So when I woke up this morning, my own energy had me befuddled. It began when I hit my snooze button FOUR times; an unheard-of series of actions perpetrated by the swipe of my own finger. I am one of those people who firmly believe that the first moments of your morning can affect the continuation of your day, and this was quite a destructive start. Running 30 minutes late, my coffee maker had already done its job by freshly brewing my morning coffee at 6:00 a.m., precisely the moment my feet typically hit the floor. My coffee is now barely room temperature & I avoid a microwave like a plague. I drink it begrudgingly. I go upstairs to wake my son up. He is immediately aware, via the light shining in through his window, that we are running at least 24 minutes late, and he is no happy camper. “Seriously, mom? I hardly have time to make waffles now”. Okay. I need a shower, but I’m running low on time. It was 60 & sunny yesterday, but this morning it’s 30 & snowing. I’m feeling groggy and flighty at once; I am befuddled all about myself.
Upon returning home from the snowy drive to school, I’m tempted to continue on with an attitude. Indeed, I was being lured into the dark side of a single bad morning. My natural inclination when feeling this way is to take myself outside and plant my feet into the grass. I am an Earth sign; unapologetically & intimately pulled toward my element. On this particular morning, however, the grass is blanketed in freezing absurdity. I needed to find elemental happiness while my earth was snowed-in & my air was painfully bitter.
That’s just fine. Totally fine, until I’m reminded that I have less than 1 hour before I have to be at work, leaving my desire for a milk & tea bath utterly unfulfilled. I’ve exhausted all options but one; the one I have historically been least likely to experiment with… Fire.
It’s not that fire doesn’t appeal to me. It is without question the most exciting, the warmest & most vibrant of all elements. Perhaps all those years of being told “don’t play with fire” had taken its toll on my now-adult subconscious. I have 35 minutes to spare – “Why not?” I asked myself.
See, candles & fire are a very common tool in my witch’s cupboard. I make oils, meditate, read cards & bathe by candlelight. I hadn’t, though, forged a genuine relationship with that candlelight, until this morning that is.
I reach the third floor, where my sanctuary awaits me. I begin grabbing candles of all shapes, sizes & colors, pooling them together on the floor (where candle wax is already abundant) & follow up by grabbing some of the more grounding stones to keep nearby. I had formulated no method of which colors to use; I was not doing spell work & I had no intentions aside from “un-befuddling.” I light a chime candle & use it to light the others, one by one. Purple, green, orange, black, tealight, red, white, black, another purple, this weird mustard colored one that seldom gets any action, and so on. I then commenced to playing with fire in ways I never had before. Keeping mind of where every strand of my hair is while knelt down before this infantry line of natural light, I watch the flames keenly. The one on the far East end dances mambo, the purple one in the middle is the strongest & warmest. I stroke my fingers through the flames & grow accustomed to my soft human skin being tested. Within a matter of moments, this element that I previously had no relationship with started to feel like a dear, old flickering friend. I was so enamored by my discovery that I spent a little too much time (I probably had time for that bath..) but only ended up being about 3 minutes late to work. Three very worth it minutes.
The important fact is that by the time I arrived at work I was no longer befuddled. There was a calm over me. I felt neither groggy nor flighty; I felt good. Taking that moment to slow down and connect with an unfamiliar element was unknowingly needed. It wasn’t quite as good as sitting in a lavender field or taking a nap in a tree, but Fire was there when Earth was unavailable to me, and it was an endeavor well worth experimentation.
Is there a particular element that you feel drawn to? As I mentioned earlier, I am naturally drawn to Earth but am also exuberantly joyful about water and have always maintained a level of comfort in and around water. I usually think of fire as this force of loud and vivacious energy; capable of tearing down that which it comes into contact with. We have learned to use fire in spell work where an energetic spirit is needed or passions are sought after.. when you need strength, power, and aggressiveness. I’m delighted to know, however, that it doesn’t have to be loud and vivacious all of the time. The lonely flame of one candle burns so slowly and graciously. I feel that we could all learn something from getting to better know the elements which constantly surround us while we wander along unaware. It’s quite likely that it sounds ridiculous to say that I played with candles for 30 minutes and completely turned my day around – but have you tried it? Sometimes you just need to take a moment to yourself to reconnect with yourself, however, it may work for you. That might mean a date in the dirt, a long, deep breath of fresh air, a relaxing bath (or swim), or putting your hands in fire. It’s your call but find elemental happiness. Find connectedness. Play with the elements & get to know them better. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship.