Fire Ceremony
A fire ceremony is a powerful Shamanic practice used to release unwanted energies and attachments from the past and make space for new intentions. A fire ceremony can be used to release unhappy memories, fears, negative emotions, and anything that you are holding onto that doesn’t serve your Higher Self. By releasing these unwanted energies and old patterns into the fire, you are healing at the soul level.
I like to do a fire ceremony during the change of seasons (solstice, equinox), at the Full Moon, New Moon, and I even bring in the New Year with a fire ceremony. A fire ceremony can be performed any time you are feeling stuck, creating something new, or need to shift the energy.
The steps to the ceremony are simple, it is only important to remember that you are creating ceremony:
Before coming to the fire circle, create an offering out of burnable materials, typically a small stick. This “spirit arrow” can represent an issue or something that needs to be honored in order for you to let go of it. The offering serves to focus one’s attention in active meditation. The object can be decorated or left as is.
Connect with what you are honoring, the gifts you have received, or what you are envisioning into being. Using your breath, blow this intention or prayer into the offering several times.
Before coming to the fire circle, create an offering out of burnable materials, typically a small stick. This “spirit arrow” can represent an issue or something that needs to be honored in order for you to let go of it. The offering serves to focus one’s attention in active meditation. The object can be decorated or left as is.
Connect with what you are honoring, the gifts you have received, or what you are envisioning into being. Using your breath, blow this intention or prayer into the offering several times.
The fire should then be “made friendly” with three offerings of olive oil (you could also use sage or tobacco):
The first offering honors the four directions and after your honoring, olive oil is sprinkled on the fire. The fire should be allowed to burn until you sense it is time for the second offering.
The intention of the second offering is to honor the heavens and earth and again after olive oil is sprinkled, allow the fire to burn for some time.
For the third and last offering, connect the circle around the fire by honoring “all” those present. This may include the spirits of the land or ancient energetic beings you may sense, but not see.
With the addition of these offerings, the fire will become “friendly”, change color and burn in a different manner. You will notice this change through discovery, practice, direct observation and experience.
When the fire is friendly, approach the fire and silently put your offering into it. The fire will transform your offering(s) and prayers back to light, turning them over to Spirit. In the same way sunlight wraps around the stick as it grows, the offering now goes back to the light wrapped with your prayers.
If you have someone attending the fire with you they can stand behind you to “hold the space” so all of your attention can be with the fire. If you are holding ceremony alone, invite the lineage to “stand” behind you.
As your offering burns, put your hands briefly through the smoke and fire. Draw the energy of the fire into the three main centers of your body – into the belly, into the heart, and into the forehead. Legend and lore says if you come with pure heart and intention, the fire will not burn you. You can touch the flames lightly or go deeply into them. When you place your hand into the flame, it is not meant to be sensational or dramatic, but rather a way to focus attention and energy upon your transformation.
One additional offering is then placed in the fire for the mother earth. It is typically called the “Pachamama” stick, or “mother earth” stick. Have each person in the circle blow their prayers for the planet into the offering before it is placed into the fire.
Sacred space is then closed. You should stay with the fire until all the prayers are consumed. Ideally the fire is allowed to burn to embers. Water should not be placed on the fire to extinguish it, only dirt if necessary.
Qoya-Fire-Ceremony-1
There is a two-week period following a fire ceremony in which “instances of opportunity” appear. These ”instances” provide the opportunity to translate your intent for healing, into reality. You are advised to think of the fire ceremony not as an instantaneous magical change, but rather, an opening to heal and shift distinctive habits and patterns – to manifest a different dream. Remember to recognize this “opening” and seize the opportunity to create change - then let the universe take care of the details.
Fire ceremony allows us to source from our soul and to re-remember how we have sat around sacred fires throughout time. Any time you feel “blocked”, or are working on what you want to dream into your life fire is an incredible tool to help you change and shift.
At this time of tremendous change, our souls long for ceremony. As you work with fire as ceremony, you will develop your own unique rituals." - The Four Winds Society
Like Qoya, I invite you imagine that there is no way you can do the Fire Ceremony wrong and that the way you know you are doing it right is that you are present and that it feels good in your heart. During the Fire Ceremony, you may experience a life changing epiphany, you may experience a miraculous healing, you may have a really good business idea or you may not feel anything at all. The result we can not control, but the sincerity of your intention, the willingness of your spirit and the openness of your heart are what are important.
Ritual speaks to us on our deepest level of awareness while also fully engaging our mind by tending to the fire and our emotional awareness by slowing down enough to feel. The main way in which we numb ourselves is through the being so busy, we don’t allow ourselves to breathe into and fully feel our life. The easiest way to come into the power of present moment is to feel.
When you do a fire ceremony and feel the warmth of the fire against your skin and see the visual dance of the flames as they transform the wood and offerings, you attune your own inner fire to that powerful transcendent force.
The first offering honors the four directions and after your honoring, olive oil is sprinkled on the fire. The fire should be allowed to burn until you sense it is time for the second offering.
The intention of the second offering is to honor the heavens and earth and again after olive oil is sprinkled, allow the fire to burn for some time.
For the third and last offering, connect the circle around the fire by honoring “all” those present. This may include the spirits of the land or ancient energetic beings you may sense, but not see.
With the addition of these offerings, the fire will become “friendly”, change color and burn in a different manner. You will notice this change through discovery, practice, direct observation and experience.
When the fire is friendly, approach the fire and silently put your offering into it. The fire will transform your offering(s) and prayers back to light, turning them over to Spirit. In the same way sunlight wraps around the stick as it grows, the offering now goes back to the light wrapped with your prayers.
If you have someone attending the fire with you they can stand behind you to “hold the space” so all of your attention can be with the fire. If you are holding ceremony alone, invite the lineage to “stand” behind you.
As your offering burns, put your hands briefly through the smoke and fire. Draw the energy of the fire into the three main centers of your body – into the belly, into the heart, and into the forehead. Legend and lore says if you come with pure heart and intention, the fire will not burn you. You can touch the flames lightly or go deeply into them. When you place your hand into the flame, it is not meant to be sensational or dramatic, but rather a way to focus attention and energy upon your transformation.
One additional offering is then placed in the fire for the mother earth. It is typically called the “Pachamama” stick, or “mother earth” stick. Have each person in the circle blow their prayers for the planet into the offering before it is placed into the fire.
Sacred space is then closed. You should stay with the fire until all the prayers are consumed. Ideally the fire is allowed to burn to embers. Water should not be placed on the fire to extinguish it, only dirt if necessary.
Qoya-Fire-Ceremony-1
There is a two-week period following a fire ceremony in which “instances of opportunity” appear. These ”instances” provide the opportunity to translate your intent for healing, into reality. You are advised to think of the fire ceremony not as an instantaneous magical change, but rather, an opening to heal and shift distinctive habits and patterns – to manifest a different dream. Remember to recognize this “opening” and seize the opportunity to create change - then let the universe take care of the details.
Fire ceremony allows us to source from our soul and to re-remember how we have sat around sacred fires throughout time. Any time you feel “blocked”, or are working on what you want to dream into your life fire is an incredible tool to help you change and shift.
At this time of tremendous change, our souls long for ceremony. As you work with fire as ceremony, you will develop your own unique rituals." - The Four Winds Society
Like Qoya, I invite you imagine that there is no way you can do the Fire Ceremony wrong and that the way you know you are doing it right is that you are present and that it feels good in your heart. During the Fire Ceremony, you may experience a life changing epiphany, you may experience a miraculous healing, you may have a really good business idea or you may not feel anything at all. The result we can not control, but the sincerity of your intention, the willingness of your spirit and the openness of your heart are what are important.
Ritual speaks to us on our deepest level of awareness while also fully engaging our mind by tending to the fire and our emotional awareness by slowing down enough to feel. The main way in which we numb ourselves is through the being so busy, we don’t allow ourselves to breathe into and fully feel our life. The easiest way to come into the power of present moment is to feel.
When you do a fire ceremony and feel the warmth of the fire against your skin and see the visual dance of the flames as they transform the wood and offerings, you attune your own inner fire to that powerful transcendent force.
Fire Ceremony Preparation
1) Connect with your heart and ask, “What do I need to release, what doesn’t serve me anymore.”
2) You can then gather pictures, do drawings, artwork, and write intentions that you want to release. Some people prefer to draw or make art for what they are releasing, I like to do a combination of both.
3) Prepare a fire using a fire pit, fireproof lantern, metal bowl, candle, bbq, etc. The fire doesn’t have to be huge, just make sure that the area is safe for a fire.
4) A jug of water to put the fire out.
The Ceremony
1) Call in divine support: Spirit, Higher Self, God, the Universe, spirit helpers, your guardians and ancestors.
2) Ask the spirit of the fire to help you release what you want to let go of and ask the spirits of the earth to receive what you are releasing.
3) Place each item in the fire while you name what you are releasing (you can say it out loud or in your head). BLOW into the fire, with the intention that the unwanted energy you are releasing is going out with your breath.
4) If anything else comes up during the ceremony, name it and release it.
5) Thank the fire and put it out. Give gratitude to the divine and the spirits of the elements: earth, wind, fire, and air.
1) Connect with your heart and ask, “What do I need to release, what doesn’t serve me anymore.”
2) You can then gather pictures, do drawings, artwork, and write intentions that you want to release. Some people prefer to draw or make art for what they are releasing, I like to do a combination of both.
3) Prepare a fire using a fire pit, fireproof lantern, metal bowl, candle, bbq, etc. The fire doesn’t have to be huge, just make sure that the area is safe for a fire.
4) A jug of water to put the fire out.
The Ceremony
1) Call in divine support: Spirit, Higher Self, God, the Universe, spirit helpers, your guardians and ancestors.
2) Ask the spirit of the fire to help you release what you want to let go of and ask the spirits of the earth to receive what you are releasing.
3) Place each item in the fire while you name what you are releasing (you can say it out loud or in your head). BLOW into the fire, with the intention that the unwanted energy you are releasing is going out with your breath.
4) If anything else comes up during the ceremony, name it and release it.
5) Thank the fire and put it out. Give gratitude to the divine and the spirits of the elements: earth, wind, fire, and air.
