Mar 6, 20235 min read

STOKING THE INTERNAL FIRE

Winter is nearly over; although you wouldn't think so if you saw my snow banks, and with it comes a feeling of kindling as our minds begin to spin on what comes next. This time before the Vernal Equinox is a blustery time in Vermont when every day is a dance between the last snow of the winter and the wind & rain of spring. Today the sun shines brightly, the blue sky is specked with small clouds, the wind is blowing, and the wood stove is heating my home with the illusion that it is nice outside. It is a time of patience as we eagerly await the greening of Earth and time for kindling our internal fire.

The internal fire is a metaphor for that deep churning desire in us to become something more, do something different, expand out of our winter slumber and get on with our life. We all feel this kindling even if we don't understand what to do with it, it's what those of us who experience 'real winter' refer to as 'spring fever'! It's the desire to do something, anything, as long as it's different from what we have been doing all winter in our semi-hibernation. Many of us handle this change of energy with a new haircut, going out with friends, and signing up for the yoga class we have been thinking about taking all winter. While there are legitimate reasons for staying home more in the winter, come winter's end we are all needing a bit of something-something!

In many ways, this desire to get out and do something comes on like a feeling of heat or too much energy, and most people waste it away feeling agitated, not knowing what to do with it. But what if we used that surge of energy, what if we blew on the embers of our internal flame and activated them? What if we added kindling to our coals?

I have long lived with the Wheel of the Year; celebrating the pagan/agricultural calendar of holidays marked by equinoxes, solstices, and cross-quarter dates, and in doing so I have found that like the trees and plants we too are solar-powered, affected by the placement of the sun in position to our planet. In doing so I have become aware of how my energy responds to the changing of seasons, ebbing and flowing throughout the year. I have also noted that if I am wise, I can use these seasonal changes to my advantage.

Magic is deeply affected by symbolism, as our minds respond swiftly to imagery and icons; particularly if those images and icons are energetically activated. We all recognize the symbolism of fire, and its ability to be used as fuel; both literally and figuratively. Fire is an elemental force that is alive in its own way, consuming to live it must be fed, and what and how we feed it determines how best it may be used. Fire left unattended often goes out or grows out of control, but fire observed and worked with becomes a powerful tool and ally in our magical working, and pre-spring is a great time to call upon its aid!

Now, as we sit on the hedge between winter and spring we can use the symbolism of fire to ignite our dreams! By focusing our thoughts and dreams we can begin manifesting those changes we are so eagerly wanting, and through the co-creative energies of magic and action, we can start forming our personal world into something that supports us. I have enclosed a short ritual below to help you kindle your flame, and focus your intentions...Enjoy! After all, magic should be fun.

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KINDLING THE FLAME CEREMONY

Ideally, this work should be done with a small fire (wood stove, fireplace, or outdoor fire), but it can be performed with a candle. If using a candle make sure to have a fireproof bowl or cauldron so you can feed the flame! For the sake of this article, I will proceed as if you have a fireplace or stove to work with.

YOU WILL NEED- A fireplace, stove, or fire pit (adapt accordingly if you are using a candle), small slivers of wood; ie-kindling, 2 candles for starting the fire, a piece of paper/pen for writing your desires on, items for a fire altar & things that represent the flame you are feeding, your Book of Shadows.

Create sacred space around your fireplace, stove, or candle. Set up your fire altar near where your fire will be contained.
Working with a fireplace, stove, or fire pit light your candle in the middle of the space as you call in your spiritual allies; spirit guides, ancestors, deities, and elemental spirits; making sure to announce yourself and what your intentions are... I am_______and I am here to feed my inner fire and bring into being these things that are important to me.
As you watch your candle burn take time to write your desired goal; that which you wish to kindle on a piece of paper.
Speak your desires out loud in the affirmative, as if they were already made real. "I am empowered with a strong sense of self.", instead of "I want to be empowered with a strong sense of self.".
Focusing on your candle, allow your vision to slip into wide-angle vision, focusing on the peripheral, imagining the flame to represent your own personal fire. As you do so slowly add small pieces of wood to the flame, blowing on it from time to time to add the power of your own breath and the spirit of air to your working.
As the flame grows spend time imagining how your life will be different as the flame inside of you is kindled.
Add all of the wood you brought, spending time with the fire until it dies out or until you feel complete.
Give thanks to your spiritual allies, and the fire that has served you, as you light the second candle off of the flame.
Jot down any signs, symbols, or thoughts that came to you during this time in your Book of Shadows.
Blow out the second candle and place it on your working altar, lighting it daily for just a few moments as you send energy to your internal flame.