What’s Your Superpower? (Part 6: Secrets of Fire Magic)
Welcome back, Apprentice Mages!
What a week I had! Fire ants in the underwear drawer. Marshmallow goo on the ceiling. Frankly, I think my spellcraft horrifies Queen Solara. (Tee hee!) You should have seen the look on her face when I dumped a whole bucket of water on her head!
But, hey! How was I supposed to know that her hair always ignites when she summons Fire Drakes? (Oopsie.)
Who knew a firecracker was such a bad way to toast marshmallows?
For those of you who are new to this blog, Solara is the mightiest Fire Power on Planet Aeld. She’s one of five queens (or reinas,) who rule a mystical order of sorceresses, called the Aeldoras. The main character in my Guardians of Aeld Series is studying to become an Aeldora.
And so am I!
(Or rather, I was studying to become an Aeldora. The Council of Reinas is meeting tonight to discuss my fate after the marshmallow debacle. Who knew a firecracker was such a bad way to toast s’mores?)
Yes, I’ll probably be busy scraping goo off the ceiling for a month. Maybe two months. (Dang! I wish I knew some Water spells.) But don’t mind me. You need to get busy, studying your Fire Magic!
(By the way, if you didn’t take our quiz, to see if you have Fire talent, Queen Solara’s likely to turn you into a wyrm! Click this link.)
For the rest of you budding Fire Stars, here’s what successful apprentices should know about Fire…
Basic Nature of Fire Magic:
Fire has a dual personality: it is both Creator and Destroyer. Unlike other elements, Fire cannot exist in physical form, unless it’s consuming a fuel. Thus, Fire transforms objects into new forms, including ash and vapor.
Like the snake, that sheds its skin, or the spider, that can withstand its own venom, a Fire Power is a master of transformation. Remember the children’s story, about the ugly duckling, who transforms into a swan? That story illustrates the symbolic quest to find the True Self. Highly evolved apprentices may experience a “spiritual awakening” during such quests.
Whenever change is happening in your life, you may be drawn to representations of Fire: spicy foods, jazz music, heated blankets, bright red flowers, saunas, images of stars and suns, etc.
Now, you may think that Fire is “all-powerful,” but it isn’t. Water counters Fire. (Tsunami vs volcano? That would be a sight to see!) Stone counters Fire. (Ever try to torch a boulder?) And, of course, Fire can be countered by a clever Wind Mage, 
who sucks all the air out of the room.
Power Times for Fire Spells:
Let’s talk “power time!” Fire Mages work their best spells at 12 noon because the sun is at its zenith. The Power Season for Fire is summer. So…the best time to work Fire spells is 12 noon on the Summer Solstice!
When Fire Mages cast their spells, they like to face South, which is the realm of the Fire Drakes (or “salamanders.”) I like to envision these tiny, etheric reptiles with wings. That way, they can help “fan” a Fire spell.
Kundalini is a Sanskrit word for the “life force” in Human bodies.
Healing and the Fire Mage:
Fire Mages can be powerful healers. When Fire is present, energy is moving. That’s why Fire is considered masculine and “forceful.” Heat is a manifestation of this principle. So is kundalini, which is a Sanskrit word for “life force.”
In the Human body, Fire is present as nerve impulses, blood flow, and sexuality. Healers, who’ve studied Eastern medicine, use representations of “Fire” to stimulate a patient’s natural, self-healing abilities.
In other words, an acupuncturist or massage therapist can help a patient “transmute” physical poisons (like a cold virus or an alcohol hangover) by stimulating the body’s “life force.”
If you feel called to do energy-healing work, you might like to study Reiki, “laying-on-of-hands,” meditation, and prayer.
Colors for the Fire Mage:
Even though campfires and candle flames mostly burn yellow, red is the color associated with Fire Magic. (Weird, right?) I’m guessing this tradition originated with our ancestors’ cooking pits, where smoldering embers glowed red in the dark. In any event, yellow is associated with Wind Magic. Fire Mages work with red and orange.
The fiery-red ladybug is a perfect ally for a Fire Mage, who wants to befriend plant fairies!
Animal Allies for the Fire Mage:
A Fire mage often chooses a familiar (or the familiar chooses the mage!) Traditionally, the following earth-born creatures are associated with Fire: snake, cricket, lizard, praying mantis, ladybug, bee, scorpion, and fire ants.
Of course, you may prefer an other-worldly ally. If that’s the case, you’ll want to work with a Phoenix, Thunderbird, or Dragon. (Love dragons? Learn about a book with real dragon spells!)
Herbs for the Fire Mage:
A savvy Fire Mage respects the “Green Brothers” that grow from the soil. In fact, plants can be extremely important in a Fire spell. Why? Because many plants have fiery properties: they sting; they have thorns; or they only grow in hot climates.
The following plants are associated with Fire: thistles, chili peppers, cacti, bouganvillea, and poinsettias. Seeds and beans are also associated with Fire, because they contain the “spark” of creation, or the blueprint for the plant’s life cycle.
Stones and Metals for the Fire Mage:
Red stones are great for Fire magic, of course, but you might be surprised to learn that clear stones are too! (Quartz conducts energy, after all.) Samples of beautiful red stones include garnet, jasper, fire opal, and tiger’s eye.
With a little research, you will find hundreds of rock alternatives. In fact, the earth’s most common stone families (feldspar and igneous rock) were formed by heat. To represent volcanic stones, you might select olivine (also called “peridot,”) basalt, granite, and obsidian.
Metal is a Fire Mage’s best friend. In fact, many fiery personalities like to heat, sculpt, and mold metal. (Ever hear of Vulcan, the Fire God?)
But if you just need a little metal for your altar, look for pieces of copper, brass, gold, or bronze.
The warm, mellow sounds of a guitar link it to Fire energy.
Music for the Fire Mage:
Music has the power to stimulate emotions. It excites energy.
So naturally, Fire is present in music!
Jazz can be especially appealing to a Fire personality. So can stringed instruments, because they produce warm, mellow sounds. You may want to play (or listen to) the guitar, bass, and cello.
Brass instruments are also popular among Fire Mages. You may enjoy the sound of a tuba, trumpet, trombone, or saxophone.
Sacred Spaces for the Fire Mage:
Fire Mages like to live in deserts (for obvious reasons.) But you don’t have to suffer through a drought to work your spells! An empty sauna or sweat lodge is a good place for magic. So are weight rooms, locker rooms, and athletic fields, since Fire is associated with the competitive spirit. You might even like to visit a church or sacred site. (Spirituality is associated with intensity and passion, which are both Fire traits.)
You don’t need to burn anything to create Fire magic! Invoke the energy of heat and flame through imagery.
If you don’t have access to any of those places, practice magic in your home. A clever mage always knows where the “heat” is. Throw open the windows on a sunny day. Surround yourself with images of volcanoes, comets, and galaxies. Kneel before your oven. Arrange spell components on a heating pad.
By the way, we never recommend that an apprentice burn a match, candle, incense, sage—or any other spell component—without parental supervision.
If you want privacy for your spells, I have great news. You don’t need to burn anything to work a Fire spell; you merely need to invoke the energy of Fire. To do this, you could use any of the components discussed in this article: cacti, red fruit, red rocks, brass figurines, coffee beans, sunflower seeds, or images of suns, stars, and galaxies.
Adrienne deWolfe, Author
What’s Your Secret Superpower?
Everyone has a little magic in them! What’s your secret superpower? Take our fun quizzes to find out! This 10-part series is based on Fantasy characters from Adrienne deWolfe’s upcoming, Guardians of Aeld Series, for Young Adults.
