Sacred Fire: The Great Purifier
This reflection arises from our work with fire in temazcal and ancestral ceremonies. Fire is one of the primary elements we work with in ritual, supporting purification, release and renewal.
Ay, sit close, child of the earth and listen to the ancient story of fire. Fire is more than heat and it is more than light. It is the heartbeat of our transformation. It is the path of change that leads us from what was to what will be. It is a dance of spirits and a prayer of smoke that consumes all that holds us captive so we may step into the world reborn.
The fire has been with us since the first dawn. It is the guide of our people and the guardian of our homes. But fire is more than warmth. It is a doorway to the spirit world. It is a sacred bridge between what is and what can be. When we gather around the flames we are inviting the spirit of fire to look deep into our hearts and carry away all that no longer serves us. Fire knows the secrets we keep from ourselves. When we offer those old stories and those old pains to the flame we let them turn to smoke and rise like a prayer to the heavens.
The Great Purifier
In our ceremonies at Medicine Wheel we call upon the fire to prepare the way. It is the eater of all that grows too heavy. In the Temazcal, the womb of heat and steam, the fire works through the stones. We heat them until they glow with the wisdom of the sun and then we bring them to the heart of the lodge. Each breath and each drop of sweat is a conversation with that heat. As the steam rises the fire burns away the doubts and the fears that have clung to your skin. When you emerge you are like the morning sun. You are renewed and stripped of the old skin and ready to walk the path anew.
Sacred Fire preparing for our Community Temazcal at Medicine Wheel Tulum in the zona hotelera.
The Spark at Home
You need not be standing before our grand ceremonial fire to know this power. You can bring the spirit of fire into your own life when the world feels cold or the heart feels heavy.
To bring the practice into your day you must sit with a single flame. Light a candle with intention. Do not just watch the light but feel the warmth on your face. Bring the stories that weigh you down and the habits that do not honor your spirit. Give them a name and offer them to the flame. As you watch the smoke rise feel the weight leave your heart. Fire does not ask for riches. It asks only for your truth. It teaches us to be fierce in our letting go and gentle in our rebirth.
This is the gift. Fire does not fear and it does not cling. It clears away the dead wood so that the forest can grow again.
May your inner fire always burn steady and may your spirit always be light.
May the flame consume what is old and may you always find the courage to reach for the sky once more.