Ravenari–It’s definitely one of the more direct elements. Fire has burned away a lot in this month, and taught me a lot about what I often wrap myself in in an attempt to protect myself from things. But it’s also kept me warm throughout (and I hate being cold!).

But fire is also the force that lets me put one foot in front of the other to go to Francesca’s once or twice a week.

Fire is a beast of an element when it is being serious, but it is also one of the most gentle, and serious. The two fire goddesses that guide me, Sekhmet and Karijiana, when they are not prodding me with burning fingers, give me a depth of love that I’ve never quite experienced from any other element. Water comes close, I think, with my aching romantic connection to L’yuvotn’r. And Earth comes close too, with my knowing, solid, loyal love to Vavale.

But Fire’s depth of love is a different deal.

I would agree though, it is part of the ‘pain game,’ as it were. The person who coined ‘no wisdom without suffering,’ was obviously familiar with fire’s furious nature to burn away that which doesn’t work. The problem with fire is that it can hurt what remains in the process.

Be careful of discarding what you don’t need to discard during this time. Fire can burn something valuable beyond recognition.

Another thing you can do with your vege scraps before you compost them. Keep all the clean bits (onion skins, carrot tops, leek tops, whatever) and chuck them in a container in the freezer. When you’ve got a nice pile chuck them in a pot with a litre and a bit of water and boil the buggery out of them. Strain, and pour your homemade stock into an ice cube tray (or several, or you know, just eat your delicious soup!), scraps from this onto the compost! Three uses! Simple and yum.

We’ve been doing this for a few months now (mostly to use the scraps that our worm-farm friends can’t eat, like onion peelings and chillies) and because we buy seasonally as much as possible, our stocks reflect the season. It’s a great way to cook.