The Dream Book of Self-Knowledge

Fire

the fire represents in the most dynamic way a symbol of acts that eliminates everything unnecessary and is able to reveal the essence of emotions (when it dries up water), but can also symbolize destructive passion and lust.
the ideal state is when fire burns slowly, when it isn't extinguished but does not threaten the surroundings since such a state symbolizes the gradual and safe burning of dependencies and of unneeded thoughts.
a fire can be helpful, symbolic, threatening or destructive (see foretelling of rebirth).
symbolic fires (often shaped like a sphere or disc), fires within objects (a tree, stump, lamp etc.). usually relate to the state of being (the inner fire of the spiritual heart, the state of the psychological center); an inner fire can also rarely be experienced by a burning sensation within one's body and it depends on the state of the dreamer's mind whether this is experienced as a joy or as a pain if the dreamer is unable to handle the growing energy within; a fire of a spiritual nature is able to transform the dreamer's sinfulness (very rarely even the sinfulness of the world) and then reveal symbolic shapes of unification (spheres, mandalas*²¹, discs etc.) of the consciousness on an emotional and spiritual level, which is why a symbolic fire can be an interesting part of the UFO – Initiation Ceremonies archetype.
painful (torturing) fire: if compassion is present from the dreamer, then it is a preparation for the transformation of the personality and destruction of lower components of being (instincts and sometimes even emotions); without compassion it is only a sadomasochistic sign whose origin lies in the third phase of the Basic Perinatal Matrix archetype, since fire is a frequently experienced element indicating rebirth in this very archetype; see Inflammables.
a fire protecting the dreamer from animals: symbolizes the active actions against one's instinctual essence and the desire for an emotional life.
in the forest: elimination of the mind's instinctual content.
in stoves: intentionally burns everything not needed, all of the mind's trash (a frequent image of the elimination of instinctual dependencies).
burning sculpture heads: symbolizes activities geared toward the transformation of the intellect and reason in favor of intuition*⁶⁴ and future knowledge.
underground fire, in caves: indicates acts that illuminate part of the dreamer's instinctual essence; such a fire often accompanies the Shadow archetype (e.g. in images with the devil).
fire in a house: to explain this symbol we must distinguish whether the dream is showing a fire helping to eliminate that which is unnecessary, is signifying a state of being or is a threatening fire.
a person intentionally starting a fire: see Incendiary.
extinguishing a fire: see Firefighter, firefighting.
an object that is burnt through (e.g. a rope): can relate to an important end of a period or even to the death of the ego.
a fiery ditch or trench turns into railroad tracks: desire (fire) as a trigger of dual thinking (two tracks).
a burning tower: this is a positive process since it represents preparation for the ego's transformation; see Babylon, the Towner of Babel.
a fire rising from a volcano: the result of inwardly directed energy (concentration, meditation etc.) or in a worse case the result of an excess of suppressed passion and instincts.
burning city, apocalyptic fire: ridding oneself of a past worldview (see Apocalypse archetype) or the image of future events in the world (see archetype of Past and Future Visions).
a fire burning hay: the final elimination of erotic and sexual thoughts.
smacking gloves over a fire: this scene represents the constant pressure on one's morality and on the emotional base from which the lower nature draws its strength; patient work on moral refinement tips the scale toward the higher nature and moves the being back toward unity through the constant weakening of the power of instincts.
joining fire and water: one of the important milestones of the development of inner creative power; spiritual writings and many alchemical treatise describe similar states.
symbols of light and fire in beautiful dreams: may express the soul's internal state and the lighting of a fire in a spiritual heart (see Self archetype).
fire in a boiler: it is very important that the boiler does not go out since the fire within is an allegory of the inner flame ignited in the spiritual heart (for more on the ignited flame in the spiritual heart see the Self archetype); see Boiler.
seeing a flaming sword (usually in the sky): God's punishment; such a vision is often accompanied by apocalyptic images.
a fiery altar: the Hindu notion of the absolute sacrifice.
fire in the sky, fire falling from the sky: a divine sign and foretelling of a very difficult period which humanity, a nation, region or city will go through; there may very rarely appear mythological images that reflect the process taking place within the psyche, processes by which the dreamer is freed from the pressures of instinctual and emotional life in favor of spiritual knowledge.
death by fire and ensuing rebirth from ashes: symbolizes rebirth after the death of the ego and does not only have to be the mythical Phoenix*⁵², whose old form dies in the fire only to rise from the ashes and fly freely toward the sun.