Anger is something we all deal with, on a personal level and on a societal level. Everyone struggles with the anger that comes from feelings of powerlessness, unhappiness and injustice.

Anger can be a necessary and helpful motivator. A slow-burning anger is what inspires and maintains the fight for social justice. Anger can help us remove ourselves from unhealthy situations. Anger can motivate us to do better and rise higher in life.

Yet, anger can also be debilitating. Anger turned inward becomes depression. Misplaced anger can hurt our ability to have healthy relationships. Even justifiable anger can cause us to be victims in life, rather than survivors.

Certain mental health diagnoses have anger as part of their symptoms. For many people, it is imperative that, in order to be healthy and happy, they learn to manage their anger.

Sometimes anger management isn’t effective or enough. Spiritually, there is a way to transmute our anger into a more helpful energy.

In elemental studies anger is related to the element of Fire. In tarot, that would be the suit of Wands, as well as a large group of Major Arcana cards (Emperor, Strength, Wheel of Fortune, Temperance, Tower, Sun, Judgment). Fire is also related to our creativity, our passions, our motivation, our sexuality, our spirituality and our humor. This gives us an important tool in learning to turn the energy of our anger into something more useful and helpful.

When we ignore our anger, it can fester. When we express our anger inappropriately, we can damage relationships. When we transmute our anger, we can use the power of that vibrant energy in a useful way.

Anger easily transmutes into motivation. We can also transform anger into creativity, or into pursuing any healthy interest about which we are passionate.

Like all four of the classic elements of life, Fire is an energy we can work with in a meditative state. We can identify the Fire within us. When we feel that Fire as anger, that energy can feel uncomfortable. We can acknowledge the Fire and work to transform it into something that feels more helpful. Then, we can often experience a sense of healing from the anger, as well as greater motivation toward something that helps us in life.

Certainly, traditional methods such as psychotherapy are also helpful, and sometimes necessary, in healing our anger. Yet, working with the Fire energy can speed our healing, and inspire us to do great things.

If you want to try a Fire meditation to transmute anger, first consider what you want to direct your Fire energy toward. Would you like to be more creative? If so, what sort of creative activities would you like to pursue? The more specific you can be, the better.

If you prefer, you can direct your energies toward athletic motivation, career advancement or spiritual development. All of these pursuits are related to and inspired by the element of Fire.

Once you have a clear idea of where you want to focus your energy and attention, spend a moment visualizing what your life will look like, and feel like, when you are creating that achievement in your life. The more you can hold that vision in your mind and see it and feel it in the present tense, the more successful you will be with this exercise.

Form a specific picture and feeling in your mind in vivid detail. Picture yourself writing a book, or running a marathon, starting a business or accepting a promotion. Once you have that image, and that feeling, you are ready to begin your meditation.

It will be helpful to have a lit candle, or the Ace of Wands from your tarot deck, or both. You will use the candle, and/or the card, to help you connect to the Fire within you, as you redirect it, moving it from anger to the more constructive motivation you have chosen.

Begin your meditation by focusing on your breath. Breath into the root chakra at the base of your spine and ground yourself to the earth.

With your breath, bring your energy up your spine, stopping at the third chakra, the solar plexus, just below the ribcage. The third chakra is the Fire chakra, and it is the center of your will and self-determination.

Breath into this area as you gaze upon your candle, and/or your Ace of Wands.  See your third chakra as your body’s furnace. As your breath, feel that your breath is like a set of bellows, stoking the flames in your inner furnace.

Feel the Fire within you building, rising up and becoming hotter. Reflect for a moment on the things that have made you angry. Understand your right to your anger, and then affirm your desire to turn that anger into something more productive.

Bring your attention to the image and feeling you have created as your goal. As you breathe, see your furnace as the energy that supports that goal. As your raise the flames of your furnace, you fuel that goal.

You may finish your meditation when you feel ready. Simply return your breathing to normal and once again feel yourself grounded to earth.

You can return to this image, and to the action of stoking your inner furnace to fuel your goals, whenever you feel anger, or lack of motivation. Over time, you will find that you experience less anger, and more motivation toward achieving your goals.