It has often been debated what element is the most powerful and the strongest. And while each element of nature possesses an undeniable strength, one that does stand out in the minds of many when they think of fierce strength and power is fire. But fire is much more than a practical and needed element in this world.
In the spiritual realm, fire holds the meaning of eternal life. In line with its physical properties, it also represents warmth and illumination. In many religious beliefs, fire holds the representation of the divine or a representation of God and God’s spirit on earth.
With the power and strength that fire holds in its physical form, let us delve further into its spiritual meaning and the beautiful and seemingly unmatched ferocity that it possesses.
The Spiritual Meaning of Fire in Different Beliefs
As with most other elements and aspects of the physical realm, the spiritual meaning that fire holds is largely based on the belief systems from which it stems. For example, in the religious beliefs of Hinduism, food offerings are sacrificed to the gods by being burnt in fire. This is because spiritually, fire represents the mouth of the gods.
Even used in the culminations of matrimony affairs, the Hindu belief system holds fire as the central force around which the bride and the groom complete their nuptial ceremonies.
In other belief systems, fire is said to represent a cleansing form. Some traditions believe in burning items, such as sage, or taking live fires through a home to cleanse it and remove evil spirits from that particular space.
In Christianity, fire is believed to hold a close representation of God. Throughout the Bible, God is seen appearing to humans in the form of fire. God revealed himself to Moses in the form of a burning bush, and when the Spirit of God, or the Holy Spirit, came down from heaven, it was described as tongues of fire settling on the heads of Christ’s followers, after the ascension of Christ into heaven.
Does Fire Represent Good or Evil?
Because of its strength and power, fire is seen to hold a duality of symbolism. While it represents elements of the good in spirit, it also represents the idea of eternal damnation.
The concept of hell is well known as being a fiery pit where those who sin, or who are impure in spirit, are likely to spend the rest of eternity in agonizing pain while facing the never-ending, consuming fire that will forever burn them.
Whether the concept of hell is the idealization of being purified by fire or not, other belief systems hold true to the idea of that fire can purify.
The Representation of Fire in the Sun
The sun – it is the enormous ball of gas in the sky around which all existence in this part of the universe rotates. It is a vital element for human survival, without which we will surely perish. While the sun in itself is not actually made of fire but is rather composed of gas, we strongly correlate this powerful, life-giving force to fire.
With this close representation of the sun to fire, it further emphasizes the life-giving force that fire sometimes holds.
The Link Between Human and the Divine
Fire is the only element that humans can create. While humans did not create fire, they learned how to replicate its form. A new dawn of civilization was born when man figured out how to recreate fire. Survival was more attainable; humans could stay warm in the winter and cook meals that were never conceivable before.
With fire representing the divine power and humans suddenly able to create this element as if from nowhere, fire was seen as a supernatural link between man and God. Through this link, a bond was formed, and the power of fire grew greater in its spiritual representation here on earth.
Cremation
While fire may represent eternal life, this representation is strongly seen in the burial form of cremation. Cremation occurs when the physical remains of an individual is set alight in a furnace. Many people choose if they would prefer to be buried or cremated when they pass from this world, but cremation holds a strong spiritual relation.
Through the ritualization that has been connected to cremation, it displays the fleeting and temporary form of the physical world, and the eternal element of the spiritual world.
It is through cremation that one can see the physical cease to exist and through the all-encapsulating flames, the only thing that moves on to the spiritual realm is the soul and the spirit.
For some religious or spiritual belief systems where reincarnation is believed to be the next natural step in the afterlife, it is believed that cremation, and the use of fire, prompts the soul to leave the body and to swiftly move into its next life form after reincarnation.
Additionally, in a Christian belief system, while not explicitly mentioned Biblically, there is no prohibition of cremation. It does, however, accommodate the notion of returning to whence we came from.
A well-known phrase that is present in the Bible states that humans are made from dust, and to dust we will return. It is from here that the saying most commonly recited at funerals ‘ashes to ashes, and dust to dust’ originates. While all the natural remains are entirely consumed by the fire, all that will be left behind are the bones of the body, which are then crushed into the ashes.
While the connection is not explicitly made, using fire in a cremation would complete the circle of life just in the same way as a burial, allowing our mortal bodies to return from where it originally came.
Conclusion
Fire has the power to bring us light and warmth, but it also has the ability to cause agonizing pain. Whether you feel fear or power when you think of fire, its spiritual element is as strong as its natural element. Whatever approach your beliefs may have towards fire, it can give you life or take life away.
