The Egg of Our Intent, Fire Alchemy article from Healing the Spirit

Our All Night Fire Circle is intended to be a work of Spiritual Alchemy, where the group and every member of the group will be encouraged to find their path to personal transformation and healing through spontaneous movement, sound and connection with Spirit.

The traditional Alchemical container was a vessel called a retort which was capable of withstanding extreme temperatures and potentially explosive chemical reactions- similar to a cauldron or crucible. For the Spiritual Alchemy of our All Night Fire, we envision a more organic container - the Egg. Some people may think of an egg as fragile, but the typical egg endures tremendous heat and pressures during the explosive growth processes that give rise to life. Simultaneously, the Egg protects, supports and sustains the proto-life within, allowing in what is needed, and then, at the appropriate time, allowing it to break through into manifestation.

The Shell

The outer boundary of our Egg will be a line of prayer flags, strewn between a circle of lanterns. Each prayer flag serving as a marker of intent and each lantern serving as a beacon, this outer shell will hold and reflect inward our magickal energies. As you cross this line, take a moment to take a grounding breath and remind yourself that you are entering magiackal space. Preferably all will enter through the intentional portal, the smudge gate, and allow yourself to be cleared of mundane influences by the purifying combination of fire and air before entering the Container. Spend the moment to allow the smudgers to honor your magickal self and allow yourself to honor that magickal self as well. An excellent act of service to the Circle is to take up the smudgepot and do this honor for others.

Ouside of this boundary will be places to park your stuff, take a breather, or engage in any private work or activity not appropriate for the intentional community or magickal energies held within. Here you can fly upon the "Peacock's tail", and if you need, be apart. You are still expected to respect and honor what's going on within.

Inside the boundary, you are a part. You agree to honor your own work, the work of others, and the work of the Community. You are a co-conspirator in making this happen.You will find elements to help support the work - altars for food, water and drums; chill out areas for meditation and self-care, or communication and appropriate care for others. Use them as Spirit calls you to. Tidy up or re-stock any altars that need it. Read the prayer flags. Put away any loose drums or percussion items. Hold space for those inside the center of the Circle.

The Yolk

Inside this area is another line of lanterns overhead with space for 2 or 3 people between each lantern. Think of this as a container within a container, a permeable membrane within which you can witness the focused activity and growth. You may stand in this lantern line and hold space, lending your energies to the working within. You may support the focus of the inner circles by offering up water/food for Dancers/Chanters or mirror the activity within by chanting along, shaking rattles or dancing in place to the drum groove. For those who resonate with a planetary model of the Fire Circle, this line corresponds to the orbit of Mars, and is a focus point of energy and intensity.

Keeping with the planetary model, the orbits within the Mars line tend to have the following qualities, but much of this is a lot more fluid than a planet's orbit and depends on the character and energy of the Circle. Just inside the Mars line is the "Earth" orbit. Here, people will typically be walking, moving relatively slowly, perhaps with great intensity, or carrying a chant around the Circle or engaging the Witnesses in the Mars Line.

A bit further in, perhaps occupying the majority of the inner part of the Circle is the "Venus" orbit. Venus energy may be more flowing and dance-like. People may move through this orbit from the Earth orbit as they pick up energy or become inspired to work closer to Fire. People may also weave in and out of Venus. It's often good to stay fluid not only in your movement but in your attention, if possible, to avoid collisions.

"Mercury" is the path closest to the center and closest to the fire. People in Mercury may be moving very fast, almost Dervish-like, or they may stop and witness right beside the fire. They may be having very significant interactions with the Fire and they may be heavily in-tranced or in-spirited. As with any of the orbits, people may be moving "retrograde" to the primary direction of motion as Spirit moves them, literally.

The Fire

The Fire can be viewed as the Sun, the Center, the Flame of Spirit. This is the focal point. As we send it our energy it sends its energy out to us. This really is a kind of love. We can best show our love for the Fire by helping tend its needs - putting logs on to feed it, stirring it, stoking it as necessary. If you're not sure how to help, approach the fire-tender and ask how/if you can help. With love comes also respect. Respect the Fire. Don't jump in/over it. Don't throw junk in it. Don't smother it. Don't reach into it without proper tools/ protection.

The Drums - the "Furnace"

At ritual South of the Mars line you will find benches and standing spots shaped into a rough "V" for the Drummers as well as the Percussion/Drum Altar. The Furnace is necessary at many points during the Fire Circle to keep the activity and the intent "heated up". If you are inspired with a rhythm, please step up, sit down and join in. If all drumming spots are full, gesture your desire to join in at an appropriate time. If you've been drumming for a while and are approached by a gesturing would-be drummer, consider giving up your spot to a new drummer. If you haven't drummed yet and notice empty spots in the Furnace, add your heat. When new drummers join in, welcome them and help them join the rhythm. Pay attention to each other. Pay attention to the rest of the Circle. There are points during the circle where a heavy drum beat is not needed. If a heartfelt chant is starting up with quiet cymbals, frame drums, or no drums at all, don't start loudly machine-gun drumming sxteenth notes on a djembe. See if Spirit inspires a more gentle rhythm to go with the chant, or just chant along. There will be other opportunities to play your drum.

If you are not going to drum for a while, don't just leave your drum to sit in the way of other drummers. Please put it away in the drum corral. If you see a drum that's been abandoned for a while in the Furnace, respectfully put it away in the drum corral so it isn't damaged or subjected to sudden rain.

The Gratitude Zone

Within the space formed by the drumming benches is a shape we like to envision as a heart. Within this area, especially during a particularly juicy groove, dancers may come in and interact with the drummers. Drummers may also respond to and be inspired in their groove by the dancers. This can be a very frenetic or a very close communication. Dancers in the Gratitude Zone may not be able to hear/see beyond what's going on with their dancing communication with the drummers. Since part of the Gratitude zone spills out of the furnace into the Circle, those walking the Earth path may want to be especially attentive of the movement as well as the energy when passing before the drums.

Ideally, people will enter the Gratitude Zone because they are filled with Spirit to do so. Just as with the drums, if you feel inspired to enter the Gratitude Zone and it is already filled, gesture your intent to enter at an appropriate time. If you've been in the Gratitude Zone for a while and/or someone gestures their intent to get into the Zone, consider giving them a chance.

The Gratitude Zone is not just for Dance, it's also for Chant and other spoken voice and for other instruments. Feel free to show your gratitude and commune with the drummers when appropriate even if you're not a dancer.

Handle Eggs with Care

The Egg is our vessel, our magickal space. It's strong, but it's also fragile. As long as we treat it with honor and care, and invest it with our intention and attention, it will protect us, hold our energy and support our intent. Tidy up or re-stock any altars that need it. Put away any loose drums. Pick up any litter. Don't make litter. Don't make idle or negative chatter - auditory litter. Be respectful of boundaries. Be respectful of the land. Hold the Space sacred and It will hold us sacred as well.

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If you have links or informational articles on Fire Tribe, Fire Alchemy, Fire Magick, Intentional Fire Circles and related topics of drumming, chant, philosophy, dance, trance, and would like to contribute to our pages, please email Whittney with "HTS Fire Resources" in the subject line.

Fire Alchemy