Fire – how do you form an alliance with fire to make it safe enough to walk on? If you try to approach walking on red hot coals with logic you will probably never be able to do it.  Walking on fire is not about the ego and doing something for thrills. Rather it is about creating a very sacred relationship with the element of fire. This starts as a completely conscious process, some of the steps I take are:

1. Permission from the land to create a sacred fire and to be able to spread coals on it – it’s perfect with heavy snow on the ground

2. Selection of the wood to be used in the ceremony

3. Safe weather conditions – no wind, snow covered ground (we clear the necessary path of snow)

4. Permission from the fire department to have a safe fire

5. Working with the wood and the fire pit to get the energy moving appropriately

6. Engaging with the big fire in the sky – the sun and stars

7. Teaching people about forming a relationship with fire and encouraging hearts to open

8. Teaching people about the relationship between the sun, earth, moon and trees (wood)

9. Gifting the fire with many humble prayers and offerings

10. Being patient with the fire to burn in a peaceful, slow manner

11. Teaching the participants the responsibility of awareness and support of each other during the whole ritual

12. Teaching the participants the mantra’s and how to get prepared to walk on the coals

13. Maintaining a high level of awareness and safety with the coals at all times – plenty of water available

14. Having the proper tools available to work with the coals – shovels, wheel barrow, rakes, water hoses

15. Having experienced helpers available to handle the coals and support the process

16. Personally walking the coals as many times as it takes to know the process is safe

17. Supporting people in their walk

18. Making sure the fire is properly extinguished when done

19. Hugs all around when complete

20. A good meal to finish the evening!

In this photo Fred Guerin and I were working to start a fire the old fashioned way, once an ember was created we were working to bring it to a flame.

Once the fire is safely burning we spend a couple of hours in a conscious exchange with the fire asking it to be gentle with us.

But the hot coals are still very daunting no matter how many times you have walked on them. To repeat, this is not a masculine, rip roaring hoop-a-la…it is a very emotional, heart opening experience, where people’s bodies and spirits do amazing things to allow them to walk on hot coals. If done in a conscious way walking on fire is very safe and amazingly healing for the body, emotions, mind and spirit. Your body will do whatever it must to let you walk on fire!