Summer Solstice: The Fire Element

June 17, 2021

In Feng Shui, one of the 8 rays of Chinese Medicine, each season is associated with an element. The element for summer is FIRE!! This is my FAVORITE season!! I have worked for years as a glassblower, so have spent a long time using fire within my artmaking process. I’m also a huge fan of reggae, where the word “fire” is used very often. In fact, the nickname for Capleton, one of my favorite reggae artists, is “The Fireman”. Here in the Pacific Northwest, although it usually doesn’t get TOO HOT, we do have significantly more daylight than in many other parts of the country. Sunset on the Solstice here isn’t until after 9pm. Summer solstice is one of the most powerful times of the year to set intentions, so in this post I’ll give you some tips on how to maximize your alignment with the universe so that you can be really clear about your intentions.

Declutter your Fame & Reputation sector of your home so that the Chi energy can flow freely. Chi energy is life force energy. Everyone occasionally builds up stagnation in their body, and it can be reflected in your home. Or if you’ve accumulated stagnation in your home, it can get mirrored in your body. The Fame & Reputation sector of the Bagua, in Classical Feng Shui, is in the south. (Not to be overly confusing, but the south of each room, or even each desk, can also be considered the Fame & Reputation area.). If you’re just starting your Feng Shui journey, keep it simple and make sure to really declutter the southern areas of your home.
Decorate the fire area of your home with elements that represent your successes. You could display awards, photographs, or anything that reminds you of how proud you are of yourself. The Red Bird is the animal associated with the fire element, so decorating with shades of red is a good idea. Artwork that represents the fire element is big, abstract, and expansive, like a Jackson Pollack painting. The shape associated with fire is an upward pointing triangle, so try to incorporate this shape in your decor. The wood element feeds the fire element, so placing plants here will help turn up the volume.
Get your body moving… do some exercises to amplify that fire energy. Fire energy radiates in all directions, and has a very “yang” quality to it, meaning very active, masculine, energized and strong, with a lot of movement. Turn up your music! You know I’ll be listening to some dancehall reggae… it has a LOT of fire in it.
The heart is the organ associated with fire. Pay attention to your heart by placing your hand on your heart and doing a meditation. You may even want to try using a stethoscope to listen to your heart. Even if you’re not musical, try playing a heartbeat rhythm on a percussion instrument, or looking up some Nyabinghi drumming videos on YouTube, because the heartbeat is truly integral with this style of drumming. Doodle hearts. Sit with your hands open and imagine heart shaped energy pouring out into the world. While “fame” is not necessarily only associated with the heart chakra (it’s more of a sacral chakra and solar plexus thing) nourish your heart chakra with some rose quartz and rose essential oil.
Foods that nourish the fire element are stir frys, where there is active cooking. Arugula, mustard greens, and bittermelon are the foods associated with the fire element, and the flavor is bitter. The thief of fire is heat. Heat troubles the heart. So overheated foods, charcoal, and barbeques can be too much for the heart. Although we often do BBQs in the summer in our country, when it’s already hot outside, we add lots of heat from cooking (spices) and alcohol, it can be “too hot” for people. My Feng Shui teacher says that’s a recipe for people really “losing the plot”, lol. It can cause mental health issues, and potentially instigate violence. The winter is really the ideal time to cook food on the BBQ, according to Chinese Medicine. But if you really want to maximize the good weather and cook outside, you may want to consider toning down the spice.
Even though it’s so much fun to be outside while it’s 10pm and still light out, it’s still important to remember to sleep. Use a sleep mask (I love the Manta Mask) to help you get your Z’s. I’m personally not a fan of black out shades, but I know they work very well to help people get sound sleep. Getting enough sleep will help keep your energy in balance so that you can maximize your time and intention setting abilities.
Be social. Now that more and more of the country is getting vaccinated (Seattle being the city with one of the highest vaccination rates!) we can start to be more social. Getting together with others is a way to expand your energy. The fire personality is warm, charismatic, and extroverted. It sparkles and glows! Even if you’re an introvert like me, make an effort to get together with others. We all have a mix of both introverted and extroverted qualities. This is the time of year to let your inner extrovert shine!
Prepare for your intention setting so that you can be as high vibe as possible for the Solstice. The most important thing is to get your joy quotient up. What brings you the most joy? In Feng Shui, the time associated with the fire element is at noon, when the sun is the highest in the sky. Even if you’re not doing your intention setting right at noon, really stay committed to bringing in the vibration of JOY at that time. Do some fun things like playing your favorite music, coloring, playing fetch with your dog, kayaking, or whatever has you feeling giddy with glee. Light some candles, call in your spiritual helpers, write down your intentions, and send them off into the universe however you see fit!

What special intention setting rituals do you use for the Summer Solstice?

Send me a message, I’d love to hear about it!