Share your story…
Autumn, or fall, is drawing to a close, and winter will arrive before we know it. The four seasons—spring, summer, fall, and winter—are where we start to make sense of the world around us. They provide a solid foundation on which to build our understanding. Then there are the three modes, which correlate, respectively, to the beginning, the middle, and the end of each season: Cardinal, Fixed, and Mutable. At this point, it’s time to bring in the four elements: Fire 
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From the 22nd of November to the 21st of December, we enter the sign of Mutable Fire
Now it’s time for a story. I spend a lot of time thinking about words. This, I’ve realized, helps me to most effectively communicate my feelings. It’s how I absorb and digest emotions. The use of words is my “love language.” So, in terms of the mutable fire
Because I’m a curious person and because my body is trying to understand in a way that’s different from the literal, analytical kind, I tend to ask a lot of questions. Wholeheartedly knowing that we are accountable for the energy we put out and put up with. There’s always a larger picture to consider. We won’t be able to totally comprehend how others see the world and the path they take through it, but there’s a lot to be said in a story. There’s also a lot to be said about how you tell it.
Plato, one of the greatest philosophers of all time, thought storytelling was so essential that he included it in the first curriculum for higher education. You know, I could sit here and tell you as logically as possible that we’re approaching the end of fall and the beginning of winter. It’s circled on a calendar somewhere. You can feel the changing of the seasons. The bitter chill of winter is about to set in. Most of us have noticed that when our hands are cold, our rings spin a little quicker on our fingers. Logically, there are signs.
“We shall begin by educating mind and character, shall we not?”. Plato’s The Republic. New York :Books, Inc., 1943.
A lot can be said about the words we choose and the feelings they evoke. They’re able to “stir the pot,” if you will. They have the ability to make you laugh. They have the ability to make you cry. We’ve seen it happen. We’ve watched it come to life in a variety of mediums, including movies and music. If you wanted to paint it, you could do so; using only warm and cool colors.
I could sit here and give you a bunch of information, which, I guess technically, is what I am doing with words. On the other hand, I could assist you in creating your own tapestry of life by helping you truly experience these words and really bringing you on a journey. I could simply tell you that I went to the store today. Or I could tell you that I needed to go shopping, which made me reconsider what I was wearing because “when you see the world, the world sees you.” These are words to live by 😉 So I got dressed, went to the store, and showed my face. It was time to see the world! I had to take advantage of such a beautiful day.
Feel the difference?
It is not the striking of the match nor the flame that it grows or creates that we are talking about here. We are talking about the smoke that is created by the fire, as well as the heat that is emitted by the flame. Heat is something that you have to feel rather than see, which is how I navigate the world. In this case, I want you to talk your way through it. How you tell your story reflects how you see yourself in it. We base our Philosophies off of our individual life experiences.
We are approaching the time of year when, in earlier times when people would gather around a fire with each other to pass the cold winter nights. Right? That is when you break bread. It’s when you sit around the fire for entertainment and share your stories, whether through music or word of mouth. Hearing other people’s stories is equally as valuable as sharing your own. So let’s all do our best to sit around the metaphorical campfire and remember to talk and as well as listen. The most powerful thing you have is your word, so use it wisely.
Through storytelling, Mutable Fire
Life is multiple trips around the sun, and working with the elements has definitely changed the way I travel. If you want to learn more about more about how working with the elements can help you in designing your own unique path, please visit www.braggindesign.com for a one-of-a-kind approach to self-care that will have you Nurturing Yourself with Nature in no time!
Let this trip around the sun serve as an inspiration for your own personal journey.
You’ve arrived.
It’s okay to take care of yourself!
SELINA BRAGG-PASTIAN
Selina Bragg-Pastian: I became a student of the Arts in my childhood. A student of the cosmos in my teens. An educator of nutrition in my 20’s. An educator of the arts in my 30’s. A Kundalini Reiki practitioner in my 40’s. I am a lifelong learner. Newly discovering that all the while I have been cultivating my path. Combining all of my past teachings of Art, Nutrition, the Stars and Energy Work to create a self-care offering that uses nature as a modality. A realization that truly helped me reconnect to Nature and learn to Nurture myself.
