Fire Teaching Ritual – teaching

Circle are should be in darkness except for the central fire and lanterns at the quarters.

Circle cast

The quarter guardians hold unlit candles in coloured glass holders. At the end of the circle cast, HPS calls each forth and lights their flame. When they call their quarters, they leave the candle burning at the quarter.

All gathered around the fire which should be glowing brightly. 

Fire Guardian: Tonight we journey to the realm of fire. We will explore our passions and find ourselves dancing to the inner flame.

Participants are led through hermetic journey to Altar of Fire.

Fire Guardian:  Welcome back to the world between worlds. You have gained an understanding of the nature of Fire. Now you must use your passion to explore the relationship that Fire has with the other Elements.

Let us journey to where Fire and Water combine. 

All spiral around the circle and exit where the Fire Guardian cuts a gateway. Participants are led by the Fire Guardian to the realm of Water Of Fire

WATER OF FIRE

At the entrance to the realm of Water of Fire, the participants are halted by the Water Guardian.

Water Guardian:		Hold, who seeks entry to realm of Water and Fire

Fire Guardian:		I am the guardian of Fire alone, the pure cleansing flame. I bring to you those who would know your realm, the place where Water and Fire meet.

Water Guardian:		All who seek knowledge are welcome to this place, here where passion is tempered by the tide of emotion. Enter freely and be blessed by Water and Flame.

Participants are asperged with warm water as they pass through the gateway.

Water Guardian: 		Come... feel the water as it cleanses you.... cleansed by water, the blood, the tide and the tear.  Come... sit before the pool and speak with me.

From the realm of Fire alone you have travelled, now you find yourself carried by the flame to the waters at the heart of all.

Feel the magic of this place and find within yourself the knowledge of how water and fire may work together, how they combine in so many different ways.

Participants take time to think.

Water Guardian:		Feel the tides of knowledge inside you. Bring to me that knowledge, borne within the vein. Speak to me of water and fire.

Go around the circle with each person giving their insight into water and fire.

Water Guardian:		I thank you for these gifts of insight. And to you I will give a gift in return. Fire and water..... opposites... yet each can transform the other.... Heat water over a fire and you get steam... pour the same water over the fire and the fire is extinguished... the delicate balance of nature and the elements....and the spark of life...  the cycles and mysteries of birth, death and rebirth.... 

Before you is a pool full of floating candles..... golden fire adrift on the waters.... see the balance... if the candle tips its light will go out... but once it is righted.... its flame can burn again... 

Carve your mark on your candle.... and place it to float upon the waters...  balanced... elements working together.... 

The pool is red... the blood of the goddess 

We will cycle our energies through the blood of the goddess into the candles - when the flame is lit the magic of our passions is released. 

Dance and chant around the pool - see the flames. We charge them - when the flame is lit the spark of magick is released. 

"Floating Flames burning bright 
Give to us the spark of life 
Red the blood and mirror gold 
With harm to none - the spell unfolds " 

All to light their candles - as the taper is passed around.... 

Water Guardian: sit awhile and look into the flames - let your energies focus on them - they hold the spark of our passions. 

The gift from the Pool of fire is passion and the candles floating on its surface are representative of this gift. 

Each to take their candle.... touch finger to the water and extinguish the flame.... 

Guide them back through the gateway after all have finished and the Fire Guardian will lead them to their next journey

EARTH OF FIRE

At the entrance to the realm of Earth of Fire, the participants are halted by the Earth Guardian.

Earth Guardian:		Hold, who seeks entry to realm of Earth and Fire

Fire Guardian:		I am the guardian of Fire alone, the pure cleansing flame. I bring to you those who would know your realm, the place where Earth and Fire meet.

Earth Guardian:		All who seek knowledge are welcome to this place, here where passion is given form and strength. Enter freely and be blessed by Earth and Flame.

Participants are marked with a charred stick.

Earth Guardian: 		Come... feel the earth as it marks you.... consecrated by the earth, the tree and the soil.  Come... sit before the coals and speak with me.

From the realm of Fire alone you have travelled, now you find yourself carried by the flame to the fuel that is its source.

Feel the magic of this place and find within yourself the knowledge of how earth and fire may work together, how they combine in so many different ways.

Participants take time to think.

Earth Guardian:		Feel the strength of passion inside you. Bring to me the knowledge of that strength, borne within the coal. Speak to me of earth and fire.

Go around the circle with each person giving their insight into earth and fire.

Earth Guardian: I thank you for these gifts and I shall give you a gift in return. We bake the earth  in the fires.... the fires that transform clay into tools... into bowls.... into cups... into magick.....  the fire that tempers, that hardens..... that transforms that which was into that which is.... new 

And so from passion and growth we have creation... and transformation.... 

Each person is then given an orange and then some cloves.

Earth Guardian: You have each been given a gift of fire of the sun… the sweet bright balls of orange fruit…. Into these you will place cloves… phallic and fiery spice….  Take handfuls of these cloves and pierce the skins of the oranges…. Pattern the cloves to your desire.. your wishes… as words or symbols… they are yours and the form of the spell of fiery release for these your dreams…. 

When you have completed your spell wrap them in the silver foil of the moon…. Gift from the earth in the colour of the Lady… place these into the fire my children, call out your desire if you wish and let the fire perform its transformation making the cloves and fruit as one. 

Guide them back through the gateway after all have finished and the Fire Guardian will lead them to their next journey

AIR OF FIRE

At the entrance to the realm of Fire of Air, the participants are halted by the Fire Guardian.

Air Guardian:		Hold, who seeks entry to realm of Fire and Air

Fire Guardian:			I am the guardian of Air alone, the pure wind of knowing. I bring to you those who would know your realm, the place where Fire and Air meet.

Air Guardian:		All who seek knowledge are welcome to this place, here where knowledge is borne upon the spark of creativity. Enter freely and be blessed by Air and Fire.

Participants are smudged with sage as they pass through the gateway.

Air Guardian:		Come... feel the smoke as it cleanses you.... cleansed by fire and the fumes from the herbs that glow with inner flame. A gift carried on the air, the air around us, the air we breathe, the air that fills our lungs with life. Come... sit before the fire and speak with me.

From the realm of Fire alone you have travelled, now you find yourself carried by the winds to fire's welcoming hearth.

Feel the magic of this place and find within yourself the knowledge of how fire and air may work together, how they combine in so many different ways.

Participants take time to think.

Air Guardian:		Feel the spark of knowledge inside you. Bring to me that knowledge, borne upon the tongue of flame. Speak to me of fire and air.

Go around the circle with each person giving their insight into fire and air.

Air Guardian:		I thank you for these gifts of insight. And to you I will give a gift in return. The fire releases the hidden energies of the fuel that feeds it.... the vibrations... for good and for ill... the beautiful aroma of cooking food, the scents released to stimulate us, to make us wish to replenish ourselves. The fire releases and transforms the fragrant oils that we heat to calm ourselves, to please ourselves, to heal ourselves. 

Yet fire can also pollute the air... the coal that burns to warm us, to light our way. The great electric revolution that both aids us but harms the air and the earth. In the combining and transformation from the realms of fire and air we see the double edged sword of air... formed by fire, sharp and duplicitous as magick.

Tonight we look at the positive ways that air and fire can combine... through the burning of sigils in the air we can create magick.. Communication for ourselves and our lives. Creating change by our will... transformation of fire... carried through the kingdom of Air.

Each person is given a sparkler which is lit from a candle. Before the sparkler is lit, they are to think about messages that they need to send that should be carried with a passionate spark. They are to think of a sigil or mark or word that that can draw with the lit sparkler.

They then light their sparkler and draw the sigil or word in the air. Wait for the sparkler to burn down.

Guide them back through the gateway after all have finished and the Fire Guardian will lead them to their next journey

FIRE of SPIRIT

Fire Guardian: You have journeyed through the forest and met fires of four elements..... now together again you visit the realm of the fifth element... of Akasha... of Spirit..... where fire and spirit combine... you who have wandered through the mysteries of elemental fire are ready to seek the spirit of fire.... the fire of spirit... 

Look deep into the fire.... into the blazing coals..... the heart of the fire.... do you shapes... flickering images... relax and breathe deeply... send your will through your third eye.... you who are open to the elements and their secrets... ask that the fire tell you its secrets too..... ask it what you will or let the images come.... 

heartbeat drumming to start here... and carry them through...