THE FIRE ELEMENT TYPE
The Fire Element symbolises the time of year of High Summer. This is the time of year of everything being in full bloom, all of nature in its greatest splendour and its most glorious colour. Everything is on display, nothing is hidden or being bashful. There is heat, passion and intimacy; there is no subtlety. There is laughter and joy. These are the treasures of the Fire type.
Fire types can be sociable and be the life and soul of any party. They exude excitement, enthusiasm and joy. Smiling is the language the Fire types and they are often defined by their smile. They want to be liked by all of us, they lead by consensus and want us all to be happy with his or her way forward.
The passion that accompanies Fire types spills over into all aspects of their life – physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual. And just as the flames of a fire can be all consuming, so too can be the passions of a Fire type. It can be infectious and the other element types can be drawn into the flames of a Fire type’s passions.
High Summer is the time for showing feelings, love in particular and the time for procreation. The time of the ‘birds and the bees’. During this time all of the emotions can be to the fore and just as the sun can shine brightly one moment and then be behind cloud creating shade in the next, so the emotions of a Fire type can be bright one moment and very much in shadow the next. And just as the sun can disappear so can joy, leaving an empty sadness in its place. When a Fire type loses their smile they can almost become unrecognisable. But that can be transitory and stoke them up again and once more they are at their most exuberant.
The Fire stage of any project is that stage of peak activity, when things are at full throttle, full steam ahead. It is when things have an unstoppable momentum. This therefore represents a Fire type’s contribution to a project or an activity and critically it also includes that moment of transformation; when the project becomes a reality, when what started as an idea has finally become something tangible. Their presence in a social situation can be transformational too – they can bring a party to life.
Whilst it is time for the emotions to brim over, it can also be a time of vulnerability and a time when emotions easily becoming deflated. In many ways Fire represents the climax of a moment thought or situation but all too easily it can leave a flatness, a drained exhausted feeling once it has burnt itself out. Just like a raging forest fire devours all in its path and leaves a scorched wasteland behind, so Fire types can leave those around them depleted and exhausted.
In their element, Fire types are lively, communicative, charismatic and full of enthusiasm. If however their energies over flow this can become excitability, garrulousness, flirtatiousness and avidness. When the Fire element influences become weakened (for example with fear and with experiencing cold) these attributes can become flatness, muteness, emotionally dull and withdrawn.
The Heart is one of the main organs associated with Fire and in the Chinese model this is where we store and process the emotions. “Wearing your heart on your sleeve” is our linguistic acceptance of that. When the emotions race, so does the heart; when you are withdrawn from something “your heart is not in it”. When you have “your finger on the pulse”, you have that in-depth understanding of a situation to its deepest emotional level. But beware, an open heart can all too readily become damaged and this can be a big issue for Fire types.
Red is the colour of Fire and this is important to Fire types – the clothes they wear, the cars they buy and the spices they put on their food!
Keys To Understanding Fire:
– relishes excitement and delights in intimacy
– exudes passion and easily becomes animated
– believes in the power of charisma and desire
– loves sensation, drama, and sentiment
– likes to be hot, bright, and vibrant
Typical Problems:
– agitation, restlessness and frenzy
– palpitations
– nervous exhaustion and insomnia
– palpitations, sweating, hypoglycemia, rashes, palsy
– inflammations, migratory pain
– disturbed sleep, vivid dreams
– lack of joy
– speech impediments
– pale complexion or flushed cheeks
– cold or hot and sweaty hands and feet