-the-chinese-five-element-system/

Zang Fu Organs – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=552zpJGS8Ls&t=257s

Fire Heavenly beast prints by Adan Thoth –https://thoth-adan.com/blog/five-heavenly-beasts