Sacred Fire Ceremony

Welcome

BLUE DEER HERBS AND TEA

SACRED FIRE CEREMONY

I GIVE THANKS TO THE ENERGIES ARRIVING TO ME FROM THE DIRECTIOPN OF THE SOUTH, I CALL IN THE MEDICINE OF APU AMAROO(SNAKE), SACRED SMOKE AND THE ELEMENT OF FIRE

Welcome

A brief introduction of this work.

The fire does not need to be big, nor is there a right or wrong way to do this – what matters is intention.

FIRE - Fire is the element of release and transformation. Fire is alchemy, it burns and changes things from one form to another; the change is irreversible, permanent and gives way to regeneration and new growth. The gift of fire is liberation, freedom, inbreaths of heat, intense raw power and radiant flames of light that descend deep into your bones, psyche and cellular memory gathering the heavy stuck dense beliefs, emotions, habits, relationships and wounding that is ready to be released into the fire and everlastingly metamorphosed.

Sacred Smoke - Smoke is revered for its gift of cleansing, clearing, heightened awareness and signaling all the plains, gathering and welcoming allies and ancestors to your fireside.  The smoke from an intentional fire signals the Spirit of the Fire who will come in later at the right moment for you. Let it wash over you, watch it dance and be carried by the wind opening this space for your medicine work.

Apu Amaroo – Snake In the direction of the South we work with the Spirit Animal Snake. We ask for the courage to shed our skins and to be reborn. When a snake sheds its skin, it happens all at once, leaving no scale or trace of the old one it emerges brand new. Snake brings intuition and connection, primal remembrance of the roots in our base chakra that extend down into the belly of our Mother Earth, to the eternal fires that burn at her core lighting the way, waiting for us to return. Apu Amaroo is a powerful being of transmutation and renewal. We ask for the gift of courage to Let go and trust.

The Ceremony

The essence of this ceremony comes from Shamanic and Traditional lineage teachings and has been adapted to the land I stand upon bare feet with permission from the guardians, Genis loci and ancestors of my land and Australian soil.

Preparation The Sacred Fire Ceremony begins with the collection of the wood. Each piece you collect represents something in your life that you will be releasing into the fire for transformation. Collect mindfully, bringing into your awareness the feelings and situations you plan to release.  If you are doing this as a group, use this time for silence and introspection. Create a pile of sticks, ranging from kindling, medium size wood up to small logs if you plan to sit for some hours. When you collect the wood, you can thank the trees for their offering and the wood for its purpose as a vessel to carry your intentions into the fire and its final journey as wood before it is also transformed and returned to the Earth.

From the sticks you have collected make a smaller pile that you will sit beside – these are the sticks that will be intentionally placed into the fire, each representing something you are releasing.

Pre-Ceremony Journaling or notetaking. This part can be as detailed or relaxed as you require. You can write full letters to people or situations, Poetry, or you can burn a diary if you are releasing chapters and memories belonging to a section of your life. Taking notes is helpful when it comes to placing the sticks. I find it handy to at least have a list of the things you’re releasing so when you are fireside you can stay present rather than trying to remember all the things.

Building the Fire

At this point it is ideal to use Sage, Mugwort or Incense to cleanse yourself before entering into and creating this medicine space. Walk around the fire pit space in a clockwise direction beginning in the East with your cleansing smoke using a feather and you may speak the following….

My name is …………….I ask permission from the land, the spirits and the ancestors who care for this land that I may create a sacred medicine fire here in this place.

Use your breath to imprint your essence into the space. Allow the smoke to merge with the space and tune in to feel if you are welcome. I mention this as a reminder that some places already hold older energies being significant for the original custodians and it may not be appropriate to have a ceremony in this place. Usually, you will sense if you are welcome so if it doesn’t feel right or you’re not sure find another spot.

If you are using a fire pit that you use often clear the ash and coals of any previous fires back to a clean slate. If it’s a fresh piece of land remove all major things like rocks and other sticks.

Starting from kindling and building upwards build your fire.  EACH STICK MUST BE LAID DOWN FACING THE SOUTH. Every stick, piece of wood, diary, clothing ect… that is placed on the fire throughout the ceremony MUST be placed facing the south – (all the wood will be facing the same way). All wood added (that is not release sticks) throughout the ceremony to keep the fire going must be placed facing south. This is important as this is the portal through which the Spirit of Fire will enter.

Build your fire to the desired size. Do not use firelights or any type of fuel to start the fire.

BEFORE you light the fire you will open the space by creating a medicine wheel and perform a practice of True Orientation that you can use anytime you’re feeling lost or unsure of your place and direction. Using a drum, shakers, a feather or a crystal stand beside your fire facing East and speak…..

I give thanks to the energies arriving to me in the direction of the East, Rising Sun, element of Air, medicine of the Eagle, Condor, Winged ones, Bird Tribe witness me. Stay a moment in each direction until you feel the whole direction and all you have called to looking at you. Instead of you looking at the eagle, vision it looking at you, see the sunrise looking at you, be witnessed be seen.

Walk clockwise around to face the direction of the South and speak….

I give thanks to the energies arriving to me in the direction of the South, I call in Apu Amaroo medicine of transformation and rebirth, Sacred smoke visions and clarity, Element of Fire witness me. Again stay until Apu Amaroo has snaked her way across the land eyes transfixed on yours she is in front of you now watching, witnessing.

Walk clockwise around and face the direction of the West and speak…

I give thanks to the energies arriving to me in the direction of the West.  I call in the element of water and medicine of the Jaguar – protect my medicine space, help me to surrender, flow, trust and transcend. Witness me. Allow Jaguar to walk towards you, eyes fixed and sit with her face against yours, she is your protector when you traverse the Inner worlds, subconscious and shadowlands, your ally in the dark.

Walk clockwise around and face the direction of the North and speak…

I give thanks to the energies arriving to me in the direction of the North, my true north, Medicine of the Deer, Element of Earth witness me. Allow the sacred Deer to come, even if it’s from afar be witnessed, be here on this Earth your home for countless lifetimes, Mother Earth sees you. Take a few steps around to complete your journey around the medicine wheel you have just created around your fire.

BEFORE YOU LIGHT THE FIRE

Make sure your pile of placing sticks is close by, your notes, lists, journal and whatever else you intend to place in the fire.

When you do ceremony, you don’t need to have the perfect language, the important thing is that you mean it, you’re present and feeling it not just running through the motions. Use plain simple language that is how you normally speak. Take your time and connect with what you’re doing. Wait for a response from the smoke, the wind, the earth and directions.  

Light the fire and to the young flames speak…..

I invoke the element of fire, Fire spirit come, sacred Fire thank you for this opportunity to release and transform, beautiful wood thank you for carrying this energy into the fire.

Begin the process of placing your intentional sticks by taking a deep breath and connecting with your field, your body touching the earth, your presence by this sacred fire portal. Pick up the first stick and attach the energy to be released to the stick, feel the energy of that emotion/situation/belief/habit whatever it is one last time saturate your body, intensify it until it’s all you know then with your breath exhale breathing it into the stick completely – drain it from your every cell/field/mind into the stick then place it facing south into the fire.

I recommend waiting and watch it burn completely, witnessing it change permanently before your eyes. You will get a feel for it, some sticks you will watch until they have disappeared, there may be others you move through more quickly. Repeat this process for every stick, every item on your list of things to release.

Every fire is different and each time the Spirit of Fire appears in a unique way, you will know when you see it. Sometimes I have seen it come in from above – in bigger fires, other times it emerges from within the deep heart of the fire. People see it differently but what is commonly felt is you are suddenly aware of a presence, a calm intensity liquid and fluid seems to come out of the fire, the fire portal is well open and you are inside, quiet like you have stepped into another realm – you have. In my experience of “seeing the Spirit of Fire” the Fire becomes like the texture of water, the particles of the flames are somehow closer together in that it forms a being that I can see and also surrounds the space. It is a distinct moment when you realize it wasn’t there and now it is. At this point you can speak to the Spirit – thanking it for coming, “Thank you for your presence, thank you for helping me to release all these things that I have been carrying for so long, I am truly grateful”. And whatever else you might want to talk about.

If you have some tobacco, a feather, rosemary leaves or sage you can offer it as a gift. Speak from your heart.

After you have finished releasing everything close the space by speaking….

I close this medicine space, in the direction of the East, South, West and North, In the lower, middle and upper worlds thank you to all who came and witnessed me, I am grateful, Thank you Fire Spirit, Apu Amaroo and sacred smoke for your gifts of release, letting go, clarity, transformation and rebirth. In gratitude, so it is – Aho.

The Fire Ceremony is complete.

Thank you.