🔥 Fire: Igniting joy with Aries
(🎙️ Recorded for those who prefer to listen!)— Reviving our Elemental Journey series and wishing you a gentle eclipse season and astrological new year!
Hello love,
I spent most of the night awake drinking what felt like an ocean’s worth of water in an attempt to fend off a painful UTI, and while this morning I’m feeling exhausted (four hours of restless sleep will do that) I also feel oddly… cleansed/renewed.
Welcome to the New Moon Solar Eclipse in Aries!
If you’ve been a part of the Practicing Presence community for a while now you may remember this series I started around this time last year and then… didn’t continue :)
Instead life happened, time went by, there was some shame and guilt for “quitting”, then I let it go and mostly forgot about the project entirely, until coming full circle and deciding to pick it back up again.
So, buoyed by Julia Cameron’s words, "There is no failure, only lessons to be learned," we will begin again (because really why the hell not!) and we’ll see where this journey takes us this time around.
I would love to support you during this season.
Follow this link to schedule an integrative session
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Note: I firmly believe (like many things in life other than
water, oxygen, food, love & connection) no one needs coaching,
but nearly anyone can benefit from it.
Before we dive into this specific element and the flavor of the Aries fire, I want to remind us that all of the elements are within each of us. Some of us are here to nurture and work with some elements, or aspects of the elements, more than others, but it is important for all of us to nurture all four of the elements in order to bring a sense of balance to our lives.
That being said, what balance looks like for each of us is entirely unique. This is not a practice of all becoming the same, but rather of getting to know yourself intimately, fully, with all the nuance of your exquisite gifts.
You are a unique and sparkly creature, and getting to know yourself deeply is a gift to yourself and the world.
Let’s begin!
The first zodiac sign for each element represents the primal energy of that element.
Aries fire is the energy of I am, I will. It is often represented as the warrior, but not necessarily because it is fighting violently, though if this energy isn’t nurtured and cared for it may feel the need to fight to be heard and recognized. This fire energy is here to claim space, to learn to honor the self, not in an ego-centered way, though again, it can manifest as that when out of alignment, but rather with the sentiment that; “I am here. I deserve to be here. I am worthy of being here. I claim my place in the world with this truth as my foundation.”
This fire energy is connected to courage and initiative. In life, there are moments when each of us will come face to face with the reality that there are some things that only we can do for ourselves, and we learn that we either need to fight for ourselves, or we lose ourselves in the false belief that we have no power, no will, no choice.
This doesn’t always manifest as a literal fight, it can be subtle, but it’s the distinct moment when the raw and primal Aries fire asks us to honor our wants, needs, and desires. When we are asked to claim the space, physically or energetically, that we need to truly live the life we are meant to live rather than surrender our willpower to the world around us.
In Steven Forrest’s The Book of Fire: The Life-Givers, he explains that the Aries fire energy reminds us that “…you have a natural right to exist. You have a natural right to take up some space… sometimes you have to fight for those rights. Sometimes you’ve got to fight to be free.”
This can feel uncomfortable and possibly triggering, it certainly did for me for a long time. I have a lot of fire energy in my own astrological birth chart, and for most of my life, I’ve avoided conflict like my safety depended on it, and in many ways it did. But when we avoid acknowledging our wants, needs, and desires we often find ourselves slowly wasting away and becoming malnourished, mentally, physically, and spiritually.
Aries fire reminds us that, at the root of it, on a primal level, we all need to choose between life and existence or surrender to extinction.
Again, this may sound harsh and uncomfortable, but really it’s asking us to choose life, to choose freedom, to choose ourselves. The fight is not lasting and in fact, if we are really honoring and nurturing this energy it won’t, but it is the initiating part of you that says enough and chooses a new path.
Anger and resentment bloom in the soul that never asks for what they want, never allows one’s self to have what they need, and never follows their desires.
But anger and resentment aren’t a problem as long as we create a safe space to release and meet them with curiosity. In fact, often they can be the very doorway to finding what it is that we want, need, and desire. Anger is the soul’s way of fighting for its existence, a way of saying, “I am here. I deserve to be heard. There are things I want and need.” Anger can be a great protector, reminding us to care for ourselves.
So, how can we engage with this energy and use it to support our inner balance?
It can be helpful to connect with this Aries fire element through movement. Because this energy is powerful and bold, moving the body through physical activities can be really supportive and can bring a greater sense of inner balance. This doesn’t have to mean joining a sports team, going to the gym, or running marathons (though it absolutely could!) it might mean dancing, climbing, walking, or even standing up and shaking out your arms and legs.
Another important way to balance this energy is to gently create a safe space to meet and release any anger that you may be holding. You may want to support yourself through a therapist, a trusted friend, a coach, or a supportive group. There are many really powerful and supportive practices for doing this, some of these are through breathwork, writing, somatic releasing practices, and many more.
The fire element in general is the life-giver. It is the spark within us that keeps us going, that reminds us to find and create joy and meaning in our lives. To engage in this aspect of the fire element, it can be really supportive to do the things that make you feel a sense of aliveness and help you connect back to your purpose, the reason behind your actions, the things that get you out of bed in the morning and keep you here on this ball of earth and water floating through space.
When you allow yourself to be led by your wants, needs, and desires, you feel good and your heart opens in the balance that is created within.
May we find the things that ignite our joy. May we do more of them.
How connected do I feel to my inner authority, my will, the part of me that has gut reactions, initiates, and moves boldly through the world?
What does it feel like when I have a desire? Where do I feel it in my body? Is it easy or challenging to connect to and locate it?
If I gave my desire a voice, what would it say?
How comfortable am I sharing my wants, needs, and desires with others?
What are the easiest ways for me to express what I want, need, and desire? (Is there a certain person or people that support this? Or perhaps it is through writing, or while walking alone?)
In what circumstances do I forget to connect to my willpower? (When I’m around certain people, or in certain places?)
Do I feel the need to justify my wants, needs, and desires? Or can I trust that I am innately worthy of that which I need, want, and desire?
I am worth fighting for.
It is safe to be bold. It is safe to take action.
When I take inspired action, the universe meets me with abundance and support.
When I dance in the fire of my innate worthiness I radiate love and joy.
Anger is my great protector. It can point to what I need or want.
Joy is my compass. It leads me to my purpose.
I expand in joy.
Release your voice: If you’ve been disconnected from your willpower or your wants, needs, and desires for a long time, you may find that you’re holding some things that are ready to be released. If it feels supportive you can go to a safe place, maybe in the woods or near the ocean, or perhaps alone in your car, and allow yourself to express whatever it is that feels stuck within you. This can be a really activating practice, so be gentle with yourself and find the support you may need.
Release your voice in writing: Another practice that may feel more approachable is to do this in writing. Find a pen and paper and set the intention to allow whatever is within you to spill out on the page. Know that you never need to share this with anyone and that anything you write is safely held on the page. Write a stream of consciousness for thirty minutes or however long it takes to feel a sense of release. If you feel called to you can safely burn the pages when you're finished and thank your inner voice for sharing.
Move into your body: Take a walk outside and feel the strength of your body moving through space. Make a playlist of your favorite songs to dance to and let yourself move intuitively to the music. Climb to a place high up with a view, take it all in. Let these practices bring you closer to your body.
Find your joy: Write a list of all the things that bring you that heart-opening expansive sense of joy and gratitude for being alive. This could be simple things like watching the sunset, dancing with your children or best friends, cooking a fancy dinner just for yourself, or things like traveling to a new country, skinny dipping in the ocean, or riding bareback on a horse (why not!). Try to do a few things from the list in the coming weeks, or maybe one of them is something you can incorporate as a daily or weekly ritual for engaging with the fire element.
Light a candle: Watch the flame. Close your eyes. See the flame within you. You are warmth. You are light. You are love.
This guided meditation/visualization is all about connecting to the light within you and your innate worthiness. When you’re supported on a foundation of self-worth, radiating joy, you can light up the whole damn universe.
May we learn to listen to and value our needs and desires. May we develop the courage to allow our needs and desires to guide us. May we trust that we are being guided towards really delicious things.
It’s short and sweet.
Thank you for reigniting this journey with me!
I invite you to engage with any prompts, affirmations, or practices that feel supportive to you, and leave anything that does not. And to fellow recovering perfectionists, there is a lot of information here and you do not need to engage with all of it. Sometimes just one sentence is enough to shift and balance a whole lot of layers within us.
I would be so grateful to hear what resonated with you, what questions may have come up, or any other feedback you may have. Leave a comment or reply to this email!
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With endless love,
Raina
With deep gratitude, I would like to acknowledge the teachers and mentors who have taught me so much about the elements and the language of astrology, and in turn, given me the gift of knowing myself more deeply. Kristina Adam of Aether, Debra Silverman, Jules Ferarri, Kristen Masi. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and light with the world.
I love these prompts for integrating the fire. And it's a perfect day to receive this essay! I've been thinking a lot about the creative fire within.