the burning, you can smell it, feel it enter you, like a thick fog, dense without moisture, it makes it's way into your nostrils and enters your lungs, just like slow strangulation, you don't really notice it until it's to late.

there's the fires out of sight, some poor community terrorised by this elemental fury, i seen it up close, a god awful situation to be in, as the flames move with unpredictable fury and enslaved to the wind, carried on embers and finding dry material to exhaust in its death radiance.

the sky is heavy with smoke, it's blotting out almost everything, you can see the strange outlines of trees, silvery shapes that stand still in anticipation. fire is the elemental force of passion, energy if you are a greek god, if you subscribe to the indian then it's agni, fire connects with the sun and lightning. fire also represents the wand in the golden dawn system of magic and associated with the archangel michael, whereas i like to think of fire as alchemical, the agent of change, often beyond recognition, transformation dangerous when uncontrolled, useful when directed wilfully.

i'm outside in the thick of it, hosing down the perimeters, creating a magick circle, protection from the fierce nature of this rogue element. the smoke is heavy and leaves my lungs dry and ravaged, i don't know where the fire is but it's smoke is everywhere, i shut down mission control, lock the doors and windows, watch the perimeters and remain vigilant.