Now that we have paid homage to that grounding force, Earth, we turn our attention to the hottest of the elements, Fire: an element that our contributors are vastly familiar with in its various guises, judging from the number of submissions we received. It seems that many of us are driven to write about Fire, as a writer’s passion burns inside each of us. But isn’t that the reason so many of us found ourselves in Print Futures? From fiery sunsets, to burning houses, to the passion of lovers, the range of our submissions proves that Fire can touch us in many different ways.

The ancient Greeks believed that the universe was made up of four elements: Earth, Air, Water, and Fire. Aristotle proposed that each of these elements contains two of the following four properties: hot or cold and dry or moist. Fire, he said, is hot and dry and belongs to summer. The Chinese also associate Fire with summer, as did the ancient Celts. But where the Chinese designate Fire as a Southern element, the Celts aligned it with the East.

In the western horoscope, Fire is a masculine element. It is confident, strong, and takes control. Fire stirs things up and makes things happen. In Ayurveda, the East Indian philosophy of life, Fire is ambition, concentration, courage, confidence, and intelligence. Fire possesses the power to change the state of substances from solid to liquid, from liquid to gas, and back again. People born under the Fire signs of any horoscope are born leaders. They are confident and never subtle.

If this issue of LooseLeaf is too hot for you, our next issue will be sure to douse the flames – the theme will be Water. So get your gumboots on, and let your thoughts get carried away on the current: raindrops, lakes, rivers, oceans, seas of sadness, teardrops, change, the tide, the pull of the moon, cleansing, baptisms, holy, blessed, rebirth, refreshing, and above all, the best damn thirst quencher I know of.

Kat Code, Managing Editor

Winter 2006 Editorial Team

Managing Editor Kat Code

Substantive Editors Vanesssa Simpson, Rita Bayer

Copy-editors Amanda Grondahl, Kate Lancaster

Proofreaders Janice Everett, Kat Code

Graphic design Vince Yim

Web Design and Construction Lynne Graham

Read the editorial team's bios