Palovana and Itse

"Palovana" is the Finnish word meaning "inner flame". The inner flame is something which inspires us all as people and motivates us to move, think, feel, take action and to find energy. The idea of an inner flame or inner fire, is something which most of us can connect to meaning that of motivation and influence, though there are still many other questions which can come with that.

What exactly is an inner flame
Can an inner flame extinguish
If it can, can I re-ignite

All which we do and desire is connected to the inner flame. This is the soul light inside ourselves that will burn on and bring us with great hopes and desires to achieve and accomplish in life. All beliefs connecting to "making your own future" and in "all of life is in your hands" in one way or another, can be brought back to the source of the inner flame. This is that most precious thing which you can hold in life.

Can it burn out? Have you ever heard of suicide, of Depression? Essentially to say a severe level of lacking in terms of motivation can be examples of the flame burning out. Everything in this Earth needs fuel, needs oxygen and needs care to keep it alive and growing - this is the same principle. Like all things there are stages and levels;

~ inner fire: passionate, driven and ambitious people. Never stop and at times can be more obnoxious or aggressively assertive. Powerful people who will not take "no" as an answer (but not think twice about giving "No" out!)

~ inner flame: introverts, passionate though often more shy and hesitant. These people have dreams and are inspired by thoughts and hopes alone. It is enough to think and take action every so often. They are balanced. At times they can be more in range to set themselves up for let downs and willing to be knocked back.

~ (no flame): lacks in motivation, has no ambition, no drive and little-to-no desire. Generally the cynical side of life is their belief. Often those who are suicidal. In this events have knocked them back so often that it kills off ambition and dreams. 

In short, you can re-ignite or simmer down and control the balance of your own inner flame. Though this can be achieved in an endless variety of ways, this is would be a little unrealistically extensive to follow through. The most popular of ways to quickly show example would be:

~ meditation

~ practising mantras

~ tapping into creativity and expresion

Interestingly in Finnish Paganism, the soul was believed to be something in parts and made up of aspects in life - rather than being a singular Spiritual entity. One of these parts that made the soul up was indeed "personality" and though I've seen a few similar names to label it, I will choose to go with "itse" (generally known as "the Self" or "Personality") as it was known as.

Itse was believed to be a Shadow-Soul; which is a factor of being parallel to the Self though a different being entirely. It was also regarded to be a type of "etiäinen" (explained below). A mirror, if you will, and clone. 

They also believed that with this - the Soul (being separate and not the substance of life itself) could leave the body and travel around (often when the person slept) and then return later on. Indeed it was known and almost a common thing for in Shamanism for them to travel off into Spirit Worlds and return with exchanged wisdoms and teachings.

A Shaman is something which was a Calling and a gift given in life not a choice that was actively made (a great honour to achieve this). They trained and dedicated their lives and when it came to such matters of Itse, they were called upon. Things such as spasms and unconsciousness were believed to be the Soul wondering off and so a Shaman would be summoned to bring the Soul back and guide it back to the person in question. A Shaman would do this by sending a travelling Spirit to the Otherworld's was known as "etiäinen".  

Inner Flames have been linked with Itse in many forms and one example is that the Soul of a person was made up of parts. Of the Palovana, of Itse and even Henki (loosely known as Stamina). Without Henki a person would die as this was the true power of life. In a low source of Henki, the inner flame would not last long after.

It is all connected: Personalty, Stamina, Inner Flames. Itse was known for being surrounded in fire as the personality of a human, when thought about, can change greatly within the alteration of their motivation, ambitions and goals in life (Palovana). Balance is the best to draw out the most in everything.

Hamingja

~ x ~