In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,
the earth was a formless wasteland,
and darkness covered the abyss,
while a mighty wind swept over the waters.
Then God said,
"Let there be light."
~Genesis 1
The light or fire element represents freewill, exuberance, creativity, belief and prophecy. The fire signs are Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. The light of the fire from the Sun is essential to creating life on earth. In astrology, the Sun shows the life force of the native as well as representing leaders and other prominent people.
There are three fire signs: Aries (forceful spark of new life that wants to be first), Leo (fire that is the center of the community, flair for drama and protector) and Sagittarius (fire of higher knowledge, open-mindedness, and international affairs.)
Of the four elements, fire, air, earth, and water, fire is the only one that is animated. It is constantly flickering, moving about, mesmerizing anyone watching and it exudes an enormous amount of heat. The other elements can be very still, it takes the heat of fire to move or change them.
People with an abundance of fire in their astrology charts are always moving, changing, and creating. They can be overwhelming at times. Forceful, willful, and provocative, they must have freedom and fun.
It is very difficult to keep a fire person down, like trying to extinguish a fire that suddenly starts. It takes a lot of effort and if not done correctly, it quickly becomes out of control.
The color red represents fire and it is no coincidence that there are red houses in every town called fire stations, always at attention to respond at a moments notice for when an uncontrolled fire breaks out.
Fire is not always destructive. It's needed to cook a hot meal. Blacksmiths and chemists would be at a loss to produce new materials without it. Fire from candles is traditionally used for creating a romantic ambiance. People certainly enjoy the fire of the sun on a summer day at the beach or sitting around a fire on a cold winter evening.
Fire can also provide awareness. It can be illuminating and enlightening. In Greek mythology, the human race was freed from the domination of the Titans because of fire. Prometheus was quite fond of humans. Zeus did not care for mankind and wanted to prevent them from ever having fire which he knew would allow them to become wise and powerful and obtain the ability to push the gods out of their lives. Prometheus stole fire from Zeus' lightning and gave it to mankind.
This same light from Prometheus is represented in the creation of the Olympic fire. The sacred flame is lit in Greece in an ancient ceremony where women representing priestesses of an ancient Greek religion create fire from the sun. In ancient times these priestesses or vestals protected the sacred flame which was believed to protect the Roman Empire. This flame is said to represents the purity, peace, harmony and goodwill between men.
Fire has led people out of the darkness, figuratively and literally, for thousands of years. The fire of a lighthouse allows ships at sea to find their way safely home in the dark of night. Fire is also about hope and believing in miracles. So it is no surprise that a lighthouse is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. In Alexandria, Egypt, the first lighthouse called Pharos was built around 280 BC. The light house had a special mirror which could reflect light almost 40 miles away. It is claimed that this mirror was used to burn enemy ships.
Reference to light is often made in religion and entertainment in relation to life after death. One humorous example was in the movie Something About Mary when Ted (Matt Dillon) accidentally feeds a dog (Puffy) too much of a tranquilizer and the dog goes into cardiac arrest. As he frantically tries to revive Puffy, administering CPR, he screams at the dog, "Stay away from the light!" Like the ships out in the dark ocean, it is believed that souls seek the light to find their way home in the afterlife.
Fire is light and removes darkness and mystery. It can be very difficult for individuals who have mostly fire in their charts to keep a secret. Sagittarians especially are known to put their foot in their mouths and blurt things out. They are usually just speaking their truth. Honesty is a fire's policy.
Fire reminds us that there is always hope in any given situation, no matter how bleak. This was illustrated in another Greek tale of Pandora's box. After it was opened releasing the swift ghosts of plaque, warfare, jealousy, hatred, and all of the other evils of mankind, the very last thing to fly out slowly was a little bug called Hope. This was also shown in the movie as miraculously Puffy survived.
Fire people can be the most charming, entertaining, and energetic individuals. They are honest, loyal, creative, and courageous. They are also the most hopeful. When life gets dark, fire signs are the ones who will lighten the mood, inspire the weary and light the way home, safe and sound.