FIRE WALK WITH ME

As the cool air of Autumn swirls around us on Earth, we are reminded of the Sun and the light giving gifts this element offers us. In Andean cosmology Father Sun, known in Quecha as Tayta Inti, is a masculine spirit carrying the qualities of the element Fire. According to the Q’ero people of the Sacred Valley in Peru, Tayta Inti gave rainbows to the beings of Earth to remind them of his creation of the world and how the rainbow is many colors yet forms a single bridge from the Earth to the Sky. When I first heard this story I began to wonder, “How can I as a human being connect to the Sky and the light energy it carries – of the Sun, the Moon, the Stars?”

 The Autumnal Equinox presents us with an ideal time to connect to the natural world and understand and be touched by the rhythms of Pachamama, our cosmic Earth Mother.

The Equinox which occurs in the East Coast of North America on September 22, 2014, is a sacred time of year in which the Sun crosses the celestial equator. This means that the Sun’s rays shine directly on the equator and the length of day and night is completely in balance.

For us Earth beings, the Autumnal Equinox presents a time to move inward to kindle our inner light, the Sun that shines within us, helping us to navigate our path through the cooler, darker season to come.

It is a time to call in the energies of balance and abundance, often symbolized by the harvest. A time to nourish, rest and take notice of the seeds you have planted this year and how they have blossomed.

As we observe the cycles of nature shifting around us, an important decision lies before us.

Do we allow these emerging magnetic energies to support us and flow with them or do we ignore these forces of nature and act as if they are not apart of us? I believe nature and the natural world is our greatest teacher. If we study her ways, we open ourselves to a vast world of potential.

I would like to share with you the most meaningful way I honor the Sun and this time of seasonal transition. First, I begin by watching the setting sun and second, I create a fire ceremony. I give gratitude for the gifts I have received and will be receiving and then attune to the natural world through the practice of ritual.

RITUAL

On the Autumnal Equinox let’s come together and honor ourselves, the Earth and all of life. A beautiful way to begin is to sit or stand before the setting Sun and offer your love and gratitude. Start to explore the element Fire and what it means to you. You may gather with loved ones or you may feel called to connect on your own.

Anytime you feel blocked, or are working on what you want to dream into your life, fire is a powerful tool to help you change and shift energy. Through the ritual of fire ceremony, the deepest yearnings and dreams of our soul begin to manifest and express in the physical world.

>>>After sundown find a sacred place in your home and center yourself by taking three deep breaths and grounding your feet to Pachamama.

>>>Begin to prepare for your fire ceremony by laying out a candle, 3 leafs of white sage and any other objects sacred to you.

>>>You may open ceremony by igniting your fire and begin with a song or chant using various musical instruments including drums, rattles or bells.

>>>You will then hold your first intention of everything you want to release and with your breath blow your intention into your leaf.

>>>Then light your sage leaf by the fire of the candle, gently holding the stem and allowing it to burn through.

>>>You will hold your second sage leaf and as you take a breath in, gather your intention of everything you want to welcome into your life and blow it into your leaf.

>>>Next ignite your leaf and let it burn through.

>>>Holding the third sage leaf you will say a blessing for Mother Earth, Father Sun and this sacred day of the Autumnal Equinox and ignite the leaf and let it burn through.

>>>After this process breath deeply and take a moment to close your eyes and feel all of the elements supporting you – the Fire, Air, Water, Earth and Spirit.

If you are native to New York, please join us for an Autumnal Equinox Native Fire Ceremony at Long Beach in Sag Harbor, NY on September 22, 2014 from 6:30 pm onward. For more information visit, www.puakaihealing.com/offerings/#/event-autumnal-equinox-fire-ceremony/