THE SYMBOLISM OF A FIREPLACE

 

Humans have always had a primal connection to fire, which is probably why a fireplace can have such a powerful impact on the way we experience our living space. Fireplaces can serve a practical purpose, supplementing or replacing other forms of heat for your home and saving you money in the process, but they also have symbolic meaning.

There’s a reason we often hear the phrase “hearth and home.” A fireplace is one of the most powerful ways to make a house feel homey and protected. Throughout most of human history, fire was so crucial to daily life that people’s very survival depended on it. We may not literally rely onitfor light, for the ability to cook food, or even for life-giving warmth in times of severe cold, but a fire still symbolizes our ability to meet some of our most basic needs.It communicates a powerful sense of security and safety.

 

Fire is power – power to create, and power to destroy. It can save a life, or burn down an entire forest. A fireplace symbolizes our ability to harness that power and use it for our own purposes. It represents domestication and sanctuary; a fire can always make more of itself, and we can keep it blazing for as long as we like. In this sense it represents the idea of continuity or constancy. An eternal flame is one of the ultimate symbols of all things everlasting.

 

A fireplace symbolizes the gathering of family and friends. It is a center that draws loved ones toward it, and toward each other. It isn’t something that exists unobtrusively in the background, like an end table or an umbrella stand. In any home with a fireplace, people naturally gravitate toward it, and the home is usually arranged with the hearth as a focal point. We don’t place mundane or practical items on a mantle; we tend to reserve that space for treasured items such as favorite photos or family heirlooms. It evokes a powerful sense of connection, both to each other, and to our history.

At the same time, a fireplace can be a catalyst for quiet contemplation and reflection. Just as strongly as it represents time spent interacting with others, a fireplace can also signify solitude and meditation or reflection. As we watch the dancing flames we can lose ourselves in them, mentally wandering to some other place or time, or deep inour own thoughts.

Fire speaks to all kinds of emotions – it can arouse or soothe, it can induce intensity or tranquility. To learn more electric fireplaces in La Mesa, please visit this website www.farrellsfiresideshop.com/electric-fireplaces