The Sacred Fire
Once a month we hold a Sacred Fire which gives an opportunity to connect both with like minded people and to connect with the spirit of the fire. The fires are held normally on the third Saturday of the month starting around 7:30pm. There is no charge though a small contribution to costs is welcome. The Fire is held in the Huichol tradition and the offerings made are:-
- - Copal (resin) represents welcoming the Divine beings, the ancestors and our own heart
- - Chocolate to represents sweetness joy and passion
- - Wood represents transformation
- - Tobacco represents wisdom
By making offerings that are pleasing to the God of Fire you enter into a sacred exchange and you have the opportunity to ask for help, guidance or simply as an opportunity to offer gratitude.
The reason we borrow the Huichol Tradition is because the ritual has remained as it was originally given and has subsequently been kept unchanged and intact unlike many other traditions which have either been altered or long forgotten; including any such ritual which would have been practised on these Isles. The ritual thus retains its power to connect.
The Sacred Fire Community
These fires are held with the support and guidance of the Sacred Fire Community based in the U.S. "The purpose of the Sacred Fire Community is to rekindle our relationship to each other and the world through the universal and sacred spirit of Fire"
A Short Commentary by David Wiley
David Wiley is a Tsaurirrikame (Elder Shaman) in the Huichol Indian tradition along with being recognized as a spiritual conduit for the elemental deity of fire known by the Huichols as Tatewari or Grandfather Fire.
"In the indigenous or shamanic view, the world around us is a manifestation of the Divine. From the smallest pebble to the trees, rivers, mountain, all the way to the great elemental forces that make up this world, the different manifestations of the Divine can be seen before our eyes. Intact indigenous cultures refer to these manifestations as gods and they maintain close relationships with them. One of the primary elemental forces, Fire, is present as a Divine Energy in all traditions. Fire has been our benefactor, warming us, cooking our food, giving us light for many millennia. We also know it as the energy of our hearts. It holds our pure spiritual knowing and wisdom. It connects us to each other and to the Divine, providing the medium for transformation. Fire is present in all spiritual pathways and, in many traditions, it is a living presence, which provides guidance and help. In the tradition of the Huichols of northwest Mexico, they call the God of Fire, Tatewari." - David Wiley
If you would like to be kept informed of the fire dates then please send Richard an email: richard@clophillcentre.co.uk
If you would like to find out more about David Wiley:- www.keepsthefire.org Or visit:-www.sacredfirecommunity
A few words from a regular visitor to the fire...
If you haven't been yet then I highly recommend it!
It is a "community" event in the truest sense of the word and a wonderful opportunity to sit in a circle with others, connect with the Spirit of the Fire (or Grandfather ), be outside with nature, share thoughts and feelings (if you wish to) stories and jokes, drum and simply step aside from the hectic activity of daily life. It offers the space to sit, be still and reconnect, which can be seen as a rare commodity in these times and something of great value and I know that I have sometimes arrived at the Fire feeling very heavy and over burdened and yet by the time I leave feel completely clear, light and re-energised.
It also gives you the ability to build a relationship with Grandfather Fire, and by giving him the things that he likes: chocolate, tobacco, wood, and copal (incense), enables you to ask him for something(s) that you wish for in you own life, and this can be absolutely anything.Personally rather than asking Grandfather for what it is I require support with in my life I prefer to give thanks/ gratitude for the request having already been granted and I have found this for me to be a successful way of communicating with Grandfather Fire.
Come along and experience this wonderful evening for yourself!
Kanti