The Five Elements: Fire

This series continues the exploration of each one of the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) because, as I mentioned in the last post about the Wood element, we can’t begin to integrate the elements into our spaces until we familiarize ourselves with their unique and special qualities! So, without further ado, here are the characteristics associated with Fire, the life-giving and passion-inducing element.

FIRE

Colors: Any shade of red, reddish purple, magenta

Shape: Triangle, pointed or “flame” shapes

Materials: Any item that generates heat; lamps, lighting, candles, fireplaces, sunlight; representations of people and animals; animal prints, real or faux fur, leather, suede, wool, and down-filled items; fabrics with flame stitch or chevron patterns; pyramids, peaked mountains, and obelisks; buildings with steeples, A-frames, spires, or angled roofs; anything that is tall, pointed, or holds energy; electrical items, entertainment centers, televisions, furnaces, ovens, stoves, toasters; artwork depicting any of the above items; staircases, elevators, or anything that invites movement or activity

Season: Summer

Direction: South (where you find the sun’s warmth)

Life Cycle Stage: Youth, high productivity, active

Meaning: Fire is associated with action, motivation, inspiration, intelligence, wisdom, passion, charisma, spirit, life, productivity, understanding

The use of Fire and its color, shape, line, or symbols can:

Strengthen: Intellectual pursuits, academic pursuits, spiritual practices,

group activities, courtesy, ceremony

Deter: Rest, relaxation, meditation, equilibrium, individuality, calmness

A Word of Caution: Don’t bring Fire into a space if you want to encourage rest, steadfastness, or introspection

How to Incorporate Fire into a Space: Burn incense, light a candle, turn on lamps, use a zebra print blanket, turn on your space heater, cover a lamp shade with a red scarf, hang paintings of animals or people

Click through for Earth!