FIRE – Occult, inititatory and symbolic aspects

 

by yoga teacher Gregorian Bivolaru

Fire is an essential purifying element. On its mysterious energy, many rituals of purification and sanctification are often based. Assimilated with the power of penetrating of mind and the fascinating energy of light, fire naturally becomes a major significant aspect, which plays a very large role in enlightenment processes.

Human beings capable of grasping in depth the mysterious significance of fire have already understood enormously and have another inner vision, especially when they are on an authentic spiritual path.

The most formidable discovery of man was the ignition of fire.
The wise say that the fundamental essence of fire is the enigmatic ether (AKASHA TATTVA), which is always present, eternal. From this comes the real mystery and the apparent mystery of the fire.

In the Orient it is said that through AGNI, the mysterious fire that is also the son of BRAHMA, people have begun to dominate the Earth to a certain extent.

By means of the ignition of fire, the ancient clairvoyants have been able to see some of the secrets of the universe, and then it has become possible for them to listen to the inner voice that leads to the only God, who is above all the gods. The initiates say that the mysterious fire of the air comes from the fire of the water and then manifests itself with the mysterious energy of space and the mysterious energy of time.

The body of the human being consumes just like a candle. We can analyze the composition of a candle, but if we want to analyze the composition of a flame, we are amazed to discover that it is not possible, no matter how many efforts we make.

Any human society will always be like a fire surrounded by bricks.

Throughout his life, every human is consumed just like a candle. And if he is not able to regenerate and revive from his own ashes like the Phoenix bird, at some point his body will die. Then, willingly or unwillingly, he will definitely leave this world and go into the world beyond (which is the astral universe).

A candle, even a strong wedding or baptism one, is wrong when she thinks that in reality she is the fire. When we look carefully and lucidly around us, we discover that, in fact, the fire is eternal. Burning or extinct, visible or invisible, the fire remains each time itself.

Even in situations where we imagine that fire does not exist, in reality it is always present. For example, if we are in a cave where full darkness reigns, if we spark light on a lighter, we discover in astonishment that from somewhere in the unknown, the fire is gushing out like magic. Our lighter lights up and we have a flame for some time. It’s one of the fascinating mysteries of fire, which some may have intuited, but which most of you have never thought of.

In the depths of an old, long-forgotten temple, a pure and charming virgin guards a magical vessel containing the sacred, miraculous fire created by the subtle wind and the subtle water – this is the sign of the fire that exists here on earth. This world, the same for all, because God the Father has created it as such, has been, is, and will always be a perpetual living fire, either with burning manifestations or with flickering manifestations or with extinguishing moments. This fire is made of an endless and hidden burning energy.

The wise say that we should never ignite a fire when we do not yet know if we will then be able to extinguish it.

The Universal Secret Fire goes through an invisible way and is also the unpredictable master of the Sun and the Moon. Whether the place where it burns is a chimney, whether it is lit in a cave, or burning the fingers of those foolish and inattentive, or when it is a refuge for us, the fire remains the same, its flames remain the same.

It not only brings light, but in this world it’s warming us up, especially when we’re cold.
No matter how small a flame is, it has already killed the darkness and thus becomes for others a landmark, a light, bringing even the necessary heat when we need it.

DHARMA is like a bright, luminous torch that penetrates into the enigmatic cause, seemingly dark.

Fire is an enigmatic element that seems to be animated by an autonomous life. In some situations, it lightens and heats up. In others, it can devote almost everything (for example, in the event of a fire). When it unleashes, it can burn almost everything in its passage. Therefore, in the view of some, the fire is related to suffering and even to death.

It can be said that fire has a double meaning, from where the ambivalence that has always marked it in human imagination. When its beneficial, benevolent side is considered, it is above all the sacred symbol of the existence of home.

In ancient Rome, fire was of great importance. It was carefully cared for by vestals (vital, pure and harmonious young virgins). Initiates know that when we consecrate to God a fire and light offering and receive an affirmative, favorable answer, we have the certainty that the fire which becomes light is alchemized, transformed and projected/transferred to the world beyond (the astral universe) where it manifests as a subtle mysterious fire. It thus becomes a distinct energy that the one to whom it is consecrated has at his disposal and can use it in any beneficial way, just as we, the people, use electricity in our home, benefiting from the advantages that its mysterious energy gives us, energy that shakes us and scares us when we touch an uninsulated wire through which 220V electric current passes.

Let us remember that such a mysterious and miraculous fire has made the divine inspiration manifest fully, descending at one point upon the apostles from the Holy Spirit. That magical fire manifested to the apostles of Jesus in the first feast of Whitsun in the form of the mysterious tongues of fire.

In ancient Mexico, a new fire dedicated to the gods was lit at the beginning of each year, and this ritual action was considered a holy act.

When considered its ill-fated side, the fire is associated with the terrible image of the terrible and tormenting flames of the Inferno, with the devastating fires, with the destructions that arise when the so-called fire of the sky (lightning) manifests, with the lava of the volcano gushing from the inside of the earth, triggering horror.

Regarding these aspects, it is important to remember that by taming the fire people have succeeded in doing many important actions.
The discovery of fire millions of years ago marked the beginning of civilization. Contrary to scientifically insufficiently grounded opinions, there was no primitive tribe that did not know the fire.

Fire is the only element the human being can produce, which is why it is the sign of a certain resemblance of people with the Divinity. Different myths of ancient Greece or Polynesia say that fire originally was at the disposal of the gods, and that is why man had to kidnap it.

When used wisely, at the right time, fire can also have a cleansing action, because it is capable of destroying evil. For example, in antiquity it was considered that fire is always capable of making the bodies of witches and demoniac beings disappear. It also made to disappear (in other words, annihilated) the traces of sins in the Purgatory of Christians.

When this purifying flame is consecrated as an offering, it is considered to be sacred. In the case of Zoroaster’s followers (Zarathustra), their ancient texts contained some incantations, known as “The Formulas of Maclu or Scurpur”. They were essentially made up of certain formulas used to annihilate and destroy the charms. It is significant that these incantations were based on the energy of fire.

Here is a significant quote from these ancient texts, whose meaning can be intuited and understood especially by the initiates, who know these aspects regarding the mysteries of fire: “Roast it. Fry it. Burn it. Burn it. The evil and even the worst may never come in here. By the power of fire all this should be removed. Now I chain you, I firmly tie you and all the evils I give to Gilay who incinerates, burns, chains, stops evil, and catches all sorcerers in his snare.

Take a look at this goat skin through which evil, malefic energies were transmitted. Behold, it was thrown into the fire and is devoured and changed into ashes by strong flames. May through this the curses, the charm, the suffering, the torture, the sickness, the sin, the crime, the sacrilege, the error, the vices, the pain that so far dwelt in my body, all be pulled out and consumed by these purifying flames, just as the skin of this goat it is consumed and changed into the ashes, which, after being consumed by the flames and changed into ashes, behold, it no longer exists.”

In the Romanian translation both the word Maclu and the word Scurpur means “to burn”. Belief in the extraordinarily effective purifying action of fire to destroy spells or certain acts involving black magic is clear in this text.

By correlating these aspects with the ones presented above, it becomes possible to understand how the flame-based light offering acts as a way of making the subtle and purifying, invisible beneficial energies of the fire manifest.

The ancient custom (which still persists on certain continents) that involves walking barefooted on burning coals, without being burned or injured in any way, is called pirobastia (in Greek). It is the origin of a well-known purification ritual, which arose a long time ago, which was accomplished, not by chance, at the beginning of each new year. It is still practiced today in Tibet on the fifteenth day of the first month of the year.

Generally, fire is an enigmatic subtle male element, in contrast to water, which is an enigmatic subtle female element.
In the universe of the human being, the fire is associated with the subtle vital energy, the solar plexus, the procreating energy. It also correlates with the state of spiritual enlightenment, the processes of regeneration and rejuvenation (revealed in a cryptic way through the Phoenix bird myth) and even with the subtle mythical energy of the Sun.

It is significant that in many alchemical treaties (some of them secret) we encounter the universal formula: Ignis natura renovatur integra – “All nature (even human nature) is regenerated and renewed fully through the occult energy of fire.”

It is said that a spark of fire appeared from we don’t know where, fertilized virgin Ocrisia, a holy western vestal in Rome. Thus, she became the mother of King Servius Tullius.

It is very significant that certain enchanting formulas and ancient invocations addressed the fire as a supernatural being. The culmination of a pastoral celebration known as Parilia, which was carried out in honor of Pales, the shepherd and pastor goddess, celebrated in ancient Rome on April 21, required all participants to jump over a straw fire, which was regarded as a regenerating and purifying fire.

Greek mythology states that goddess Demeter placed Demophon the hero in the flames of a giant furnace so as to cleanse him from all earthly impurities and make him immortal.

A long time ago, exorcism circles were made of torches, especially around human beings suffering from acute mental illness or those experiencing madness. The same method was used when seeking that evildoers be purified and cleansed from evil.

In the ancient cities, as soon as someone pronounced the word ignis (“fire”) loudly, water was immediately poured around to remove the threat of a fire.

Fire gods or supernatural entities that were in a mysterious connection to this element were considered, in Antiquity, because of the ambiguous nature of the flame, as being cunning beings which man can never truly trust. An example of this kind is the Loki German god. Subtle entities connected to fire were salamanders.

Beyond all this, the burning flame was most often seen in a good way, as witness the ancient customs of the pilgrims with flames or the symbolic ritual fires that lit up at the moment of the solstice.

From the same type of customs that have persisted up to the present day, there is also the placement on a table of candles, which in such situations are considered as significant elements of decoration.

Altar candles, baptism candles, wedding candles, etc. also play an important symbolic role in the Church, being considered bearers of divine light.

In the Far East, especially in Vedic India, the fire was almost unanimously considered a central symbol. Let us remember AGNI –  the god of fire, INDRA – the god of lightening (VAJRA) or SURYA – the Sun.

Excerpt from the book FIRE – occult, initiatory and symbolic aspects

 

yogaesoteric
December 21, 2017

 

Also available in: Română