FIRE CEREMONY
“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”
Mahatma Gandhi
We find ourselves living through the times of fire.
The fires of social, environmental and personal transformation are burning brightly and it’s up to us whether we harness them to transmute the old stories that are ready to die.
Fire since the beginning of its gift to humanity has brought warmth, light and the ability to transform one material into another – be that food, fuel or intentions.
At this time of year, we find ourselves being drawn towards fire in many ways. Fire that allows us to rest and feel safe and secure during the long dark of winter nights. Fire that cooks our nourishing food and helps us to stay warm and healthy during the long cold.
And fire that helps us to burn away old habits, stories and beliefs, ready for the time when the light returns in the Spring.
My friend Lorna Howarth and I are about to launch our new book, The Soulistic Journey. This book guides you on a journey into the heart of your soul and the life that you came here to live.
It is a book of practices and principles that light our way, month by month through the dance of the seasons as they unfold in our ecosystems, wherever we may live on Earth.
In December, we come home to the practice of the fire ceremony – a powerful mechanism to transform old patterns and let go of the lessons of the past year, allowing them to transmute into new wisdom and energy.
I share the excerpt of this from the book here so that you can enter into one of the most powerful practices of the season, harnessing its transformative powers throughout the rest of the year.
Fire Ceremony
Destruction brings creation in its wake
This Fire Ceremony is all about creativity. It is about creating space for old feelings or habitual thinking to burn away making space for the birth of new energies and motivations. The best time to have your Fire Ceremony is during the Winter Solstice, 21-22 December when it can be a really meaningful ritual by marking the return of the light and the intention to allow creativity into your life.
Here’s how to do it.
- If you have an outdoor fire-pit or chimnea, then use that for your ceremony. If you don’t have this, but do have a wood-burning stove indoors, then use this instead. If you have no access to a place for fire-making, then you can use a candle.
- Build your fire in a mindful state, placing each piece of wood on it with reverence, knowing that it will be transformed forever into another state – this act requires humility.
- If possible, go for a short walk to find seasonal and symbolic items that you can place in your fire: a sprig of holly; some withered sage; a nub of frankincense from your Gifting Bag if you have some; a pine cone… anything that feels significant to you at this moment in time.
- Whilst you are building your fire, set aside several sticks or twigs that you can use later. Light your fire and keep feeding it so that it grows more intense in heat and colour. Whilst you do this, quieten your mind so you are nearing a state of meditation. The best way to do this is just to watch the flickering flames. Watch the dance of energy before you and how the wood relinquishes its form. Watch as the flames lick and curl and caress; surrender to their power and transformative beauty.
- As you settle into the vibrational energy of fire, ask yourself if there is anything in your life that you would like to transform. Then pick up one of your twigs and say aloud whatever it is that you would like to change: ‘I would like to transform my habitual judgement of others into unconditional love.’ Then throw the stick on the fire and watch it literally transform in front of your eyes. The next time you catch yourself in judgement of others, remember that you have already transformed that habit into Love and change your perspective. Perhaps you would like to relinquish the anxiety that you hold regarding your current job? Pick up a twig, throw it in the fire and say aloud, “I choose to let go of any feelings of anxiety about my work and trust that the best outcomes for me will unfold.” Then watch your anxieties burn in the fire, making space for something more creative.
- If you are using a candle for this practice, you can wave a stick of palo santo incense through the flame and watch wood turn to fragrant smoke, a transformative process akin to that you are seeking.
You can hold a Fire Ceremony at any time of the year and for any transformational purpose, where you wish to change one perspective into another. But as with all these practices, choose wisely and ask for only those things that bring harmony into your life. The old adage, ‘Be careful what you wish for’ is always one to bear in mind for in this practice as with all of them, because your words become your actions.
Excerpt from the upcoming The Soulistic Journey by Genevieve Boast & Lorna Howarth
The Soulistic Journey will be available for pre-order on Amazon from the 12th Dec.
