PBP - Fire

Everyone loves fire. It's extremely important to our everyday lives. It's the ultimate neutral force.

Fire is both creative and destructive. It gives us the ability to both cook our food and temper metal. Yet, in the blink of an eye, that same helpful flame on your stovetop can burn the entire house down.

Fire provides survival. Its heat keeps people alive in frigid climates. However, it can also be used as a weapon. There is a line between getting close to a campfire and being set on fire.

Fire pushes back the darkness so we can see in the night, but if you stare at the giant ball of fire in the sky, you will go blind.

Fire is symbolic. No one literally "burns with desire" or has a "fiery passion," but we all instinctively understand the wild, untamed chaos that the imagery of fire provokes.

Fire is sacred. Our offerings are consumed by Hestia's flame and carried up to Gods. There are many myths and legends centered around fire, especially how humans obtained fire, such as the myth of Prometheus. (source: Theoi)

"Once upon a time there were gods only, and no mortal creatures. But when the time came that these also should be created, the gods fashioned them out of earth and fire and various mixtures of both elements in the interior of the earth; and when they were about to bring them into the light of day, they ordered Prometheus and Epimetheus to equip them, and to distribute to them severally their proper qualities. Epimetheus said to Prometheus: ‘Let me distribute, and do you inspect.’

This was agreed, and Epimetheus made the distribution [of claws and fur and other attributes] . . . Thus did Epimetheus, who, not being very wise, forgot that he had distributed among the brute animals all the qualities which he had to give-and when he came to man, who was still unprovided, he was terribly perplexed. Now while he was in this perplexity, Prometheus came to inspect the distribution, and he found that the other animals were suitably furnished, but that man alone was naked and shoeless, and had neither bed nor arms of defence. The appointed hour was approaching when man in his turn was to go forth into the light of day; and Prometheus, not knowing how he could devise his salvation, stole the mechanical arts of Hephaistos and Athene, and fire with them."

 - Plato, Protagoras 320c - 322a (trans. Jowett)

The other obvious association of fire is the hearth, but I'll wait until the Pagan Blog Project is at H before going into more detail about that.

Finally, fire is the result of explosions, without which we wouldn't have Die Hard.