If I am struggling, it often starts with the fire. I will rebuild or redesign my forge routinely as I gain more understanding or to reacquaint myself with the flame. A right fire is wonderful to work with and can unlock matter making it responsive and expressive. It is too easy to forget the tools or become complacent with them, but fire demands attention. I have moved toward technology to control my fires, but quickly was forced to accept that even though I can add controls and aids, the real work is in the attunement to the fire and that can never be replaced by a probe or controller.
Fire serves also as a symbol of the energy of the path.
It transmutes material and purifies. In the incandescent white heat of a welding fire, I am reminded of purity. It is the key that unlocks the physical world and reveals the structure within the chaos. The work of the craftsman is directly related to his understanding of the materials and processes. As a craftsman matures, his relationship to his media changes in very subtle ways.