Topic: Sacred Fire Ceremony Gathering

[Michael]

Tom has said his next sacred fire is June 1st. is that still the case Tom?

I feel we should all make an effort to join up at Tom's fire, on this side or the other side. I would appreciate if Tom gave us here, a lead on how to approach this event. i'll add my own little spiel:

Even lighting a match can be a sacred fire - it all depends on the degree of intent, awareness and intensity we bring to the moment. The fire in the top left corner is a sacred fire I prepared in my own living room for this forum.

Fire to me is a precious friend, who demands respect. I live with fires, the stove, the living room fire place, and outside fires in the garden and our big one in the paddock, so I have to be extra careful. i recall once when a fire got away from us in the middle of summer - it was a lesson to me that fire should never be taken lightly.

The idea with this gathering, is that we meet up in spirit. This can be done in dream or vision, or simply in stopping for a moment and sending your thought to the fire. It is best that we each light our own sacred fire, which will be a channel to link us.

Those among us who are good dreamers, can journey to Tom's fire and join in the ceremony. Don't be concerned that you don't see what other's see. Each person has their own unique vision of an astral event - it is the feeling that is the important part. The feeling of sacredness, the feeling of the essence of fire, and the feeling of celebration as a group of fellow travelers on the path, friends for the short time that we meet in this vast cosmos.

Fire is also the place to make offerings and requests. It would be most appropriate if you were to bring to the sacred fire, some item for the fire to convert into energy - offer it to the fire, but best of all is to offer your heart ... the fire may then reach back to you, and bless you with abundance.

I hope everyone can make it for darshan.

[tommy2]

It is pretty quiet at work on Sunday so will write something today and post it in the a.m. 

Also, tomorrow (our Memorial Day Holiday) at 10 a.m. here is a ceremony in town for induction of new flags into the countys' Parade of Flags and my Dad's flag will be one of them.  He was awarded 6 bronze stars and a silver star for his bravery on D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge.  Just thought you'd wanna know. 

See you at my fire.  Bring food.  tommy

[tommy2]

Friends of mine, I am working on a larger writing concerning the "what, where, how and why" of just what I do in my ceremonial effort but will, in this writing here, focus only on the particular of what I will do on this Friday at our fire communion/my prayer ceremony.

Approx. 2 - 4 p.m.;  I will burn some old receipts and scrap wood while I clean my Ojibwa.  This will build a nice bed of coals and help set my Intent.  I will then cart over several large ceremonial logs and begin to put them in my pit as the night progresses.  I will then walk my circle of power around the pit/Ojibwa area and lay out my offerings and Soma forum representative fire bundles.  Next I'll take my power walk and hang out whatever Medicine (shields, weapons, robes, etc.) which speak to me to do so.  Next I willl smudge myself and offer each bundle to the Great Spirit with my offering bowl of crystals and foodstuffs prepared.

Approx. 4 - 7 p.m.;  I will chant, walk my circle and slowly add bundles to the fire.  I lay each one very close to the burning logs but not actually in the fire, so that they will slowly heat, smoke up and then ignite.  I will touch the energy I can remember of that person during this process.  i.e., I look at your pictures and read some of my favorite posts I have printed and just Channel each of you.  Then I will emit prayer for our troops and families and for those on my Mother Earth who suffer.  I don't really pray, as in supplicating or asking a diety to do his or her job but, rather, summon the power of those who pray, heal or give their energy to others.

During this entire 5 to 7 hour process I will periodically go into trance, visit my favorite sitting/standing spots in my gardens for the purpose of Channeling and meditation and, of course, stoke our fire.

I always carry a note pad and pen along to capture any unusual sounds, sights, sensings, animal activities, etc. for later reporting.  I will also do a lot of candles in and out with incense, quiet music, carry my prayer flags and power crystal, chant, play my pan pipe, etc. to keep me constantly intact with my ceremonial mood and Intent.

Like I said, "Bring food for all."

[tommy2]

To add enhancment to the focus of this stalk I would like to titillate the psychics and seers of our band by them Channeling a technique I use with my students.  I have a very particular object of Power which I use in preparation of my ceremonial acts.  This act I have referred to several times in my postings of this subject, including the very previous one.  The object of Medicine has become an integral part of my assemblage point maneuverings.

Remember to remember that this is what it is all about, right?  Moving the A.P. 

The power object is now in plain view in the center of my exercise/viewing area and is a quite common but extremely useful tool for its purpose.  While you are visiting my home, look for this object and identify it.  Those who are able to "see" it will receive a very worthy shield of my construction, which I will send to them.  All acts of Power DO need acknowledgement.

May this aid in bringing us closer to our fire.

My fun mode is already in full throttle of my preparation for our upcoming communal event. 

Best of Nagual Regards

the wannabe warrior, two feathers

[Jennifer-]

The coals of my fire pit are still hot, fire has been burning since Friday. Last night at sunset I went out and started gathering some wood to join all of you with fire very soon!

The raven soars and coyote sings..

[Michael]

what makes a fire sacred?
what makes anything sacred?
wat is sacred?

what is the point of meeting in a magical ceremony?
why do you want to come?

soon your life will be over,
and you will go like the hordes before you...
what was the point of it all?
did you make a difference?

fire is burning passion
fire is consummation
fire is the passage into spirit
fire consumes the physical and turns it into ash and smoke.
fire is life
fire is death
why do we sit around the fire?

there is a field, and in the centre a fire,
that is the fire of our clan
we are nomads in spirit
we are beings of the fire
we declare allegiance to no one
but the fire

what is your life?
is it struggle?
is it comfort?
is it fretting?
for objects just out of touch?

before enlightenment washing bowls - and after?
is that it?
washing bowls?

the fire is end of all our squabbles
the fire is the hope of every seeker
the fire of our clan is the covenant of audacity
the fire is the passageway to our forgotten dreams
the fire is our last chance
the fire is you

i cannot give you eternity
i can't give it to myself
you must come to the fire for that
and i also.
we can meet there
alone,
and together
there is no other way

neither you nor i can cross the bridge of inner fire
to eternal awareness
that is a gift
but we can throw ourselves into the fire
into every moment of our precious disdained life
that is the fire to which we come
the fire of our clan

i say offer everything!
your pride
your guilt
your skill
your love
your memories
your cowardice
your impotence
your last throw

we have nothing else left

make it count!

[elliot]

i have burned my main wood stash down to build the coals up.  they are ready for ignition here soon.  tonight i will go to the indian spot were they perform the sundance.  gather wood there. 

locate a couple smudge sticks.  already have some sweet grass. . . . . .  . . . . . .    my main intent is to clear strands of luminous fiber from other people off my being that have had effects on me.  a vulnerability has come up in me lately that has configured my energy to engage with some different types lately.  it would be best to disengage yet keep my vulnerability for now.

therefore, my fire will unfortunately be for self reasons.    my thoughts will be with everyone of you none the less.

[tommy2]

My fires are always for "self" reasons.   Detachment from any so-called
"self" is an arduous process, Elliot, so maybe there's no "unfortunately" about it.  Be very glad you know what work you have to do.  Many, unfortunately, do not.  Our clan fires could not burn without each others' wood, without each other Intended energy.  As a warrior said here, we have nothing else left.

t

[elliot]

it just feels selfish for some reason to me....  I know on a certain level that it is not, yet cannot overcome the feeling..  thanks tommy2.  your perspective is much valued in this camp over here.   I also have some images that i carry with me that I would like to release myself from as well...

[tommy2]

This fire, any sacred fire, is a tool.  Use this one for cleansing, or for release, or for communion, or for sacrifice, or for giving AND for receiving, or for all of these.  I put myself in the fire each time I relight it.  It is a reflection of what is within me.  It is all these things and more to me and for me.  It is a gift.  Just use it and its significance, meaning and power will be revealed.  In order to receive, one must first give deeply and sincerely.  It cannot be just a gesture.  It has to be as though it were your last act on earth and you had all the time in the world to prepare for it.  I have taken 18 years to prepare for the 18 seconds it takes me to rekindle what is now my life, my fire, our fire. 

Yet, there is no time left for me to ponder such acts.  I go to the fire because I have no other choice.  It has changed me in this way.  What I am saying is, Elliot, these things are not to be thought of very much.  Just act and your feelings will portray themselves as they truly are ......  just feelings. 

I sincerely pray during this time for me that this truly makes no sense to you, what I write now.  I am trying to describe what I cannot but know that my energy and the energy of our clan and the One clan will  help you in these matters.  Just focus on the fire, my Friend, and enjoy what has been going on for thousands of years. 

We are with all those hearts which relight their fires forever.  There IS nothing else to do and, in this way, I am terribly alone yet with everyone who goes to a fire for their life.

t

[Jennifer-]

The ceremonial drum has spoken and the old ones echo back.

Let the dance begin~

[Jennifer-]

Do not pursue the past.
Do not lose yourself in the future.
The past no longer is.
The future has not yet come.
Looking deeply at life as it is.
In the very here and now, the practitioner dwells in stability and freedom.
We must be diligent today.
To wait until tomorrow is too late.
Death comes unexpectedly.
How can we bargain with it?
The sage calls a person who knows how to dwell in mindfulness night and day,
'one who knows the better way to live alone.'
Bhaddekaratta Sutta

[Jennifer-]

[Jennifer-]

[erik]

Lit a candle and did a meditation-dreaming.

I saw a man in the darkness standing behind the fire. There were no stars in that darkness. It just was very black darkness. Man looked up. Above him was a source of light. It was not a moon, it was a source of bright white light. Yet it did not shed light on surroundings. It was only difficult to look into that source of light.

The man was looking up - to that distant source of white light. He was very-very alone there. Looking up. I cannot quite describe the feeling he seemed to be experiencing - there was longing, he was asking for something, there was that sense of man standing alone in the infinite Universe, man and God.

Then I got different perspective on the event. There was fire and man behind it. There were also two sorts of beings around the fire. One type consisted of quite a large number of 'browns ones' (beings themselves had that colour). They were 'light' and 'agile' they settled a bit farther from the fire in large herd. The other type consisted of 'dark-blue/black ones' (the colour was the colour of their clothing, i.e. overalls). They were 'larger' and 'heavier'. There were maybe 10-12 of them and they were quite next to fire. There were clouds and bit of Sun. The landscape looked like prairie.