Agni
Agni, the Hindu god of fire, is said to be manifest as the vital spark in mankind, birds, animals, plants
and life itself. He appeared in lightning, in celestial sun flares, in the sacred blaze rising from the altar
and in household fires.
Agni was the divine priest and acted as messenger to the gods, interceding with them on behalf of
mankind. The priest would chant:
‘Agni, the divine ministrant of the sacrifice,
the great bestower of treasure.
May one obtain through Agni,
wealth and welfare.’
Agni is still important as the god of domestic and ritual fire and for spells for the increase of wealth,
material goods, creativity and domestic protection.
Hephaestus
Hephaestus, Greek god of fire and metal-work, was thrown from Mount Olympus by his father Zeus
because he took the part of his mother Hera in a quarrel; as a result of the fall, he became lame. He
created armour, weapons and jewels for the gods in his workshop beneath the volcanic Mount Etna, in
Sicily, and as a reward was given Aphrodite as his unwilling bride. He was among the least
charismatic of the gods, but his Roman counterpart, Vulcan, fashioned Jupiter’s thunderbolts.
Hephaestus is patron of metal-workers in much of the Western world and in the Middle East from
where his cult originated. He is effective in all rituals for craftsmanship, for the acquisition of wealth
and treasures, for the development of skills and precision and for controlled power for a particular
purpose.
