The Fire Ceremony
Creating a Gentle Rain of Benefit and Joy
An Extraordinary Approach to Purification
Awakening Through the Accumulation of Wisdom & Merit

Fire transfers the commonplace to the realm of the sacred.   Through transmutation, what is burned becomes a divine offering. This style of ceremony has also been described as creating a divine contract, an exchange of services with the spirit realm itself. It is like paying a fee for services.

The Ritual
The actual practice involves the making of a fire and complex offerings but could also include simply lighting a candle and a stick of incense. Many special offering substances are offered in the sacred fire. The offerings are transported by the smoke and dedicated to the four classes of guests. The important part of the ceremony is not just the fire but the smoke!

Just like when you’re having a gathering at your home, at the beginning of the ceremony you invite guests to join the ceremony. They include:

1. All the primary spiritual forces that represent the very heart of enlightenment. They include all great beings that you believe in.

2. Honorable worldly protectors and power beings that guard our spiritual and material life from harm, intrusion and obstacles. Ancestors could be placed in this realm.

3. Guests of compassion, all those sentient beings in need; humans, hell-beings, hungry ghosts, animals and demi-gods.

4. Finally, throughout our life (and others if you believe in reincarnation), we have created suffering by our actions. By acknowledging this part of ourselves and in the repaying of our spiritual debt to others with prayerful intention, we are simultaneously healed and obstacles for our unfolding success are removed.

Long Fire Ceremonies can last 1 day, 3 or 7 days, or even longer.  For a 24-hour ceremony, we suggest making all your preparations ahead of time as the ceremony itself is focused on prayer and contemplation. This may begin at sunrise or sunset and last until the following sunrise or sunset. Also, the full moon or new moon would be optimal for the ceremony. Feel free to ask close members of your family and friends to join you and participate at any time for as long as they can. They may also receive blessings from the sacred fire. You may also want to be alone for the ceremony which is also fine.

Prepare all the foods you will need to eat for the ritual ahead of time. Be sure to offer a small amount of each food to the fire and consume all that was prepared before the end of the ceremony. Share this feast with your friends and family who have gathered to join you.

The offerings may include: species of shrubs and trees that have fragrant smells such as juniper, lemongrass, cedar, sage, rhododendron, cypress and resins such as frankincense, copal or myrrh. Juniper or sage is traditionally burned first as an expression of generosity to all beings and to purify the environment for ritual. Tobacco and cornmeal have also been traditionally used by Native Americans for prayer during the fire ceremony!

A large bowl of food and medicinal products may be gathered to be offered, little by little throughout the ceremony. This offering includes items that get mixed with barley flour, butter, milk and the three sweets: honey, molasses and sugar. Black sesame seeds, dried fruits and nuts, goji berries, crumbled cookies can all be mixed together into one large substance from which small balls will be broken off and added to the fire.

Other offerings include flowers, incense such as sandalwood, spices such as ginger, cinnamon and saffron, tea and alcohol such as gin or vodka.

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Preparation of  the Ritual Base

Before building the fire, place a small pinch of sacred ash down at the site of the fire. This offers the first layer of blessing and protection or sacred shield for the ritual. Next, build your fire. Once the fire has stabilized; clear the space by adding sage or juniper to the fire.

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The Prayers

First: 
Through connection with your heart essence, create the intension for purification of body, speech and mind and the attainment of spiritual freedom for yourself and others. Clarify that your seek truth and wisdom through your actions.

Second: 
Initiate the ceremony with prayers of gratitude, tribute and supplication to the invisible world.

To the primordial nature of all things, I pay homage.
To this luminosity, I offer!
Within this expanse I confess my negativity.
I rejoice in the vast expanse!
I request a turning of the wheel of suffering.
I request a stirring of the depths.
I dedicate the merit accumulated through these acts to the benefit of all.

Third: 
Bless the offering substances, that is, imagine the substances being transformed from ordinary material to a nectar of blessings.

Then, identify those to whom the offering is made. To those whom we show respect, to the local protectors, those in need and those we owe.

Fourth: 
Making the offerings with these prayers in mind. Add all offerings throughout the evening slowly and until they are all finished.

For what each one desires, may the objects of their desires rain down!
For as long as space exists, may all have what they need!
Through the power of dedication, may all our negative actions be purified!
May the flames of this fire fill the universe!
May the flames bring bliss to all!
May all find liberation!

At the Conclusion the Ritual:
Dedicated the benefits of the ceremony to all.
Make aspirations for all negativity to be purified.
Request that action is taken!

Allow the fire to complete and naturally end, collect the ash when it’s cool.

Sacred ash is used in ritual on the body or in a space that one would like to create a protective shield for.

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