How do we detoxify our anger, purify our passion so that it becomes medicine not poison? The fire element powers our anger, but it is also the bringer of light. The current Brexit situation (the 48/52 split and all its social and political ramifications) has awoken the dragon of anger on all sides. The dynamism of this fire can be harnessed as truth and clarity, but only if we take a stand against our self indulgent dragon-greed and do our work. This does not make us lose our precious energy – it harnesses it, enhances it, magnifies it, cleans it up, so that we can become powerful agents of the changes we want to see.
So how might a person work with their fire to transform it in to light? You become its friend. You don’t evacuate it, avoid it, deny it or mitigate it. You sit with it (or dance with it). No screaming it out, no pretending it is not there, no rationalising it away, no distracting yourself from it. Just stay with it, fully, until it changes into something infinitely more powerful, useful and radiant. This is alchemy, and it is hard work. People who are reading this page probably already know this. But what I find is that it is hard to engage with, hard to do and most of all very hard not to backslide. Maybe the value is partly in the struggle.
The salamander in the picture is sitting in the fire. The stars down his back show that the light is becoming present in him. It is interesting that the salamander is chosen for this image – a dragon figure. Dragons are often found in the works of alchemists. Dragons represent unevolved energy, early reptilian dinosaur type of energy. Dragons are greedy, treasure hoarders, fire breathers (they live on unpurified fire). But dragons can transform. In fairy tales we know that if we kiss a toad (a cold blooded dragon like creature) we might well get a prince – the story is telling you that if you love (physically love…) the dragon energy and don’t reject it you stand a chance of majesty, of sovereignty. The gold of the king and the lead of the dragon are one, but at different stages of the process.
But I am getting away from myself and getting excited by dragons. Back to the salamander. The salamander teaches us that to find light, the light of clarity and truth, we must sit in the fire. I would add to this, contain the fire, make it hot and bright. 
If it is too much for you, you may need to temper this process with some other work – release a little of your fire (but you lose a little of your fuel if you do that – it’s a trade off….), or balance it with a little water of compassion or sadness (but you lose a little of your power if you do this – again, your choice….). Try not to think about it (air and fire make explosions, which is not what we are after here). Use your body, which can contain and hold, and not your airy mind for this process. This is a physical process. A physical, embodied transformational process, not an idea.
So when we find ourselves angry we have been visited by our personal dragon, and we have an amazing energetic resource. To maximise the effectiveness of that power, contain the fire, do not repress it, extinguish it, or diminish it. Don’t evacuate it, don’t be afraid of it. The world is going to need your fire (and mine). But it will be more useful if it is evolved somewhat from its base, rageful dragon form.
In a future post I will explore using the water element more in the process, because that is needed as well, but today is about fire. And dragons. 
Alchemical Garden: the Body of Spirit 