Celebrating Life through Fire Ceremony

Ceremony is a special aspect of the human experience– where and when we allow ourselves to acknowledge a transition or a rite of passage one is moving through. Ceremonies are held to celebrate new beginnings, as the ending of a cycle or an event in one’s life, or simply to honor life itself. The beautiful thing about ceremony is that it can be as intricate or as simple as you want it to be. You can turn almost any activity you already partake in into a ceremony. In my personal life, I make the commitment to hold at least two larger, more traditional ceremonies each month, and ceremoniously celebrate through my everyday activities.

Celebrating Life Everyday

From making your morning cup of coffee, Golden Mylk, or Cacao, to cleansing your house, washing the dishes and eating a meal alone or with loved ones, everything is a celebration! We are alive, taking up space on Mama Earth’s belly in beautiful human suits we were gifted to experience human life in. When we remember this truth every morning when we wake up not only do we instantly feel gratitude, but we want to expand that gratitude further! We WANT to show our gratitude for every little thing that we do, everyone that we meet or talk to that day… therefore we raise ourselves to a higher frequency which will inevitably attract more higher frequency experiences into our lives.

A gratitude chain, the gratitude effect, the Law of Attraction… whatever you call it, it’s REAL. It’s potent. It’s our innate gift as spiritual beings experiencing life through these human bodies. 

All of the ceremonies that I have partaken in thus far, even the ones that signify the ending of a cycle or a life, have a level of gratitude to them. So really, the key takeaway here is to show gratitude. Gratitude equals excitement, excitement equals celebration, celebration equals welcoming in more of the same thing you’re celebrating!

As I’m writing this, one particular ceremony comes to mind… one that is easily accessible virtually anywhere you are in the world, and that is a fire ceremony. What I love the most about fire ceremonies is they are for everyone, no matter who you are or what your background is. Here is how to cultivate a fire ceremony at home, by yourself or those who you want to celebrate in ceremony with.

How To Hold a Fire Ceremony Outdoors

• Open sacred space, whatever that means to you.
• Set two sticks at the base of the fire in a Southern Cross then build a short stack of paper/kindling pile on top of the Southern Cross. Use progressively larger sticks to make a “teepee” structure, carefully balancing each stick with your intentions. This building of the fire can be done before sacred space, however, do not light the fire until sacred space is open.
• Watch the fire burn. Listen. Cultivate your relationship with the fire. You can sing the mantra* to call in the waters to make this fire friendly and carry your offerings to Spirit.

Nitche Tai Tai, N – U – Y

Oro Nika, Oro Nika

Hey Hey, Hey Hey

Ooo Ai

Feel free to incorporate any instruments you enjoy playing, like the drums, rattle, and so on. Root into your connection with the fire, Earth, and Spirit.

• When the fire is ready, make the first offering/blessing to the fire. Thank the four directions and call them to speak to you. Anoint the fire with olive oil and listen.
• When the fire is ready, make a second offering to the fire, thanking and calling in the Earth and Sky/Stars. Anoint the fire with olive oil and listen. 
• Pass out sticks to each of the souls present, even if it’s just you, and blow anything and everything you want to a) release in your life and b) welcome into your life into the stick. Blow your intentions and blow your prayers. Honor the multi-dimensional being that you are.
• When the fire is ready, make this stick each of your personal offerings to the fire. Kneel at one of the cardinal points of the fire and offer this stick to the fire. Call upon the Earth and Stars to assist you on your journey. Surrender.
• Allow the stick to burn then pull in the light and heat of healing into the three major energy centers of the body. Belly (for right action), Heart (for right loving), and head (for right thinking).
• If you are a mesa carrier, run your mesa over the fire as you allow the fire now and all sacred fires through time to cleanse, renew, and empower your stones and your soul.
• Offer the same process to all participants at the fire, instructing them to keep the outer circle close as each person steps to the fire. The circle is a strong container for the prayers. 
• Pachamama stick: Have each participant of the fire blow in their prayers and blessings for the planet in this stick. When complete, the youngest and oldest participants take the stick and place it in the fire. Alternatively, you may choose masculine/feminine energies to offer the stick to the fire. 
• Close eyes and allow ancestors of the land or anyone who wants to ride the smoke home to come to this fire for healing and celebration of this renewal.
• Stay with the fire until it burns out.
• Close sacred space.

How To Hold a Fire Ceremony Indoors

• Set up your altar of gathering for the ceremony. Grab one candle (if it’s just you) or a few candles, depending on the size of your group. Fill 1-2 ceramic or glass bowls with salt and another 1-2 smaller bowls with olive oil (again, depending on the size of your group). Place an unlit candle, bowl of salt, bowl of oil and some toothpicks on each side of your gathering space. Set the altar with any other sacred tools and objects you wish to have in ceremony. If you are a mesa carrier, ensure your mesa is with you for this fire ceremony.
• Open sacred space, whatever that means to you.
• Light each candle. Watch the fires burn. Listen. Cultivate your relationship with the fire. You can sing the mantra* to call in the waters to make this fire friendly and carry your offerings to Spirit.

Nitche Tai Tai, N – U – Y

Oro Nika, Oro Nika

Hey Hey, Hey Hey

Ooo Ai

Feel free to incorporate any instruments you enjoy playing, like the drums, rattle, and so on. Root into your connection with the fire, Earth, and Spirit.

• When the fire is ready, make the first offering/blessing to the fire, which will be a toothpick. Thank the four directions and call them to speak to you. Anoint the toothpick with olive oil, burn, place the flame gently down into the salt dish, and listen.
• When the fire is ready, make a second offering to the fire, thanking and calling in the Earth and Sky/Stars. Anoint the toothpick with olive oil, burn, place the flame gently down into the salt dish and listen.
• Pass out toothpicks to each of the souls present, even if it’s just you, and blow anything and everything you want to a) release in your life and b) welcome into your life into the stick. Blow your intentions and blow your prayers. Honor the multi-dimensional being that you are.
• When the fire is ready, make this toothpick each of your personal offerings to the fire. Kneel at one of the cardinal points, where the candlelit fire is set up, and offer this stick to the fire. Call upon the Earth and Stars to assist you on your journey. Surrender.
• Allow the stick to burn then pull in the light and heat of healing into the three major energy centers of the body. Belly (for right action), Heart (for right loving), and head (for right thinking).
• If you are a mesa carrier, run your mesa over the fire as you allow the fire now and all sacred fires through time to cleanse, renew, and empower your stones and your soul.
• Pachamama stick: Have each participant of the fire blow in their prayers and blessings for the planet in this stick. When complete, the youngest and oldest participants take the stick and place it in the fire. Alternatively, you may choose masculine/feminine energies to offer the stick to the fire. 
• Close eyes and allow ancestors of the land or anyone who wants to ride the smoke home to come to this fire for healing and celebration of this renewal.
• Stay as long as desired, then blow out the candles.
• Close sacred space.

Whether you decide to hold a fire ceremony of your own, for solely yourself or with others, remember that we can create ceremony in everything we do. It starts with gratitude and the willingness to shift our perspective.

Happy healing and happy ceremony-ing! 

*This mantra was passed down through the Shamanic lineage I am initiated into, through my teacher’s teacher, Alberto Villoldo. In his words, here is the mantra and a translation of sorts:

“‘Nitche Tai Tai, N-U-Y

Oro Nika Oro Nika

Hey Hey…Hey Hey

Ooo Ai.’

The following is not a literal translation, but expresses the chants essence:

‘O Great Mother, Mother of the Waters

We call on you, waters of our birth

Waters of our sustenance

Waters that cleanse us on our death

Waters of life.’”