It’s Saturday night (April 23), and I’m thinking about fire, the literal fire brightly burning in my candles on my desk, and also fire as the principle and element of Spirit. Fire is the transformative power associated with willpower and creative force. It links with the season of summer and the essence of passion, purification and vitality. The fire element relates to what astrologer Marc Edmond Jones called “experience centered in personal identity.” Western astrologer Stephen Arroyo describes it as the “universal radiant energy that is excitable, enthusiastic, and which through its light brings color into the world.”

In Vedic tradition, fire is associated with the god Agni. In Ayurveda, fire is known as Pitta dosha. In Yoga and Ayurveda, we learn about Tejas, the fire of life that is the power of transformation that comes from cultivating the inner fire.The fire practice according to Vedic traditions is used for strengthening a connection with spiritual light, and my guru Haidakhan Babaji said that our sadhana (spiritual practice) is incomplete unless we are regularly engaging with external fire practices that help us embody Lord Shiva’s transformative and creative power.

I usually discuss the elements with my clients when I analyze the balance of fire, water, earth, and air (and ether) through the astrological birth chart. I always use the sidereal zodiac in my astrological work, and in my experience, it seems to be more accurate than the tropical “western” zodiac in revealing the true balance of elements in an individual. I am a Polarity Therapist/RPP and am specifically trained and practiced in element/energy work, so this is actually a favorite topic of mine. This image below is taken from one of Dr. Stone’s textbooks (he was the founder of Polarity Therapy).

Regarding the elements, some have too much of one and not enough of another, and some lucky ones have it all in a natural balance. For those less “lucky,” there are various remedies to balance or enhance the elements. The fire element is especially important as it represents our power and energy, and is what we need to “stoke the fire of our inspiration.” When it is too weak or too strong, there can be a tendency for certain recurring trials and tribulations.

The fire element is really on my mind now as we have a pile up ahead in Mars-ruled signs. Mars is the main significator of the fire element, and many planets are lining up in his signs. The Moon, representative of the water element and manas, the feeling mind, has just come into its debilitated (weak) and deep-feeling sidereal sign of Mars-ruled Scorpio, where it will transit for the next 2.5 days. For some, this monthly transit can often feel extra sensitive or emotionally vulnerable, and this is especially so while Mars and Saturn also transit in Scorpio through the next many months. Later in the summer we will have a pileup of grahas in Leo, sign of fire as well. So I am sorry to say it is going to be an intense fire season this summer.

The Moon will cross the tense Mars-Saturn conjunction later tomorrow and the next day. Mars is very strong now in his own constellation of Scorpio, but is also somewhat afflicted by conjunction with enemy Saturn (which I have discussed before). The Moon transit ignites this conjunction which is called Agni-Maruti Yoga, where the fiery energy of Mars can be excessively fanned by the wind of Saturn. Again this is happening now and through the summer months, through much of September until Mars leaves Scorpio.

It’s interesting that on April 25 early in the morning, the Moon will be exactly conjoined Mars while at the same time, Venus (relationships, vitality) will transit into hotheaded Aries, where it will join Mercury (thinking mind/communication) and the Sun (vitality, identity, health). Aries is also ruled by Mars, so at the time and until the Moon leaves Scorpio on April 26 in the morning, we will have six grahas in fiery Mars-ruled constellations…and, Pluto is in Sagittarius and Rahu-Jupiter are in Leo, which are fire signs…so, that is a lot of fire. The three grahas in Scorpio represent fire moving in the water element, which raises emotional intensity quite a bit.

Be careful around fire in the coming days. God forbid, we may hear reports of extreme fires burning out of control in many locales from this point on through late September. There will probably be some metaphoric fires to put out, too as the summer heats up in the Northern Hemisphere. The inhabitants of Scorpio and Aries are in a 6/8 inconjunct (quincunx) with each other, reflecting perhaps the need to make some “adjustments” in how we kindle the fire of our minds. It’s important to think about this now as these transits are coming on strong, and additionally, tomorrow (Sun-day) is the day of Surya the Sun God, who is also a significator of fire and very powerful now as he is in his exaltation (full power) in sidereal Aries.