Shamanic Fire Ceremony

Into the Fire I Release You

October 8^th, 2022 

The moon rises full, round, white, from behind the ancient cedar trees that encircle us and from where the owl’s hoot their night-time songs. The cloak of night wraps us in her magic as we gather in a circle around the fire with our drums ready to take up the call for healing, guidance, and re-empowerment. Tonight, we twenty-two shamans and dream-teachers have come together to cast out into our ceremonial fire our negative attachments and old contracts to unhealthy people, habits, and beliefs that hold us back from being our free and true creative, vital souls and beings. Fire purifies, burns the dross, the excess attachments we carry. Fire offers us her light, her passion, her energies for rebirth. 

Robert Moss, our chief shaman and dream teacher opens our Circle with his personal Invocation to the Spirits,

“We welcome the Indigenous Spirits of the land, and our ancestors,

The elements of Air, Fire, Water, Earth,

The Stars Above, the Depths Below,

and Center the Light of our Radiant Hearts.”

Together we intone the invocation to the Gatekeeper that Robert has taught us, 

“May our doors and gates and paths be open,

and the doors and gates and paths between the worlds

and may the doors and gates and paths of any who wish to do us, 

or those we love any harm, be closed.

May it be so!”

The fire roars her tongues of orange and red flames up the teepee shaped logs of wood, creating a large circular base of glowing coals and embers bordered by stones. The three fire-keepers stoke the fire and add wood to keep her burning strong and true throughout the ceremony. 

One by one we read aloud to the Circle the three individual contracts we have written on separate pieces of paper that we wish to clear and banish form our lives. Next, we place each into the fire one at a time, blowing on it as it burns, three times in all, as three times builds the power and maketh the spell. The circle drums together announcing each person, pausing while they speak, then drumming loudly in validation and celebration as they complete their burning and run around the Circle to enclose and seal the words and intent, sending them up to the heavens as the flames and smoke rise into the night sky.

At my turn my heart beats as loud as the drums. I feel breathless as I pull my first piece of paper out and speak,

“I release all my negative projections I place on others,

and all the projections of others I allow 

into my own body and energy field.”

I throw my paper into the fire and blow strongly on the flames as it burns. I take up my second piece of paper and speak,

“I release all the grief and loss for my body as I knew it, 

as it failed me these past seventeen years of illnesses.”

I blow strongly with big, deep, long belly breaths. Tears fill my eyes. My body shudders, feeling itself almost thrown into the flames as I blow on them. It takes all my willpower to pull out my third contract and speak strong and clear,

“I release the naivety and ignorance for the damage 

to land and to trees, plants and animals

by my father as an agricultural scientist and by my communities and myself.”

As I speak this contract I look out to the majestic cedars, the owls and nightlife, and the spirits of the sacred land around me. I run around our Circle with joy, giving thanks for the blessings of the spirits and the purification of Fire. I am reborn anew!