Shamanic Fire Ceremony
- written by Jessica Mallock (edited by Pete Lawrence)
The allure of fire is undeniable. It ignites the very essence of our being, calling us on a souls journey, prompting us to answer its call, we find ourselves gathered in a circle or standing alone in a sacred space, surrounded by its warm glow. In these moments, we often experience a sense of deep remembrance, as if our ancestors are with us, sitting around the fire, finding warmth, nourishment, and storytelling.
The fire ceremony is an invitation to partake in an ancient tradition. As we approach the fire, it awakens all our senses, grounding us in the present moment. It offers us a chance to transcend the confines of our everyday reality and enter a realm of timelessness, wonder, and infinite possibilities. We connect with spirit and consciousness, both on a personal and collective level.
This sacred space becomes a catalyst for rapid transformation, providing a pathway to release old narratives and dramas that no longer serve us. By offering these patterns and structures to the fire and surrendering them to spirit, our souls find healing. In the weeks that follow, we may notice a shift in our perception, a change in our physical sensations, and a new perspective on life.
The fire ceremony presents an opportunity to envision a new world, one that is not shaped by our past, but rather informed by the beings we will become in the next 10,000 years. Here, we call upon our future selves to download a quantum piece of energy that is whole and healed. From this place, we can dream a new world into being, not just for ourselves, but for the generations to come, our children’s children.
In this sacred space, we listen to the stories whispered by the fire, gaining wisdom and insight from the sacred other. We connect with our fire teacher and receive its teachings. Shamans say that in the past, it took years to learn how to be a fire keeper. However, nowadays, we don't have enough time for such lengthy training. If you feel a strong calling to make a fire ceremony, then it's the right time for you to do it. Remember that everything is exactly as it should be, embrace the sacred, stay present, and you will create a truly beautiful ceremony.
Here is a plan for your upcoming fire ceremony:
Prior to the ceremony, take a few days to venture onto your land with a sense of reverence and appreciation, taking gentle steps collect a bundle of sticks allowing them to dry. In addition to the sticks, gather newspaper, kindling (extra dry wood), pinecones or natural fire starters, matches, rattles, drums, and olive oil.
Next, determine the location for your fire. You can make a fire on the earth, use a fire bowl or create a space in your home with a candle. If you opt for the latter, ensure that the fire is not placed near trees, as their roots can catch fire. If your land is particularly dry, consider finding an alternative approach. It is crucial to leave no trace, as if you were never there, shaman leave no tracks, so approach this decision with integrity.
Feel free to invite friends to join you by making a call out and see who responds.
Before the fire ceremony begins, ask each participant to bring a personal offering in the form of a stick. This stick represents an opportunity to release any burdens or negative narratives that no longer serve them. Additionally, inquire if anyone would like to create a Pacha Mamma Stick. This special stick is made by binding together flowers, herbs, and leaves found in nature. It serves as an expression of gratitude for our lives on Earth and a vessel for our hopes and dreams for future generations.
Designate a gathering spot for everyone and provide instructions on how to build a fire, passing the Pacha Mamma Stick, and teach the fire song.
Your job as space holder is to hold stillness
To ground both your guests and yourself, consider playing or singing a song and leading a meditation.
Fire Song: Witchi Tai To
At its core, “Witchi-Tai-To” is inspired by Native American spirituality and the quest for enlightenment. The title of the song is derived from a chant used by the Native American Peyote religion, which holds sacred ceremonies involving the use of peyote, a small cactus with psychotropic properties. The origins of the chant can be traced back to the Kiowa tribe, who believed in the healing and transformative powers of peyote.
The song’s lyrics are imbued with themes of unity and inner peace, urging listeners to embrace spirituality and let go of their worldly burdens. The repetitive and mesmerizing chant of “Witchi-Tai-To” serves as a tool for transcendence, inviting listeners to embark on a spiritual journey of self-discovery. The song’s melodic and vibrant rhythm further enhances its uplifting message, evoking a sense of joy and connectedness.
The exact meaning of “Witchi-Tai-To” is open to interpretation. The term has been associated with various translations, including “it is springtime” and “I’m walking in peace.” Ultimately, the title represents the spiritual essence of the Native American chant and invites listeners to embrace a state of harmony and inner peace.
The song was popularised in the pop charts run the late 60s by Harpers Bizarre with another iconic version by Jim Pepper in 1971
There are numerous derivations, notably 'Niche Ti Ti'
N - U - Y
Ora Nika Ora Nika
Hey hey….Hey Hey
Yoorori
Loosely translated
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
Walk to the place you have chosen to make fire in silence.
NB: Everything that is placed on the fire is blown into, our breath like the wind blows our essence into the fire.
Place two sticks one across the other, which represent the four directions on the ground.
Then starting with paper and the driest wood build a tepee fire adding more wood as desired.
Call in sacred space - turning to each direction:
South
To the winds of the South
Great Serpent
Wrap your coils of light around us
Teach us to shed the past the way you shed your skin
To walk softly on the Earth
Teach us the Beauty Way
West
To the winds of the West
Mother Jaguar
Protect our medicine space
Teach us the way of peace, to live impeccably
Show us the way beyond death
North
To the winds of the North
Hummingbird, Grandmothers and Grandfathers
Ancient Ones
Come and warm your hands by our fires
Whisper to us in the wind
We honor you who have come before us
And you who will come after us, our children’s children
East
To the winds of the East
Great Eagle, Condor
Come to us from the place of the rising Sun
Keep us under your wing
Show us the mountains we only dare to dream of
Teach us to fly wing to wing with the Great Spirit
Mother Earth
We’ve gathered for the honoring of all of your children
The Stone People, the Plant People
The four-legged, the two-legged, the creepy crawlers
The finned, the furred, and the winged ones
All our relations
Father Sun
Father Sun, Grandmother Moon, to the Star Nations
Thankyou for overnighting this space
Teaching us to shine like bright stars in the light sky
Fire Song
Great Spirit, you who are known by a thousand names
And you who are the unnamable One
Thank you for bringing us together
And allowing us to sing the Song
Of Life, Love, Joy, and freedom
One more day
Ho
To begin the ceremony, ignite the fire (if needed, you may ask someone else to assist with this task). As the fire lights, we will commence singing the fire song, accompanied by the rhythmic sounds of rattling and drumming. These melodic elements aid in shifting our focus away from our analytical minds and alter our consciousness.
Next the space holder will nourish the fire by feeding it with olive oil three times. The first offering will be made to the four directions, followed by an offering to the heavens and the earth. Lastly to everyone in circle..
As the fire becomes more welcoming, we enter a phase of learning. Take a moment to observe the dancing flames, allowing their energy to guide you.
The designated space holder approaches the fire, holding a stick. They blow into the stick, infusing it with their intentions, before placing it into the fire. With their hands, they draw energy from the fire, replenishing their three centers: the third eye for wisdom, the heart for love, and the belly for the power to serve. If you are alone, call upon your ancestors to stand behind you during this process.
The space holder expresses gratitude to both the fire and the person who supported them, then rejoins the circle. Following their lead, everyone else does the same.
Meanwhile, the Pacha Mama stick is passed around the circle, allowing each person to blow their dreams into it.
Once everyone has made their personal offering to the fire, the space holder requests the singing to cease. They then invite the person who created the Pacha Mama stick to choose someone of the opposite gender to bring balance to the fire. This act symbolizes the harmonization of masculine and feminine energies. (remember also that we carry both energies within so you could choose in another way)
From this point forward, the fire becomes the children's fire.
Take a moment to be present and observe your surroundings. Allow yourself to be completely awake, notice what you notice
The space holder requests everyone to take a step back and invites the guardians and keepers of the land to come forward and make their offerings at the fire.
Take a moment to notice what you notice.
Proceed to close the sacred space.
Space Holder asks if anyone wishes to remain by the fire until the last flames extinguish, hear the stories of the fire,
During this time, spontaneous moments may occur, such as holding hands, singing, dancing, or simply sitting in silence. It is truly beautiful to witness the fire without physically interacting with it.
Afterwards, we can come together for a potluck supper. Fire has a unique ability to bring people together and foster a sense of community. When individuals embark on their healing journeys, we have the opportunity to create new ways of being together.
If you choose to conduct a ceremony at home, you can incorporate elements from the previous instructions. Begin by calling in sacred space, creating an altar adorned with stones, pinecones, flowers, and lighting a candle. Use pieces of paper to burn or cocktail sticks, either by blowing them into the fire or writing on them anything that no longer serves you. Nourish your three centres from the flame light of the candle .
Finally, we will close the sacred space. Embrace the beauty of this moment, invite the sacred into your space, and allow spirit to flow through you. Take note of any observations or insights that arise.
Please note that the shaman kindly requests that no alcohol or drugs be consumed during the fire ceremony. As we work with energy and consciousness, it is best to avoid mixing these substances.
New Timeline: December 22, 2023
Synchronicity. Timing. Desire. Dreaming. Hope. Grace. Connection. Vision. Change. Empathy. Grief. Trailblazing. Love. Laughter. Compassion. Sorrow. Liberation. Transformation. Offering...
These are some of words that arose around our Beacon Lighting in Paros.
We were greatly encouraged by so much feedback from Beacon lighters all over the world
So much so that we're launching another Beacon lighting initiative for connection, liberation and world harmony. We will aim for 18:00 GMT as our indicator and this time, Monmouth Wales will be our Beacon of choice to start a chain of global Beacon lighting.
Join us and let's light up for change...
We invite you to support our Donorbox campaign
From Paros to the world. We should never underestimate how the power of intention for world harmony can spread like wildfire.
🔥🔥🔥
Beacons were lit in sync in:
Greece
UK
Israel
USA
Japan
Australia
New Zealand
France
Spain
Italy
Switzerland
Netherlands
Belgium
Germany
Ireland
Cyprus
Argentina
Peru
Denmark
Portugal
Turkey
and elsewhere
Like a murmuration of starlings or a shoal of fish, often our movements are intensified by the presence of a predator which unites us into a single movement, held in a “knowing field”.
The Beacon is a light through the darkness, leading us to safe havens that exist all over the globe. When we light our Beacons around the world we offer a guiding light to one another to unite us as trailblazers in our desire for peace and harmony throughout the planet.
We already have the seeds for a global peace initiative.
🔥❤️🙏
We are inviting you to join with others around the world in our lighting of Beacons for World Harmony on November 24th. The original idea started here on the island of Paros in Greece and is spreading like wildfire. Paros will initiate and spark the first global Beacon this Friday (24th) at nightfall. Booking for the Paros event is essential.
The invitation if you're not on Paros is to join us wherever you are by having your own gathering around a fire with friends or lighting of a candle if you are alone or otherwise busy.
The Beacon concept is all about bringing communities together face-to-face, to bring about connection, to shine a light for a collective manifestation of world harmony and peace. This might be around specific conflict zones, a need for a ceasefire or termination of other hostilities - or wider change.
The Beacon might be a one-off gathering around a fire or it might be a gesture around a lighting of a candle. It might be a community forming to establish common ground, identify areas where change is needed and frameworks to carry out those actions, or to trailblaze new directions, values and principles. Or just be an opportunity to get together and make friends with neighbours.
Like a murmuration of starlings or a shoal of fish, often our movements are intensified by the presence of a predator which unites us into a single movement, held in a “knowing field”.
The Beacon is a light through the darkness, leading us to safe havens that exist all over the globe. When we light our Beacons around the world we offer a guiding light to one another to unite us in our desire for peace and harmony throughout the planet.
Here is Lucy Hill's prayer for peace...
You are invited to add your name and location in the comments and we will add them into our growing list of Trailblazers below who are joining together in harmony on 24th. We will gather at 19:00 EET in Greece so feel invited to join us then or any other time that suits in your timezone to send out a positive message of intention around the world.
We hope to be online too at this time. Watch this space.
The Trailblazers list is growing...
UK
Poppy Altmann - Frome, Somerset
Thomas Daniell - Lewis, Sussex
Lynda Davis - Chichester
Sunita Passi & Victoria - Nottingham
Lynette & Mia - Devon
Tanja Kerlo - London
Ruth Fox - Sheffield
Josie Kemp, Godalming, Surrey
Carol Jollie - Chiswick, W London
Sarah Jewell, Drefach Felindre, West Wales
Jackie Gee-Faulkner - Hebrides, Scotland
Fanella Hemus - Bristol
Fennel Waters - Manchester
Inge Studnick - Wiltshire
Fran Wardell - Bristol
Julia Palmer-Price - Malvern Hills
Peter Thompson - Reading
Sonja Kristina - London
Kevin & Lulu - Nottingham
Linda Williams - Stourport
Lindy Vosper - Sussex
Julia Palmer-Price - Malvern
Angela Ward - Frome
Juliet Mackay - Bristol
Mick Collins - Norwich
Chris Waters - Reading
Sahara Redman - Cornwall
Sara Greenwood - Purbeck
Ian Banyard - Cotswolds
Richard Lawrence and family - Twyford, Berkshire
Lorraine Furneaux - Penzance
Ffio Welford - Oxfordshire
Helen Warden - Northamptonshire
Inge Studwick - Wiltshire
Pascale Barrett - Stafford
Gaynor Stanley
Chris Dadswell - Lewes
Barbara Hoyle - Windsor
Sheila Carlberg - Warwickshire
Lisa McDonald, Wick, north Scotland
Tracey Cameron - Wirral
Andrea Ballancore - Bristol
Caroline Watkins - Chepstow
Kelly - Kingston on Thames
Kate MacDonald - Yorkshire
Tamara Alferoff - London
Genene Edwards - London
Sam Auckland - Avebury
Aileen Riddet and Stella Goodall - Mablethorpe, Lincs
Sue Somers - Porlock
Sonya Dunsdon - Norwich
Aradia Phoenix - Brixham
Meryl Van Spall - Southam, Warks
Faye Dobinson - Penzance
Margaret Seaby - Manchester
Genene Edwards - Bournemouth
Jenny Scott - Lincoln
Helen Mansfield & Charlotte Kitteridge - Peckham
Ros Johnson - Wells
Nicki Holmes - Cotswolds
Catherine Mary Hayes - Norfolk
Dan Astin-Gregory - Bournemouth
GREECE
Paros Beacon attendees - Paros
Debbie Underwood - Tinos
Katerina Kitsili - Molos, Paros
Patricia Rikh - Paroikia, Paros
Rachel May - Aegina
Jeanette and Charles Tasker - Alyki, Paros
Petra Kampmann and Terence Mortimer - Paros
PERU
Kay del Valechito - Suncho Chumo
ISRAEL
Arielle Warner - Tel Aviv
GERMANY
Annerike Dijkhuis - Nassau
FRANCE
Michelle Grimaud - Ouest France
Caitlin Walker - Paris
IRELAND
Caroline Gill
DENMARK
Trish Larsen - Sønderborg
NETHERLANDS
Carla Wiechers - Utrecht
Zelda Hall - Amsterdam
Marlies van Echteld - Dordrecht
AUSTRALIA
Mattrix and Rachel - Uki, New South Wales
Victoria Wheeler - Sydney
Susan Loy Stoneham - Brisbane
Shusahann Movsessian - Coogee Beach
NEW ZEALAND
Bob Hillary - Kerikeri
USA
Terri Severance - San Diego
Victoria Scott - Malibu Canyon, Los Angeles
Cheryl McEnaney - Los Angeles
Noah Koff - Portland
Godze Turkmen Redden - Houston
ReVonda Crow - North Carolina
JAPAN
Carina Cox - Tokyo
SPAIN
Thomas Schorr-Kon
PORTUGAL
Sally Bourne - Via Nova De Milfontes
SWITZERLAND
Aelia Kos
Elina Viita
CYPRUS
Haji Mike - Nicosia
ITALY
Julie Oxendale - Como
TURKEY
Peta Inglesent - Didim
ARGENTINA
Katy Marriot - Argentina
Background to the Beacons Concept
Join us at Campfire Convention
We launched the Global Beacons initiative with an event in Paros, Greece on November 24th.
We’re lighting a Beacon for world harmony now every solstice and equinox.
We invite you to join us wherever you are by staging your own gathering around a fire or lighting of a candle. Please add your name and location in the comment box at the bottom of this article.
On November 24th, 2023,, a random group of people ended up around my dinner table and we agreed that we would like to invite a small group of like-hearted friends to symbolically light the first Paros Beacon at 19:00 on Friday November 24th.
The Paros Beacon would be lit as:
1) A iconic symbol for connection and a proactive gesture towards world harmony.
2) A synchronistic vibration-raiser amongst friends around the world on the same timeline.
3) An opening salvo to inspire a new type of pop-up festival on Paros island.
Here is our simple invitation to light Beacons all over the world
The Paros Beacon was lit in a shamanic fire ceremony by Jessica Mallock, an Artist, Shamanic Practitioner, TRE (tension & trauma release exercise) Provider, Mentor, Creative Guide and Grandmother.
Here she details how to set up a Beacon lighting ceremony
THE BEACONS IDEA
It’s high time we reclaimed the idea of Beacons. Instead of using them merely for the celebration of royal occasions, anniversaries or such other star-spangled ceremonials, let’s re-ignite them as signals for significant connection and celebration, of the universal desire for more harmony and peace in the world. The Beacons will bring light to this sense of connection and universal commonality between us all, whatever the beliefs, borders or prejudices.
Read more about the original concept
May the Beacon lighting of the 24th be a spark for global connection but also for the start of a week when we might try out a few DIY events that could help shape a 'Grace and Spark' Paros Winter Gathering.
As my friend Boho says :
"On the enchanting island of Paros, we are coming together to host a truly special event—an intimate gathering of souls for the inaugural "Light a Beacon" Together for Peace and World Harmony. This unique assembly will feature its first-ever shamanic fire ceremony. Our collective intention is to bring forth a new world—a realm where people step out of their homes and into a space of unity, prayer, and vision for a better tomorrow.
The night promises to be rich with magical conversations, and I ask you to bring an open heart to join in the enchantment. This experience marks the first of its kind on Paros, with many more magical gatherings to follow. Follow the magic within.”
See you around the fire,
Pete Lawrence, Campfire Convention Firestarter
pete.lawrence@campfireconvention.com